Road trip security tips.
 

I’m gearing up to embark on a drive across the country for work.

The plan is Lexington-Denver-Albuquerque-St George-Portland.

This will be a 2.5 week drive, with extended stops in most of the cities mentioned.

I’d like to bring both a gravel and MTB. I have the capacity on the rack but I worry. That’s a lot of miles behind the car. I could definitely get a cover for road grime, but that might catch a lot of wind (might not, behind a Highlander)

I guess that if it’s safe for 3 miles, it’s safe for 3000. It would be a lot of work to unload and load at every hotel along the way, but I can live with that.

Its a fairly daunting trip already and the bikes just add to it. I could ship the MTB but I kind of want to ride it several times along the way.

I’d have it locked on the rack except when unloading too. I do worry though, both are pretty nice and eye catching.

Just looking for ideas for people who’ve taken extended trips through various environments and crime levels.

That's definitely a concern. Many folks tend to overpack. How about considering taking only the mountain bike and transporting it in the vehicle?

I don't know how much luggage you are carrying or how many passengers, but with a Highlander you can put down the rear seat and lay both bikes in, with some sort of foam cushion between them (derailers up and protected from being bent out of alignment. I have an an older Nissan Rogue which is smaller than your Highlander and I have put two bikes in the back in this way. And if you remove the bikes' front wheels you may even gain some extra cargo room.

After decades of rear racks, I bought an SUV specifically to carry the bikes locked in the car. It's also faster and more convenient to load them in and out.

II put an old blanket under the bikes to protect the car from schmutz and grime, and I also cover the bikes on top with a dark blanket to make them less visible to prying eyes.

Just my two cents.

I work as a travel nurse, and tend to stay places 3-6 months once there. This means packing quite a bit. Also consider 2 car seats and a dog. We take two vehicles and it’s really full.

If I had to do it over, I would not have brought any bike to Kentucky. I simply worked too much and went rock climbing on any day off so it sat unused.

Maybe it’s wishful thinking but I think I’ll have more time in the woods this time around.

Have you considered pulling a small trailer? I live in Rhode Island, and my wife and I left December 29 to head to south Florida for a couple of months. Obviously I had to bring a couple of my bikes for the two month stay. But for that extended stay, it meant I was going to need access to tools for working on the bike (which I’ve had to use a couple of times already). And of course extra clothing, etc. for both of us. We took a few days to get to our destination, and I actually did a couple of rides along the way. But, we pulled a 4’x8’ enclosed UHaul trailer. At around $15 per day, that’s going to add +/- $250 to your budget. (Maybe you company would pay for it since it’s an extended work trip.) But, the trailer could also function as a bit of a workshop and changing room. It protects the bikes from the road grit, and you wouldn’t need to keep them in your hotel room(s).

Dan

I wouldn't worry that much about the road grime. Yeah, they'll pick up some junk along the way, but bikes can be cleaned. If you do end up getting hit with some snow/slush and road salt you could always stop at a spray wash and clean them off. Your bikes aren't going to suffer any long term damage from this. I personally wouldn't bother with covers, but they probably would help a bit.

As for security, this might be obvious, but I would not leave bikes in or on the car overnight, even locked up/covered. Definitely bring them into your hotel rooms. During the day in most cases it's probably fine to leave them on the car (assuming they're locked up) for short periods, like while you're in a restaurant or whatever. Assuming you're being smart about where you're parking, using a high quality U-lock, etc it'll be fine. The covers might help with this aspect as well.

Also might be worth contacting your auto insurance carrier to see if theft would be covered.

Keep the bikes inside your vehicle

I will add one tip about security: Never leave your bike assembled in a hotel room. Always remove at least the front, and preferably both wheels.

Why? The easiest thing about bike theft is that once you've freed the bike, you can ride away into the sunset. Removing one or both wheels makes this problematic, unless the thief also happens to be a bike person. Even if the thief has to remount the wheels, it takes time, and might be just enough to make it not worth their while, because they won't be wheeling it away as is.

This is something I also recommend to students - lock your bike outside, take the front wheel with you to class. Harder to ride away this way.

As mentioned above, an enclosed trailer is probably the best bet. It will slow your driving speed down a bit, but the positives probably outweighs the negatives.

John

How many people going with you and what is the vehicle? I went over 1200 miles one way in a Hyundai Sante Fe sport. Three people, luggage for a week and three bikes. All inside the car with room to spare.

I did have to take the wheels and saddles with seat posts off the bikes. But with one rear seat folded down, there was enough room. Only two bikes came back, so it was a little easier to pack for the return trip.

So I have a cheap pop up trailer that I’ve dragged all over Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. I’ve had issues with those crappy trailer tires wearing out in a few thousand miles. The axle bearings don’t last much longer.

So while the idea of a trailer does make a lot of sense, it also adds a lot of complexity to the ordeal. One more set of wheels that can leave you on the side of the road. Harder to park. Tiny trailers are a nightmare to back up. Trailer theft is a huge business too. So there’s the security for that too.

Everything comes down to whether the traveling is going to be long term and the investment in a trailer.

I agree that cheap small wheel trailers present issues. For years we had a 15’ hard side camping trailer with 15” wheels and had no issues.

A lot of security deterrence is redundancy. Just slapping on a Master lock is a false sense of security.

If it were me, and this was going to be a long term situation, I’d invest in a more secure trailer with multiple locking devices and an alarm that can deter multiple attack points.

And yes, dragging a trailer along is more of a hassle.

