Shopping While on Tour
 

For those of you who need to shop while on tour, and are touring alone, how do you deal with your bike? Obviously with a fully geared-up bike you can't just lock it up outside in a less than "ideal" town and risk loosing everything. On the other hand, what shops either have room for or will allow you to bring your bike inside with you?

Who has dealt with this, and what are some solutions?

It's never been a problem for me outside of major cities. If you can find a mom and pop grocery store...which I find to be a very large IF in the era of Helmart...I just lock the bike out front where it is not blocking traffic but isn't out of the way either.

On the other hand, since finding mom and pop grocery stores is increasingly difficult and I have to depend on stupid Helmart more often, I just wheel the bike around Helmart and use it as my shopping cart. Never had anyone even give me a second glance.

I've even wheel the bike around a regular supermarket store (but not while touring) when I didn't have a lock with me. I felt more conspicuous then but I'm not sure it would have mattered to anyone at the store.

That's what I do. I do tend to avoid big cities. I do use my spidey-sense to get a feel for the surrounds. Never had a problem. Strangely it turns out the world is full of nice people and most who are not have little interest in a cycle-tourist's smelly clothes :)

That's true, it often depends on the area, but in less than friendly territory, I couldn't take the risk. Especially if my bike is also basically my traveling home on two wheels.

Ditto--I don't worry about my stinky old stuff beyond using a light cable lock. I once left my bike in a crowd of homeless on the steps of the Cleveland Public Library and nothing was touched.

There are areas I wouldn't leave my bike, like around some college campuses I can think of. If you're not sure about an area, check with the local bike or cop shop.

When in urban environments, will generally bring it in to the foyer of most grocery stores, and lock it to something with the light little combo lock I bring. I have been stopped from bringing it into several walmarts, but talked the greeter into watching it for me if it seemed like a bad part of town. This is where a removable bar bag with all your money, cards, phone and charger shines.

When in the rural parts of the country(US)I usually just lean it against the outside wall. Try to keep it in sight as much as possible.

Once at a small town in MO I leaned it up at a rack outside a small grocery store, and did a pretty long shopping inside. All I did was drop the front chain, and unhook the brake levers so that anyone riding it away would have a slightly harder time. When I came out, there were two cheap walmart bikes at the rack, festooned with chains. Think Pee Wee Herman locking his bicycle. Got a bit more paranoid after that, but still pretty lax. Its a 62cm frame with a high seat post, so it will be hard to ride away for a lot of people.

Done it more times than I can remember. Never had anything stolen. Did a week-long tour without a lock and shopped and cooked every night.

It's called situational awareness. When things seems a bit concerning, I have asked for permission to bring my bike inside grocery stores.

I'll be more clear, and I've updated the OP to reflect this, "less than "ideal" town". In other words for those confused by this, a place that you should know better.

I have no stats to back this up, but 90% of bike thefts are opportinistic in nature.
A light duty cable lock thru the frame and front wheel will stop most everyone from even trying since very few people walk around with bolt cutters.

I live in a dicey bike theft area. I spray painted the thing black and wrapped the frame in electrical tape. It looks awful.

When on tour I seldom visit a town with more than 3000 people. I figure anyone that steals my bike is not going to get far after a call to the police.

But to echo others, I roll it into the store and lean it against the wall next to customer service and ask them to watch it. They are generally more than glad to do this.

I've never locked my bike outside a Pizza Hut or a Dollar General. I would feel rather foolish in doing so.

Remember, we are not simply talking about the "bike", but all of the accessories and gear on it needed to live/survive. Maybe having your bike stolen isn't that big of a deal to some people, but to a person that doesn't have the funds to immediately replace it, it is a very big deal, let alone being out on the road on tour and or living on the bike for some time. At the very least your tour is effective over.

I lock up the bike when I go in a restaurant or grocery store. My valuables were in my handlebar bag that goes in the store with me or if not in the handlebar bag, in a clothing pocket that zips closed.

I have not shopped in areas that I felt were unsafe to leave a bike and panniers.

I agree with the person above that commented that most thefts are opportunistic. I use bolt on skewers instead of quick release, thus in the campground if I do not lock up the wheels with the frame at night, you need a wrench (5mm allen wrench) to separate the wheels from the frame. It won't stop a well equipped thief, but it will slow down someone that wanders past that might like the look of my wheels.

I have stayed in some hostels where I did not want to leave the bike outside overnight, those hostels usually had indoor storage or bike storage in a secured area.

I generally just bring my bike in in the times I have toured to cities or through cities or just when commuting. Most places are pretty cool especially if you tell them what you are doing or you just kind of do it. I will a lot of times tell them I have no lock (which tends to be true in many of those situations) and they are OK. If nothing else I would probably take my panniers and such inside and lock the bike up with a u-lock or something in certain places or with a cable in others. I might also take a wheel with me that way they cannot ride off at the very least.

Good point on the "funds to immediately replace it". To me that is a key thing. You have less need for worry if you choose bike and gear that you can afford to replace. It is quite possible to choose suitable equipment in a pretty low price range and if money is tight it makes sense to do so.

I have had a couple items go missing on tour, but always when I left them in plain sight, like a pump tucked under a strap, where the temptation to just grab it was too high. I have never had anyone open a pannier and go through my stuff.

