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Mrs SaxonRider and I have just returned from a fantastic holiday in Norway, to find that, while we were gone (my mum and my children were all here at home), someone climbed over our back garden wall and stole two of our bikes AGAIN. 🙁
This is the 4th theft from our back garden in 18 months, but this time was by far the worst. Whereas in the past, the bikes taken on a fairly opportunistic basis: some weren't properly secured, or they found a weak point in the way another was secured. But on Thursday night, sometime between 3:00 am and 8:00 am, the person(s) who got in snipped the additional wire at the top of our 6 foot wall, climbed over, broke the sensor light that illumines the area, twisted the steel fixture of our shed door (because the lock we had on it was fairly decent), used bolt croppers to cut the chain between my CX bike and my son's mountain bike, then - tragically - to get the mountain bike apart from the vintage road bike to which it was attached, cut through the frame of that one. We found the vintage bike in the skip in the car park of the flats behind us.
This is the first time that the thieves have actually done any serious damage to our property.
Now I feel at a complete loss.
We took police advice last time, and spent hundreds getting sensor lights installed; we raised the level of our wall by adding wire fencing on top (I know this isn't perfect; it was just meant to be an additional obstacle); we locked the bikes together in a locked shed. We live at the end of a cul-de-sac in a heavily populated area, and there now seems to be no doubt that we are being targeted.
The police - who were great the first time - now don't seem to give a shit.
So what to do? I keep my favourite bikes inside, but we have too many bikes in the family to do that with all of them, and besides, now that the thieves have gone to such serious measures, I wouldn't even be absolutely confident they wouldn't actually try to break in to the house.
So we're now feeling pretty vulnerable, and don't have a clue what more to do. Is there any way we can get the police to mount cameras or anything? I mean, my kids found bolt croppers hidden in the grass in the road across from our back garden a few months ago, so obviously there is a bit of a business around here. Or will tripling our security improve things? If, for example, we put up tall wooden fence panels on top of our wall, thereby obscuring the view over completely, then painted them with anti-climb paint, and installed CCTV cameras of our own, would this help?
I seriously don't know what to do, and am really upset by this.
Please be nice, and offer some helpful words if you would...
🙁
Trying to be helpful?
You are now a target, they know a new bike will be along and they know the way in and out easily.
After that, security lights up way higher so they can't get at it until it's blinding them, maybe 2 lights, a shed alarm so that it's so loud in there you can't hang about and smash it or get to the bikes, better lock on the door and a better shed around the lock.
Did they know you were on holiday? Were you indelicate about mentioning your trip on social media?
All the things you're not supposed to do, glass embedded atop stone walls, carpet grippers on the inside face of fence panels, flash bangs, smoke bombs and electrified handles are all now fair game.
A big dog?
Yep , after that much greif I would be looking at barbed wire as well. I hate scallys who dont want to work, but will steal things from those who do to pay for whatever it is they need the cash for.
Build a brick out-house? You could spec it so its a fortress with steel door , double ply roof , with nails hammered through from the inside. Might be the only way to stop them. I would look at getting in professional alarm people too. You have to ask yourself how secure is your property from full time scum.
Remote sensor lamps with the lights being 20ft above the ground will illuminate your garden and be hard to disable.
Did they know you were on holiday? Were you indelicate about mentioning your trip on social media?
That's a good question, although the answer is that I am always very judicious about what I put online. Beside, I have 8 kids - all of whom were home; 2 of whom are adults - plus my mum staying with them.
A dog?
Rape/panic alarms WELL HIDDEN in the shed with a string or wire attached to the inside of the door by a hook, leave enough slack so you can open the door enough to unhook the string but if it's opened any more than that the alarms will go off. Worked at the old man's after a couple of break ins, they didn't hang around 3rd time
If there are folks in the house then surely an alarm would be a good starting point?
At this point I'd also be thinking long and hard about something that will cause pain and sufferring to to the thieves...I like the glass embeded in wall suggestion above.Or a live current running through the steel chain...just don't forget to switch it off before going for a ride!
Are you allowed to put glass on the top of the wall, it's very common in South America even looks quite pretty if you get some nice coloured bottles. Basically you want to make the risk of injury greater than the possible reward.
