Safe "parking" for your bike

[Gail-force]

Hi all, I'm considering taking a bike away with me this year on my France trip (never taken one away with me before) and I was wondering what you do with the bike once you've reached your destination? I assume you find a sturdy lamp-post and shackle the hell out of it?? Any advice welcome, Thanks G

 

[Gaston aires]

Take a really cheap old one so nobody wants to nick it
Anything worth having will be a target for thieves.
Phil

 

[Howard B]

Hi all, I'm considering taking a bike away with me this year on my France trip (never taken one away with me before) and I was wondering what you do with the bike once you've reached your destination? I assume you find a sturdy lamp-post and shackle the hell out of it?? Any advice welcome, Thanks G

We have three security cables of varying lengths & also remove the batteries.

 

[Gail-force]

We have three security cables of varying lengths & also remove the batteries.

Thanks Howard... where / what do you fasten them to? do you look for designated bike parking or just somewhere you think they'll be safe?

 

[Nanniemate]

You can secure it to your vehicle (check your insurance )
Either to a wheel. Or the tow hook. Or just if using a cycle rack put it back on.
Try not to worry too much far more bikes travel unharmed than are stolen.
When I first had my bike I worried now I lock it to the van put a cheap cover over it and if I'm not using it go and enjoy myself.
I do pick where I park ,reverse close to a wall. Or a hedge or in view of loads of people. But that doesn't always work at locations.
I do put loads of cable locks on it and insurance recognised ubolts.
Go and enjoy

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[Nirvanauk]

Just secure it to the vehicle with a decent cable. It it’s electric then remove battery.

 

[Howard B]

Thanks Howard... where / what do you fasten them to? do you look for designated bike parking or just somewhere you think they'll be safe?

Bike park if possible or lampposts railings if not.

 

[Jim]

We have a Vanbitz alarm and the additional bike loop secures our bikes while travelling, and when on site it secures the bikes and our Duckdalf chairs. Have had a bike loop and an extra length of it from vanbitz for almost 30 years, its just second nature at night to quickly protect anything outside that I don't want to lose. Wouldn't want to be without that protection now.

 

[Gail-force]

Thanks all, but it's more where to fasten it when I get to the town, what to fasten it to, and with what... do you remove the saddle to make stealing the bike less desirable? I'm just weighing up the pro's and con's at the moment. I'm considering a Brompton which will fold down small enough to fit in the passenger footwell, so it'll always be inside the van. Thanks

 

[stevec]

If your bike has a quick release hub make sure both wheels are chained as well as the frame. If you’re really paranoid get a Liteloc D lock which has a ceramic coating to make it much more angle grinder resistant (not proof!). Expensive. Otherwise make sure you have good insurance and abide by its conditions. Take a photo of the bike locked up is a good thing if the insurance company are difficult.

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[DaveKerry]

Thanks all, but it's more where to fasten it when I get to the town, what to fasten it to, and with what... do you remove the saddle to make stealing the bike less desirable? I'm just weighing up the pro's and con's at the moment. I'm considering a Brompton which will fold down small enough to fit in the passenger footwell, so it'll always be inside the van. Thanks

We use a 10mm chain and good padlock to secure our bikes in town, we chain them to bike parks if available, if not to lamp posts and bus stops, just about anything that would need a saw to get the bikes off.
While in an aire or site I also use the vanbitz bike loop, also they are always covered up when on the bike rack.

Dave

 

[Barryh]

All the sensible precautions of good visible locks and if possible in a busy area. We used to take our batteries with us, but now just leave them locked in place. Tourist information centres usually have racks outside and by their nature are usually busy spots. We always take a photo of them locked up just in case there’s an insurance issue.

 

[Landy Andy]

I just stick a lock around my bike to anything fixed, then park wife’s bike beside and lock that to mine. I don’t remove batteries as I don’t want to lug them around. I leave my bike in busy areas so a bit safer. End of the day they are bikes, I’m not going to worry too much about them. I will leave that to old people

 

[Gail-force]

If your bike has a quick release hub make sure both wheels are chained as well as the frame. If you’re really paranoid get a Liteloc D lock which has a ceramic coating to make it much more angle grinder resistant (not proof!). Expensive. Otherwise make sure you have good insurance and abide by its conditions. Take a photo of the bike locked up is a good thing if the insurance company are difficult.

Thanks Steve, great idea with the photo

 

[Deadloss]

If you use a Brompton, you really don’t need to leave them anywhere. They can easily travel inside the van with you, and when you’re out and about on them, just fold them up and take them with you. We’ve been to many restaurants, bars, supermarkets, museums etc. and never been refused entry.

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[scotjimland]

I'm considering a Brompton

I'm afraid to say but that is one of the most desirable and most stolen bikes.. have it insured and use a bike lock as recommended by the insurance company, and as mentioned, take a photo when locked up as proof.

on the plus side, when folded, it can be taken almost anywhere, so I am told.. just take them with you ..

We rarely leave ours outside shops.. or anywhere, and if we do and think there is a risk, , one of us will wait and guard while the other shops.

on cycle runs it's never an issue, when we stop, we are not going to leave them ..

over the past 25 years we have had two bikes stolen.. one was taken off the bike rack during the night, cable cut off.. they only took my Trek mountain bike and left the other two that were of little value , police said thieves watch and target expensive bikes.. no chance of recovering it.

on another occasion, we were parked outside a Lidl shop in Spain in a busy shopping centre .. we didn't tie the bikes up, but left our 16 yo son on guard duty .. but it didn't deter a thief .. he ran up and grabbed my Dawes road bike and cycled off on it... !!

never let your guard down.. and if you park up at a shop.. watch for people watching you who may be planning to steal it .. if you think there is a risk, tie up and one of you stand guard .. or better still, fold up and take with you ..

