Best advice for securing bikes in a garage

[Justin August]

Hey folks-
Assuming everything goes according to plan I'm entering the wild world of home ownership at the end of this month! Our bungalow in East Oakland has a detached 1 car garage where he bikes will probably live. I'm wondering the best way to secure them. The garage only has a car door, no man door.

Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Bikes:
Saluki (mine)
Betty Foy (wife's)

-Justin

[Lungimsam]

Easy!
1. Buy a pickup truck tie down wing bolt eyelet thingy from hardware store. Or a large size eyelet wing bolt will do.
2. Mount in wall at bike TT/Seatcluster height.
3. Lean bike against wall with TT/seatclster junction near eyelet.
4. Lock bike TT/Seatcluster to eyelet with Ulock.

[René Sterental]

Congratulations!

Here's something to consider: https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=46261

René 

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[BSWP]

I have the same situation as you.

Get a loud alarm for the detached garage, as well as the house. Motion-triggered and door triggered.
Secure your bikes, when inside the locked garage, to an eyebolt set into the concrete floor, or some other immovable object.
Consider also throwing an old stained tarpaulin over them, to mask their existence.

- Andrew, Berkeley

[Justin Schoop]

Congrats on the house. Buy a german shepherd for the garage.

[Lungimsam]

Dont get a dog for the garage. That would be animal cruelty.

[Steve Palincsar]

So in practical terms related to Justin's question, are you suggesting that the best way to secure bicycles in a garage is to Leave it to Jesus?

On 04/04/2016 08:59 AM, Garth wrote:

    2 + 2 = 4     

Is this principle limited locally, individually to me, you or anyone, or is this truth Universal, Infinite and belongs to everyone eternally and without bounds or restraint ?

Can anyone steal it, buy it, sell it, hide it, hoard it, destroy it, make it more or less than the perfection it always is, has been and will be ?   Can anyone change it it any way ?

  the answer is obvious.

Principle is not an object of negotiation or commodity(thus invariable and vulnerable) , nor "in" anything . Everything identifiable is it's expression, yet the expression neither contains or limits it. The principle and it's expression of 2+2=4 cannot be limited or changed(thus vulnerable) ....it is immovable, permanent and Absolute. The principle and expression are One , a Whole "Unit" .  The Father and the Son.  One does not exist without the other.

   Principle. Divine Intelligence. The Absolute. Such is Truth .  . . here is our "security" :)

All expressions(forms of identification, bike, body, bird, tree, Earth etc.) are as secure as the Principle which they express.  "On Earth as it is in Heaven"

I and My Father are One

-

[Justin August]

I have yet to be on the receiving end of this type of post but at this point I'd like a moderator to step in and ask this person to refrain from these responses. It's obnoxious and does nothing to help me or anyone else in this thread. It's classic trolling. Garth please don't respond further in this thread. It's not helpful to me.

I like the tie-down in the wall idea and love the dirty tarp plan.
Our beagle lives in the house. ;)
I got an alarm system but haven't gotten sensors for the garage. That's a possibility. I'll have to reach out to the company.

Thanks folks!

-Justin

[Will]

I use a sturdy lag ring bolt in a stud. Then a good U-lock to secure the bike to the ring. Ring bolts are easily sourced at the local hardware store. Or go here for super duty anchoring:

http://mobilesecurity.abus.com/eng/bike/product_categories/display/bike-anchors

The beater tarp idea is also worth doing.

[Garth]

My response Justin is nothing of the such. You asked and I gave you the truest and most clear answer I know of . You did not understand what I meant, alight, just say so. But to accuse me of intent to berate or deceive you and this forum is again nothing more than a like misunderstanding.

You asked and I gave my honest answer.

-Garth

[Ryan Fleming]

One other thing to mention is....

If your garage door opener is an automatic one, make sure it's in good working order....especially that it closes and locks

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/outdoor-projects/how-to/a6041/garage-door-opener-how-it-works/ 

[JohnS]

Along the lines of a tarp, I would recommend replacing any glass windows with frosted plexie glass. That's what I had done at our previous house in the city where the garage was right on the alley.

