Bike Theft in Euro land

[antony1969]

We are planning to take bikes on the back or our Miami to Euro land next year and do a lot of cycling . Although our bikes are only mid range price ones I am still concerned that they may be stolen off the rack . Has anyone had any problems in that there europe land with bike pinching . Thanks for any replies

[mike 202]

Hi,

suggest that you cover the bikes up, fiamma do a good one with zips, then thieves will not know how expensive they are. I have not had any trouble or have my friends.

A long and maybee specially made length of wire with an eye at each end, yatch chandlers can make them up, put rhrough the bike frames and run down to the chassis is pretty much all that you can do.

with that and a shorter loop through wheels should give you peace of mind.

Good Luck, dont worry and enjoy

mike

[Mel B]

Hi Antony

 

No, we've not had a problem but I would suggest you check what your motorhome 'contents' insurance stipulates regarding replacement value and any security measures you have to make. Some have an upper value limit (£250/£300) for the bikes and also stipulate that they must be secured to an immovable object - a motorhome does not necessarily qualify!

 

We have a very good quality motorcycle chain with inbuilt lock that we use to secure out bikes to the rack and also put a good quality bike cover on them so that, although it can be observed that we have bikes on, you can't see what they are.

 

 

[lennyhb]

Not had any problems ourselves but a few years ago a friend had to bikes stolen of the back of his car one of the Calais supermarket don't know which one ( it was one of the smaller ones surrounded by flats). and we met a couple who had theirs taken from the back of their Motorhome in Spain.

 

That's the only incidents I know of in going to Europe for the last 30years. I think it is worth getting a cover if you have them on a rack what can't be seen attracts less attention.

 

I always feel safer leaving the bikes in a town centre in France or Germany than in the UK.

 

Like you we have mid range bikes try not to worry about them too much. Changed our house insurance to M&S as that was the best cost effective way of getting cover for the bikes, most bike policies won't cover them left on a vehicle in a public place at night. M&S covers bikes up to £4000 each worldwide without any restrictions and you don't have to specify them.

 

 

[lennyhb]

Mel B - 2010-03-24 7:22 PM

 

Hi Antony

 

No, we've not had a problem but I would suggest you check what your motorhome 'contents' insurance stipulates regarding replacement value and any security measures you have to make. Some have an upper value limit (£250/£300) for the bikes and also stipulate that they must be secured to an immovable object - a motorhome does not necessarily qualify!

 

We have a very good quality motorcycle chain with inbuilt lock that we use to secure out bikes to the rack and also put a good quality bike cover on them so that, although it can be observed that we have bikes on, you can't see what they are.

 

 

I wouldn't go too overboard on the chain and locks if professional thief's what them it would only take a few seconds to cut the bike rack off complete with bikes.

As Mel says insurance cover can be a problem £300 would only cover the cheapest bikes, see my previous post.

 

 

 

 

[kontiki]

Had friends of ours had really expensive bikes, had all the locks, alarms etc. had them nicked off the back of their van on a campsite (quite a respectable site apparently) had lots of difficulties trying to claim off their insurance.

[Tomored]

In forty years of going abroad often with bikes I have never heard of anyone having them stolen yet. We take electric bikes, with the batteries carried in the van to save on weight. We also keep them covered up and put our strikeback loop wire round the frames. There are so many motorhomers carrying bikes abroad that I don't think anyone really gives them a thought. By the way Anthony I have sent you a private message that has been there for a couple of days now, might be interesting to you.

[Mel B]

Hi Lenny

 

I take your point about the bike chain/lock and removal of the rack complete with bikes, as it's the same chain/lock one we use to secure the bikes when we go into towns etc, that's why it's a good quality one and we already had it from a moped we used to own ... gotta get my money's worth out of it! :-D

 

As the chain/lock is a nice tight fit round the bikes and the horizontal bar on the bike rack, it gives some security to ensure that the bikes don't fall off the rack if one of the holding arms comes lose, on a previous bike rack one of them did just that! Don't fancy trying to retrieve them from the middle of a motorway. 8-)

 

I know some people have some sort of chain that links into their motorhome alarm but I haven't got any direct experience of this.

[lennyhb]

Mel B - 2010-03-24 7:56 PM

 

 

 

I know some people have some sort of chain that links into their motorhome alarm but I haven't got any direct experience of this.

