Bringing a bike to Uni/Flat

Greer_

I've been accepted onto my course but I'm still waiting for an offer to come through for halls. I'm just interested to know how people manage mountain biking when living out of a room.

How do you clean your bike? I've no idea if i'll have access to an outside tap, nevermind a hose.

What insurance do you have? I think I can get my bike insured for around £5/6 a month from endsleigh. There's locked storage for bikes at my uni so I only need a lock for when it's there, as I won't be leaving my bike when I'm out riding. Any recommendations for a lock?

Any other general tips? I'm hoping to join a club once I'm there, and I'll hopefully have enough cash to replace things as they break!

Thanks

warpcow

I joined my uni's mtb-club and found a guy there who had his own flat near my halls and was willing to let people store their bikes there. I guess that was pretty lucky.

Still living in a flat with 2 bikes always indoors. Get some kind of plastic sheeting (I use Ikea drawer-lining), stick it in a corner and sit your bike their. Mud is a lot easier to deal with once it's dry, imo. Just brush it off and vaccum/brush it up.

bails87

"There's locked storage for bikes at my uni so I only need a lock for when it's there"

Prepare to lose your bike!

Seriously.

ride_whenever

bails87 wrote:

"There's locked storage for bikes at my uni so I only need a lock for when it's there"

Prepare to lose your bike!

Seriously.

This, thieves target uni lockups hard when the new students arrive. Speak to the accommodation officer about storing your bike in your room.

njee20

I didn't ask, just stored two bikes in my room, no one ever said anything. Rode places that had the facility to wash my MTB, never worried about the road bike, left a few muddy puddles, but nowt that couldn't be cleaned up.

Do not use communal facilities for storing your bike it will get stolen!

ilovedirt

As the others said, lock your bike up outside, and it WILL get nicked. I know a couple of people this has happened to (although only one of them was daft enough to lock something up that wasn't a BSO). Keep it in your room, wash it outside with a bucket and sponge every so often. I used to just brush the mud off after a ride and then take it to my room, keep it on an old sheet or something.

compo

bails87 wrote:

"There's locked storage for bikes at my uni so I only need a lock for when it's there"

Prepare to lose your bike!

Seriously.

Got mine nicked.

If you have to lock it up in a big shed, put it as far from the door as possible.

I'd put it in your room. My halls had reception which stopped me taking mine into halls on numerous occasions. In hindsight, I should have just taken in bike parts.

Regarding cleaning; go to another floor and use their shower? A bucket of water/ washing up liquid outside should do the trick however

angry_bird

When I was in halls I used to keep bikes in my room/the flat hallway/the GFs room, was a tap outside the halls, occasionally be a hosepipe there too if the security blokes were washing their cars. We did have fairly secure bike storage, and I've not heard of anyone managing to break into it yet, but still I felt better having them closer to me. More locked doors between them and outside. Last year I didn't have the bike though because I had no space (literally) and that flat was far from secure.

Your best bet when locking it at uni is to get a decent D lock and cable, kryptonite would be my recommendations, they have ratings on them, I'd look for "Sold Secure Gold" as a minimum. If a thief wants your bike enough they'll get it but it's better for the insurance (some policies stipulate you have to use certain standards of locks to be covered). Get it insured obviously.

In the day if you're in uni with it lock it somewhere covered by CCTV, e.g. railings near the front of a uni building if you're allowed. Plenty of people hanging around there smoking, chatting etc. Much safer than a bike rack IMO as a lot I've seen at different uni's/colleges tend to be out the way in quieter areas. Then again, depends where you are and what the exact situation is.

Greer_

ride_whenever wrote:

bails87 wrote:

"There's locked storage for bikes at my uni so I only need a lock for when it's there"

Prepare to lose your bike!

Seriously.

This, thieves target uni lockups hard when the new students arrive. Speak to the accommodation officer about storing your bike in your room.

Hmm, I'm a short train journey from home so may give it a while before I bring my bike up. It'll definitley be insured before I go. The lock up is key coded etc, so hopefully there'll be something secure enough I can wrap a big chain around. I would ask about bringing it into my room but a) I've no idea how clean my bike will be, and b) there isn't enough room! Its big enough for a bed and a desk and that's about it.

I won't be leaving the bike ANYWHERE except the lock up. The only reason it will be out of it is if I'm riding it. I don't need it for trips to the shop etc as everything is very close.

It's Queens in Belfast if that helps.

It's all very helpful but I really don't think I have any option other than using their facilities. I'll be giving it a good once over and asking a lot of questions before I actually leave anything inside it.

Greer_

My GF lives about a 20minute cycle away and I could leave my bike there, but it's in totally the wrong direction Thanks for the help.

njee20

It's all very helpful but I really don't think I have any option other than using their facilities

Why not? We had similar 'secure' storage. I ignored it!

Student are cnuts, we had our PS2 nicked from our flat, watched the CCTV back and no one came in or went out, so it was someone from the halls, don't think key code entry makes it secure! Not to mention folk holding the door open etc.

Greer_

Fair enough, I may just wait until I'm there, then make the decision. I really can't see it fitting in my room though!

njee20

Front wheel under bed, bars turned 90 degrees, bike fits behind door.

Emphursis

Chances are your halls won't let you have a bike in your room (in fact, both this year and in my first year, the tenancy agreement specifically outlawed it). That said, there will be a bike rack outside somewhere. I've thought about taking mine with me this year, but I don't want to leave it outside.

Another thing to consider is how you are going to get it up to your room, the corridors in halls are pretty narrow and twisty!

njee20

in fact, both this year and in my first year, the tenancy agreement specifically outlawed it

I imagine they outlaw a hell of a lot more sinister stuff that still goes on!

