Preventing bike theft?

[iranana]

Hey guys, so this isn't necessarily a survival thread... but it kind of is. I just got a new bike and since it's not a piece of crap like my last bike was, I've been more paranoid about theft lately. Sometimes I have to park out on the road over night and I hate this, but it's the only option apart from the sidewalk... So, what does everything think the best security measures are? Whenever I park I turn off the fuel tap, pull out the choke, put it in gear and put my steering lock on which will certainly slow down a thief/make it a good bit harder to take but it won't stop someone from chucking it in a van and driving off. I'm thinking I'll get a bike cover so people don't see it unless they go looking and it'll keep it nice and dry. As for GPS trackers... I've been contemplating installing one. If someone chucks it in their van at least I'll be able to follow it to a certain degree but do police chase up that sort of stuff? Seeing as they can't always be accurate and they can't measure elevation (if it's on the 23rd floor of a building, for instance, it'd be damn hard to find) I've wondered whether they'll go on a hunt for it. A good old big heavy coated chain around the wheel and frame is also another option...

What do you do to keep your bike safe and sound when it's not in your garage/at the mercy of the streets?

[Motu]

Your bike is in plain sight, everyone knows it's there, everything from now on is a token gesture.

[bogan]

GPS with a short range directional beepy thing so you can find it easier, both on a separate battery. Alternatively a GPS with the horn wired in to the engine cut, so at command you can set the horn blaring, good for narrowing it down to that pesky 23rd floor. A big chain connected to an immovable object is probably the best option for stopping it getting nicked in the first place.

[Disco Dan]

Go down to Bunnings and buy a large plastic box, couple of bags of quick set concrete and a length of drain pipe.

Cut drain pipe to fit the length of your box, wedge it in about half way down. Fill box with concrete. Once set turn box over and pry the block out.

You now have a big heavy block of concrete with a nice tube through the middle for a big chain. Drag block to where you park your bike and chain up.

Basically a 'temporary ground anchor'.

[onearmedbandit]

I remove a handle bar to stop people from stealing my bike.

[cynna]

with 2 of these

[Disco Dan]

with 2 of these

Son of a bitch or a daughter of a dog?

[willytheekid]

NOTHING! is as effective as the sound of a shotgun being cocked at 2am in the morning



Seriously tho...insurance!...if they want ya bike...they WILL get your bike, the arseholes are sadly very efficient nowdays.

Another option...buy a cheap 2nd hand phone that supports location tracking software, and hide that sucker on the bike


Personally, I never park the bike where I can't see it, and it lives in a locked & alarmed garage (But if someone REALLY wants to push there luck...the shotgun IS loaded with 2 rounds of salt shot...won't kill em...but it sure will make a well seasoned mess!!...fuck bike thiefs!)

[Disco Dan]

NOTHING! is as effective as the sound of a shotgun being cocked at 2am in the morning

Seriously tho...insurance!...if they want ya bike...they WILL get your bike, the arseholes are sadly very efficient nowdays.

Another option...buy a cheap 2nd hand phone that supports location tracking software, and hide that sucker on the bike


Personally, I never park the bike where I can't see it, and it lives in a locked & alarmed garage (But if someone REALLY wants to push there luck...the shotgun IS loaded with 2 rounds of salt shot...won't kill em...but it sure will make a well seasoned mess!!...fuck bike thiefs!)

Guns are bad... mmmkay...

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Which phones support this?

[MIXONE]

A ramp up the steps to take it inside to your bedroom!

[Disco Dan]

WHy not just get a security guard to stand next to it....

http://www.nzsec.co.nz/index.shtml#services

[Akzle]

Guns are bad... mmmkay...

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Which phones support this?

no, guns are fucking awesome. and a great deterrent to thieving cunts.

most bike thefts aren't "chucked in a van" - they're two dudes rolling up on a bike, one hopping off the back, hotwiring your ride and cracking your steering lock, and two dudes riding off.

for one, the nokia c5-00 does, through a program called "f-secure", you can remotely do diddly on the phone, lock it with password, delete your data, get current GPS location, or make alarm go off. i'm sure there'll be an app for most phones in a similar vein,

elsewise jaycar have some black box alarm kits which require a SIM and plots it's movement on googlemaps...

[jim.cox]

Guns are bad... mmmkay...

No

Guns are neither good nor bad

Its what you do with them that counts

Preventing thieving scum from breathing is good in my book

Just dont point them at people you dont intend to kill...

[tigertim20]

Hey guys, so this isn't necessarily a survival thread... but it kind of is. I just got a new bike and since it's not a piece of crap like my last bike was, I've been more paranoid about theft lately. Sometimes I have to park out on the road over night and I hate this, but it's the only option apart from the sidewalk... So, what does everything think the best security measures are? Whenever I park I turn off the fuel tap, pull out the choke, put it in gear and put my steering lock on which will certainly slow down a thief/make it a good bit harder to take but it won't stop someone from chucking it in a van and driving off. I'm thinking I'll get a bike cover so people don't see it unless they go looking and it'll keep it nice and dry. As for GPS trackers... I've been contemplating installing one. If someone chucks it in their van at least I'll be able to follow it to a certain degree but do police chase up that sort of stuff? Seeing as they can't always be accurate and they can't measure elevation (if it's on the 23rd floor of a building, for instance, it'd be damn hard to find) I've wondered whether they'll go on a hunt for it. A good old big heavy coated chain around the wheel and frame is also another option...

What do you do to keep your bike safe and sound when it's not in your garage/at the mercy of the streets?

Im a fan of putting it in the bedroom or the lounge.

Another option is to go for a walk around the area you live in search of people with a garage, one that doesnt appear to get used, and see about renting it off them. I know of people who have rented a neighbor's garage for $10 a week or so, you wont notice the $10, the owner gets a little coin for nothing, and you have a secure place to keep, and do maintenance on your bike when its too wet to do it outside.

GPS trackers are, IMO a must, they can be hidden damn near anywhere and give you a better chance of finding it, or whats left of it, if it gets nicked, Id say do that whether or not you do anything else.

Any measure though, is really only going to stop the opportunist cunt, the motivated cunt will steal your bike no matter what you do to keep it safe.

[Hitcher]

Put a cover over it. Out of sight is out of mind.

And fit a disc lock.

Just like the golden rule for car security: Make your bike look 5% harder to steal than the one parked next to it.