Practicalities of a bike and a T6

[Quadrupledenim]

Hi there

I’m looking for some practical thoughts on how any of you manage locking bike/s away while sleeping in your T6 with a family?

We will have a Beach next year and being a keen road cyclist having my bike with me on holidays and trips away with the family is important but I’ve no idea how I’d lock up 5k worth of bike safely!

Btw we are a family of 4 so when sleeping the majority of the van would be being used

Practical tips welcomed!

 

[CannonDale]

Hi there

I’m looking for some practical thoughts on how any of you manage locking bike/s away while sleeping in your T6 with a family?

We will have a Beach next year and being a keen road cyclist having my bike with me on holidays and trips away with the family is important but I’ve no idea how I’d lock up 5k worth of bike safely!

Btw we are a family of 4 so when sleeping the majority of the van would be being used

Practical tips welcomed!

I lock mine to the rack with a kryptonite lock that weighs 5 times more than my bike!!, I also cover it with bike cover from halfords.

 

[RodCouncil]

Tough one, I put a lot of expensive carbon on my bike rack with a proper ABUS chain and lock but I do worry when we’re away from the van in cities, thankfully it’s been plain sailing in Sweden and more often than not the bike is at a race when accompanied with the van.

But practically it’s got to be on a rack, I’d say a tow bar mount rack with abus cables to the chassis or put it inside if you’re all out of the vehicle and it fits.

 

[Quadrupledenim]

These are both very useful responses thank you!

 

[CannonDale]

Tough one, I put a lot of expensive carbon on my bike rack with a proper ABUS chain and lock but I do worry when we’re away from the van in cities, thankfully it’s been plain sailing in Sweden and more often than not the bike is at a race when accompanied with the van.

But practically it’s got to be on a rack, I’d say a tow bar mount rack with abus cables to the chassis or put it inside if you’re all out of the vehicle and it fits.

I lay mine on the bed when we are out

 

[RodCouncil]

These are both very useful responses thank you!

Road bikes are super easy btw, boot opens and strut supports them fine

 

[Freeley]

On both sites we've been to in France so far this holiday we've been able to tie them round a tree.
Sometimes we just tie them together and dump them behind the van.
I suddenly thought the other day that it might be possible to tie them to the spare wheel holder so will try that next time if nothing else available.
We are not serious cyclists though and just bought a couple of cheap bikes from Halfords last year. Whilst I'd be peeved if we came back from a day out to find that some scrote had nicked them, I'd get over it a lot quicker than if they'd been proper expensive bikes.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[westfalia]

A mate of mine has just got one of these bike locks
with an alarm.
Quite loud too.
https://www.abus.com/uk/Mobile-Secu...ecurity/Locks/Folding-locks/BORDO-Alarm-6000A

 

[Amarillo]

Two Bromptons and two Islabikes = £4,000.

We took four locks away with us on our 12 month tour of Europe.
1. Oxford shackle
2. Motorcycle chain + Abus diskus
3. 3.5m security cable
4. 2.5m security cable

Tip 1 Lock the most expensive bikes closest to the van on the bike rack
Tip 2 Lock all bikes together and to the bike rack
Tip 3 Use the best lock to lock the outermost bike to the bike rack
(The expensive innermost bikes cannot be taken without removing the outermost bike)
Tip 4 Lock the bikes to something on the van other than the rack
(There is an eye in the tow bar that could be used)
Tip 5 Use at least two different types of lock requiring at least two different types of tool to break

If bikes are removed from the rack overnight, use a cable to lock them all together and to an immovable object. Use good shackles to lock frames together. (Carrying away two bikes locked together is **much** more than twice as difficult and **much** more than twice as noisy as carrying away one bike.)

 

[RodCouncil]

Great tips and in addition and in my experience of said scribes taking a bike, chains/cable quality comes above locks, because it’s cutters that rank above all else to them.

 

[Amarillo]

Great tips and in addition and in my experience of said scribes taking a bike, chains/cable quality comes above locks, because it’s cutters that rank above all else to them.

Good quality locks are equally important as chains/cables. Poor locks can be picked very quickly and discreetly by a skilled thief, that is one of the reasons for using two good and different locks. Abus market two good locks in the same package - a cable and a shackle - all fine so far. The problem is that they are keyed alike. A crook skilled in that type of Abus lock will have them both open in seconds.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/abus-keyed-alike-partner-pack-bike-lock/
Best to use two different locks by two different manufacturers. A thief skilled and practiced with Abus barrels is unlikely to be as skilled and practiced with Chubb barrels. Avoid all locks which spring open when unlocked.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[Stow]

I've an expensive bit of carbon to protect at night and have been pondering the same. The best I can come up with is a heavy duty motorcycle lock which will pass through the rear alloy wheel as my anchor, and will easily loop through over the bottom bracket.

 

[Amarillo]

I've an expensive bit of carbon to protect at night and have been pondering the same. The best I can come up with is a heavy duty motorcycle lock which will pass through the rear alloy wheel as my anchor, and will easily loop through over the bottom bracket.

The late great Sheldon Brown always advocated locking the back wheel, through the rear triangle, to an immovable anchor.

I imagine that if you did this through a van wheel you’d be very secure.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[Quadrupledenim]

For some reason I didn’t get these new notIfications.

Anyway some more very useful advice.

There seems to be a consensus to make life as difficult as possible for any would be theif. Let’s be honest if they were DESPERATE they would find a way. I’ll take this away and consider it all when the van arrives.

Thanks once again.

 

[Elmo3]

I sometimes put a bike lock cable through a front wheel spoke (Davenports) if there is no tree around. Obviously more tricky to do with multi spoke alloys.