JohnS

On Sunday, April 3, 2016 at 11:31:58 PM UTC-4, Justin August wrote:

[Kainalu]

It's easy to make a fake all-weather camera bubble, and not that much harder to have a real one.
And signs that state that there is an alarm system are an excellent first line of defense against bike thieves who can read.
-Kai
giving it my darndest to avoid openly sharing with the divine or terrestrial, in Brooklyn NY

[Garth]

  It's impossible for Intelligence to be stupid Steve ;)

[Shoji Takahashi]

Hi Justin,

Be careful about storing tools in the garage. I've heard of cases where tools in the garage were used by burglars to remove locks, etc.

If you haven't already, record your bikes' serial numbers, take some pics, and check your insurance policy on what is/is not covered. 

Good luck!

shoji

[Mark Reimer]

Congratulations on the new home! I'm hoping to get my membership card to this illusive club in the not too distant future myself. As such, bike storage and security has been on my mind as well. 

I know too many friends who've had their bikes ripped off from their garages. Not having a man-door is a great start. Do you have any windows? I'd bar them for sure, though that's probably obvious. The next thing is securing the car door. I'm guessing if you don't have a man door, you probably can't lock the car door to the ground from the inside hey... Hmm. Interesting challenge. 

I live in an apartment and for a while kept all my cheaper bikes in my storage locker (coupla surly bikes). I bought the heaviest gauge chain I could find locally and ran it through the frames and wheels of the bikes. It was tedious work as the chain was so heavy and awkward to remove, but when the locker was inevitably broken into, the bikes were all there...

The first suggestion of locking to the wall sounds good, but I wonder if the bike frame could be used as a lever to pull it out of the studs? The reason I liked locking the bikes to each other is that it creates one huge super awkward jumble of bikes. Totally impossible to move unless you cut the chain. And this chain took two large men standing on a cutting machine to break at the hardware store. My 2 cents!

[dstein]

If what I'm hearing from Mark is correct then I wholeheartedly agree: buy more bikes and lock them all together to make it hard to remove the bike! I think that is the n+5 rule. 

Congrats on the homeownership! I hope to be there too one day, my bike storage solution now is creative, to say the least, for a 900 sq ft house with no garage. If I ever make it back to a place with a garage I was thinking of going the anchor bolt and chain route. 

[Mark Reimer]

Yeah, that's what I meant!

One other super cheap and questionably effective suggestion...

Two guys I know leave a light and radio on at all times. Just loud enough to hear through the door. I guess the thinking is that a would-be thief might be duped into thinking someone is working in the garage. So long as they don't come back over and over and catch on, it's a pretty good suggestion. 

[Deacon Patrick]

Congratulations! And condolences! Grin. I'm far from the guy to ask. Our garage is broken into most years and the thieves take whatever they want. Bloody bears. None, fortunately, have been circus bound for they all left the bikes alone. Sardonic grin.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Surlyprof]

I agree with Shoji.  Your homeowner's should cover it but you may want to make sure that they cover replacement value, not current value.  My bike was stolen once and I received a check for under $100.  After that hard lesson, I changed my renter's insurance to replacement value.  When another bike was stolen years later, the replacement value actually bought me a nicer bike (even after the $250 deductible).  Now, my shop, studio, library and bikes are in the garage/man cave.  After getting settled, we had a rep from the insurance company come out to do an assessment.  She explained what was covered, what documentation we needed and even gave us a couple of tips to reduce our premiums.  We have removed the auto garage opener and can only open it manually from the inside now.  Still susceptible but rest easier knowing that we're well documented and covered in case of fire or theft.

If the dog has access to the yard at night, that is great security.  I've read that if a burgler hears a dog they don't try to determine if it sounded nice, they move on to another house.  Our dogs are nice enough but they don't sound like that when they hear someone outside!

Congrats on your new bay area homestead.  Best decision we ever made!

John

[Kurt Manley]

Congrats on the new house. As a fellow Oaklander who knows the area you are at high risk. I have been thinking about trying to buy a house in the same area and have given it some thought.

I would not depend on anything bolted to the studs or any wood for that matter. I'd go into the concrete floor. You can rent a rotary hammer drill and do this quite easily. Then use some expanding studs to mount some anchors. Smash the tops of the threaded rods and use a glob of jb weld when you're done to prevent them from being unbolted. This is how they mount all of the U shaped bike lock poles around the city. Then I'd u lock right to that.

You could use these to anchor a recessed or folding eyelet.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Red-Head-3-8-in-x-3-3-4-in-Zinc-Plated-Steel-Hex-Nut-Head-Concrete-Wedge-Anchors-50-Pack-11270/100182728


None of this is to say I don't think the other ideas are good, they'd be more than fine most places but it's east Oakland.......You need a little extra here.