 

Was going to put additional loop onto my alarm quite easy to wire into the locker switch just never go around to it.

 

Like everything with Motorhomes everyone one knows you have your worldly possessions in them if you worry about it too much might as well give up Motorhoming.

 

 

[Guest JudgeMental]

Bike racks are pathetic regards security. thin aluminium that can be cut through or even pulled of in no time...if you value your bikes remove them and secure with a decent motorbike style chain and lock through a chassis member.

[Mike88]

I have carried two mountain bikes for 15 years with no problem but they now look pretty worn so may not be that attractive to thieves. Perhaps you should buy a couple of cheap ones for about £80 each from Argos and not be too bothered about security or if they get stolen.

[Mel B]

Or better yet, get some cheap ones in France - that's where we always buy ours! The first lot cost £65 equivalent and we have definitely had our money's worth out of them and gave them both away recently on Freecycle to some very happy people. The second ones, a bit better quality, cost, from memory, about £130 each and are very, very good - front suspension, seatpost suspension at rear, with racks, very easy to pedal and not too heavy either so easy to put on the rack and carry if necessary (ie up steps).

 

You can get some very good bikes at car boot sales now too at a fraction of the original cost and it would then save you worrying about them being nicked. I have a very good (albeit old) Raleigh lightweight bike which I would not take abroad, not because it's worth a lot, it isn't, but because I would be horrified if it got nicked - I've had it since I was 14 and bought it from my pocket money savings for £96 which was an AWFUL lot of money back then in 1977! :D

[jhorsf]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

none of these or motorcycle locks will last long to a determined thief

[silverback]

Agree jhorst, either that or wire cutters does the job in 5 secs not 30 !!

jonathan

ps, and you can still get in cars / vans with a coat hanger no need for bricks or jemmys

buy cheaper bikes and get insurance

[Big Momma]

Have carried bikes on a bike rack all the time I have been motorhoming and never had them nicked. Thieves tend to be opportunist and will go for the 'easier' targets such as vehicles parked in secluded spots, or bikes that are not secured. I take everyone's point about the bike racks aluminium bars being no obstacle. However, if you attach the chains and padlocks through each of the bikes and then secure to the back of the bike rack, put a cover over them and using bungy cords or similar, secure your warning plate this means any potential thieves have got a lot of work to do before they even get to the bikes.

 

There are no 100% sure fire ways to beat determined theives (other than don't take your bikes (lol) ) but if you make yourselves a more difficult target it will deter most opportunists. If you stop off at a Cafe for a cuppa when en-route, try and park so your vehicle is visible to you.

 

Like everything these days, whether it be security at your home or whilst on holiday, application of common sense and a modicam of situational awareness usually leads to less stress in relation to whether you will or will not be a victim of crime.

[lennyhb]

Mike88 - 2010-03-24 8:47 PM

 

I have carried two mountain bikes for 15 years with no problem but they now look pretty worn so may not be that attractive to thieves. Perhaps you should buy a couple of cheap ones for about £80 each from Argos and not be too bothered about security or if they get stolen.

 

Have you tried riding them, you can not get a bike worth riding for less than 400 quid even that is at the bottom end of any decent manufacturers range.

 

If you only want it for popping down the shops OK but you are going to use them for short/medium bike rides of 20/30 miles they are real hard work.

 

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

Do get covers because apart from concealing exactly what is underneath the bikes get absolutely plastered on the back of the van.  Saddle, handlebars, gearchanges, chains etc, all get coated in fine grit.

Just fit simple cable locks. That will prevent casual pilferage.  More than that, and the cable will be more secure than the bike rack itself, most of which can easily be removed with a spanner. 

If the bikes are worth real money, don't carry them on the back of the van at all, they'll eventually get ruined by the crud that flies up even inside the zip on covers.

[lennyhb]

Brian Kirby - 2010-03-25 12:24 AM

If the bikes are worth real money, don't carry them on the back of the van at all, they'll eventually get ruined by the crud that flies up even inside the zip on covers.

How can they when completely covered? Ours stay clean. The only problem we get is in continuous heavy rain when we found water gets in through the zips & puddles in the bottom of the cover, have since made some drain holes in the bottom of the cover.