 

[s2bear]

I loop a cable through the spare carrier (sparesafed or there’s a chassis loop next to it) and d-lock to the cable when there isn’t a tree.

THEN (as I do for hookup too) I unclip the lanyard from my keys and loop it through the steering wheel to remind me not to drive off without detaching everything first....


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[Loz]

We loop a security cable through the Cali wheel and use a cover..

 

[Alan Andrews]

Reading articles elsewhere, there are reports that thieves are simply cutting through the aluminium frame of the bike rack in less than a minute, and lifting everything away in to rear of their van/truck. For this reason, I use two chains...one through the bikes and the other through the tow bar mounting frame (not tow eye as this might be able to be unbolted). When parked up, I also have a rear facing webcam that is permanently live to potentially catch images as my bikes disappear in to the night.

 

[s2bear]

Reading articles elsewhere, there are reports that thieves are simply cutting through the aluminium frame of the bike rack in less than a minute, and lifting everything away in to rear of their van/truck. For this reason, I use two chains...one through the bikes and the other through the tow bar mounting frame (not tow eye as this might be able to be unbolted). When parked up, I also have a rear facing webcam that is permanently live to potentially catch images as my bikes disappear in to the night.

Crumbs! How heavy do people sleep!?!? Cutting through a bike rack whilst I’m sleeping in the van??? I can’t sleep if I hear the slightest noise (usually a vole sneezing in the next field).

I woke at 4am in Ile de Ré because I thought I’d heard a noise that sounded like someone trying to nick my bike, turns out it was my 5 year old son scratching his balls obviously I then lay awake for an hour just to make sure my bike was ok, during that time I think I heard a T-Rex, possibly a Serial Killer and maybe some Japanese Soldiers but to be honest, one’s mind can play tricks on you so they were all probably just Voles.....

 

[Chainline]

I often have upwards of £20k worth of mtb bikes on the rack overnight. (Which is so ridiculous really!)

My first protection is insurance! Joking aside I then use these at home (with a ground anchor) and when away too.
http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=64&product_id=64

I use the 22mm chains usually to the rack in a city or parked at services or to the wheels or some other immovable object when overnight.
At almost 25kg lock and chain they aren’t light to carry however.

You can still get through them with portable grinders but it takes time and I would hope to wake up. Otherwise insurance!
I figured I’d notice if they tried to remove the wheel whilst we were sleeping

I have had some very expensive bikes stolen with ordinary bike and motorcycle locks even attached to ground anchors, from ‘good’ brands like abus and others as once big croppers, battery angle grinders or freeze techniques come into play they are like cheese.

The above are very expensive but you pays your money as they say.

I use NFU insurance on the house insurance for the bikes as they cover all of our bikes at very high values even when away. Whilst still not cheap it is far cheaper than one individual bike policy for bikes of this kind of value.

The big problem is after a very few years the bike isn’t worth much but to replace it is crazy, more so with mtb’s as they get battered.

As pointed out here it doesn’t take much once you have 3 or 4 modem bikes on the rack to have big $$ at stake.

 

[Cornwalls]

A while back I went out with one of my kids complete with two MTBs. We were somewhere pretty remote so I just looped a cable lock through the van wheel and through the bikes.

Next day we got up nice an early had breakfast and went to get the bikes. They were still there - and remained there as I had left the key at home....

 

[aileron346]

Been using the Cali and high end road bikes for years and no problems with theft so far. I reckon it depends where you are. Locked to the (VW) rack seems fine to me if you’re sleeping. Also have locked them to a van wheel. Left alone and remote I would worry more and use heavier locks.
I always feel better if not many people have seen the bikes and also use a cover to not attract interest.
After that it’s calculated risk but the Cali is such a brilliant bike carrier, race base and general all round cycling accessory that it’s worth it.
Of many cycling friends, the only big hit on camper+bikes was a motor home ‘locker/garage’ wrenched open with the owners away eating at the local pub.

 

[Barbara]

Hi there

I’m looking for some practical thoughts on how any of you manage locking bike/s away while sleeping in your T6 with a family?

We will have a Beach next year and being a keen road cyclist having my bike with me on holidays and trips away with the family is important but I’ve no idea how I’d lock up 5k worth of bike safely!

Btw we are a family of 4 so when sleeping the majority of the van would be being used

Practical tips welcomed!

I can suggest a way to lock them to the van when on the site. We put a very heavy chain with lock (was originally used for my husbands motorcycle) though the rear towing loop which is low down on the offside rear. Not the tow bar but the one used if you need to tow a broken down vehicle. You put the chain in there then use your normal locks to chain the bikes to the heavy chain. I have left my bike on site that way even during the day when I have left the site on foot.

I used to cover the bike ( don't like a wet seat) with it standing up on its stand but the wind catches it and falls over. So if you want to cover them then I suggest laying them down.

I can not help with transporting them as I put mine inside with the wheel off and my husbands bike is a folding bike. 4 bikes are more difficult to carry.

 

[Tony hylton]

Hi there

I’m looking for some practical thoughts on how any of you manage locking bike/s away while sleeping in your T6 with a family?

We will have a Beach next year and being a keen road cyclist having my bike with me on holidays and trips away with the family is important but I’ve no idea how I’d lock up 5k worth of bike safely!

Btw we are a family of 4 so when sleeping the majority of the van would be being used

Practical tips welcomed!

We have two ebikes which are on a thule ,tow bar mounted ,bike rack. They always have bike cover when not in use, and the bikes are adequately insured.

 

[Skinnee D]

I use a 6ft plastic coated heavy duty cable combination lock. It's long enough to pick up the frame and both wheels, as well as static objects such as fences, railings etc

I lock around the bike rack when in transit (which is key locked to the tailgate), and one of the van wheels or another static object when we're parked up.