Bells as anti-theft devices

[ichitan]

I think this is an interesting anti-theft device.

I met some bikepackers traveling around the world, on expensive bikes. They often camp in tents. It would be hypothetically possible, for someone to sneak in take one or more bikes while they were sleeping.

They lock the bikes to a post or something similar, if there is something there to lock them to. If there is not, they lock the bikes to other bikes, which makes them much more difficult to take.

They did have alarms. But alarms need batteries to be recharged or replaced. Some bikes still have alarms.

One bike had bells attached to it. It would not be possible to move the bike without the bells making a sound, which would wake up the people sleeping in the tents.

   

[Lss555]

That makes a lot of sense for if they’re locked to each other cause it’d be a hassle to get. I guess if the thief's saw the bell might be able to silence it but I feel like that’s a weird thing to have. Also I’d imagine it works good if you’re in bear country, when you’re riding

[enkei]

I've seen this before. Great idea! Alas, I sleep so deeply I would probably need an airhorn.

[ichitan]

(10-29-2023, 12:16 PM)Lss555 Wrote:  I guess if the thief's saw the bell might be able to silence it

The bike I saw had 4 bells on it. It would be difficult to silence all of them.

[froze]

Bell idea is a good one, but someone could stuff each bell with grass and deaden the sound. You could use that in conjunction with something like the ClaxonRide alarm, it only cost $34. OR you could go more higher end and get a lock with an alarm, the best one is supposedly the Bordo Alarm 6000/90 Plus Black which is a folding lock system, but it cost $100 more than the ClaxonRide but it includes a lock for that extra $100, while the lock is not angle grinder proof it will hold off most attackers, but combined with the siren screaming anyone trying to take your bike will leave without bothering trying to break it.

Bells are cheap but not foolproof, but that doesn't mean not to use bells, having another far louder alarm would be great if someone disables the bells, very few people once they disable the bells are going to think you have a second much louder alarm.

[Flowrider]

That's brilliant! Fantastic innovation. Hopefully didn't come about from a bad experience.

[GirishH]

@ichitan, I love the idea. In fact, I used to keep a set of bells on MisterGordo—not just for the sound, but because I was riding in bear territory across Montana and the Himalayas of India and Nepal.

I think I gave those away and eventually picked up a huge yak bell. I loved it even more, though it proved to be a bit too much of a distraction.

When I camp on cycling trips, I tie strings to the bicycle frame and fork to lock the wheel in place, then connect those lines directly to my tent. That way, if anyone moves the bike, the tent shifts too.
   

The only issue with bells—cattle bells in particular—is that freely roaming cattle and goats in the high Andes or Himalayas often wear them too, even if they belong to local families or nomads.

As a result, I'd wake up every single time a bell rang, whether it was mine or a cow's nearby!

(10-29-2023, 08:11 AM)ichitan Wrote:  I think this is an interesting anti-theft device.

I met some bikepackers traveling around the world, on expensive bikes. They often camp in tents. It would be hypothetically possible, for someone to sneak in take one or more bikes while they were sleeping.

They lock the bikes to a post or something similar, if there is something there to lock them to. If there is not, they lock the bikes to other bikes, which makes them much more difficult to take.

They did have alarms. But alarms need batteries to be recharged or replaced. Some bikes still have alarms.

One bike had bells attached to it. It would not be possible to move the bike without the bells making a sound, which would wake up the people sleeping in the tents.