Solo tourer security tips anybody?

Bigtallfatbloke

..ok I need a lock, but what about the gear in the panniers when I nip into a shop? What about the bike when I'm asleep in my tent? A Hostel? etc...If i was going with a partner I suppose things would be easier to a degree, but It's just me.

Any of you more experienced chaps got any useful tips on how to stop my bike and gear going AWOL? I just thought I'd ask rather than learn from my own (expensive ) mistakes.

many Thanks.[:)]

Cunobelin

Not totally secure, but I use the largest size "PacSafe" Big enough to contain the back wheel and panniers cincing in to the bottom bracket and down stays. Secure against opportunists.

Apart from that the "Dog lead anchors" are a good fixing point for padlocks if there are no handy trees or fences around.



<b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
He that buys flesh buys many bones.
He that buys eggs buys many shells,
But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
(Unattributed Trad.)

pgscp

Try to keep bike in view/ in the open. If you need to lock in an insecure area take a hardened lightweight chain and a good quality non cyclists insurance padlock. (combination locks are the best) Lock the front wheel separately, put the chain through the back wheel, secure well, and use quick release panniers, take these and the seat with you too.

On tour apart from cities bikes are usually pretty safe for a minute or two unlocked, especially if you can see it.

As for camping, lock the bike to a key part of the tent and attach something that clanks or rings if bike moved. A bit of fishing gut attached to the pin of a personal attack alarm itself taped to the tent pole is a good ruse too. Better still, make friends with other as you go for mutual protection, most people are both nice and friendly.

The Mongols and desert Arabs rarely leave their horses, they sleep with them in their tents, we should treat bikes the same way when on tour alone. Depends where you go too, my security awareness would be greater in a poor place, or in a City centre than a holiday resort or in the country.

vernonlevy

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Bigtallfatbloke</i>

..ok I need a lock, but what about the gear in the panniers when I nip into a shop? What about the bike when I'm asleep in my tent? A Hostel? etc...If i was going with a partner I suppose things would be easier to a degree, but It's just me.

Any of you more experienced chaps got any useful tips on how to stop my bike and gear going AWOL? I just thought I'd ask rather than learn from my own (expensive ) mistakes.

many Thanks.[:)]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

A cable lock has sufficed for all of my touring. I work, perhaps erroneously, on the assumption that:

My bike, a second hand Galaxy, isn't that appealing
The cable will stop opportunist thieves.

I've only locked my bike up overnight around half a dozen times out of forty or so nights out. I always lock my bike when I go to the supermarket or shop while on tour.

Put your valuable stuff at the bottom of the pannier. The valuable stuff that you need access to kepp in a carrier bag at the top of the pannier. You can then take that with you leaving the pannirs on the bike.

Unknown

I use a computer security cable, really long, goes around most things and the front wheel is locked in too.

Sometimes you have to let it out of your sight but then make sure it is in a busy place in plain sight.

if you wish put the cable through a tent peg, with the bike lying down, if it is picked up it will pull the tent and could wake you.

But sometimes it is preferable to just let them take it than try to stop them, could lead to something worse.
Just make sure all papers and money are not on the bike.

I use a Camelback MULE and it is always with me in the shop or as a pillow. some money and a credit card is kept in there. Then I have a neck pouch with piano wire in the cord, I wear it so the pouch is in my armpit and not down the front, in there is passport, vaccination docs and more money, cards etc.

george

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Bigtallfatbloke

..all good stuff guys...common sense for the most part I suppose. I like the idea of tieing the bike to the tent. I hav equick release panniers but I'm unlikely to wan tto take them into a shop to get a sandwich...maybe I will come up with some way of locking them to the bike at least.
I am thinking two cycle combinations locks of a reasonable length. On ethrough the rear wheel, frame saddle and ontot he fence or railing. The other through the front wheel, frame to the railing/fence etc.
I hadn't thought about making sure it is visable ..good tip.
I will sleep with my bike whenever I can. Will hostels etc allow you to take the bike into the room...I dont suppose so...

campagman

All UK YHA hostels that I have been to have a bike store which is pretty secure.

remember to keep pedalling in circles.

