OHirte

Hey folks,
the wife and I will be starting an 8 month long bike tour early next year, and we'll be heading through China, Mongolia, SEA and into Central Asia. We have front and back Ortlieb panniers on both bikes (Surly LHTs).

We currently live in Korea and have done a bunch of tours here. The thing is that Korea is ridiculously safe (I'm talking people leave phones and wallets lying on tables in a busy Starbucks when going to the bathroom safe), and because of this, we've never had to worry about our bikes when out and about. If we ever needed to stop and buy stuff, we would simply leave our bikes outside until we came back, no problem.

I'm a little more concerned about where we're going and was wondering what others do to secure their bikes, and more specifically their panniers to their bikes, while on tour? What do you do if you need to go into some shops, or somewhere where the bikes have to be unattended? I'm not massively worried about the whole bikes being taken, because jacking two fully loaded touring bikes is no easy task, but I'm more worried about someone taking the panniers off the bikes. I've seen those Ortlieb anti-theft cables. Are they worth looking into?

Any ideas / suggestions / things you've done previously? I'd appreciate any thoughts and inputs on the topic. I guess if worst comes to worst we simply have to go one by one and always have one of us keeping an eye on the bikes, right

I'm looking forward to hearing what other have done.

3speed

You'd need a way to lock he pannier to the bike and a way to lock the pannier to keep it closed. Maybe there's some wire mesh/net that you could wrap around the pannier and secure to the bike. That would keep people from getting into your bags(including cutting) or taking them off of the bike. That's really cool that people aren't sh*thead thieves in Korea. Here your stuff would be gone in seconds-minutes depending on the item.

Brian25

A story worth checking out is William Bennetts account as to what happened to him in regards to pannier thiefing. His journal can be found on the "crazy guy on a bike" website. (warning: some images are disturbing)

OHirte

Yeah, Korea is incredible like that. Basically zero crime here.

I've looked into some options that are available, and am considering some of them. At this point I'm quite keen to hear what others have done or are doing with regards to securing their panniers.

Brian25: I found the link to that story, but the description that's there with the link says "If you're currently on tour or about to go on tour, it might be best to avoid it", so that's exactly what I'm going to do....
Thanks, though. I'm just not sure if making myself paranoid at this point is helpful, haha.

saddlesores

after a couple hundred thoushand km's in these areas (except mongolia), never had anything stolen.
i generally stick to the rural/countryside routes through smaller towns and villages. (note: a small
town in china could have a population of up to half a million.)

1. valuables go in the handlebar bag which is super-glued to your body. in the really cheap
places, take the bag into the bathroom when you shower. keep photocopies of passport separate.
if stowing your bike under a bus, carry valuables with you. there are reports of midgets who go through
bags in the luggage bins while underway. really.

2. a simple, light cable lock prevents kids from playing with your bikes. lock bikes
together, or just immobilize one wheel. always remember to check your gears, locals
always seem intrigued with your handlebar controls, there's always one dude that needs
to squeeze the brakes and click the shifters.

3. i've never locked the bike at lunch or shopping for snacks. but then many shops/restaurants
are open front businesses. no doors/windows. the front is a garage-type roller door. cable lock
to a tree when visiting museums or temples. leave raincovers on to keep loose bits and zippers
out of sight.

4. bikes can usually be taken into rooms. if too much trouble, most hotels (in china, at least)
have rooms on the upper floors, the bottom floor is for registration and a huge indoor parking
lot for scooters, in view of the registration desk. in this case i take one saddlebag with clothing
to the room, leave the other on the bike. cable lock on one wheel, never a problem.

5. there can be more theft while riding. in vietnam, the kids sometimes like to ride alongside in
small groups, grabbing at anything hanging loose on the racks.

if you're really worried, you can buy kevlar security covers made for backpacks.

MarcusT

I would suggest taking a long steel cable (plastic coated) and wrap it around both panniers over the tops and through the wheels. This will impede taking the panniers off as well as opening them them. If you make them yourself, it's cheap, light weight and not too obvious.

jefnvk

I've got a whole pile of pistol cable locks that the government hands out everytime you do purchase paperwork that I use for such a purpose. Loop it through both handles, and to the rack. Stops someone from grabbing it and walking away, although not from them opening it up and rummaging through it (or cutting the handle).

