cellery

I have recently moved from an apartment where I stored my bikes safely inside, to a rental townhouse with 2 car tandem garage and find myself in an odd bike storage situation. My girlfriend doesn't want me to store my two bikes in the house (and neither do I for space & aesthetic reasons). So I am storing them in the garage which has a window large enough for a person to fit through. We are good about keeping the garage door closed but I have read enough theft stories to know how not-secure they are. A story from a nearby resident who had one of their bikes stolen just the the other day from having left their garage door open for only minutes spooked me into looking for a more secure storage system. I have heard advice on other forums about people bolting chains, steel bike racks and similar to garage floor/wall concrete with lag bolts. Sounds like a great solution if you own your place. But since I rent, I am limited with what I can drill into. Other renters with a similar garage situation or anyone have some inventive secure storage ideas other than leaving the bikes free-standing left to chance?

(If there is a better subforum to post this to please move it mods, I just frequent the road forum...)

unterhausen

how much room do you have for this? Do you think the landlord would allow any permanent mods?

Elvo

You can't prevent it. Just add a bike theft rider onto your renters insurance, self insure, or get bike insurance.

Seattle Forrest

I had a bike stolen from a shed in the back yard once, the thief came in, and cut the lock that was "securing" the bike to the building. Was keeping it there to make the girlfriend happy.

TrojanHorse

Thieves gonna thieve, make sure your insurance is up to snuff and hope for the best.

I'd also recommend putting something over that window to block it so nobody can see in, find some way to lock your bike up (and yes, a dedicated thief can defeat ANYTHING you put in his way, but you're just attempting to slow him down and/or make it not worth his time so that he chooses a different target.)

Stick a wireless IP camera in the corner if you're still worried.

I think just about everybody who has had a rental with a garage or shed has had it broken into at one point or another.

BigJeff

Cover the bikes or conceal them so you can not see them when the garage door is open. Never pull your bikes out from behind concealment with the door open.

Garage doors that are left open with "nice bikes" in plain view invite theft.

carpediemracing 

Make sure your insurance is up to snuff.

If you can discretely shield the bike that might help, even if it's behind some cardboard or something.

I'm assuming this tandem garage is for you alone, i.e. you have control over the whole garage?

rms13

But when you go out of the way to cover the window the thieves will know there is something worth taking in there! Also, Per another thread on socal sub forum, pro bike thieves will hang out in highly trafficked areas for cyclists and follow you home if your on an expensive bike and then case your place and come back for it

merlinextraligh

keep the garage door closed and locked, window covered and bike out of sight, and your risk is going to be pretty low. If yo're really worried about it, for less than $100 you can install an alarm that can be removed when your tenancy ends.

bbbean 

If "pro bike thieves" want your bike, they're getting your bike.

RoadGuy

Why not ask your Landlord for permission to drill the floor (if concrete) for a ring (out of the way of car parking), or if you can reinforce a place on the wall to mount a locking ring or plate? The Landlord may tell you that you are going to pay for restoration at the end of your rent/lease period, or may choose to leave the modification/s. The Landlord may also tell you it's okay if you pay his maintenance person to make the modification/s and not charge you for restoration. Talk to him/her/them.

coldehammer

For peace of mind, you can install a dropcam or similar web device for remote monitoring. I've done this for my apartment and at least if I can't stop it from happening, I have it on video for evidence and perpatrator details. Also beneficial if your landlord needs to do maintenance work and you want to monitor property from work/vacation.

Nachoman

Consider keeping your bike in the apartment and chaining your girlfriend in the garage.

06SpiceRed

^^^ This.

Ive done the exact same thing as coldehammer. I use it to monitor our pets (and to talk to them to get em off the furniture if need be), monitor repair work when my landlord sends people out, and well.....stare at my bikes while im suppose to be working.

rms13

Kind of my point. My bikes don't get stolen because I never leave them unattended in public locked or otherwise and I keep them inside my house or my office when at work (and I'm in a secure campus with many layers of security before anyone could get to my desk).

SevenTwentyNine

Well hope she was happy alright. Smh.

You might be on to something.

SevenTwentyNine

Chain the frame in the garage, keep the wheelsets in your closet.

Thieves are less likely to find the solitary frame as appealing as when it's stood on two wheels.

chaadster

You can easily mount a TiGr Lock Omni-Link to a wooden frame member in the garage and secure the bikes with a chain. The Omni-Link uses a hockey puck style lock to secure chain and prevent access to the mounting hardware (bolts/screws): https://tigrlock.com/store/omni-linktm/

gsa103

If you want to hang the bike, you can mount two hooks into a 2x6 that gets screwed into a stud. You can then run a chain lock to the garage door motor. Simple, cheap and easy to remove.

The best answer is keep the bikes near the front of the garage, and preferably locked to something (water heater?). That way a thief has to fully enter the garage (riskier), and then deal with cutting a lock.

TrojanHorse

That's a SUPER FANCY LOOKING lock on top of a super ordinary chain. What do you think the thief is going to cut?

desconhecido 

If you're worried about mechanical changes to the property, or can't get permission, you could make a concrete dead weight to chain your bike to. An 80# sack of concrete mix will occupy about .6 ft^3 and weigh about 85# when mixed. Three sacks would do it. THe form would be about 12" X 48" and a little less than 6" thick. Cast whatever hardware is desired right into the concrete. If you don't include any reinforcement, you will be able to break up the concrete when you move, if you want to.

xiaoman1 

.
concrete for is a good is a good idea (concrete blocks ganged together might also work if not handy with form work and easier to dispose of later), also as mentioned also keep them covered both window and bikes with wheels inside if possible..don't know how well a cam would work as after they are gone they gone but as a deterrent perhaps
regards, Ben

chaadster

I don't understand the question.

gsa103

What about just keeping the bike locked in your car trunk? It's out of sight, locked and alarmed.

Stucky

^This! You could even use something like a large plastic storage bin or a non-wheeled garbage can as a form.

Or, just bolt a ring into the floor. Seriously, a couple of small holes for the anchors and bolts, will not even be noticed once you remove the hardware and fill them with cement before you move. (Put it in a discrete location, like next to a wall).