Dirty clothes and used camping gear are not all that tempting to most thieves, but in some places bike theft is common. Bike friendly towns are the worst and bike thieves are common in some of them. Small towns are usually pretty safe. I wheel my bike down the store aisles with me if I think the risk is high and leave it out front if I think risk is low. Barring that bringing it into the store and parking it out of the way in the front of the store shouldn't be a problem other than in really small general stores where leaving it outside is usually pretty safe. I take a very light "honest people" cable lock and use or don't use it depending on where I am.

The other thing is that I spend very little time in or near cities when on tour.

In 30+ years of locking up bikes outside in the big city and countless times of leaving bikes and gear outside and unsecured while touring, the only place I have had a bike stolen was from inside my house, while I was home, awake.


The only time someone attempted to steal anything from me while I was touring was the time I left my Dragonfly stove out near my tent, which was pitched in a campground in DuBois, WY. The tenting area was near a road that led to a residential area. Nothing but a post rail fence separating my stove from the road. Kid jumped out of a car while his buddy waited, climbed over the fence and headed for my site. Fortunately, I was what was going on as I was reading outside the laundry room. Made a bee line for my site. Kids fled empty handed.

I'm in the same camp with indyfabz and others. When I first started really touring, about 30 years ago, I was probably much more nervous about the possibility of being robbed. I too have had a bike stolen (>40 y.a.) from inside my house but whether I was home at the time or not I don't know. That has been it as far as bike theft goes.

In the meantime I've become much more relaxed about it while on tour. Don't know if it's been just luck or whether I developed a "spidey sense" regarding potential problems. Probably the former. I left my bike outside the Black Bear Inn in Watervliet, NY around supper time near the end of a tour that had me on the Erie Canal Towpath for the closing chapter. One of the patrons, who'd stepped outside for a smoke came in and warned me that my bike was not safe since "they steal everything in this neighborhood." The bartender and rest of the patrons insisted I bring the bike inside the pub. That kind of sums up my touring experiences better than anything else. Most people are really decent and will reach out to help you if you are open to it. When in doubt, rely on the locals for the best advice on what to do.

Only been on two long tours but I commute in the big city every day, shop on the bike too.

Presently I carry two locks, a hefty cable lock and a pricey U lock. Usually, while shopping all I use is the cable lock, threaded through the handles of both rear panniers, through the frame and around some object. The trick is to secure your bike near to whatever the foot traffic is. Never had a problem, at home or on tour.

Of course anyone with a hacksaw can cut the cable in 10 minutes, or just cut the handle straps and walk off with the panniers, hasn't happened yet

The U lock is for when I have to leave the bike for a longer period of time or where I am predictable, like outside the gym before dawn most mornings, there I use both locks; U lock through the frame and bike rack, cable lock as before through the pannier handles, frame and bike rack. Haven't had a problem either.

I do live in a high crime area, but bike theft doesn't seem to be a big part of that crime, this ain't a huge bicycle town like in college towns, not much of a market for stolen seats and wheels either.

Mike

Touring Other countries (across 'The Pond') .. I made Rain covers that were Unique , the difficulty of removing them probably helped.

I envy those that don't live in coastal SoCal; bikes break free here all the time. When on tour, I'd avoid having to shop in dicey areas whenever possible. Usually I could grocery shop in a nicer area closer to the campground or room, ideally within walking distance. If I had to lock the bike, I'd put it out front in full sight--it's amazing how many bike racks are hidden on the side or back, so that thieves can conveniently work on your lock in private.

After spending my first tour being hypervigilant of always parking bikes where I could watch them when eating or shopping, after a week and a half of watching exactly zero people ever once taking an interest in them, I learned it probably isn't as big a deal as I imagined.

Like Tourist in MSN, I kept things like my wallet and passport in a quick and easily detachable bag I could grab and take with me, and panniers attached to the rack with a cheap pistol lock to prevent any grab and run. Past that, it has been pointed out to me most probably aren't interested in digging through my dirty laundry.

I tend to agree with the folks who think the probability of gear theft is low. I fabricated these security cables for my Ortlieb panniers several years ago, and used them only once, when I left my gear unattended for an extended period at a campsite. I removed them a few years ago to make adjustments to my panniers, and never put them back on.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/y...29cddb3994.jpg

We stopped for lunch at this diner in Cleveland, Ohio, and locked our bikes outside. When we came in the server told us to bring them inside because "they will not be there when you go out." We did. Situational awareness helps a lot.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/y...ba5949a9f7.jpg

I see there will be times that I'll be left with no other choice but lock my bike to something. So it's time to invest in a really good lock, and then I'll have to detach all my goodies, place them inside the shopping cart, and shop that way.

Only you can say what you need, but I have definitely not found it necessary to use a substantial lock or to remove and take my stuff inside with me. I have gone coast to coast twice and done a bunch of other long tours and have never removed and taken my panniers off to go inside a store, not even once. I also never used more than a minimal lock. I have wheeled my bike up and down the aisles in a few walmarts and grocery stores and I have parked it inside a few stores out of the way in the front of the store.

My lock is a cheap little 5 ounce cable lock. That said, if there is a place where I feel the need for a big, heavy, expensive U-lock, I just don't leave my bike unattended there at all. That is a little easier if you avoid bigger towns and cities. On the rare occasion when I do find myself staying in a town like that, I typically get a room, but it doesn't happen that often.

+1 to all of this. I think the OP will discover he's not so fearful after experiencing the PITA of taking off all that stuff (in one of his several other threads he stated he would be carrying a lot) and putting it back on.

And the even bigger PITA of getting a room in a city, when the only room left is on the third floor of a motel without a working elevator. Schlep all that gear upstairs at night, down in the morning!