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I'm hoping to put a bike locker in front of my terraced house. I need to get my commuter in there, and ideally one maclaren baby buggy and one mtb.
I've got an absolute max of 2300mm from house to street (though that will mean losing the hedge) shrinking to 1600mm at the bay window which starts 580mm from the side...
[url= https://docs.google.com/drawings/pub?id=1EfkKXwOcKV2vxXlkhpjyZqTu8Oi9rSBGcdUskJLMn8c&w=960&h=720 ][img] https://docs.google.com/drawings/pub?id=1EfkKXwOcKV2vxXlkhpjyZqTu8Oi9rSBGcdUskJLMn8c&w=960&h=720 [/img] [/url]
So that isn't big enough for the [url= http://www.asgardsss.co.uk/detail.php?pro_code=Ann2&cat_level=0&cat_code=0 ]Asgard Annexe[/url] with a 1990mm x 1100mm base size.
Now there's plenty of spsace to chain two bikes to the railings, so surely there should be space for a shed/locker of that size. Can anyone suggest any companies other than Asgard I should look at?
If I do find one to fit, I think it's going to be too high. I've only got 900mm from floor to base of the window. Can I just (get someone to) dig a 400mm or so deep hole to drop the shed into, or do I risk making my house fall down?
Any other ideas welcome thanks!
Put it all in the house and stop messing about.
Hi, have you seen this ? http://www.taylorsgardenbuildings.co.uk/store/customer/product.php?productid=17106
Slighty smaller.
I put one up a few months back, under duress, it's build quality was crap, walls really warped, roof flimsy, floor flimsy, needed serious reinforcement in all areas to make it stronger.
This was from the top recommended wooden bike shed maker. So be warned.
It now has 6x2 running up the insides with decent screws into it. 2x2 znd 2x4 around the frame and door. All hinge and locks bolted in with long screws into a 2x4 frame built additionally around the door.
It was called a Billy Oh Eze
I also note now that they didn't add my comments to their customer reviews, which has now been changed to customer testimonials.
I wouldn't bother with one at all. A friend and his wife recently had theirs cleared out:
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/stolen-minley-hampshire
Make sure you have good insurance which covers you, your gonna need it.
Thanks @ivnickkate for the trimetals link. It's a little smaller but still not small enough. About 65cm is my max depth on a 2m long shed.
I guess there's just not enough space 🙁
I don't know what they're called, but at work we have some bike stores that are quite long & not much wider than a bike, but the bike is supported on a rail which means there is room either side for other items. As an example |I've had my ribble winter bike & my sons Deacthlon road bike in one at the same time after careful loading. I'll try and look later and see if there is any brand name on them. Probably can't get you dimensions though.
It just tells the thieves there's somethin' worth nicking imho
looked at some and they look flimsy as can be for the price and wont deter anyone IMHO. Can you not just make a wooden shed and some serious ground anchors? cheaper and just as [in]effective.
Good insurance is the key IMHO. I also take QR skewers out and undo headset bolts so they cant be ridden as this takes seconds but it is quite effective.
I dont think they are worth the moeny as the metal is just to thin to be effective.
How is a wooden shed more secure than these metal bike vaults? 2 mins with a crowbar in either case ...
If you absolutely have to, vault, concreted in ground anchor, uncroppable chain, alarm, insurance, PIR light, webcam in window.
There was a thread on these a while ago if you want to search. Get one that fits. IIRC one of them was made from double wall recycled plastic and looked pretty beefy. Essentially all of them are only aiming to keep the weather off and any 'security' is down to the ground anchors.
Hi sI2000,
You could try our product Bike Vault. It will only take one bike - that's all it's designed for. But is 1m wide at the opening end and tapers down to 50cm at the tail. 1.7m long. Bolts down and we can provide a ground anchor as well.
www.bike-vault.co.uk
The exact dimensions are on a pdf in the faq section. Get in touch if you're interested to know more simon.harrison@bike-vault.co.uk.
Cheers,
Simon
Presumably there is a reason why you can't fit the Asgaard at 90 degrees to how you've shown it?
Though I wouldn't store a bike outside the house personally.
The rate bike thefts are going at the moment, no where is safe.
They have gone through the roof at one planet and broke into one of the STW crews house with his missus still in bed!!
