Transporting bikes securely

[gus-lopez]

Not yet , but only because our local weighbridge closed down, and everyone else I contacted with one more or less told me sod off. I’ll find one when I get back and see. The Carthago is supposed to be able to take 350kg in the garage, although obviously this will increase the weight on the back axle rather more. One hopes they would have thought of this, but who knows?

If in spain use a local weighbridge. Around here there are plenty 1€/ weigh with ticket. Also most builders merchants have a weighbridge that they will usually let you use for free.

 

[Gaston aires]

You could get cheapo bikes that are not worth nicking, like us.
I still use a heavy duty motorcycle chain though.
Where possible I back up close to walls, hedges, and bushes to stop them being got at.
Phil

 

[busby]

Not yet , but only because our local weighbridge closed down, and everyone else I contacted with one more or less told me sod off. I’ll find one when I get back and see. The Carthago is supposed to be able to take 350kg in the garage, although obviously this will increase the weight on the back axle rather more. One hopes they would have thought of this, but who knows?

Not yet,,Dont think that will wash with Highways Agency when your pulled and found to be overweight. BUSBY.

 

[busby]

Mine are Push Bikes,,no electric so presume idle thieves wont be interested..They would never find the three cable locks that attach them to the van in the dark.I struggle without my glasses on in daylight.BUSBY.

 

[Wellington]

Not yet,,Dont think that will wash with Highways Agency when your pulled and found to be overweight. BUSBY.

I know, I’m so bloody annoyed about it. The local weigh bridge in the next village is advertised on the council website as open, so we were going to weigh out. It’s apparently been closed for years, but with a ferry to catch there wasn’t time to trek across the county to another. We shouldn’t be over. We’ve more payload than the last van and only the same stuff, so should be well under. I’d prefer to know for sure, though.

Out of interest, can one be prosecuted for overloaded axles, or just overweight in total?

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[funflair]

Yes the axle weights have to be within the plated figures as well as the overall total, just enjoy your trip and get it weighed when you get home.

Martin

 

[Wellington]

Yes the axle weights have to be within the plated figures as well as the overall total, just enjoy your trip and get it weighed when you get home.

Martin

That’s the conclusion I came to. I can’t see anybody bothering about our weight given the way people drive over here!

 

[Coolcats]

Hi,

I have just retired and my wife and I are about to buy a motorhome with a view to doing some touring in the UK and on the continent. We done a fair amount of research and decided that we want and a class that is between 7 m and 8 m long to give us the space we need.

We are both cyclists and want to take our road bikes with us. I’m quite large so my bike is over 1.2 m high (and a bit less if I remove the wheels). Both of our bikes are reasonably valuable.

Even with vehicles the size of the ones that we are looking at, it’s not easy to find one with a garage large enough to take both bicycles. They do exist but It greatly reduces choice and there are often compromises with the interior layout as a result.

What are peoples ideas/experiences with carrying bikes on an external rack? How secure is it possible to make them? How much of a security issue are bikes? Has anyone here heard stories of have experience of bikes been stolen?

Any and all ideas/help/experiences would be gratefully received.

Thanks a lot.

Chris

If you have a Vanbitz strike back fitted you can have an external protection circuit which plugs in under the van and then is looped around bikes or anything you might be carrying on the rear of the van or trailer. It may not stop an attempted theft but will certainly make a racket if someone tampers with your bikes and a great deterrent (The thieves will probably just go to the van next door if they are desperate).

 

[MichaelT]

I had my bikes (both electric) targetted whilst on the aire at Graveline. I was disturbed by some sound and chased off the thief but he had taken off the fiamma cover and undone the wheel straps.
However he had not made any inroads on the various locks and devices fitted. It takes me several minutes to take the bikes off and I have the keys and codes. If they really want the bikes nothing will stop them but making it difficult will make some think twice. I probably overdo the locks but the Graveline experience has made me a little paranoid.
Each bike has an AXA frame lock with added chain wrapped around bike rack. heavy duty Kryptonite chain (reqiured for insurance) and a combination D lock holding the bikes together.
It might be easier to buy a van with garage!

All on a flimsy alloy bike rack?

Only issues I have heard on Aires are people having bikes stolen or attempted where they are on the back. One reason we changed vans this year was to take bikes so we go a Twin Bed with large garage, I have largest bike and still loads of space above, fitted a Fiamma rack in garage to hold them.

If you dont want twin beds try a double across, added advantage of less space taken up but disadvantage of having to climb over one another during the night which is why we went for twins.

 

[Rob Turner]

All on a flimsy alloy bike rack?

Only issues I have heard on Aires are people having bikes stolen or attempted where they are on the back. One reason we changed vans this year was to take bikes so we go a Twin Bed with large garage, I have largest bike and still loads of space above, fitted a Fiamma rack in garage to hold them.

If you dont want twin beds try a double across, added advantage of less space taken up but disadvantage of having to climb over one another during the night which is why we went for twins.

This is the very reason I had a new van this year.

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[chenderson1965]

Thanks very much for your helpful replies and comments. It seems pretty clear that the best answer is definitely to put them inside in a garage. We have therefore refined our criteria to make sure we have a garage big enough.