[Bill Ord]

Hi,

Ten years ago I had two bikes stolen from my van at a supermarket in Le Havre. the thieves cut through the chains holding the bikes. I had backed the van up against a fence in the parking area to make it difficult to access but I guess the thieves really wanted the bikes. I reported it to the local police in Le Havre and got a report from them and recovered the cost of the bikes from my household insurance. I was insured with CIS at the time and they were first class in dealing with the claim. They sourced the sames bikes locally and I had the claim dealt with on the 'phone and the replacements in garage in three days.

So; make sure you have good insurance cover and just don't worry about it because if a thief is determined to have your bike he will.

 

Bill Ord

[harry the horse]

Hi ya.

 

11yrs going to euro land, 7 different countries & have no problem so far.

We use two quality u type cycle locks linked together to the top bar of the carrier. I used to be a serious mountain biker so I use a quality Trek bike (£1600) & the wife has a Trek also & still no problem & we leave them every where. We are far more cautious in thieving GB than Euro land.

 

H.

[malcy]

Just to add my fourpenn'orth.

 

In 2002 we had four weeks travelling through Belgium, Lux, Germany, Italy & Switerland, worrying about all manner of things as this was our first time abroad with a m/home.

 

We arrived back at H.Q. at 2300 on a Saturday night & unpacked most of our stuff before giving up & calling it a night, needles to say I left the bikes on the back. At 0730 the following morning when I looked out I noticed the bikes had gone along with most of the bike rack. We had both slept like the proverbial logs, because now of course we were home safe & sound & had nothing more to worry about, just goes to show what we know.

 

In 2005 with our replacement bikes we were having a day out in Amsterdam ,the cycle capital of the world. We tied our bikes up to the railing of a canal bridge along with what must have been a couple of hundred others,safety in numbers you might think, only to find them missing again. I suppose our problem that day was that our two mountain bikes were too conspicuous parked there amongst all the other sit up & beg bikes, the thief though did leave us our cable locks dangling from the railing.

 

So you see you can worry as much as you want both at home or abroad & it won't do you any good. Take all the sensible precautions that have been mentioned on here & go for it & I,m sure that like the vast majority of people you won't have any bother at all.

[lennyhb]

malcy - 2010-03-25 5:40 PM

 

In 2005 with our replacement bikes we were having a day out in Amsterdam ,the cycle capital of the world. We tied our bikes up to the railing of a canal bridge along with what must have been a couple of hundred others,safety in numbers you might think, only to find them missing again. I suppose our problem that day was that our two mountain bikes were too conspicuous parked there amongst all the other sit up & beg bikes, the thief though did leave us our cable locks dangling from the railing.

 

 

That's one bit the guide books have got right they all say do not take decent bikes into Amsterdam, for once we took note & left them on site & caught the metro.

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

lennyhb - 2010-03-25 8:26 AM

Brian Kirby - 2010-03-25 12:24 AM

If the bikes are worth real money, don't carry them on the back of the van at all, they'll eventually get ruined by the crud that flies up even inside the zip on covers.

How can they when completely covered? Ours stay clean. The only problem we get is in continuous heavy rain when we found water gets in through the zips & puddles in the bottom of the cover, have since made some drain holes in the bottom of the cover.

We had Fiamma covers (the nylon fabric ones, not the PVC ones) that were re-cut to fit better over the bikes.  There has to be a hole at the bottom to accommodate the cantilever arms that support the bike carrier rails.  I thought they would be completely protected, but the crud from the road sucked up into the cover through that hole and plastered the lot.  The bike rack was mounted below a rear window, and always tended to balloon up.  I think there was lower air pressure high up at the rear of the van than near the road because the rear wall of the van always got very dirty from travelling on wet roads.  The effect seems to have been to just draw the dirt up through the bike cover, and presumably out where the clamping arms penetrated the covers.  Whatever; I promise you the bikes were a) covered, and b) plastered, and I know, because I had to clean - and oil - them!

[lennyhb]

We have the Fiamma Premium cover that completely encloses the bikes there is a panel on the back that allows you to fit it around the rack and the panel has Velcro all round it to secure it around the frame, it too is a nylon one no hole in the bottom as I said had to put some drain holes in the bottom, keeps the bikes completely clean. It does bellow up a bit but a couple of bungee cords take care of that.

 

 

 

 

[Kendal]

We had a bike niked from car park in Annecy- car park was right outside the police station, lock cut off and only 'good' bike nicked!! Police reaction was 'we get a lot of this in summer' - great!!

 

k