Bike security

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,567
5,058
Weymouth
I have been thinking about how to protect my bike from theft. I plan to chain my bike to a floor security eyelet with a decent m/c security chain and the bike is storex in a locked garage but a determined thief could get last all that. So I thought about using a gps tracker. I have one called "Tractive" which I bought when ee had a new puppy. Obviously it is sold as a dog tracker but no reason why it cannot be used for my bike. It costs about £40 and is only 40mm square in size so could easilly be hidden under the saddle. It has a rechargeable long lasting battery. You pay about £4 per month for the cloud based tracking service. You can set a geofence so if the bike leaves an area you define you get an alert txt on your phone. As a tracker you can go online to the web service and see where the bike is as well as the route it has taken...it also provides live tracking.
Surprising manufacturers do not provide this sort of thing as an option built into the bike with a feed from the battery. Any better ideas out there?
 

TommyBall

Member
Feb 12, 2019
69
63
Edinburgh
Keep the main battery out, wheels off chain the frame.

Also keep it inside your house if you can. I have a new security system installed for my home and shed after mine got knicked but always will be in the house now. I'm also think about GPS but not sure. The ones for bikes look quite obvious
 

RobertD

Member
Jan 21, 2019
21
24
Weston-super-Mare
I tried Sherlock once but had to send it back as it never worked properly. I now have tractive concealed on my bike. It definately works, the virtual fences are great and once alerted the live tracking can be switched on and you can see where your bike is in real time!! definately the best so far. I also use it for my dog!!
Robert
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,567
5,058
Weymouth
I tried Sherlock once but had to send it back as it never worked properly. I now have tractive concealed on my bike. It definately works, the virtual fences are great and once alerted the live tracking can be switched on and you can see where your bike is in real time!! definately the best so far. I also use it for my dog!!
Robert
Thanks for that. I just ran a test getting my wife to take the bike from the garage. I was a bit concerned that it would have no gps signal being in the garage . Either it did or it quickly grabbed gps once outside because I got the txt alert that it had left the geofence and was able to live track it and susequently see a history of its track. I dont need it for my dog now so I was considering cancdlling my £4 a month sub. Not now..its worth it. I wedged mine without its holder under the saddle. Hopefully a thief would not look there and it is secure enough not to fall out when tbe bike is moved.
 

TommyBall

Member
Feb 12, 2019
69
63
Edinburgh
Park your bike next to your dog?;)

IMG_20190522_204110_570.jpg
 

Dax

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 25, 2018
1,727
2,112
FoD
How long does the tracker stay charged while its sat in your garage?
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,567
5,058
Weymouth
How long does the tracker stay charged while its sat in your garage?
I got a txt warning from the Tractive of low battery after 4 days. The Tractive web link shows the battery level. The low battery warning came when the battery was at 14% so I reckon total battery life is 5 days.
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
9,013
9,440
Lincolnshire, UK
Kryptonite New York Noose (inc lock) + Kryptonite ground anchor. This is rated "Gold" for insurance purposes. The "noose" bit is very important. If I hadn't been able to thread it through itself, like you see in the pic, the chain would have been too short.
Kryptonite.jpg

This was installed in my garage. The ground anchor needs three 5/8" holes to be drilled. Three different hammer drills (1/2" chucks) would not do the job, the drill bits kept spinning in the chucks. I had to hunt around to borrow an SDS hammer drill. These SDS electric hand drills have a more direct drive of the SDS drill bit and don't slip, like ordinary round bits did in the three jaw chucks. They are also more likely to produce a 5/8" hole that is actually parallel! The importance of that will be revealed when you try to fit the steel Rawlbolts into the holes!!

By the way, if one of the Rawlbolts dismantles itself while in the hole before you try to screw a bolt into it, all is not lost! You can get it out, it just takes patience. You need a length of wire with a small right angle hook bent onto the end of it. I used an old gear cable. Reassembling the Rawlbolt takes more patience, it took me about ten mins to do the first one and just a few mins to do the others. Yes you read that right, others! :eek:
 

pgtips

Well-known member
Patreon
Jun 3, 2018
312
279
Somerset
Kryptonite New York Noose (inc lock) + Kryptonite ground anchor. This is rated "Gold" for insurance purposes. The "noose" bit is very important. If I hadn't been able to thread it through itself, like you see in the pic, the chain would have been too short.
View attachment 25934
This was installed in my garage. The ground anchor needs three 5/8" holes to be drilled. Three different hammer drills (1/2" chucks) would not do the job, the drill bits kept spinning in the chucks. I had to hunt around to borrow an SDS hammer drill. These SDS electric hand drills have a more direct drive of the SDS drill bit and don't slip, like ordinary round bits did in the three jaw chucks. They are also more likely to produce a 5/8" hole that is actually parallel! The importance of that will be revealed when you try to fit the steel Rawlbolts into the holes!!