John

Make sure your bikes are insured for an adequate amount. Bring them in your hotel room at night if possible. Don't leave your car for prolonged periods in places where thieves would not be seen. Clean them if they get dirty. File a claim if they get stolen.

You can drive yourself crazy worrying about your bikes or do what you can reasonably do and enjoy your trip. I prefer the latter.

The bikes will end up dirty, since you'll undoubtedly drive through some weather and slushy roads at this time of year. No biggie.

Taking bikes into hotels is probably fine - I do it all the time. I just walk in with the bike as if it's the most normal thing in the world, and no one ever says anything.

My biggest concern would be when stopping for food, restrooms, etc. Make sure the bikes are locked securely to the rack.

I hate (and suck at) backing trailers too. Those small ones, even when filled, are lightweight enough that I actually unhitch it and move it to where I want it by hand. For security, when parked at overnight stops along the way…obviously I leave the doors padlocked. And, I got a ball lock to prevent it from being towed away. The ball locks into the hitch socket on the trailer.

Dan

For strictly overnight parking, I've succeeded or gotten lucky a few times backing the car with rack attached into a holly bush or similar prickly landscaping. A couple or three locks (one U-lock, one keyed chain, and one cable with combination locks) have been enough to secure 1-2 bikes to the rack for meals and what I'd call light tourism (an hour or two in a museum, for instance).

But when you're there and headed to work, definitely keep the bikes either in the car or in a motel room.

As far as the time on the back of the car driving, I would not give it a second thought. I have done many cross trips with road bikes and MTBs on the back of my car for 4-6K miles. Yes, the bikes can get dirty but it does not hurt anything. Just be sure the chains are lubed.

I would think twice about doing it in the winter if going somewhere they use salt, though.

Security is a different matter, though. And having two different bikes means you are always leaving one unattended when riding. Its doable (I’ve done it) but takes some planning and extra steps.

As far as locking up, I have a long length of massive hardened steel chain with a 29er tube slipped over it that goes on once on the road. I also have a couple of u-locks that get tossed on if I am particularly worried.

So I live in Colorado. I’m currently in Kentucky with a gravel bike. The mountain bike would not join me until southern Colorado.

The trip will be a giant J-hook in order to visit people and family along the way. It would put me in Pueblo, Albuquerque, and St George during ideal riding season. So I thought it would be nice to have a MTB.

My new mountain bike is due to ship next week from Canfield in SLC. I could probably contact the company and have them ship to the place I’ve rented in Oregon. This would mean I could bring my old MTB for the trip and sell it once I unbox the new one. The old one is more than capable, and I’d be a lot less stressed with it instead of a brand new bike with 0 miles. But I’d rather ride the new one…

The more I think about it, I’ll probably leave the road or gravel bike in my garage. It seems blasphemous but I’m trying to be realistic about my limited free time and what I’d want.

Probably not your cup of tea, but if just puttering around town, perhaps a folding bike might do the trick?

NICE! Did you grab one of the Tilts or Lithiums that just went up for sale?

I’m currently building up a Tilt frame I got last month.

I could not even fathom going on a mountain biking road trip without the new Canfield.

Yelli Screamy cause I love hardtails.

Really excited. My Xcaliber has pretty traditional geometry and 100mm forks. This will be a tectonic shift from that.

When we travel, we're fortunate to have a full size pickup (pulling a travel trailer) with a canopy shell. We keep the bikes locked inside the canopy shell. Out of the weather, reasonably theft proof.

When traveling recently, I've seen hard shell covers for rear racks. Making a quick search for "enclosed bike carrier" I found this and it is kind of what I saw, but I would think there's others, maybe cheaper. That search will also give you soft sided options.
Enclosed Bicycle Hitch Carrier Holds an Easy Three Bikes - Let's Go Aero (letsgoaero.com)

I know I saw more than one type this past fall in the western US, both soft sided and hard sided/locked. They looked like they were for two bikes on upright "tray" type receiver hitch bike racks.

If I were traveling with two valuable bikes on a rear rack, I'd check into one of those. For the two bikes we generally travel with, a few hundred dollars would definitely be worth the protection from elements and theft.

To me a soft cover would be a minimum just to keep road grime and water off the bikes

Be careful with bike covers. They will undoubtedly flop in the wind, and could do more damage to your bike than if you left it open to the elements.

You may, however, choose to take off a seat, especially if it is leather. Would that leave the bottom bracket open? Perhaps a plug for the seat tube?

Is there a way to lock the bikes to the rack? Even a short stop like a rest area or restaurant could pose a danger.

Long chain
pre-covid, I bought a 9 foot Abus 10KS chain and padlock, for locking through two bikes on the rack and through the car's frame. The bike rack came with a medium thickness cable lock, but I only want to use that cable for quick bathroom stops or very low traffic locations. Even thick cables are just too easy to cut.

I don't remember the security chain source, but they stocked Abus and other brands, and sold by the foot. I got the version with a black fabric sleeve with ABUS logos. Haven't needed it so far, hopefully this year.

I used a rope to see how many feet I needed to reach the car's underbody loop. It's enough to easily thread through the bike frames and not have a lot of extra slack near the ground. That helps make it a bit awkward to get good leverage with a big bolt cutter.

I think the chain and padlock weighs almost 20 pounds. I got a cheap Harbor Freight small canvas toolbag to hold it, which works great.

I still wouldn't leave a bike out all night with this chain, but it's good for a restaurant stop, etc.

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Stolen bike racks!
There was a lot of reports of empty bike racks stolen off cars. The nice ones: Yakima, Kuat, etc. The locking pin locks aren't all that strong, and some could be pried loose with just a crowbar.