Bicycle Travel > Urban Cycling
Touring in New York City?
avman1023:
Hello!
I will be biking through NYC this fall as part of my Northern Half of the Atlantic Coast bike tour. I very much want to walk along the High Line, but I'm concerned about theft while away from my bike.
Bikes are not allowed on the High Line, so there are bike racks at several entrances. I'll be coming through fully loaded with panniers and bags. I feel somewhat confident that I can secure my bike, but how do I secure panniers and bags? I'll of course remove and carry with me critical items (wallet, phone), but would probably need to leave panniers, bags and accessories on the bike. I would likely be there at a low traffic time- Monday morning(?), and probably be away from my bike an hour or two. Outside of normal bag closures and mounting, any suggestions on how to secure my bags? Or am I overthinking this? Will people just leave my bike and bags alone, if it's locked to a bike rack with a sturdy lock? I think the High Line is a fairly popular tourist attraction, would that mean more eyes=safer, or does it mean more opportunists for thieves?
I'd like to think I'm an experienced solo bike traveler, and have tried to reduce the chance of theft as much as possible- When away from the bike, take critical items with me, close and secure all bags, remove removable accessories and stow, lock with an appropriate lock, try to stay within eyesight of bike, minimize time away from bike. My past tours have been mostly rural areas, with just passing through urban areas, or when staying overnight in urban areas, leaving bags and bike at lodging. This will be the first time I'll be leaving my fully-loaded bike in such a big city!
ray b:
...and then how to enjoy yourself while your imagination runs through all the tour-ending scenarios.
In the past, I have solved the problem by leaving the bike in the back of a local bike shop. If you don't feel you have purchased enough from the shop to earn the courtesy of a secure place to park your bike and equipment, then a contribution to the shop beer or coffee fund would probably do the trick.
A quick search suggests a bunch of shops in the neighborhood.
avman1023:
Yes, thanks for understanding my anxiety!
Leaving the bike in a nearby bike shop- that's an excellent idea! I tend to forget that bike shops can be a resource for more than just parts/repairs.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Pat Lamb:
If you can arrange a hotel room (call ahead to make sure they'll have a place for your bike if they won't let you keep it in your room), you can leave the bike there and take the subway all over to explore the city.
avman1023:
Thanks! I'll be visiting the High Line on my way out of town, so won't be able to leave the bike at my overnight hotel. But that's a good idea- there are lots of hotels around the High Line, maybe one of them would be willing to store my bike for a couple of hours for a reasonable fee.
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