Insurance?

Procrastinator

Sorry if this has been discussed before, but I've done the search and can't find threads relating.
Anyway, as anyone got insurance for their bike, against theft. Is that possible in Ireland or Dublin , where I am now?
I understand that sometimes it can be got as part of the house contents insurance, but as I'm a tennant i don't think that would apply to me.
I have a crappyish bike and would love to get a super duper light alloy but am afraid that it'll be robbed as soon as I get it. This has happened to people I know.
I want to use the bike for general commuting (work and visiting friends) and for trips into town for whatever, instead of using the LUAS.
Anyone any ideas?
Thanks

jman0

i used to commute on a nice bike too, it got robbed.
If you get something, get some paint and stuff and make it look like a rusted piece of ****e.

blorg

Personally I got one "good" bike for spins and commuting (leave inside both at home and work) and one crap bike for cycling into town/leaving overnight/etc. I do leave the good bike outside shops (well locked) etc. and haven't had a problem.

This was after I had lost four Trek hybrids in a little over a year; have been theft free now for four years so it seems to be working!

Before all of that I did have a bike on the house contents insurance; you can get it as a tenant so maybe worth getting a quote but I find the above plan can avoid the thing getting stolen in the first place.

jman0

I keep a nice road bike indoors (except when i'm out for a spin )
For commuting i use a ****y, rusty, heavy bike that is sure to get passed up by would-be bike thieves.
Had to keep it chained outside of my flat, and sure enough the back wheel got robbed one night.
But anyway the point is that if you have a nice bike (shiny parts) it'll get noticed. To keep your bike you gotta make it so when they come around with a van and yer one is stalking the place eyeing up bikes, he passes over your one and doesn't give it a 2nd look.

Smoggy

I'm planning on locking my bike up in parkwest business park, its not rusty and its very shiney. I was going to DLOCK the back tyre and frame to the bike stand which is in view of one of the main internal roads ( so I hope thats good for security ). Security patrols in vehicles around the area..... Is the chance of it getting robbed still high ? As I have zero insurance and would be HIGHLY gutted if it was taken.

Capt'n Midnight

Smoggy wrote:

I'm planning on locking my bike up in parkwest business park, its not rusty and its very shiney.

a lot of people "age" their bikes so they aren't bright and shiney and remove badges,

parkwest is only a few minutes cycling time from some areas where I wouldn't walk though at night

Cabaal

Been thinking of Insurance myself, got myself a Trek 7.1 FX today and using a Trelock BS 610 to lock it,

Only shame is the lock weights loads compared to the bike but I rather it be safe

Smoggy

How easy is it to get around a dlock in light of day and in a relatively well used area ? Well used as in mainly business people. Although im sure there are pikeys in the area.

blorg

Smoggy- consider using two locks of different types (e.g. 1 U-lock and 1 cable lock.) Different tools/methods are required to break each and so there is a good chance a thief will move on to another bike locked with only a single lock.

daymobrew

Smoggy wrote:

I'm planning on locking my bike up in parkwest business park, its not rusty and its very shiney. I was going to DLOCK the back tyre and frame to the bike stand which is in view of one of the main internal roads ( so I hope thats good for security ). Security patrols in vehicles around the area..... Is the chance of it getting robbed still high ? As I have zero insurance and would be HIGHLY gutted if it was taken.

As you will be so gutted if your bike was taken, you should really look into insurance.

Talk to Park West security about bike theft statistics. Do they have CCTV looking at the bike rack?
If you work in in Park West, any chance you could park it inside your building? Maybe a storage room somewhere. Maybe your employer could get a locking bike shelter, especially if there a few cyclists in the same building. Maybe the owners of the business park could convert the current open shelter to a locking one.

jman0

"Bike Locks" are in reality, just marketing.
You need a way to secure your bike.
I recommend a chain since they are manufactured to certain standards, since they are load-bearing by design.
There are no manufacturing standards of U-Locks.
However that doesn't mean their rubbish.

I used to have a good link showing the different hardness ratings of chains, and then you can compare with the hardness of the metal in a bolt cutters (the most common tool used to rob bikes).
I'll try and digup this old thread i posted on another forum about it.
Once you get a chain that's harder than a bolt cutters you need a lock for the job as well.
Those can cost a bit, and obviously get heavy to lug around.

There are other steps you can take, like removing your saddle.
Which can help deter opportunistic thieves.

Edit:
Read this post: http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=662295&postcount=4

1380 mini

If I were you id get 2 locks, a heavy chain and d-lock, ive locked my bike up in the city centre for the last year and never had any trouble. With the 2 locks you can also secure both wheels + frame. I also leave the locks locked to the bike rack in town (collage car park) so don't have to cart them around either which saves over 3kg from my backpack