Looks like if they want it, they will get it - just be well insured
If it was me I'd be finding a local metal worker/firm to make me one.
All you are talking is plate, a couple of (hidden) hinges/locks and a load of welding.
+1 Ground anchor - I have 2 in my garage
Edit - although that Bike Vault looks good, and reasonably priced.
Thanks all!
@simonharrison - The bike vault looks great, but I think a little too industrial to have in front of the house.
@WillTheRealForumPleaseStandUp - It will do, but then I'll have no front garden left, and all I'll be able to see out of the window is bike locker.
I may take @br's advice and get one made in exactly the right size.
Ah, sl2000, my missus approved the one you see in the pictures in our front garden - and we all know that that committee is a tricky one!
We tried to make the Bike Vault as attractive as possible for the very reason that most of our competition DO look industrial or just plain ugly!
Take a look at the detailed photos in this link
http://hb-5478-xb.shopfactory.com/contents/en-uk/d3.html
there are more angles and you can see that it is a beautiful thing!
Cheers,
Simon
Make sure you are all clear with your neighbours. I need to put a small bin store in front of where I live so I checked the planning permissions and apparently its standard practise for putting a shed in the back garden to be fine (subject to some small conditions, like distance from the house and boundaries) but its not ok to put sheds of any kind in the front garden if any part of it is nearer to the road than the front wall of the house. The government has a planning site where these and other details are stated and more info here
http://www.diydata.com/planning/planregperm/planning_rules.php#shed
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/outbuildings/
I am sure you can get away with stuff if your neighbours are laid back, but if they don't like you pulling out your hedge or just want to keep the neighbourhood image, they could cause you inconvenience if they make a complaint to the council.
I'm no planning officer but I think small storage units like bin boxes and indeed bike lockers are probably ok as they tend to be pretty squat. I can understand 'no' to sheds in the front as they're generally a couple of metres tall and 'blocky' in shape. Our Bike Vault I don't think would pose a problem or indeed your bin store!
Having two bikes in the front room is getting on the Mrs nerves, even though one is hers. She's been hinting at us getting a bike locker thingy too. I've been disagreeing as they are safer in the house and the mud easily sweeps up when dry on the laminate floor 🙂
I'll be watching this thread with interest as our current rear yard shed is neither safe nor big enough for two bikes.
ps. First post, been lurking for a few months.
I have the trimetals one. At the moment it has two large road bikes and a large mountain bike in there. Now I'm fairly certain someone could get into it if they wanted. When we were on holiday the builders ground the padlocks off in 'a matter of seconds' but that was with a petrol angle grinder. Nothing is impregnable but breaking into stuff all comes down to risk (as does protecting stuff), how much noise can you afford to make beforfe someone notices you?
Anyway, the trimetals one works for me. There are three bikes running free in the back garden also so hopefully any kids that come looking will nick them (Two crappy BMX's worth about ten quid each and my Pompino which is under a sheet down the side of the conservatory. At night you'd need a torch and some rummaging to find it.
"Our Bike Vault I don't think would pose a problem or indeed your bin store! "
Its still not legal though, even if most people wont care, so troublesome neighbours can still technically object. I am going to put one up anyway. We do have a difficult neighbour ourselves but as he has built a large shed in his back garden that is 'illegal' as it were, on many counts, I don't think he can comment on this one which is a relief. He threatened in the past to object to an extension being built on to the house I live in despite him having just built his own much bigger one. Some people just like being a pain in the ass because they are control freaks. I hope your neighbours are better 🙂
@midnighthour
I think the legality really comes down to what is an outbuilding, as opposed to other structures. Shed - yes a building; bin store - not really a building; Bike Vault - ditto not a building.
Do you have the Gov Portal definition of a building?
I'd like to think a building would have to be something I could enter into in some sort of standing position!
Cheers,
Simon
We firmly believe our Bike Vault is secure. If a thief does manage to chop the locks off (and we all know that is do'able for all locks eventually) your bike will be chained to the internal ground anchor.
Our Bike Vault is big enough for a bike and your kit but theives need space to get leverage to deal with decent chains and locks and there really isn't enough for that.
I use an Oxford Sold Secure Gold Chain, Lock and Ground Anchor and without tempting fate, it really seems pretty secure.
Get in contact if you want some more pics or details:
simon.harrison@bike-vault.co.uk
Cheers,
Simon