Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Touring
Reload this Page >

Going Camping ..... how do i keep my bike safe**********

Notices
Touring Have a dream to ride a bike across your state, across the country, or around the world? Self-contained or fully supported? Trade ideas, adventures, and more in our bicycle touring forum.

Going Camping ..... how do i keep my bike safe**********

Old 02-23-11, 08:57 AM
  #1  
matthewleehood
Thread Starter
 
matthewleehood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Norwich UK
Posts: 24

Bikes: Planet X SL Pro Carbon With Campag Athena

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Going Camping ..... how do i keep my bike safe**********

Hi Guys,

Yet another question from me...

I'm off to Cornwall this summer with the Girlfriend and our friends (another couple) and the plan is to learn to surf and do some cycling around the countryside... herein lies the problem.... as we will be camping and are going in 1 car (with the bikes on a bike rack) how, when we are not using them do we secure the bikes? they wont all fit in the car plus that would make a nice target for any opertunist thief.... any sugestions?

P.s Sorry if this is the wrong forum for this but the thought proccess was most roadbikes are expensive so you will know how to secure them!!
matthewleehood is offline  
Old 02-23-11, 10:19 AM
  #2  
cyclopath
 
vik's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Victoria, BC
Posts: 5,264

Bikes: Surly Krampus, Surly Straggler, Pivot Mach 6, Bike Friday Tikit, Bike Friday Tandem, Santa Cruz Nomad

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 6 Posts
Lock them to the car or to something solid where you will be parked. Use enough locks that everything important is secured and it looks stupid hard to steal. If you can cover the whole lot with a tarp and some bungees.

The other option is to leave them somewhere secure like a bike shop, surf shop, etc... and not even take them to the beach.
__________________
safe riding - Vik
VikApproved
vik is offline  
Old 02-23-11, 11:24 AM
  #3  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 1,435

Bikes: IF steel deluxe 29er tourer

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I always secure (lock & cover) in plain view. Then the thief might not know who's watching.
Cyclesafe is offline  
Old 02-23-11, 12:42 PM
  #4  
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
On Bike tours I bring some long cables to lock my bike to trees and fences.
10 foot made up from plastic coated cable from the hardware store,
with aluminum fittings made for loop forming .. You Bang them tight around the cable with a hammer.

The Bike itself has a lock on it, handy, I put in the rear wheel and + a shorter, stouter cable
to secure both wheels and to Something.

But I suspect dusk to dawn then hit the road again camping is not what you have in mind..
fietsbob is offline  
Old 02-23-11, 01:29 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: northern Deep South
Posts: 8,826

Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee

Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2568 Post(s)
Liked 1,889 Times in 1,185 Posts
I took the family's bikes camping several times, and never lost anything. When we left the campsite for the day, we'd use all the available locks (one per bike). Each lock wrapped around at least two bikes, and at least one lock was around a fixed object (like a concrete picnic table bench). When you get two, three or more bikes like this, it's impossible to lift them all up to put in a truck. Thieves, if there were any in the campground, were deterred by the need to get through at least two locks to get a single bike.

But most of the time you won't run into the professional bike thieves of a major city in a campground!
pdlamb is offline  
Old 02-24-11, 08:31 AM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,097

Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3418 Post(s)
Liked 1,434 Times in 1,119 Posts
If the front wheel is in the car or in your tent, the bike is less likely to be stolen. Most thieves want a complete bike. They also prefer clean shiny bikes, not dirty ones.
Tourist in MSN is offline  
Old 02-24-11, 08:40 AM
  #7  
Senior Member
 
BigBlueToe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Central Coast, CA
Posts: 3,392

Bikes: Surly LHT, Specialized Rockhopper, Nashbar Touring (old), Specialized Stumpjumper (older), Nishiki Tourer (model unknown)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Lock your bikes to something fairly secure. A friend of mine had his locked to the bike rack on the back of his minivan. He went into a store. When he came out it was gone. The thief had simply sliced through the nylon straps holding the rack to the car and taken the whole thing.
BigBlueToe is offline  
Old 02-24-11, 09:19 AM
  #8  
matthewleehood
Thread Starter
 
matthewleehood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Norwich UK
Posts: 24

Bikes: Planet X SL Pro Carbon With Campag Athena

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by BigBlueToe
Lock your bikes to something fairly secure. A friend of mine had his locked to the bike rack on the back of his minivan. He went into a store. When he came out it was gone. The thief had simply sliced through the nylon straps holding the rack to the car and taken the whole thing.
Thats one of my biggest worries!! are there any Bike racks that are more secure and arent attached with straps???
matthewleehood is offline  
Old 02-24-11, 09:46 AM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: St. Cloud, MN
Posts: 592

