Storing your bike | Shedforce | Home of Metal Garden Sheds

British Bike Theft Gangs

Posted on February 20, 2013 by tarahamilton

We’ve seen the reports, statistics and figures, so we know the problem of bike theft is on the rise in the UK and if you’ve been unlucky enough to be a victim of theft yourself, you’ll know all the hassle that it can cause. The increase in bike thefts is thought to have emerged from peoples increasing interest in cycling.

Another case of large bike thefts in one particular area has emerged. Police have reported that in Beverley, £43,000 worth of bikes have been stolen in the last 2 months alone. These thieves have been targeting outbuildings and garden sheds in search of bikes.

Bike thefts reported in Beverly

One victim of this crime, James Harper spoke out about his experience, in which £10,000 worth of bikes were stolen from his shed.

“The criminals seemed to have good knowledge that I had the bikes, where the bikes were and then they made every effort to leave the crime scene as if it was untouched……..Those first moments when you see the space where your bikes should be and the realisation someone has been on your property and taken what is yours is just sickening”.

Crimes like these, highlight that you can never be too careful when it comes to keeping your bikes secure and an ordinary garden shed isn’t going to stop any thief.

How do you keep a bike safe from theft?

When you are cycling home, or driving with your bike attached to your car, it is a good idea to check that you aren’t being followed home. Bike thieves are becoming smarter and are now following bikes so that they can steal them at a later date. Once they know where your bikes are, you’ll have to rely on the security of your bike storage to stop them.

High Security Bike Shed

If you are looking for something more secure to store your bikes in, the Asgard High Security Bike Shed offers fantastic bike security. This all metal bike storage unit is made from strong weatherproof steel and is fitted with high security features. A pick resistant locking mechanism and 5 point locking system, help to keep your bike secure and are aided by reinforced doors hinges and panels. This is the toughest bike shed around and has been insurance approved by the Loss Prevention Certification Board to level 1. Find out more about this high security bike shed on the Asgard website.

Information provided by the Hull Daily

Filed under: asgard, Bicycle Security, bike shed, cycling, Storing your bike | Tagged: bike, Bike Security, bike theft, cycling | Leave a Comment »

10 Top tips for cycling in winter

Posted on December 19, 2012 by nazishs

Are you ready for cycling this winter? If you haven’t prepared for the change in weather, here’s a quick check list of the most important things you’ll most likely need for a great winter cycling:

1. Lights on bike and visible clothing

Make sure you’re visible and can be seen when cycling in winter. Choose bright clothing over blues and black outfits. And, take a spare set batteries with you to work for lights. Make sure lights work and don’t ride if they don’t.

Top tips for cycling in the winter

2. Rain gear

You’ll need an outer shell protective rain/ windproof. A tip is to wear your rain/windproof coat for winter rides even when not raining to keep the damp, cold windchill off your chest.

3. Prepared to opt for alternative transport due to bad weather

Don’t be a foolhardy – When the weather turns nasty be prepared to drop cycling for other options to get to work before the weather picks up again. The change will do you good too!

4. Get warm gloves

No two ways about it – you need warm gloves and overshoes. Look for thick padded full length gloves rather than ‘waterproof’ thin gloves. Even if it rains, if there’s enough padded protection from the outside elements your hands will stay warm.

5. Overshoes

You’ll need overshoe ‘booty covers’ for this winter or your feet will freeze quickly. A tip is to go for ‘neoprene’ material. This wetsuit material will help keep your feet warm even if they get wet – it’s almost impossible to keep feet 100% dry when cycling in winter…

Be prepared to get wet and muddy during the winter season!

6. Get mudguards

An absolute must in winter because roads are more wet than in summer time. You want to avoid getting a wet bum and chest or you risk getting very cold on the bike. Also if you plan to do some club runs this winter, it’s ‘good etiquette’ to have mudguards fixed so you don’t splash others behind you in the face!

7. Wear long cycling tights

Essential to keep your legs warm when cycling. I see a few cyclists braving the Scottish winters with just shorts on – it’s an absolute NO-NO! It really isn’t necessary to train a cold injury of some sort so dress wisely and invest in a good set of long cycling winter tights.

8. Layer your clothes for extra warmth

Make sure you layer up your clothes to keep dry and warm choosing many thin layers over a few thick layers. The rule is to use a thin base layer, then a mid-layer (usually thermal fleece lined), then an outer layer (usually a double lined windproof) – that’s three layers in total.