We have a family a Rottweiler best alarm and deterrent you’ll get
used bolt croppers to cut the chain between my CX bike and my son’s mountain bike
There is one of your problems. Get yourself a ground anchor and a big FO chain (I've got a 19mm one) and lock the bikes together with locks as well. The more security you have the more time they have to spend on it. My security won't stop a thief but it will make them think twice. Its a pain to lock them up but its some peace of mind.
Thats awful. I really feel for you. I would be thinking cctv, house and shed alarm, razor wire perimeter, rebuild shed possibly with a concrete floor / breeze block construction and ground anchors. Sounds over the top but like you I would be starting to get worried that the house is next
Are you allowed to put glass on the top of the wall,
I think we're beyond playing fair now. If it were me, I'd rather answer questions about my home defence measures to disinterested plod knowing I'd still got a shed full of bikes that I'd worked hard to pay for.
I’d be wanting to move, after that many bikes going.
That's crap, again!
All I can suggest is renting a locker nearby to store the least used bikes in and keep any that you do have at home indoors. If you pay for a few weeks rental in blocks and in advance you can get some pretty good prices. I think you're in Cardiff so plenty of storage places to choose from. I currently do this for my old bikes and a few other bits and bobs and it's not as annoying as you think. I use Storage Giant as it's a 5 min walk from me and I get a discount on it through work, comes to £3.74 a week for a locker big enough for 4 bikes and a few boxes.
If they come back in a few weeks expecting to find the insurance replacements and there are no bikes to take they might move on to someone else, it's the only real way of getting them off your back unfortunately.
It’s not right but you are now a recurring target.
Were the bikes literally just in the garden locked together?
Build something to put them in, alarm it, make it a pain to get to them.
The reality is the only place is your house
Burglar paint and alarm mines. One of those bad boys inside the shed would be pretty effective one would think.
Shotgun cartridge alarms.
Shotgun cartrige alarms with the bases drilled out and cartridge packed with rock salt. Not that I would advocate anything like that obviously.
Especially not at eye height.
Yeah. Don't drill the base, though. Go in the top. And use fish tank gravel covered in excrement.
On a non maiming approach, we got a **** off great big steel container fabricated. Plate steel welded to a angle iron frame and internally bolted to the floor. It wasn't cheap but it wasn't crazy expensive either. Ours is 4' by 8' and 4' high I recon i could get 6 bikes in with not too much hassle. They'll get in but it'll be noisy doing it.
Consider how you carry your bikes, mine now travel inside the vehicle so it's harder to spot and follow.
I’m with Onzadog. Nasty spiky stuff, boards with nails through, alarms, electrified padlocks. **** em.
A friend caught somebody trying to break into their friends garage and allegedly broke all the fingers on one hand.
I've had a few attempts in the last two years. Nothing stolen but every time I up the security, beef up the door and door frame. The last time they managed to splinter the door but the alarm went off and they scarpered. After that one I fitted one of those round padlocks for van doors so the door now has two hefty locks on it and it's even harder for them to damage the door. When we go away the bikes go elsewhere.
From someone who has set off his shotgun alarm by accident (twice), even as I felt the trip wire ping and knew what was coming it still scares the willies out of you and your deaf for a good 5-10 minutes.
Almax chains and ground anchors as well
Hi OP sorry to hear about the crap news again.
there are some good comments above but I would strongly advise speaking to some security speacialists going forward.
Steve Briggs at https://securityforbikes.com was really helpful in going through what i did wrong after I got robbed (which in hindsight was rubbish to be fair) and advising (not just on their products) on how to improve things.
As general rule if they where successful last time then you need to double everything as a minimal.
So lots of coach bolts, shed bars, high end hasps, ground anchors, multiple chains and closed shackle padlocks.
And then add an independent internal shed alarm along with others sensors linked to the house alarm.
Also CCTV may help as a deterrent (SYP won't even come out to investigate without CCTV).
Either way making your property less likely to get robbed again can be done but it can come at quite a high cost (of course there are plenty of less legal ways in which it can be also be achieved)
The shed needs to be on the main house alarm.
Just run a 6 core from your main alarm box to the shed, PIR in the shed on its own zone.