Bikes: Soma Double Cross DC, Salsa Vaya, Redline D440, '87 Schwinn Super Sport

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
There is a Utube video ( I don't know how to do links) that shows a guy steeling his own bikes numerous diferent ways, hacksaw, bolt cutters, angle grinder, hammer. using numerous different locks, cables, chains, U locks. All you can really do is "keep the honest people honest" Make them LOOK hard to steal. Use big chain covered in plastic tubes preferabley see through (so they can see its big chain). You can look into an inclosed trailer like a small Uhaul or something similar that would certainly keep them safe but also hard to park
digger531 is offline  
Old 02-24-11, 09:49 AM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
mulveyr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: In the wilds of NY
Posts: 1,572

Bikes: Specialized Diverge, Box Dog Pelican, 1991 Cannondale tandem

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Liked 11 Times in 4 Posts
Originally Posted by matthewleehood
Thats one of my biggest worries!! are there any Bike racks that are more secure and arent attached with straps???
Sure, rooftop racks, hitch racks, etc. They're all bolted on at the very least, and sometimes lockable to the car frame.

A determined thief can still get the bike in a minute or so, but hopefully you'll only be places where there are lazy thieves. ;-)
__________________
Knows the weight of my bike to the nearest 10 pounds.
mulveyr is offline  
Old 02-24-11, 10:05 AM
  #11  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 225
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by matthewleehood
Thats one of my biggest worries!! are there any Bike racks that are more secure and arent attached with straps???
My favorite is the hitch rack (fits in a trailer hitch that's bolted to the car). However, my understanding is that hitch racks are illegal in many European countries because the configuration tends to obscure the rear license plate. I've never had trouble in the states, though. Attach the rack to the hitch using a pin lock, and then wrap a chain through the frames and around the middle part of the rack so that you can't remove the bikes without unbolting the entire thing.

Then there's roof racks, some of which may have built-in locking systems. I can't speak to these much, though. I suspect that most such systems are not terribly heavy duty.

Either one of these are going to be pricier than a trunk rack by at least a factor of 2 or 3, and probably much more.

The main thing is to rely on locks as little as possible. Monitoring your stuff personally is always the best way to go. Also remember that your bike doesn't have to be entirely theftproof, just more so than the bike on the next guy's car.
ploeg is offline  
Old 02-24-11, 10:10 AM
  #12  
matthewleehood
Thread Starter
 
matthewleehood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Norwich UK
Posts: 24

Bikes: Planet X SL Pro Carbon With Campag Athena

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Also remember that your bike doesn't have to be entirely theftproof, just more so than the bike on the next guy's car.
Good point....Karma might dissagree however.......
matthewleehood is offline  
Old 02-24-11, 10:31 AM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 225
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by matthewleehood
Good point....Karma might dissagree however.......
Why, have you been a bad boy?

Seriously, these are all good suggestions (especially the one about leaving the bikes in the care of somebody that you trust, away from the beach). The main thing to realize, though, is that none of these suggestions make your bikes impossible to steal, just harder to steal (or undesirable to steal). Even if you could put the bikes in the car, all you would have to do is break the door window and the bikes are gone. All you can do is minimize the risk as best you can, and monitor as much as you can while still doing the stuff that you want to do.
ploeg is offline  
Old 02-24-11, 11:25 AM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: England
Posts: 12,948
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 19 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times in 7 Posts
Use 2 different types of locks, eg a shackle /cable /chain.
Each of these needs a different method. Lock to something solid on the vehicle.
Lock the wheels to the frame.
If you can take off some part, eg saddle or front wheel, the bike cannot be ridden away.

Make sure you have serial numbers and photographs of the bikes for insurance.
MichaelW is offline  
Old 02-24-11, 11:44 AM
  #15  
Senior Member
 
gavtatu's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: the original jersey
Posts: 285

Bikes: lowracer, highracer, moving bottom bracket, 2 tall bikesl

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
i would say this just about covers it !
Attached Images
File Type: jpg
bike-tent.jpg (23.1 KB, 61 views)
gavtatu is offline  
Old 02-24-11, 12:21 PM
  #16  
Senior Member
 
Thulsadoom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Cape Vincent, NY
Posts: 1,385

Bikes: Specialized Tarmac Expert, 2002 TREK 520, Schwinn Mesa WINTER BIKE, Huffy Rock Creek 29er, 1970s-era Ross ten speed. All my bikes are highly modified(except the Tarmac) yet functional, and generally look beat to ****. .

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 65 Post(s)
Liked 84 Times in 49 Posts
I agree with the "out of sight, out of temptation" theory. If they aren't out in plain view, most thieves won't bother.

I'd lock them up and then put a generic motorcycle cover over them.
Thulsadoom is offline  
Old 02-24-11, 12:57 PM
  #17  
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Ithaca, NY
Posts: 35

Bikes: Surly LHT, Motobecane Fantom Cross CX

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Buy Huffy decals and a lock strong enough to be an inconvenience.
RoadieRex is offline  
Old 02-24-11, 02:55 PM
  #18  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,268
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Dress up the bike you like least in knock-off Burberry and a track suit.

