Cycle security

[Baz_5093831]

Don't know if this is the right forum for this question, however here goes.

I am off to France this year for three weeks and I will be taking 4 racing cycles. I have never taken the bikes on hols before due to the value of them and the thought they could be stolen, but myself and my sons cannot resist trying out France as we will be watching Le Tour on the final day in Paris and then off to Normandy.

The question (eventually!) Does anyone else take expensive bikes on hols? Have they had any problems regarding theft? How have you secured them against theft when you have left them at the van while out for the day?

Cheers for any advice.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Just a thought - most sites have a secure compound so is it worth finding out if you could store them there.

 

[cris_408518]

As the French are cycle mad theft is a problem some times.

Friends sons lost two lots of bikes on municipal sites whilst sleeping in a circle of tents around 8 bikes that were all stolen. Two weeks later the replacenents went in the Dordogne!

My daughter and friends locked 5 bikes together near Piriac amongst hundreds of others, but not to anything!!

The thieves lifted the bikes walking past beach house owners and left with them in a van un challenged!

We have never had a problem in 20 years until two year ago in LaPalmyr we returned to our Marin's to find the locks had been superglued or something. At 11 at night I had to leave wife and daughter with bikes and run a round trip to camp site for tools and spent until two in the morning cutting the expensive locks Unchallenged !

Local campsite said it was a small problem, but we were probably being watched, if we had left the bikes they would have been gone by morning.

Campsite hire shop had a battery powered cuttter to grind through locks when keys lost!!!!!!!!! Very thin angle grinder type blade that good French DIY stores sell.

On French sites I lock the bikes to the van wheels or put inside the van locked and alarmed!

 

[Baz_5093831]

Cris that all sounds most alarming! Sounds like I need to spend a small fortune on using a quality chain and lock.

If anyone else is planing on using thier bikes i recieved an email from 'soldsecure' this morning and they advised on http://englishchain.co.uk as they will supply chain to any length so that you can lock a number of bikes to the caravan wheel and chassis together. Squire locks are advised as well as oxford products which have an alarmed lock but as you say Cris, the most worrying is that you were able to attack your own locks without being challenged.

 

[BigRoy]

Baz take a look here,

http://www.thefastone.co.uk/products.asp?cat=101

 

[cris_408518]

Anyone that knows LaPalmyr will no the park upposite the restaurant with piano player I guess. In full view I sat cutting our locks as the customers wandered away and they shut up. Even a police van drove by and looked and carried on as my wife and daughter sat and watched.

Please appreciate that we have one problem in 20 odd years in France and the continent. And my daughter and her friends never listened to dad and thought locking bikes together was OK!

4 Guys carried their bikes past at least 30 houses and hundreds of people according to the very helpful French Gendarmes and had laughed

 

[mcghee]

I don't really know that much about bike theft in France but I always chain my bike to the wheel clamp.

 

[Baz_5093831]

Baz take a look here,

]http://www.thefastone.co.uk/products.asp?cat=101

http://www.thefastone.co.uk/products.asp?cat=101[/quote
cheers