What about your Bike??????

[BOHICA]

Newbie here.... I was wondering what everyone does with their bike when they are camping? I mean when you are in your tent sleeping you cant see your bike and you might be somewhere that there is nothing to lock it to.

[Macbeth]

 I store all the stuff (Bob trailer bag or panniers) under the vestible of my tent, then usually lock the trailer to the bike (or the bike to itself) in some way that would make it uber hard to walk of with, at least without making a huge amount of noise. Like trailer upright against the bike or the front wheel of the bike turned right around and locked against the frame...... Makes me sleep well

[staehpj1]

Newbie here.... I was wondering what everyone does with their bike when they are camping? I mean when you are in your tent sleeping you cant see your bike and you might be somewhere that there is nothing to lock it to.

My bike gets parked in camp near the tent.  Most of the time I lock it with a light cable lock, but depending on where I am I might not always bother.  I don't think I have ever camped where there was nothing to lock it to.  It seems like that there is usually a picnic table, tree, fence post, signpost, guard rail, or something to lock it to anywhere I want to camp.

[bogiesan]

Newbie here.... I was wondering what everyone does with their bike when they are camping? I mean when you are in your tent sleeping you cant see your bike and you might be somewhere that there is nothing to lock it to.

Welcome.
You'll find almost every noobie issue has been covered extensively. You can either read the AC information pages or search the forum.
My advice on locking your bike is to use combination locks only. It's remarkably easy to lose a key on a tour.

david boise ID

[Pat Lamb]

The bike is always near the tent (or in the motel room).  A light, 6' cable with combination lock will lock one bike to something solid, or two bikes together.  Bar bag goes in the tent with wallet, camera, and sunglasses; the panniers can stay outside on the bike, or in a bear locker where they're provided.

I'm usually more worried about wildlife than wild things.  Unless you know how to get an Ortlieb off the rack, you're going to make a fair bit of racket trying to get it off.  An who's going to want to steal dried oatmeal and dirty clothes?  The only potential trouble we had was at a town park after hours, when two (of a half-dozen) cyclists watching scared off a guy "looking for his cooler."  Never repeated at any other location.

BTW, kick stands help when locking two bikes together.

[BOHICA]

Thanks for all the ideas.

You would think that one of these tent companies would make something for us cyclist. So that we could park our bikes inside the vestibule.   

[staehpj1]

Thanks for all the ideas.

You would think that one of these tent companies would make something for us cyclist. So that we could park our bikes inside the vestibule.   

There are a couple such products, but they are more of a gimmick than anything in my opinion and totally unnecessary for places where I where toured.

[driftlessregion]

If rain or dew isn't a consideration I will run my helmet straps through the wheels to slow down any potential thief. Otherwise, I don't do much but move it out of the main line of sight.

[BOHICA]

Sounds good... I have a combo lock cable I will just take with me for good measure.

[johnsondasw]

Sounds good... I have a combo lock cable I will just take with me for good measure.

I would always use it.  I've got too many friends who have lost their bikes to theft.  In one case, the thief took the bike right outside the window the owner was watching from, hopped on the bike and rode away.  The owner gave chase on foot and almost caught the guy but could not keep up when they hit a downhill.  I use a 6' cable with a combo lock and a lightweight 4' one with an inline barrel lock and lock to a tree or picnic bench, etc.

[BOHICA]

How about taking the front wheel off and sticking it in the vestibule? And also lock it to something?

[staehpj1]

Sounds good... I have a combo lock cable I will just take with me for good measure.

I would always use it.  I've got too many friends who have lost their bikes to theft.  In one case, the thief took the bike right outside the window the owner was watching from, hopped on the bike and rode away.  The owner gave chase on foot and almost caught the guy but could not keep up when they hit a downhill.  I use a 6' cable with a combo lock and a lightweight 4' one with an inline barrel lock and lock to a tree or picnic bench, etc.

A lot depends on where you are touring.  In a tiny town with a population of under 100 where no one locks their doors even when away on vacation, and the next town is 40 miles down the road, I don't bother to lock at all.

On the other had in bigger towns and cities especially bike friendly ones, you need to be super careful.  The few instances of touring cyclists having bikes stolen that I have heard of were in these larger bike friendly towns.  Eugene OR, Pueblo CO, and Baker City are the places I recall hearing of bike or gear thefts on tour in the US.

[John Nelson]

In a tiny town with a population of under 100 where no one locks their doors even when away on vacation, and the next town is 40 miles down the road ...

Sometimes they don't even close their doors, and they leave the keys in the ignition of their car at all times. Even so, these same people remove their cars from the garage and put my bike inside, just because they know that we're more paranoid than they are.

[BOHICA]

LOL...  Think I would be more worried about the Bear stealing my bike in those back woods then I would be the people....

[johnsondasw]

Sounds good... I have a combo lock cable I will just take with me for good measure.

I would always use it.  I've got too many friends who have lost their bikes to theft.  In one case, the thief took the bike right outside the window the owner was watching from, hopped on the bike and rode away.  The owner gave chase on foot and almost caught the guy but could not keep up when they hit a downhill.  I use a 6' cable with a combo lock and a lightweight 4' one with an inline barrel lock and lock to a tree or picnic bench, etc.

A lot depends on where you are touring.  In a tiny town with a population of under 100 where no one locks their doors even when away on vacation, and the next town is 40 miles down the road, I don't bother to lock at all.

Well, in my tiny town (about 1000) in the Cascades of WA state, I have two friends who have had bikes stolen.  I lock it so I don't have to worry about it.