The basic ideas are to slow down or stop access, but if access is gained, you must know instantly, then proper chains and ground anchors to slow them down while are getting your pants on and grabbing your maglite.
Buy or borrow a flashy bike Like a chavy Voodoo and ride it around your place in front of everyone especially dodge mugs in hoodies then set a trap of some sort A Deadly Trap like a Vietnamese Bamboo Whip or Spike Pit obviously put up warning disclaimer and then just wait.
They know what's there now, how to get in and out, what the neighbours are like, the whole lot. They know that in 6 weeks time the insurance replacements will be in there.
I'd use it as a bait shed - put a couple of dead cheap bikes in there and rig the place with every (legal...) security measure you can - shotgun trip wires, camera flashguns, indelible ink spray, alarms. Let them get into it before it all goes nuclear and they'll be running out of it deaf, blind and covered in permanent ink.
That might work better than in the first instance than putting in extra measures as you know they'll just come back tooled up for more.
Looking on the bright side, at least none of your kids (or your mother) went out to confront them . . .
Is there any way we can get the police to mount cameras or anything?
No, but mount your own, they can act as a deterrent. Unfortunately you are probably going to need to spend some money. The aim is to make the thieves look twice at your house due to the risks involved, and move onto an easier target.
After 4 thefts I think I would be planning some sort of trap....
Shotgun cartridge alarms.
I knew a farmer who used that system except he filled his cartridges with rice. It was activated once, & once only. Word got round & no scrote ever came back for more.
SR, I feel for you but I think the more drastic the measure the better. So you put a different alarm system in? No-one cares when no-ones at home.
I feel your pain brother. Really sorry to hear that.
Unfortunately for you, these people are professionals. It’s what they do, and they’re good at it. Forget any ideas of opportunistic scrotes. It’s not them. It’s people who do this for a day job. It’s their profession
After getting my third motorbike robbed from home in the space of six months I finally admitted defeat. Just didn’t bother after that.
The copper who came round the last time said that they’ll Have all your details noted down, including your security, they’ll wait until they know you’ve got you’re insurance through and replaced whatever went missing, and they’ll come back and have that off too. They did. Three times.
They know every trick in the book, and you are now on a list. Replace everything and they’ll be back.
sorry that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s how it is. Can you keep them in the house?
I’d use it as a bait shed – put a couple of dead cheap bikes in there and rig the place with every (legal…) security measure you can – shotgun trip wires, camera flashguns, indelible ink spray, alarms. Let them get into it before it all goes nuclear and they’ll be running out of it deaf, blind and covered in permanent ink.
I’d be going with this and the storage container until the scrotes have had the shock of their lives.
I'm based in Newport and have a spare trip mine and cartridges if you want to borrow/buy/have it?
I've more security than GCHQ at my gaff.
Only partially joking.
Email in profile
Ian
Move.
A near neighbour/club mate eventually did that. He got done 4 or 5 times in 2 years or so, nice bikes and motor bikes. The last time they came in he caught one of them on the drive with his motorbike. Little darling managed to fall down the stairs several times before the police got there.
Same bloke/kid/individual who'd already been nicked for one of the previous job (and been in court for it). The police pointed out that next time they came they'd probably want to even the score as well as getting his new kit. (There was no hint of prosecution for the "falling down the stairs".)
He moved about 3 months later.
Mansfield. Delightful place. 2 years of my life I'll never get back. Spent as much time as was physically possible out of the country. Nearly 30 years ago now, I hear it's not got much better.
4th time = Inside job.
Really sorry to hear this.
Just to repeat and emphasise some of the advice given.
- Secure the perimeter as best you can. SYP 'advised' me against fitting razor-wire. I still might install it. Consider installing light-weight collapsable fencing ontop of your walls causing anyone climbing your walls to hopefully fall thus causing serious injury to themselves
- Alarm the building you keep the bikes in. Install a PIR and door sensor. Link it to main alarm if possible. Don't forget to turn it on - even when you are at home
- CCTV. Hate it myself, but you don't really have a option. Install the best you can afford
- Shotgun land mines. Install as many as you can
- Multiple chains and locks - consider having to spend about 1/3 of the value of your bikes on security chains. As others have said have a look at https://securityforbikes.com/ and make it as hard/time consuming as possible.