9. Change your event wheels for winter training wheels

Ok, this is a racing tip – but if you’ve bought those top-end summer event/race wheels and still got them on your bike for winter – do remember to change these over to a cheaper set! Ideally, you shouldn’t be

training on event/race wheels anyway, but if you are, it’s imperative to get that winter bike set up, including changing to sturdier tyres.

The Twin Bike Locker from Asgard is suitable for secure bicycle storage all year round.

10. Store your Cycle in a Bike Shed

If you regularly commute to work, it’s worth investing a suitable cycle storage shed – such as the. Twin Bike Locker from Asgard. A bike shed like this installed in your garden provides easy access as and when required as well as keeping the cycle in great condition. See the full range of secure bike storage units from Asgard here

(Article Source: Easycycling Website)

Filed under: Bike Locker, cycle storage, Storing your bike, twin bike locker | Tagged: Bike storage, Cycle locks, cycle storage, cycling in the winter, storing your bike in the winter, winter bike storage | Leave a Comment »

Is your bike rusting in the shed?

Posted on August 12, 2012 by nazishs

More than half of all bike owners are guilty of not cycling frequently – Defy the statisticians and get back in the saddle today.

Do you regularly ride your bike?

Another week, another depressing survey. Do you ever have that sinking guilty feeling about an expensive impulse buy slowly rusting in the garden shed? Well it turns out that you are not alone, as the latest poll of the UK’s cycling habits shows.

According to EDF Energy, which conducted the poll for its Team Green Britain Bike Week more than half of bike owners are guilty of not cycling frequently.

Of the 2,000 people interrogated by ICM earlier this month, 55% own a bike, but of them, 58% regularly leave their bikes unused for over a fortnight at a time. The statistics also show that while 25% of men use their bike to travel to work, only 10% of women commute this way.

Our survey says otherwise. Only a fortnight ago we reported that Britain sees bikes, rather than a mode of transport, “either a toy for children or a vehicle fit only for the poor and/or strange”. That’s according to the interim report from Understanding Walking and Cycling study, a report by Dave Horton of Lancaster University.

This new set of stats further verifies that claim. Despite roads feeling busier with cyclists, hire schemes promoting the commuter benefits, and there generally being a buzz around bikes, it’s still not the norm. Of course it will always be a specialist interest sport for speed freaks or vintage enthusiasts, but can cycling ever go mainstream?

To those with a thick layer of dust gathering on their conscience, there is something about abandoning a possession that if it goes on too long, you increasingly know that you will never use said item again. So even if it is just a quick trot around the block, or you actually go on that ride that you have always be meaning to, getting out there can change your routine in a second. It’s nearly always better than you anticipate, and the benefits are immeasurable: exploring, exercising, racing, travelling. All in all cycling can be a life-affirming thing.

It should be noted that EDF is using these convenient results to entice former, potential and avid cyclists to attend “go green” events, enlisting local Dr Bikes to get into shape any of the aforementioned abandoned two-wheeled steeds.

So defy the statisticians and get back in the saddle today. Or else give it away on Freecycle – there is almost certainly someone out there who would like your bike.

(Article Source: The Guardian Newspaper )

Worried about your bike rusting?

If you are guilty of not riding your bicycle as often as you should, you shouldn’t have to worry about your bike rusting or being damaged when not in use. By storing it in a suitable storage unit, such as the Twin Bike Locker from Asgard, you don’t need to worry about storing your bicycle over a long period of time.

The Twin Bike Locker is an all-metal secure way of storing your bicycle, accessories and spares safely all year round.

See more information on the Twin Bike Locker on the Asgard website here.

Filed under: bicycle alarm, Bicycle Security, Bike Locker, Bike locks/security, bike shed, bike shelter, Storing your bike, twin bike locker | Leave a Comment »

Cycle theft. How to protect your bike at home.

Posted on July 20, 2012 by tarahamilton

Cycle theft is a continuously growing crime, in all parts of the country. An ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude won’t protect your bike from theft. In the UK a bike is stolen every minute and less than 5% of those are returned to their owners. Bike owners are more likely to have their cycles stolen than car owners their car. Westminster is the worst affected place in London for cycle theft with over 3,000 bikes stolen over the course of one year, followed closely by over 1,500 in Hackney. Over a two year period 45,000 bikes were stolen in London alone. In Oxford bike theft rates have soared to almost 3,000 in a one year period. The majority of bike theft goes unreported, in 2010 an estimated 533,000 bikes were stolen but only 115,147 were actually reported to the police, meaning that only 1 in 5 victims report bike theft to the police.