[Zach Roeder]

If I had a garage in Oakland, I'd do exactly this.  In fact, I'd probably install a staple rack in my garage since I only use my garage for bike storage.

I'd also put privacy plastic over any windows.

Also, I agree with what Surlyprof and Shoji have said about insurance since a determined thief can steal anything. If you can't get satisfactory coverage from your homeowner's policy, you can purchase an additional policy for bikes.  Markel Insurance offers this, but in the past I've found their policy too expensive.

Good luck & congrats!

[Utah]

Hi Justin,

In addition to the great ideas you are getting here, I would recommend a BIG exterior light with a motion sensor.  Like a street light.  That way when someone approaches your garage, they will "see the light".  

Of course, write down your serial numbers on your bikes and take pictures of them for insurance and possibly law enforcement reasons.

It would also be interesting to see if you could get some kind of beeper that would beep for ten seconds each time you open the door, like a back up beeper on a truck.  OR, something that would just shock the crap out of anyone who touched your garage.  Like this...

http://www.amazon.com/HA-434RTL-Wireless-Driveway-Business-Security/dp/B003CWK4JK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1459823952&sr=8-2&keywords=garage+security

http://www.amazon.com/SABRE-Elite-Door-Garage-Alarm/dp/B00KCUW3NU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1459823952&sr=8-3&keywords=garage+security

Leave it to amazon.

Scott

On Sunday, April 3, 2016 at 9:31:58 PM UTC-6, Justin August wrote:

[Ryan Fleming]

+1 on  Mark R.s practice..I'm a renter and I do lock up my non-Rivs together to a really old heavy refectory table (took the one drawer out) with a buncha tools and stuff, through a moving dolly with miscellaneous cable and U-locks...it's called spaghetti security. The rivendells I schlep upstairs...we live in a duplex. We have a garage with a side door and the infamous automatic garage doors which, we've noticed, don't work flawlessly every time...sometimes they've closed and then re-opened and I've heard about this nasty practice  of hijacking your signal on your remote. Spaghetti security has served me well for 8 years, but I really don't like to leave my rivs in the garage...people have tried breaking in a couple of times

[Lungimsam]

I dont know about the shock thing.
Some thief might try to sue you if he gets hurt.

[Hugh Smitham]

Hi Justin,

As usual late to the party. And a big congratulations on your homeownership! It's a big step and in your market perhaps monumental. On bike security et al.  

Late in 2013 we had our home broken into and the thieves weren't looking for bikes, they stole my laptop and a bunch of my wife's jewelry plus my watches and a golden Om necklace. If my bikes had been stolen you'd have heard my man cry across the interwebs. 

The whole experience really got me into the action of securing our home so here's what I did. We installed an alarm system and have the sign out front. A bummer but I think valid, you make your home less attractive to the thieves so they move on to your neighbor's home ( thieves are lazy and want to get in and out quick) which may be more inviting. So you've handled that part. On the garage we have a side door so I installed a security door and have a latch bolt hasp on the garage door which I reinforced and installed a lock like this on the garage door. http://www.masterlock.com/business-use/product/7047. 

We don't park our cars at this time in the garage so I really never open the garage door. My wife believes working in the garage with the garage door open displays all that you have to would be thieves so don't leave it open and reduce the temptation. I personally don't lock the bikes together inside the garage, perhaps I should. I also think others have mentioned excellent advice,  fake camera outside, a quick lock through all the bikes, recording the bikes serial #'s and pictures all good ideas.

I can't convey just how horrible it feels to have your home invaded by a stranger! It's unnerving and does not fade quickly. If your wife has jewlery I suggest you purchase a small safe and bolt it to the foundation. Also most homeowner insurance doesn't cover jewelry so an additional policy is required. I would inquire about your policies coverage regarding bicycles as well. 

What I've come to realize is that no matter what you do if someone wants what you have they'll find a way. Which leads me to Garth's comments. I think he means well but he get's abstract and proselytizes some or a lot. Personally I think he's just saying that bikes are transitory objects and as such the notion of ownership is an illusion. Frankly, that idea is what helped us through the losses we sustained. That said, it's my wish you don't need to experience a loss cause it stinks.

Best Regards,

~Hugh

  Los Angeles, CA

[Lungimsam]

My insurance co. says it is a 1,000$US deductable for bike theft....whoah....