- avoid any dark areas in your garden
- secure the building you store your bike in as much as can. Think how you would try and get in if you lost your keys. Bare in mind that by securing one method of entrance you will make them consider the alternatives. Then secure all the alternatives.
- beef up the security on your home. Don't make it easy for them to break in your house and steal the keys to the shed etc. The 'soft target' is the human element. Keeping the bikes in the house isn't a deterent - they will just break into your house.
- Don't expect any support/protection from the local police. You are on your own
If doing all of the above doesn't, appeal then consider getting another hobby for a while as they will be back time after time and will only take you off their hit list when you make it too hard/awkward/inconvenient for them.
I now it's easy for us to say, But I'd move mate, I couldn't be arsed with having that hanging over me all the time.
Sorry to hear that James.
You mentioned before you were looking to upsize and move out of Cardiff - another good reason; or maybe a quieter bit of Cardiff on the outskirts maybe??
To be honest - I dont feel safe driving through the centre of Cardiff with the car window open - can`t imagine what it must feel like to actually live there.
Time to move to a better bit of Wales James.
Sorry to hear that op. On the plus side, they didn't break into your house and demand the keys!
My friends got targeted from strava. How good are your privacy settings?
He also got followed after they spotted his bikes on the car roof.
Cctv is a good but if you have hats and scarves will it put people off?
I think a dog is probably the best bet! It will bark or bite but then recently I've heard they are poisoning dogs before a break in 😤
If they want to get in, they will. I was once told the better the security, the more risk they will take. Shite, run down sheds with no locks on are left alone. No idea if it's true?
Good luck
Maybe low key is the solution?
I think a dog is probably the best bet! It will bark or bite but then recently I’ve heard they are poisoning dogs before a break in
Not sure I'm 100% convinced about this. Two big dogs on our property that frequently have the run of the garden and one of them is one of the barkiest dogs ever ... didn't deter local theiving scum from breaking in twice ... but then the dogs only bark if there is sudden noise when it's quiet outside or the noise is just outside the back door. If they break in early evening there is a good chance that any noise they make will be obscured by background noise/traffic etc
one of these http://www.asgardsss.co.uk/ and a loud shed alarm preferably linked to a house alarm.
Sorry to hear SR... sounds awful more so that they did this when you had family in the house.
Lots of advice up there I have none to offer.
Hope you find a good long term solution.
I dont feel safe driving through the centre of Cardiff with the car window open
Really? worked there for a few weeks on and off 5 years ago, actually quite liked the place. Actually work was in Nantgarw, but stayed in Cardiff.
Disco equipment suppliers sell smoke machines and strobe lights that can be setup to go off with the alarm.
Disco equipment suppliers sell smoke machines and strobe lights that can be setup to go off with the alarm.
It'd better also play Stayin' Alive at full volume....
CCTV at least.
Damn that's a pain. I wonder if leasing a small storage container / lockup somewhere else might be worthwhile? Leave it at least a year before slowly bringing bikes back..
Something like this - https://www.portablespace.co.uk/product/08ft-x-08ft-steel-store I think you can get them a lot cheaper than that though. Good luck breaking into that bastard thieves!
Good luck breaking into that bastard thieves!
To be honest that would be pretty easy with one of the powerful portable angle grinders these ***ts are tooled up with ...
Although they usually like to use them once inside the shed/garage/outbuilding as the sparks can sometimes attract attention.
Sorry to hear this. But you're definitely a target even more so now.
As suggested before - steel shed. But you should come and take a look at my chains next time you are over. They will change your perception of bike chains. However they are still vulnerable to angle grinders.
I suspect angle grinders would wake up many neighbours in that location.
That really sucks.... and stopping it happening again is going to suck more to some degree.
It also depends how nasty the scrotes are.... are they willing to hurt someone badly to get what they want vs being sneaky scrotes...?
How local might they be? (including temporarily local...)
Do they only come at night or are they able to watch the house for it being empty during the week?
The most hassle and some cost is as someone said and get paid storage. Perhaps then just keeping a minimum inside the house but collecting from storage when you want a specific bike??
The key to it all (sadly) seems to be them moving onto some other unfortunate ... because the rid/reward is better.