The top 10 police forces for bike theft in 2010:

Metropolitan police: 21,315

Thames Valley: 6,060

Greater Manchester: 5,185

Cambridgeshire: 4,477

Avon and Somerset: 3,895

West Midlands: 3,222

Leicestershire: 3,057

Lancashire: 2,727

Sussex: 2,668

Humberside: 2,440

With such high figures of theft, it should not be taken lightly. It is important to report your bike crime to the police if your bike has been stolen, to enable them to crack down on bike theft and gather representative figures.

Bikes aren’t just stolen when you are out and about away from home. They are increasingly being targeted when left outside the home or attached to cars in driveways. There are a variety of different methods that you can use to help protect your bike from thieves.

Bicycle Insurance

Insurance is always good to have, to keep you protected in case your bike does get stolen. Bike insurance is available from many insurance companies with premiums starting from around £50. Bicycle insurance does require that you: Lock your bike securely at all time, use an approved lock and secure the bike to an immovable object. Bike insurance policies vary greatly, see more bike insurance details here>

Bike Locker

At home it can sometimes be difficult to store your bike out of public view. If you do not have a secure garage or leave your bike out on display, your bike will become an easy target for thieves. There are a range of bike sheds available on the market. For maximum security Asgard has a range of secure metal storage units, designed specifically to secure a bike. Asgard is the home of the UK’s bestselling bike storage unit. Asgard pushbike storage can hold from 1 to 4 bikes, dependant on the size. With recommendations from industry specialists there is no better way to keep your bike safe outside your home.

Bike Padlock

A good bike lock is great in deterring thieves from steeling your bike. Don’t go cheap, invest in something heavy duty that will stop a potential thief from coming anywhere near your bike and secure your bike. There are a variety of tough bike locks on the market. Asgard have a range of bike locks on offer, and other security locks such as the alarmed cycle disc lock, which activates when someone attempts to move your bike. See it in action>

Register Your Bike

Register your bike on Immobilise, which is the national property register. You can register many items on here from computers to phones. If a registered item is stolen, immobilise makes it easier to recover your property, it helps police to identify stolen goods and simplifies insurance claims.

Statistics from The Guardian, UK Crime Stats, Oxford Mail, Eastlondonlines

Filed under: asgard, bicycle alarm, bicycle locks, Bicycle Security, bike alarm system, bike locks, Bike locks/security, Bike storage, bike theft, cycle locks, cycle storage, cycle theft, cycling, Secure storage, security locks, Storing your bike, Uncategorized | Tagged: Bike locks, Bike Security, Bike storage, bike theft, bikes, Cycle locks, cycle storage, cycle theft, Secure storage | Leave a Comment »

Your bike has been stolen, what do you do?

Posted on June 14, 2012 by tarahamilton

With bike theft a continuing threat, what would you do if you suddenly discovered your bike had been stolen? Should you leave it to the police, head round with some heavies or jump on the black-market merry-go-round and buy it back?At a loss? … the police warn against attempting to take a stolen bike back by force.

Your beloved bike has been stolen, and as per the advice all over the internet you’ve been scouring eBay and Gumtree for it. But if you do spot it, what next?

The obvious first answer is to contact the police; either your local station or, if you’re in London, the Metropolitan Police Service’s Cycle Task Force (cycletaskforce@met.police.uk). They urge bike owners to follow the 3 Rs – record, register (including a photo) and report (if stolen) – to maximise the chances of getting your bike back.

Reporting a sighting to the police does work out very well for some people. Charlotte Barnes and Julian Norman had eight of their bikes stolen from their garage, saw a couple of them for sale on eBay and got in touch with the Met Cycle Task Force. After a nailbiting week or so, all eight bikes were returned to them. Two people have since been arrested in connection with the case.

“I was initially concerned that they were taking quite a while before starting work on our case,” Charlottesays. “It just reflects how thin they’re stretched fighting cycle crime inLondon.” The statistics bear that out: only 2% ofLondon cycle crime was “detected” last year (ie with a suspect charged), although the number of returned bikes is probably a little higher than that. Nationwide, it’s estimated that around 5-8% of stolen bikes are returned to their owners.

According to Vicky Barnes of the Met, “each case is dealt with individually, and the length of time to act will vary”. Inevitably, given the numbers, there’s a risk that a bike will be sold on before the police are able to tackle the case. If you don’t think the police will act fast enough, what are your other options?

It might be tempting to round up a couple of hefty mates to have a “chat” with the thief. That advice certainly shows up a lot on bike forums – largely, it seems, from people who’ve never actually tried it. WhileCharlottedid know of a couple of people who’d successfully applied “overwhelming strength of numbers”, she and Julian never seriously considered that option. It’s certainly far from safe – remember, you’re dealing with people who are already on the wrong side of the law – and the police strongly recommend against it.

