Touring - Covering your bike @ night?

Do you cover your bike at night while camping? If so what do you bring along to use?

take it in tent, when wild camping lay it on floor or may use may army poncho to cover it.

Was pondering this my self recently. My tent (Vaude Hogan II) is not nearly big enough for one, let alone the pair of bikes that my girlfriend and I take touring. Do bike covers make bikes more inconspicuous or tempting?

It has never even crossed my mind that I might want to cover my bike when on tour. It is out in the weather all day, how much difference does it make that it is out at night as well?

I guess if you stealth camp you might cover it to make it less visible. While I do wild camp fairly often, I almost never bother with stealth. In the rare case that I would, I'd just lay the bike in a low spot out of sight.

BTW. there is no way I'd take a tent big enough to take the bike in with me and even if I did have a big enough tent I wouldn't bother.

BTW. there is no way I'd take a tent big enough to take the bike in with me and even if I did have a big enough tent I wouldn't bother.

At 2.3 kilos (approx 4.7 pounds) for my tent it is not a problem.

At 2.3 kilos (approx 4.7 pounds) for my tent it is not a problem.
That is your choice and I am not knocking it if it makes you happy. Me, I much prefer to stick with lighter tents. 2.3 kilos (more like 5 pounds btw) is just more tent than I want to be burdened with. Where the terrain suits it, I sometimes even am inclined to skip the tent and take a bivy. I did take a 4 pound tent on one tour and might have been able to squeeze the bike in, but I didn't see any reason to do so. My bike stays outside with any gear that doesn't need to be in the tent (or in the bear box or bag) still packed in the panniers.

I like a bike that isn't dewy or wet in the morning.

cold, wet handlebar tape and saddle makes for a gooshy morning.

For trad, 4 pannier touring I bring an 8 ounce siltarp that doubles as a cooking shelter when its raining as well as a bike tarp.

When UL touring, i will cover the saddle (Brooks) with a plastic bag to keep the saddle dry overnight.

Do you cover your bike at night while camping? If so what do you bring along to use?

Nope. Bikes are meant to be used outside, not protected like fine works of art. :-)

My only concession to weather is covering my leather saddle with a bag if it looks like it might rain.

Yup , I've just covered seat with plastic bag. It would be nice to cover more maybe, but have always had enough crap to begin with anyway so more never appealed.
Dew on bars does dry off and if its raining, well, the bike's going to be wet anyway.

I cover the saddle, sometimes the handlebars as well. One reason I cover the saddle is to (hopefully) prevent animals from munching on the leather.

Do you cover your bike at night while camping? If so what do you bring along to use?

I took a tarp with me. Since the tent was strapped to the top of the rack, I just rolled the tent up in the tarp for each day's ride.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Eq0XQOmJ6ao/TEiW3NVZTbI/AAAAAAAAERc/y2XOeeU1Rm8/s720/DSC_5059.JPG

For trad, 4 pannier touring I bring an 8 ounce siltarp that doubles as a cooking shelter when its raining as well as a bike tarp.


that makes complete sense for the cooking shelter, and at 250 grams, certainly not a burden for weight. I will have to see what these siltarps feel like in real life, to get an idea of the durability etc--is this the same material used in those lightweight wet/dry bags and light knapsacks? I will do a search right now to see, but that is nice and light.

That is your choice and I am not knocking it if it makes you happy. Me, I much prefer to stick with lighter tents. 2.3 kilos (more like 5 pounds btw) is just more tent than I want to be burdened with. Where the terrain suits it, I sometimes even am inclined to skip the tent and take a bivy. I did take a 4 pound tent on one tour and might have been able to squeeze the bike in, but I didn't see any reason to do so. My bike stays outside with any gear that doesn't need to be in the tent (or in the bear box or bag) still packed in the panniers.

I'd leave it outside as well, but here in the UK there is always the danger of it getting stolen. When I leave my campsite for the day it is hidden, so if no one knows its there it can't get stolen. That is why I protect her, my dawes super galaxy is my pride and joy. If I could leave outside with no change of getting stolen then I would.

Not as good as physically locking it I know, but stealth is a weapon as well!

Since we ride a tandem it might be abit crowded in the tent. Saying this though the bike might be inside with my wife and I would be out in the cold!