[Hugh Smitham]

Yeah it's an important call to make.

On Apr 5, 2016 11:04 AM, "Lungimsam" <john1...@gmail.com> wrote:

My insurance co. says it is a 1,000$US deductable for bike theft....whoah....

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[Lungimsam]

Almost makes you want to stick to 70's steel beater craigslist road bikes. But now I wouldnt buy unless original owner with receipt.
I almost bought a Bstone 400 ftom a guy with receipt. But I waited and got a Rivbike.

[masmojo]

Just my opinion, but I would not put the Riv. In a detached garage in Oakland! I would put it in the house proper. Other bikes in the garage? Beaters? OK. Of course it sort of depends on the garage, not only how secure, but also how isolated it is from the weather. My last garage was attached and I finally was forced to move bikes into it as the family grew and I got too many bikes; our newest house the garage has a thermostat controlled gas space heater and never gets too hot so bikes are fine, but most of our bikes are stored in an area in the house we call "the breezeway", it's temperature controlled and secured by the dogs who will bite the ankles off any potential thieves. ;-)

[Hugh Smitham]

I think that's a great point. I have a friend up in PDX and he has a garage and still locks them up in the house. Apparently,  PDX has a bunch of bike theft.

On Apr 5, 2016 6:10 PM, "masmojo" <mas...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

Just my opinion,  but I would not put the Riv. In a detached garage in Oakland! I would put it in the house proper. Other bikes in the garage? Beaters? OK. Of course it sort of depends on the garage,  not only how secure,  but also how isolated it is from the weather. My last garage was attached and I finally was forced to move bikes into it as the family grew and I got too many bikes;  our newest house the garage has a thermostat controlled gas space heater and never gets too hot so bikes are fine, but most of our bikes are stored in an area in the house we call "the breezeway", it's temperature controlled and secured by the dogs who will bite the ankles off any potential thieves. ;-)

[Eric Norris]

There's bike theft *everywhere*. I keep most of my bikes indoors in a room with a motion detecting burglar alarm. 

–Eric N

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[Rod Holland]

I keep a 32' aluminum extension ladder ly1ng against one wall of the garage. I find it works well as an improvised bike rack, and lock 3 bikes to it. Of course, a determined thief with the right tools, operating unobserved, could defeat this, but the garage is normally locked. So far, so good.

rod

[BenG]

Hi Justin,
I didn't catch what kind of car door you have, but if it's the only entry, maybe you could secure the bikes (and the other contents) by locking down the door. The floor lug idea sounds promising; maybe apply that to the door and be done with it. One item to lock (or lock two doors to a floor lug and a top lug if it's an old swing-open style garage), and all's secure. If you have to rely on memory to lock something, might as well secure everything while you're at it.
Congrats on the house! It's good for my jealous heart to read of some challenges in Bay area living. Glad you're conquering them.

[Ryan Christbaum]

I also drill holes in concrete to secure my bikes.  Kryptonite makes what looks like a nice floor anchor, but I normally just buy an eye bolt (and epoxy) from the hardware store large enough to pass a fairly thick cable eye through.  I'd probably consider that and a Kryptonite chain as the main security, but still wrap a cable or two to secure the wheels.  After that, I'm not sue what else you could do.

I have a hammer drill you can use if you don't mind a trip to the north end of the Berkeley Hills to get it.

-Ryan

[rob markwardt]

I hang my bikes from the ceiling on hooks alternating facing front back. I use a long cable and lock that wraps through all of them then lock two frames together with ulocks. I figure this way if they cut the cable lock thieves still would have to lift two bikes off the hooks and one of them is going to be upside down. If they can't break the ulocks then to get the bikes out they better be pretty strong...weeds out the heroin junkies. I also leave a couple "donor" bikes unlocked and my hope is they leave the good stuff and take what's easy.

[Lungimsam]

End of thread:
http://www.bikelid.com/where-bikelid-bike-storage-pods-live.html

[Dan]

I got my first Bstone courtesy of Piedmont (next door to Oakland) bike thieves. My brother, who lives there, had his MB-2 stolen and after waiting half heatedly for a couple weeks bought a new one. Then, the police returned his old one which he then sold to me for a friendly price. Since then his and his wife's bikes have been stolen again at least one more time, but has since moved to a different area. Nothing to do with bike security though, as they were stolen when he was working around the house and had the garage open. Pretty brazen thieves.

Dan in small town WI where bike thieves are not common