That should tempt the chavs away from the ones you want to keep.
positron is offline  
Old 02-24-11, 09:36 PM
  #19  
Senior Member
 
marmot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 439

Bikes: Kona Dew Drop, Specialized Expedition Sport

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by matthewleehood
Thats one of my biggest worries!! are there any Bike racks that are more secure and arent attached with straps???
I have a permanent roof rack on my car, so I lock the bike(s) to the rear-mounted bike rack, then cable lock the bike rack to the roof rack. It's far from theft-proof, but at least it makes it somewhat less convenient for the crooks.
marmot is offline  
Old 02-25-11, 01:25 AM
  #20  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Tucson, AZ and SE Asia
Posts: 947

Bikes: Spec Roubaix Expert, Cannondale CAAD12, Jamis Quest ELite, Jamis Dragon Pro, Waterford ST-22

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 6 Posts
I have a Saab with a factory Thule roof rack.These factory racks mount very securely. It mounts to holes in the roof frame, behind the doors, so when the car doors are closed and locked the rack cannot be removed, at least without a heavy duty saw, or breaking into the car and setting off the alarm and trying to get the rack off with the alarm sounding. The bike carriers on the rack are fork mount and lockable, but you could break them with a pipe over the latching handle, so I use a big armored cable that goes through bike frames and around the rack itself. Sometimes two cables, ie. when overnight. The front wheels are in the trunk of the car. It is a pretty secure arrangement and I have often left $5000 worth of bikes on the rack while off sightseeing, at the beach/pub/hiking, etc. Even overnight in motel parking lots, but not too far from my room or out of sight.

When you are off and about, the key is making sure the vehicle is either invisible, ie. off the road or hidden in the trees so people driving by won't notice and be tempted, or in most cases totally visible in a location where everyone would notice or hear an attempt to break in. In this case 2-3 bikes on a secure roof rack and all cabled together makes for a difficult mess to get off the car, especially in a public place, without being very obvious. That said, there are places (usually in urban areas) where you just know you shouldn't be leaving anything visible to thieves, or where someone could be watching from a van for an opportunity - so always have situational awareness and use your better judgement.
mtnroads is offline  
Old 02-25-11, 06:50 AM
  #21  
Senior Member
 
tarwheel's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 8,900

Bikes: Waterford RST-22, Bob Jackson World Tour, Ritchey Breakaway Cross, Soma Saga, De Bernardi SL, Specialized Sequoia

Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 196 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts
I use a long Kryptonite cable and combination lock when camping, traveling with my bikes. Haven't had one stolen yet.
tarwheel is offline  
Old 02-25-11, 07:11 AM
  #22  
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Chicago suburbs
Posts: 40

Bikes: My Schwinn World GSE and Wifes CurrieTech Path+

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Seems to me the easiest thing to do is buy a Citadel lock (or two) and lock the frames of adjacent bikes together. Trying to steal two connected bikes would deter the teenage thief but not the one with the pickup truck and several helpers. Chains are the next best thing. Cables are easy to cut.
Richard60463 is offline  
Old 02-26-11, 11:06 AM
  #23  
afoot and lighthearted
 
Boondock's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Puyallup WA
Posts: 121

Bikes: 1989 Trek 950, Trek 1220

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
when I can't find something to lock to, I loop the cable thru the stays and wheel and run the cable under my tent and locked to my Bob trailer
Boondock is offline  
Old 02-26-11, 01:54 PM
  #24  
www.Click-Stand.com
 
tomn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Aberdeen, WA
Posts: 374

Bikes: Owner built touring & tandem

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Paranoia set in last year and I bought one of these:

https://www.lockalarm.com/lockalarmmini%28no.html

I cable locked my bike to a tree or picnic bench and looped the alarm around some part of the frame. I did worry about it going off on its own, but it didn't.

Tom
tomn is offline  
Old 02-26-11, 02:10 PM
  #25  
Professional Fuss-Budget
 
Bacciagalupe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,494
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 32 Post(s)
Liked 24 Times in 14 Posts
I say get one of these:





Anyway, I'd stick with the standard Kryptonite-style lock with a cable. Make sure all the wheels are secured.

If you are staying in a hotel, you should be able to ask the staff to stow the bikes when not in use.
Bacciagalupe is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
jpescatore
General Cycling Discussion
60
06-05-19 02:45 PM
daacrusher2001
General Cycling Discussion
48
06-26-17 03:07 PM
Cyclist0084
General Cycling Discussion
27
09-14-16 06:35 AM
machinestatic
Commuting
10
12-06-12 06:32 AM
episodic
General Cycling Discussion
25
07-15-10 02:19 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.