Stillorgan Plaza bike parking

caviardreams

Hi guys

Just wondering if anyone knows if there are bike racks in the underground car park at the Lidl/cinema in Stillorgan Plaza? Thought it might be safer than just leaving it on the street outside there as it is not the busiest in terms of passers by compared to the main shopping centre so more opportunities for theft I figured

If not, will probably take a chance on leaving it in the stillorgan village centre somewhere.

Thanks!

caviardreams

Cool thanks bedlam, yes was thinking the main shopping centre would probably be safer and worth the extra few steps over! Thanks for that link - very handy to see

Awaaf

The cycle racks in the basement below the Lidl have been placed in a way that seems accident prone to me. Instead of placing them against the wall with the bikes then outside the rack they seem to have placed them away from the wall with the bikes to go between the rack and the wall. The nett result is that the rack is just behind the boots of the parked cars. The rack seems to be often empty. As a result it is a trip hazard between the boot of peoples cars and what looks like a path behind.

Maybe thereis a logic for this approach but it seems a bad design to me.

caviardreams

I did notice today there are some outdoors just outside the door of the Dublin meat company but they don't seem to be used at all which makes me a little cautious! It is a busy road there so thought that might put thieves off but perhaps not, could possibly chance it during the day for a quick stop off though.

homer911

With the grinds school upstairs, you would think they would provide secure bike parking, but then I guess if you can afford a grinds school, the little darlings are probably driving..

rubadub

You have to think like a thief. If I was a thief the cinema is an ideal spot, I hang around the car park, see a nice bike arrive, follow the owner up to confirm he is going to the cinema and so gone for at least 90mins and then take my sweet time robbing it. Same reason I would never lock a bike at a luas stop.

Some shops can have CCTV which could cover where you lock your bike, again a thief would avoid that.

McDonalds is good as advised, if I was a thief I would avoid it, the owner could be inside looking out or be an employee who has a clear view outside. Security are up their twiddling their thumbs as I never see any scumbags around stillorgan SC. So they would be on the ball if they heard a grinder going.

My bike lock(s!) would require an angle grinder, I would highly recommend getting similar. There are also locking techniques to use, my lock could feasibly be cut with a massive bolt cutters, but only if it was locked in such a way that the thief could use leverage on the ground with a bolt cutters.

My lock is a lot stronger than most dedicated thin wall tubular stainless steel bike railings, so I often look for better posts to lock to.

caviardreams

Thanks rub - now that flyefit have opened up there too I can see a lot more bikes being left there as I am sure a lot of gym goers cycle, and again an ideal context for thieves if somebody has gone off for a workout. Hence my worry

I do have a proper U-lock (kryptonite evo) and always wedge both the frame and wheel really tightly so there is barely a gap with the rack (and a cable for the front wheel too), so thanks for all the advice. Shopping centre it is!

RangeR

rubadub wrote: »

Some shops can have CCTV which could cover where you lock your bike, again a thief would avoid that.

I can see your thought process there but in reality thieves could care less about CCTV.

Around our place, they take bikes from in front of cameras all the time, wear baseball caps [sometimes not and you see their full face dead square to rights], but are always gone in less than 45 seconds. CCTV footage is always available. I've not heard of one bike returned or conviction followed through.

Sometimes, the thieves just don't care about getting caught or not, and just want a quick bitta cash. OR the owners don't follow through to contact the Gardaí...

rubadub

RangeR wrote: »

I can see your thought process there but in reality thieves could care less about CCTV.

Sometimes, the thieves just don't care about getting caught or not

I doubt none care, if given choice they do not want to be caught.

2 identical bikes, identical locks, one under CCTV, my money is on them going for the one with no CCTV. Even if there is a tiny chance of being caught.

It's the old thing of "where is the best place to lock your bike?" -beside a more expensive one with a weaker lock.

RangeR

rubadub wrote: »

I doubt none care, if given choice they do not want to be caught.

2 identical bikes, identical locks, one under CCTV, my money is on them going for the one with no CCTV. Even if there is a tiny chance of being caught.

It's the old thing of "where is the best place to lock your bike?" -beside a more expensive one with a weaker lock.

I actually think the same as yourself. In practice it's not that clear cut.

I operate a large CCTV system. All I'm saying is that in reality CCTV is not much of a deterant. I got some footage two days ago from one of our sites. CCTV area covers about 4 square meters of the theft area. Guy comes along and takes a bike in 30 seconds. You can count the pimples on his face and count his eye lashes. Our cameras are not hidden.

A bigger deterant to CCTV is multiple better locks. Lock your quick release (or not) to your frame. Lock your frame to an immoveable object. Spend more than 50 quid on your locks. Each. And as you said... intelligently locking them. ****... Some of our visitors don't even lock their bikes then moan at us because they were robbed.

100% of bikes that are stolen from us are under CCTV view. 95% of our stolen bikes are either not locked or a single lock securing a quick release wheel. The other 5% had cheap as **** locks.

A bigger factor is that few visitors report their bikes stolen. If they did, I would be asked for footage by the guards. And this is key. These thieves know they are getting away with it. I think that's why they don't care about CCTV. I'd actually recognise one of the thieves out on the street if I met him. Serial offender.

No theft in the past 2 years has taken more than 60 seconds.

rubadub

RangeR wrote: »

I actually think the same as yourself. In practice it's not that clear cut..

When I read this I was waiting to hear the downside of locking your bike under CCTV, I heard none, to me it is clear cut, it is of some benefit, and you seem to think the same. I was never meant to imply it was going to 100% going to stop every single thief.

All I'm saying is that in reality CCTV is not much of a deterant.

To me this does mean it is clear cut, it is never a disadvantage. no thief will see 2 identical bikes outside 2 shops and think "hmmm, that one has CCTV, best go for that one".


2 locks, even if one is crap can prevent twisting attacks like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDOk3cnUKdY

If mine is in a high risk area I have about 6 or 7 kilos of chain & locks on my bike, it looks comical. They would cost several hundred in a shop here.

RangeR

rubadub wrote: »

When I read this I was waiting to hear the downside of locking your bike under CCTV, I heard none
....
and think "hmmm, that one has CCTV, best go for that one".

No, what I'm saying it that CCTV doesn't appear to be a consideration. Anyway, I have cameras to look at.... Laters...