By the way, if one of the Rawlbolts dismantles itself while in the hole before you try to screw a bolt into it, all is not lost! You can get it out, it just takes patience. You need a length of wire with a small right angle hook bent onto the end of it. I used an old gear cable. Reassembling the Rawlbolt takes more patience, it took me about ten mins to do the first one and just a few mins to do the others. Yes you read that right, others! :eek:
@steve_sordy which Noose model is this? They do the 1275 which is 30" long or the 1213 which is 51.0".
Many thanks.
 
Last edited:

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
9,013
9,440
Lincolnshire, UK
@steve_sordy which Noose model is this? They do the 1275 which is 30" long or the 1213 which is 51.0".
As I have the same bike as yours would be great to know (y)
Many thanks.

I just measured mine and I got 130cm. I don't have a record of it but as far as i can tell it was this one:
Wiggle | Kryptonite New York Noose 130cm Chain | D Locks

I was lucky with my choice because I hadn't realised that one end of the chain would thread through the end ring to make a "noose" (the answer is in the title dimbo!) It was only when I started to fit it that I realised that the only way to make it work was to use the noose. The 75cm version (30" would have been wayyyyy too short! Avoid. As far as I can see that one is for fastening top tubes to lamp posts.

You will also need the Kryptonite ground anchor. Message me when you get one, the holes you need to drill are big and if you are going into concrete I have some tips. Don't try mounting into a brick or breeze block wall, they are too weak!

Edit: Actually, no need to message me, just read post #17
 

pgtips

Well-known member
Patreon
Jun 3, 2018
312
279
Somerset
I just measured mine and I got 130cm. I don't have a record of it but as far as i can tell it was this one:
Wiggle | Kryptonite New York Noose 130cm Chain | D Locks

I was lucky with my choice because I hadn't realised that one end of the chain would thread through the end ring to make a "noose" (the answer is in the title dimbo!) It was only when I started to fit it that I realised that the only way to make it work was to use the noose. The 75cm version (30" would have been wayyyyy too short! Avoid. As far as I can see that one is for fastening top tubes to lamp posts.

You will also need the Kryptonite ground anchor. Message me when you get one, the holes you need to drill are big and if you are going into concrete I have some tips. Don't try mounting into a brick or breeze block wall, they are too weak!
Many thanks for replying Steve, very helpful!
I'm about to order this from Ebay. Kryptonite Bike Lock New York Noose 1213 (12mm x 130cm) & EVS4 Disc 14mm Shackle | eBay

About to check the ground anchor after that .
Thanks.
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
9,013
9,440
Lincolnshire, UK
Remember, read and absorb post #17 above.

I am an apprentice trained mechanical engineer, so I thought nothing of drilling three holes in my garage floor. But those three holes caused me a LOT of trouble, especially when one of the Rawlbolts dismantled itself inside the hole!! :eek:

The action took place over several days. :giggle:
 

pgtips

Well-known member
Patreon
Jun 3, 2018
312
279
Somerset
Remember, read and absorb post #17 above.

I am an apprentice trained mechanical engineer, so I thought nothing of drilling three holes in my garage floor. But those three holes caused me a LOT of trouble, especially when one of the Rawlbolts dismantled itself inside the hole!! :eek:

The action took place over several days. :giggle:

Thanks for the warning Steve. I had previous bad experience with those rawlbolts.
I now only use chemical fixings and is a dodle. I was a bit sceptical till the guys from Maha installed a 3.5 tone ramp at work by only using chemical fixing and dropping the studs in the hole. That was a year ago and the ramp is still standing lol.
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
9,013
9,440
Lincolnshire, UK
Brilliant! :)

At the time, I wished I'd had an SDS drill. I managed to restrain myself from going out and buying one (ouch £££££)

But now I'd have opted for resin fixed bolts! :)
 

pgtips

Well-known member
Patreon
Jun 3, 2018
312
279
Somerset
Brilliant! :)

At the time, I wished I'd had an SDS drill. I managed to restrain myself from going out and buying one (ouch £££££)

But now I'd have opted for resin fixed bolts! :)

SDS drill worth is gold. Holes like that males the job allot easier.

Steve many thanks for the info.
Ride safe (y)
 

Sapientiea

Active member
Jul 12, 2019
296
192
Netherlands
my bikes are also locked with very heavy duty locks attached to a concrete anker. And I have 24 camera surveillance installed that notifies me when movement has been detected. And I work very close to home so pity on the fool that tries to enter :)
 

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