That said, there will be a bike rack outside somewhere

Yes, it'll always be devoid of bikes, but helpfully guarded by a gent equipped with bolt croppers and a wry smile. A graveyard of 'expensive' locks.

Another thing to consider is how you are going to get it up to your room, the corridors in halls are pretty narrow and twisty

What a strange statement, 'halls' are not a standard template! I could easily (and did so numerous times) cycle out of my room, to the front door of the flat, out to the lift, and down to the front door, where I could leave out the back to avoid the security on the front desk.

Greer_

njee20 wrote:

in fact, both this year and in my first year, the tenancy agreement specifically outlawed it

I imagine they outlaw a hell of a lot more sinister stuff that still goes on!

Nope I've seen it mentioned more than once. As I haven't got my offer yet, I can't check, but I'm pretty sure there's a good chance it will say the same. The only thing in my favour is that there's no security in the individual blocks, just at the front of the campus.

ilovedirt

Emphursis wrote:

Chances are your halls won't let you have a bike in your room (in fact, both this year and in my first year, the tenancy agreement specifically outlawed it). That said, there will be a bike rack outside somewhere. I've thought about taking mine with me this year, but I don't want to leave it outside.

Another thing to consider is how you are going to get it up to your room, the corridors in halls are pretty narrow and twisty!

Don't be daft. Bikes were specifically not allowed in my tenancy agreement, I still kept two in my room, as did everyone else in the mtb club in the posher more expensive halls.
Greer, honestly, don't worry about it. There's always somewhere to put it in your room, and it's always better than any 'secure' outdoor bike storage. And aside from thieves, leaving your bike outside throughout winter isn't going to do it much good. I did this throughout my first semester at university and the chrome stanchions on my toras rusted... Since then I kept the bike in my room.

Chunkers1980

I gave up Mountain Biking at Uni. Did more drinking instead.

Plyphon

Also: Don't get lazy and casually ride it to Uni.

Bikes get stolen outside lecture halls etc super often.

I kept mine inside my room. Occasionally I'd use the outside lockup - but we were inside a secure compound where you needed a special bike key to get out of the only door that wasn't a turnstyle (Couldn't fit a bike through a turnstyle for shit.).

In fact now I think about it our halls we're a lot like a prison.

When you get a house in your 2nd and 3rd year - don't leave it near a window. Thieves go around on the nights they know all students will be out on the razz (Tuesday) and won't think twice about bricking your windows.

Luckily we mostly got off fine at Uni - one housemate had his car stereo stolen which was pretty devastating.

I did hear some horror stories of people coming home and finding everything gone etc...

Greer_

Very helpful everyone, thanks I'll see what happens when I get there, but I'm pretty confident I'll be okay.

Chunkers1980 wrote:

I gave up Mountain Biking at Uni. Did more drinking instead.

I plan on finding a balance! riding (x2), drinking, working, sleeping .... how hard could it be?!

Chunkers1980

You forgot, shagging.

Greer_

Also known as 'riding'! Edited now!

paul.skibum

When I was at Uni - way back in the early 90's, there was a spate of bike thefts. Uni introduced a bunch of new bike racks for people to secure bikes to.

One of the racks was picked up, complete with 10+ bikes and put in the back of a van. Proof you cant stop a determined thief. The Police reckon demand for bikes in Oxford meant the local other unis were the suppliers.

paul.skibum

Oh and I used to keep my road bike in the house (didnt have it when I was in halls).

Northwind

Find out if the uni has a bike or mtb society, and speak to them. I gather Exeter allows bikes in rooms as long as you're a member of the bike soc, frinstance. My lot (Heriot Watt) have a properly secure store shared with some of the other sports socs, it's inconvenient but it's safe.

But by and large, keep it in your room- just be clean and you're not likely to have any bother. Again with my lot, it's expressly banned, but tolerated as long as you're not leaving tyreprints/chain marks everywhere.

Emphursis

njee20 wrote:

in fact, both this year and in my first year, the tenancy agreement specifically outlawed it

I imagine they outlaw a hell of a lot more sinister stuff that still goes on!

Oh yeah, of course it does. But all I'm saying is that a bike is a bit harder to hide come flat inspection than someone having a cheeky smoke stood on under the fan in the bathroom or leaning out of the window. There were a few occasions in my halls where people were fined and made to put their bikes outside after they were found in their rooms.

That said, there will be a bike rack outside somewhere

Yes, it'll always be devoid of bikes, but helpfully guarded by a gent equipped with bolt croppers and a wry smile. A graveyard of 'expensive' locks.
[/quote]

Again, don't get me wrong, I'm in no way recommending he put it there, I wouldn't leave a £10 fifth hand bike from some bloke down the car boot in the bike racks around a Uni/halls, I was just pointing out that there would be one.

Another thing to consider is how you are going to get it up to your room, the corridors in halls are pretty narrow and twisty

What a strange statement, 'halls' are not a standard template! I could easily (and did so numerous times) cycle out of my room, to the front door of the flat, out to the lift, and down to the front door, where I could leave out the back to avoid the security on the front desk.[/quote]

It does depend on the halls, they are all different. That said, all the ones around my Uni had narrow and twisty corridors to get the door into the carpark, and only one exit from there.

ilovedirt

it's not exactly difficult to wheel a bike through a corridor on it's back wheel...

compo

njee20 wrote:

in fact, both this year and in my first year, the tenancy agreement specifically outlawed it

I imagine they outlaw a hell of a lot more sinister stuff that still goes on!

Last year, in halls, I witnessed a group of lads trying to set fire to no less than 4 fridge freezers. Security didn't give a sh!t