Bike theft from locked bakkie?

[Gav1]

Hi there

 

not sure where to post this but this has been bothering me since it happened.

my bicycle got stolen from the back of my bakkie and the canopy was locked. Bike, helmet, gps etc. gone but i needed to unlock the canopy handle to open the back to see if the bike wasn't hiding in a corner somewhere where i couldnt see it (serious denial - took me a solid hour to sink in  ) 

 

Few scratches on the right side of the tailgate and canopy where the locking mechanism connects but it still baffles me how they closed it. The amount of effort to force it open should have raised alarms with bystanders (it was nightime though)

 

No broken windows.

 

it happened in an area with cameras around so i'm hoping to get to the bottom of this through the police, but thought maybe others have an idea of this could happen.  

 

i would like to secure the bakkie better before i go on holiday but would need to know the source. I'm going on holiday and would hate for my  surviving steed aka 1 (which used to be my +1) to be taken too 

 

so much for a summer of mtb fun on the garden route 

 

[Butterbean]

That is ***...

 

Why not lock it inside the back? Normal chain wrapped in bike tube, around an eyelet or rollbar if you have one..

[Eddy Gordo]

Thats mega ****. 

I am assuming that it is a fibreglass canopy. I also made the mistake of getting one.

Would love to get an alloy or steel canopy 

[Gav1]

Yep fibreglass. Will visit the local 4x4 dealer and see what they say.

 

Some a** getting festive at my expense. P**s me off big time.

 

Sigh, could always be worse I suppose

[Me rida my bicycle]

Getting it closed again should not be a problem as most canopies catch is usually spring loaded. Doesn't matter what the canopy is made of they will break it open I have seen a fortuner tailgate broken open. The more difficult it opens the more damage you will have.

We built a stainless steel gate for my brother gate was so strong they broke the bricks out of the wall there's no stopping them.

[Gav1]

Okay so with proper force I was able to open the locked canopy by slightly opening tailgate which doesn't lock and yanking real hard on canopy.

 

I can now see evidence on the canopy black hook spring stuff of forced entry. Pieces seems to have scrapped off.

 

Did this based on my wife's theory (which I laughed off initialy) in front of insurance assessor when the assessor told me insurance probably won't pay as there were no signs of forced entry (another shocking story, but let's see outcome first). Closed the canopy and like mentioned above closed easily. No issues with lock.

 

Trying to source camera footage fr. CCID to support claim as there are plenty around the specific area.

 

Be careful. Try not to leave your bikes in the bakkie unattended for too long.

[Maaknplan]

The same happened to me and in the end insurance did not pay out even though they had chipped the edge of the canopy door in forcing it open

[Mamil]

I can't even begin to express how tired I am of the daily onslaught of crime.

 

Sorry to hear of your bikes going like this. I hope the insurance comes to the party.

[Help.Me.]

The same happened to me and in the end insurance did not pay out even though they had chipped the edge of the canopy door in forcing it open

Who were the insurer, if you don't mind?

[Eddy Gordo]

Can I ask what type of bakkies?

How.is it mounted on the inside? Latches or brackets in each corner of the loadbin

[Dirt Tracker]

Those fibre glass canopies are really easy to pull open event when locked. Not sure what one you have but most of them have a very simple, plastic catch that is operated with a wire pull attached to the handle. The locking part is on the handle not the catches at the sides of the doors. 

 

I've had 2 different types and you could open both with a decent jank on the handle or simply levering under the door right on the side by the plastic catch locked or not. 

 

I found out to my cost that car insurance companies don't consider that a safe area / locked in a car and won't pay out on that unless 'hidden from view under a canvas cover or inside the car. So chained or not you have to have a canvas tonneau inside the canopy that covers the bike. Often as well they have a pitiful limit on items stolen from cars unless a specific named and valued item. Now I have my bikes insured separately with cycle sure and make sure they confirm to all the requirements (approved cable lock etc). 

[PhilipV]

You can also open the back by sliding a flat metal piece with a little hook in and opening the clips. Works on the cheaper canopies. My latest has the Clancy pants exclusive canopy with overlap on the doors, and the long fingered okes still got in somehow. I've lost some work equipment from a locked canopy as well.

 

I've thought about putting in an extra alarm sensor in the back (can be done to aftermarket alarms) and making an extra lock catch, nowadays I just leave it open with nothing inside, or reverse park against a wall or pole to prevent it from being opened.

 

In my opinion the best way is a full ali canopy without any windows and with proper locks. But then the Bakkie better have reverse camera and PDC, as that blindspot will be massive.

[lerouc]

I also discovered how easy it actually is to open a locked fiberglass canopy. I attached hooks to the bottom of my bakkie bed and now even when the canopy is locked i still hook a chain to my bike when it is in the back of the bakkie.

 

It does help that my bike is black and my canopy windows tinted...

[Dirt Tracker]

My double cab has cargo attachments inside so I just have a lock that goes through them. It's not going to stop them if they really want it but it'll delay them. I also never really leave my bike in the car. Drive to places to ride and come back. Maybe stop to grab a pie or coffee but I'm never parking in town for a few hours or at the mall wandering around with the car parked. 

[Oufy MTB (Roadie)]

crap to hear this, when I use a double cab, I also use a chain to tie it down to one of the eyelids at the back. But as mentioned before, if they want it, they will take it, we can only make it as difficult as possible to mitigate a bit. In my locked garage at home, the bike is still chained to something.

 

But eish, the things we have to do

[G e r h a r d Odendaal]

Get a canopy without windows.