In addition to locking the bike to something, I Tended to cover the saddle,
then leave the rain covers on the panniers, on the bike..
I made up a thin but long cable to go around trees and picnic table bases.

interesting that some of you leave your panniers on the bike, Ive always had them in the tent with me, having my things with me for the main reason, but also I dont see the time saved not taking them off (literally seconds) worth worrying about them being taken by some jerk, even if the bike is locked. I guess if your tents are that small, but usually there is some kind of vestibule.

anyway, just an observation.

interesting that some of you leave your panniers on the bike, Ive always had them in the tent with me, having my things with me for the main reason, but also I dont see the time saved not taking them off (literally seconds) worth worrying about them being taken by some jerk, even if the bike is locked. I guess if your tents are that small, but usually there is some kind of vestibule.

Everyone is different. For me the reason for leaving the stuff on the bike was never the lack of space or the effort of bringing them in. I just don't have any need for most of my stuff in the tent at night. The theft worthy stuff is mostly in the handlebar bag and that does go inside the tent. The remaining stuff I am not all that worried about and in a pannier on the bike is better than laying scattered on the ground.

On my last tour I stopped using panniers and instead used ultralight dry bags. The complicated the choice because it was extra effort to put the stuff back on the bike and I have to take it back off in the morning to pack the dry bags any way. Still nothing went in the tent because I didn't take a tent. So the stuff laid on the ground next to my bivy, under a tiny 5'x5' tarp if I pitched it. With 14 pounds of gear I probably could fit it in the bivy with me, but never have.

I use two large black garbage bags to cover my seat, handlebars, and most of the rest of the bike. Beside keeping the seat and handlebars dry, they provide camo cover while stealth camping. When at a campground they make the bike less visible and/or appealing to a would-be thief...I think. Total weight is 3.6 ounces.

Silnylon tarp. IIRC mine is a larger one and comes in around 13 ounces. I use it as a foul weather cooking fly too.

Aaron :)

I cover my seat and handlebars

I use my 6' x 8' sil-nylon tarp as a light weight ground cloth for my tent. I'd rather keep my tent floor clean and dry than use it as a bike cover. However I keep it handy, because it is a good cover for ducking under in a thunderstorm. It also acts a a porch under the vestibule keeping the tent clean and shoes and gear dry. We just use a plastic shower cap to cover the saddles at night.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/Doug64_photos/Bike%20Trips/PICT5255.jpg

We always lock our bikes to something immovable at night if we can. I don't know if covering them will reduce the chance of theft or not. In Switzerland we left our bikes locked to a fence in the campground for a day, walked into town, and hoped a train (actually 3 trains) to visit a city we wanted to see. I believe it is better to leave it in plain sight in a busy place than to try to hide it. However, we had our valuable gear, such as net book and panniers in lockers furnished at the campground. The same during the day. If it is in an out of sight place, and someone happens across it; it may much easier to steal than out in plain sight.

Like staehpj1, We have wild camped quite often, but not stealthily. To me stealth camping denotes that I know I am not supposed to be there, so I have to be sneaky about it. Discretion is good, but I see no reason to be sneaky about it. At least not as my normal operating procedure. I've found that most landowners and public authorities will tolerate an honest "mistake" rather than a blatant attempt at concealment. Yes, I have stealth camped when it was the only option.

Ihave a lightweight cover from Nashbar (on sale) and use it at night. I only take the panniers off and put in the tent when I'm off touring a town

You can also follow some of the advice in this thread (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=54639) and use your bike as part of your shelter. In addition to it being covered, it's also pretty darn theft-proof.

but what do you cover it during the day?

Everyone is different. For me the reason for leaving the stuff on the bike was never the lack of space or the effort of bringing them in. I just don't have any need for most of my stuff in the tent at night. The theft worthy stuff is mostly in the handlebar bag and that does go inside the tent. The remaining stuff I am not all that worried about and in a pannier on the bike is better than laying scattered on the ground.


staehpj, when I actually think about it, my two rear panniers tend to have my clothes and sleeping bag, pad etc, so they naturally end up in the tent when I set up my stuff inside. The fronts usually have cooking stuff, which ends up out anyway for supper (and Ive always tried to clean and put away before Im too tired) and the other front has rain stuff etc, so again is in tent for access.

I guess part of me too doesnt like leaving stuff out from my camping experience, to not have it out so wee critters might try a chew or two at corners (mice or whatever) so I guess thats why the stuff usually ends up inside or under the vestibule. Also, I like having the stuff close if in the morning it is pouring and then at least can be somewhat self sufficient with all you have if you want to just hang around in the tent for awhile to wait out the rain.

As you say, whatever works for each person, and I can see how your dry bags setup is a bit more fiddley for on/off, so can understand leaving them on.

Do you cover your bike at night while camping? If so what do you bring along to use?