If you’re really desperate to get your bike back and you’re worried that the police won’t get there in time, it may seem safer (if infuriating) just to show up and buy it back.Charlotteadmits that winning the eBay auctions was their backup plan, “which gave us the option of turning up to collect them with local officers in tow”. Paying a thief for your own bike is going to be painful – but is it more or less painful than losing it?

Even then, it’s not that straightforward. There’s the known scam in which the seller mugs you for the cash when you turn up to buy the bike. Worse, if you’ve already contacted the police, by getting in touch with the seller you might screw up their operation.

Jon C saw his stolen bike being offered at a “seriously cheap” price online, with the police unable to investigate for a couple of days. Nervous that it would go, he phoned the seller, thinking he might just buy it back. When the arrangements began to increasingly seem like a setup for a mugging, and no local police officer was free to go along with him, he reluctantly backed out. Afterwards, the seller stopped answering the phone, the police were unable to go further and the bike is still sadly missing.

Agonising though the wait is, it probably is best to pass it on to the police and hope for the best. You can always fill in the waiting time by getting over those nagging feelings of disloyalty to your old steed early and planning the replacement bike you’ll get if it all goes to pot.

The Asgard bike maintenance shed

Posted on February 22, 2012 by andyheath

We thought we had got every type of bike storage – but looks like we have missed an idea!

Feedback

I bought your Gladiator metal shed with an ulterior motive in mind. I had seen one of these units at my childrens school and could instantly see a much better use! As you can see by the attached photo I use this massive shed as a workshop by day and a bike store by night. The shed is an idea width for a bike on a bike stand, plenty of room to get around to both sides of the bike. The pitched roof gives shelter from the elements as I stand furiously oiling up the bike.

I have mounted a shelf quite low inside the unit, this provides an excellent place to rest my tools mid maintenance. Hooks have been added to the rear of the unit (my own not yours) for hanging tubes and wheels etc

I’m also thinking of buying one of your extension modules to make it even bigger, then I could keep all my riding clothes in on hooks.

Asgard secure bike sheds

Filed under: asgard, Bike locks/security, Case studies, cycle storage, cycle theft, cycling, Garden Buildings, Outdoor metal garden shed, Sheds, Storing your bike, Uncategorized | Tagged: bike maintenance, bike shop | Leave a Comment »

The York Cycle Show 2011

Posted on June 16, 2011 by nazishs

York will be hosting a great weekend cycling festival for cyclists at the York Cycle Show 2011 on the 25^th and 26^th June 2011. This popular show is held annually and organised by the CTC (The UK’s National Cyclist’s Organisation) – which has been protecting and promoting the rights of cyclists since 1878.

York Cycle Show 2011

The cycling-filled weekend promises to be a fun day out for all the family, including the following events planned:

Cycling Trade Show & Exhibition including the Lloyds TSB Olympic Torch mobile exhibition.
Arena Events including Star Attraction – Savage Skills stunt display team.
Saturday Organised Rides- Ron Kitching Challenge Ride and Sportive (From 25 Km to 150Km).
Cyclists’ Service at the Minster and Grand Parade through the city.
Cycle Club displays as well as meeting Paralympics gold medal cyclist David Stone.
Veteran Cycles.
Extensive Catering & Bar and Camping and caravan pitches also available.
Childrens’ entertainments and Saturday Night on-site musical entertainment & more.

Watch the Bike Week video of our 2010 event here .

It’s a cycling event not to be missed! For more information, directions and tickets, visit the York Cycle Show 2011 website.

Filed under: Bicycle Security, Bike locks/security, cycle storage, Outdoor activities, Storing your bike | Tagged: Bike Security, Bike storage, cycle storage, Events | Leave a Comment »

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British Bike Theft Gangs

10 Top tips for cycling in winter

Is your bike rusting in the shed?

Cycle theft. How to protect your bike at home.

Your bike has been stolen, what do you do?

The Asgard bike maintenance shed

The York Cycle Show 2011

Confused about cycle security?

Asgard launches its first ‘LPCB Security Approved’ Bike Storage – The NEW Annexe Bicycle Shed

The clocks go back – the theft is brought forward

Last year, the insurance market saw a 63% rise in burglary claims during the winter months when compared to the summer, and according to Halifax data, the average cost of a winter burglary last year was £2,623.

What can you do??

Let’s not forget the terms and conditions attached to these insurance quotes: Such as: “Cycles must be secured to an immovable object”. Etc.

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