Unknown

try the lightwieght cable locks
like these
http://www.lifeventure.co.uk/htm/security/locks.htm
to secure your panniers, or even your bike on a quick trip into a cake shop
george

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Trip
www.pedalpatagonia.co.uk

2 Bikes
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/imjibi/Bikes

vernonlevy

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by campagman</i>

All UK YHA hostels that I have been to have a bike store which is pretty secure.

remember to keep pedalling in circles.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Just read today that this is not the case anymore. Not all hostels have secure bike storgae spaces. You might have been lucky.

Unknown

Masking tape over decals on the frame makes the bike less appealing
I have a matt black bike and its covered in both black masking, and duct tape.
Next to other bikes it looks like cr@p,and so not worth the effort to the average chav.

Its a Thorn Raven Catalyst with Rohloff gears, but they ( the thieves) just see something that looks like a cheap and nasty, single speed, chinese bike, held together by masking tape.

george


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Trip
www.pedalpatagonia.co.uk

2 Bikes
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/imjibi/Bikes

Brains

Some years back when we were touring with 5 bikes (and out of the pee most nights) we only had a single lock, so we used to turn all the bikes upside down, link the single cable lock through all 5 back wheels, remove all 5 front wheels and either lock them togther as well or put them in one of the tents.

You can do the same thing, remove the front wheel, lock it to the back wheel of an upturned bike and lock it to something. A Kyrptonite cable cost about œ15 and does not weigh much

plusgourmande

when bike is outside tent at night, tie a piece of string around the frame and attach it to your toe whilst asleep

Bloke on a bikecp

When I'm touring I tend to keep all my valuables in one small front pannier (or in my rack top bag if I'm on a five pannier tour). For general shopping, cafe, pub stops etc I just take that bag with me after locking the bike. I've toyed with the idea of cable ties on the remaining panniers to deter opportunists, but to be honest, I can't be bothered.
Overnight depends on where I am. When wild camping, I'll pitch the tent face on to a tree, fence post or whatever and lock the bike to it so that the bike is in the mouth of the tent. Or I'll lock the bike and pitch the tent so that one of the tent poles passes through the frame. Anyone nicking the bike would need to dismantle the tent with me in it. But when I'm wild camping I tend to be in a place were no one is going to see me anyway and I'm gone pretty early on.
If staying at an official site, I check with the owner. They've often got somewhere secure you can use like a store room or tool shed or something. If they haven't I don't stay more than one night. When you treat yourself to the weekly B&B in a pub there is always a lockup somewhere. (Pub B&Bs are better for this than private house B&Bs)

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<font color="red"><b>Basil W Brush</b></font id="red">

ut_o_cykla

I do much the same the same as Mr. Brush (boom! Boom!). Valuables with me at all times in a small bag.

PAnniers have mostly dodgy/dirty clothes, adn a few cooking bits and pieces. You could use a pac safe wire to secure to bike but I never bothered.Some sturdy zip ties would also slow down teh grab & run strategy - but make life tedious for you too!

Strip bike of everything removable, lock it with a U lock & cable to something.

Sometimes I used a small lock with a built in alarm that went off if you fiddled with teh cable. Hoped it would deter idle pilfering. It never went off (except once - my fault!)

Say thank you to your choice of god when you come back from teh food/beer hunt that it is till standing where you left it.
In YH (Scandinavia) I drag bike into bathroom/kitchen, in SPAin it was locked to radiators in shower room. In France & Germany there was a shed. But the bike was always locked up even there.

I've always assumed that a poor tourer does not make good pickings. Even the bike is often filthy/too traditional looking to be an attractive resale.

Happy touring!

pousse moi s'il vous plait