I bought a thin, black, waterproof PVC bike cover from Nashbar for $10. http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_175310_-1___ I have had it about 8 years and it works like new. Light, small, can be used for other things too.

The bike is less conspicuous and any reflectors or reflective surfaces are hidden from light/sight.

Yes, bikes are meant to be used outside and yes lots of bikes look like they stay outside a lot, but I don't do that. My bike is always inside at night when I am home and I like to keep it nice. See my 21 year old Bridgestone as an example:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/111838829033930119881/albums/5739556532803227729/organize

Always cared for - not compulsively but just reasonably.

Why not give the bike every advantage you can? Do you not respect it as a fine machine that will help you if you help it? Do you think rain is good for it?

I suspect the folks who kind of imply that you are a wimp if you even think about covering your bike are manly men who throw caution to the wind in regard to such matters and that their bikes show it in appearance and function and that not covering the bike is an implied statement about how tough they are.

I also suspect that the folks who say they don't cover their bikes have never tried it.

Also, in the heavy rains we get in MidWest, you will save having to relube your chain after a rain if you have covered the bike and it rains at night, which it does.

If the cover is too much weight it can be left home on any given tour. In biking, everything is a compromise and a trade-off. Reasonable people will have differing practices.

i was wild camping somewhere near Willets, Ca. when i was awaken by a mountain lion near me :eek:. this was a few years ago.

i covered ME up with my titanium bike, hoping the intruder would try taking a bit out of my bicycle rather than me. i sat up a yelled and it went away, but not without roaring at me a couple more times.

in the morning i found about five or six deer hooves laying around my sleeping bag and i was sitting in a large dried up pile of you-know-what. i think i was camping in one of it's regular eating areas.

geez, how was i supposed to know???? :twitchy:

Do you cover your bike at night while camping? If so what do you bring along to use?

Hope I am not getting too wound up on this but I meant to mention also that a cover can keep the curious, especially kids, at a better distance from the bike. Especially in state parks (crowded) and some small town campgrounds and especially when I arrive on a bike and am told, "The overflow is all filled up but just find a place and set up your tent," no matter how courteous I am about not infringing on other people's territory, once I get set up kids tend to want to come and look at the bike. Not a surprise really. They are often bored and not involved in structured activity. They are naturally attracted to a bike.

Having the cover on the bike provides a line that I do not let them cross. The cover has Velcro to keep it on securely and when the kids start to get too nosy I remind them not to move the cover. Maybe this is only my problem. Others have told me they never encounter these curious kids but I often do and find that they will continue to mess around, try the shifters, etc. until told firmly not to and the cover helps with this also by eliminating the bike as a visual stimulus.

Sometimes, of course, being friendly with the kids can result in getting an invitation to a dinner completely prepared by someone else - kid's caretakers. In such case a little messing with the bike might be OK especially if it is supervised by the person who is about to be invited to dinner. Everything is a trade-off. I still remember the dinner, a pork roast with lots of vegetables and several cakes for desert that resulted from the last time I befriended 7 to 12 year old curious, wandering, vagabond savages at Lake Bemidji State Park MN while on tour.

I bought a thin, black, waterproof PVC bike cover from Nashbar for $10. http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_175310_-1___ I have had it about 8 years and it works like new. Light, small, can be used for other things too.

The bike is less conspicuous and any reflectors or reflective surfaces are hidden from light/sight.

Yes, bikes are meant to be used outside and yes lots of bikes look like they stay outside a lot, but I don't do that. My bike is always inside at night when I am home and I like to keep it nice. See my 21 year old Bridgestone as an example:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/111838829033930119881/albums/5739556532803227729/organize

Always cared for - not compulsively but just reasonably.

Why not give the bike every advantage you can? Do you not respect it as a fine machine that will help you if you help it? Do you think rain is good for it?

I suspect the folks who kind of imply that you are a wimp if you even think about covering your bike are manly men who throw caution to the wind in regard to such matters and that their bikes show it in appearance and function and that not covering the bike is an implied statement about how tough they are.

I also suspect that the folks who say they don't cover their bikes have never tried it.

Also, in the heavy rains we get in MidWest, you will save having to relube your chain after a rain if you have covered the bike and it rains at night, which it does.

If the cover is too much weight it can be left home on any given tour. In biking, everything is a compromise and a trade-off. Reasonable people will have differing practices.

That's about the finest reason for covering and looking after the bike I have ever read. Well described.