At the end of the day they are soft side bags. Anything you do will be defeated with a knife.

Agree with @saddlesores: have an easily removable bag somewhere you can keep your valuables in, that stays with you

pdlamb

If your gut tells you this is a pretty sketchy place, one of you can go into the shop while the other stays out and watches the bike and gear.

fietsbob

My Most used Touring bags came from Beckman , for Bruce Gordon racks , their very secure mounting uses plastidipped steel hooks
with straps and buckles, and velcro patches to keep the strap loop ends (loops to pull them tight) out of the spokes.

the straps pull the hooks down on the rack crossbars tightly..

Its kind of a insider knowledge required security , functionally.

then I got raincovers sewn of my own design, another secure but not easy for other people to figure out , fitment.




in town I use Ortlieb, their easy to remove design has the bags Coming off, getting groceries in them then riding home..

the company has their own little cable and padlock scheme..

though un screwing, and removing the lift handle strap means the locking hooks won't open.


I wear the money, and passport in a money belt under my clothing.





.....

Aidoneus

Wow, I thought Ortliebs and Arkel were expensive.

fietsbob

Bike Shop Serfdom, I got them 30 years ago.


you can get creative with a buckle and webbing to secure what ever bag you own and make them more difficult to remove..

even the simple elastic cord and hook kind.. they could use that anyhow to keep them from bouncing off on a rough patch of ground.







.....

rodteague

Have you considered adapting aluminum motorcycle cases to ride on your racks? Pelican cases would also be very secure and would be lightweight enough to do the job nicely. Panniers don't have to be made of fabric; the only trade off would be a little weight for vault like security.

Regards

Rod

indyfabz

My original set were from Beckman. Got them in '99. Think I paid close to a grand for custom racks and four panniers. He's much more expensive now. The panniers were impossible to remove from the racks without destroying them unless you had the correct size allen wrench.


Sadly, in 2010 someone stole my racks from my house along with the LHT they were attached to. I still have the panniers. I keep saying that one winter I am going to make a trip to Bilenky or Firth & Wilson in my home town to see if they can do some metal and other work to retrofit the panniers to my Nitto racks. Those panniers have a lot of sentimental value to me.

djb

given that you are two, the best method in my experience is to eat in places where you can bring your bikes in, or you eat right beside your bikes outside if tables are nearby. I have not travelled in the areas you are going, but I do have experience in Latin America, and doing the tag team deal is always the best method, ie one person stays with bikes if going into shops, or taking multiple trips up stairs to a room or whatever. Generally always keeping a pair of eyes on and close by the bikes is the easiest method to ensure there are no surprises.

basically, never leave the bikes alone. I have put a coil lock through the straps of my ortliebs, and wheel , to stop a really quick grab, but bottom line is always having someone with the bikes is the best method, and sticking to that.

I live in a largish city where one has to be very wary even of leaving something seen in the back seat of your locked car, so I have a lifetime of habits of just being very wary and not making exceptions, unless Im in some sleepy town with no one about and I go in to buy a drink, and even then I ALWAYS take my handlebar bag with me, and cast glances out often at the bike/bikes.

OHirte

Wow, thanks for all the replies, folks. Much appreciated!

That sounds basically like what we are planning on doing. I've been to China and SEA (not with my bike though) and I know how a lot of the shops look, so I figured it would be somewhat like that. Good to hear it from a pro, though!

Would you mind if I shot you a PM with a bunch more China specific questions? Is that OK?

Again, thanks for all the help, folks!!!

reppans

Consider ultra-compact touring, then you can just take everything with you like a baby stroller or wheeled airline two-item carry-on - clicky.

chrisx

crime free life? Sounds to good to be true.

I take my bags into the store with me.

If you cannot see your bike/bags, you cannot keep your bags.

I do not live in Korea, hmmm.

Why not post the questions for all to read?

got a link to the post in question?

Timequake

William is the man. The only time I've ever regularly read someone's blog is his. Been reading it for a year now. Feels like I've known him since grade school.

fietsbob

Brompton front touring bag + a large British Carradice camper long flap saddle bag. *SQR frame on seat post... need more space ?

then you may want to see if you use everything that you carry..

*both come off easily and the bike folds to park it under your table.