 

[DerryW]

We have a couple of hefty D Locks and 2 .5mtrs cables. We tend to park the bikes in an open space secured to what’s available and together, rather than looking for somewhere quite to hide them out of site. I always take a couple of photos just incase the worst happens and you have to get involved with an insurance claim.

Think it’s like anything else, try to make them unattractive to the scrouts.

We used to worry like hell every time we took the bikes away from the MH, to the point it spoiled our days out, now, whilsts we’re apprehensive walking back to where we left them a few hours earlier, we try to forget about the bikes and enjoy whatever we’ve come to see and do.

Mind you, I’d be pretty peed off it they were stolen and had to get a cab back to MH.

 

[suavecarve]

We aim for tourist information offices where there is always a bike rack outside.
Saves us having to try to remember where we left them when we walk around a town and the TO gives us information as well as the possibility of charging our electricity on Bosch batteries (dependant if they are on the system or not) and there is plenty of foot traffic to deter thieves with ample locks

 

[VXman]

We use a decent (gold standard) D lock. attach to anything solid - fence, lamp post, bike stand or failing that to each others bikes. Never had a problem and feel quite happy leaving them. We don't take the batteries out - too heavy to comfortably carry when your are on a hike or exploring a city.

 

[Arnside037]

We use a decent (gold standard) D lock. attach to anything solid - fence, lamp post, bike stand or failing that to each others bikes. Never had a problem and feel quite happy leaving them. We don't take the batteries out - too heavy to comfortably carry when your are on a hike or exploring a city.

Likewise to above, but we also
1. Take a phone photo of them in situ so that if they are nicked, we can show the insurance that we adhered to their requirements that we secured them to a fixed point using a gold standard D lock (and not a cable, as they are too easy to cut).
2. Use a cable to secure the front wheel ( it has quick release) to the D-lock.
3. We leave the batteries on the bike because it has a lock to secure it, and they weigh 2.2 kgs each, which it too cumbersome to carry around with us.

When on the bike rack, besides the Kryptonite D locks, we remove the batteries and saddles to make them less desirable to nick, and to reduce weight at the rear. A number of dealers said to us that you need to spend about 10% of the value of the bike on security.
Its not just the issue of having the bikes nicked, it the dammed inconvenience of losing them while you are away travelling.

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[TheCaller]

If you use a Brompton, you really don’t need to leave them anywhere. They can easily travel inside the van with you, and when you’re out and about on them, just fold them up and take them with you. We’ve been to many restaurants, bars, supermarkets, museums etc. and never been refused entry.

I do the same. That's one of the reasons I bought a Brompton, so it never has to leave my sight. Also acts as a very effective shopping trolley in the supermarket.

 

[Jo662]

Hi all, I'm considering taking a bike away with me this year on my France trip (never taken one away with me before) and I was wondering what you do with the bike once you've reached your destination? I assume you find a sturdy lamp-post and shackle the hell out of it?? Any advice welcome, Thanks G

Exactly that. We have electric bikes with a good lock each,so we just find a lampost or railings and lock them together with both locks. usually in a busy area near were you want to be.

 

[lorger]

Had our bikes stolen from outside a railway station just outside Nice, now we make sure they’re left in a bust location. If locking together we face them in opposite directions, take Alan key to handlebars and turn them sideways. We’re also looking at a pair of quick release pedals, cost from £30 and easy to carry around with you, just try and make it harder to steal yours than the ones next to it.

 

[lorger]

Here's how easy it is, and this looks like a busy place you would think is safe.

 

[Blue Moon]

Here's how easy it is, and this looks like a busy place you would think is safe.

Scumbags

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[Soycd]

Presumably the bikes are insured. Check the minimum lock requirements with the insurance company. Most will want a minimum of silver level U lock. Also they will not payout if they are locked using the cable on its own, has to be the actual u lock

 

[MichaelT]

Presumably the bikes are insured. Check the minimum lock requirements with the insurance company. Most will want a minimum of silver level U lock. Also they will not payout if they are locked using the cable on its own, has to be the actual u lock

Also need to be shackled to a permanent structure so not sure a bike rack on the back would count.

 

[Soycd]

Also need to be shackled to a permanent structure so not sure a bike rack on the back would count.

Good point, forgot about that

 

[JoeP Harrison]

Hi all, I'm considering taking a bike away with me this year on my France trip (never taken one away with me before) and I was wondering what you do with the bike once you've reached your destination? I assume you find a sturdy lamp-post and shackle the hell out of it?? Any advice welcome, Thanks G

Bike safety is high priority for us, especially Ebikes, even when loaded on bike rack! If there's no lamp post, we lock our bikes to each other. We use sturdy locks e.g. Abus brand & more recently bike trackers e.g. Invoxia, see invokia.com. We believe these work well. Safe travels

 

[Mick Kennedy]

Hi all, I'm considering taking a bike away with me this year on my France trip (never taken one away with me before) and I was wondering what you do with the bike once you've reached your destination? I assume you find a sturdy lamp-post and shackle the hell out of it?? Any advice welcome, Thanks G

Take a Penny Farthing…..