I ride a recumbent trike so there is no room in my tent for trike and trailer
But the trailer will fit in the vestibule when I'm not in camp
Fortunately with the mesh seat water doesn't pool

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-okG0STU_KTI/T6Hj3sb4gQI/AAAAAAAAAcM/m_d0SkdB8Gc/s1600/2012-04-22_07-46-54_650.jpg (http://adventurelaus.blogspot.com/2012/05/fly-ride-bike-oxford-al-to-atlanta-ga.html)

Brompton (http://www.brompton.co.uk/)inside the Tarptent Moment (http://www.tarptent.com/moment.html). Sweet combo. :thumb:

Brompton (http://www.brompton.co.uk/)inside the Tarptent Moment (http://www.tarptent.com/moment.html). Sweet combo. :thumb:

You, your bike, and gear, all inside a one-man tent. Must be cozy. Cool setup though.

We cover the seats, chain the bikes to something solid. Relube the chain if needed.

I cover my bike with a USGI poncho. This is my general purpose tarp/rain gear. I've used it as a tent, as a blanket, as rain gear, windbreak, etc. I also have a nylon hoodie and pants combo that serves as my normal raingear, so the poncho can do double duty.
I cover the bike because I look at corrosion as a function of time:
If my bike is wet 100% of the time, it corrodes at X rate.
If it is wet 50% of the time, it corrodes at 1/2X.
If it is wet 25% of the time, 1/4X.
So by covering or garaging my bike at night, when I know that dew or rain will soak it, I potentially double the life of my components and frame.

Panniers in the tent with me,lock and cover the bike.It's more to keep the humans away than to protect the bike......out of site-out of mind.

I made a cover from silnylon,it gets used for shade and rain protection when needed.

Close to the 2500 mile mark into this tour. Over 400 miles of the route had been over wet dirt roads, and tracks. It has multiple coats of wax, frame treated internally with "frame saver", cleaned and lubed every 3-4 days while on tour, cleaned and serviced when returning home and kept locked in my garage. While I really take good care of my bikes, I don't see the need to cover it at night while on tour. I was asked by a gentleman, " how I liked my new bike". I had to laugh because he was talking about my older touring bike that had several thousand touring miles on it, including a trip across the US, had been loaded on about every mode of conveyance imaginable, and had several minor crashes. He didn't look at the pedals or he would have realized that the bike was well ridden. It still looks great. When you live in Oregon a wet bike is a way of life. My point is that you can really take care of your bike, even if you don't cover it.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/Doug64_photos/Europe%202011/IMG_1565-1.jpg

The bike a couple of days before. A little water is not going to make much difference.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/Doug64_photos/Europe%202011/IMG_5105-2.jpg

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/Doug64_photos/Europe%202011/DSCN8224.jpg


I suspect the folks who kind of imply that you are a wimp if you even think about covering your bike are manly men who throw caution to the wind in regard to such matters and that their bikes show it in appearance and function and that not covering the bike is an implied statement about how tough they are.

Quite the contrary. When people look at my bikes they probably wonder if they ever get ridden, and when they look at my legs they know I am a wimp:)

I don't think that covering or going "bare" bike has anything to to with being a wimp or toughness. It is just a matter of whether you prefer to cover your bike or not. Now if you want to get into a toughness discussion; just start a helmet or not thread!

I treated my 1973 Peugeot PX10 the same way, and just sold it to a young man who appreciated old bikes for twice what I paid for it when new. The nicely waxed and shiny Reynolds 531 steel frame did not have any corrosion on it at all. Also, the Brooks Pro saddle was still in remarkably good shape.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/Doug64_photos/Peugeot%20PX%2010/DougsPeugeot-1-2.jpg




"The narcissism of small differences: The need to distinguish oneself by minute shadings, and to insist with outsized militancy on the importance of those shadings".
Sigmund Freud?

Along the lines of what Doug is getting at, a rag to wipe grit off rims and derailleur pulleys, giving a chain a good wiping down and relube, using the rag on chainrings and cassette , all goes a huge way to keeping a bike in good shape. I've always taken pleasure in keeping my frame and drivetrain clean, I enjoy doing the actual physical side of it, and I like that it keeps thebike in thebest mechanical shape, and that keeping on top of it is better in the long run too.,

Heck, these used to be 26" wheels before I started watering them:)

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/Doug64_photos/Europe%202011/DSCN7178.jpg

Doug, I am trying to come up with a witty retort to that involving some line about watering front wheels of penny farthings more than the rear.
i dunno, runoff from plant fertilizer or something....but it ain't gelling.

Yours was better...