Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
st599_uk
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Re: Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Post by st599_uk »

I've left mine in town squares but I:
a) have a rucksack security net I lock around the panniers and though a wheel.
b) have a deafening Chinese motion alarm sip tied to the saddle rails out of sight.
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robing
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Re: Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Post by robing »

Most museums are in towns or cities so I would stay in a cheap hotel like an F1, even cheaper for a couple and leave your bikes and gear in the room. I have had a couple of thefts from campsites so wouldn't risk leaving my stuff unattended. Wild camping much safer. Generally I will only leave my loaded bike where I can see it like a café, McDonald's etc or briefly while I go shopping. I lock the bike somewhere prominent and most supermarkets have big windows where you can keep half an eye on it while you shop.
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Neil Wheadon
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Re: Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Post by Neil Wheadon »

I've asked this question quite a few times 'Has your bike ever been touched' and only once has someone had their panniers stolen and that was in Italy. They left their bikes in a lay-by, sat over the rise, had a picnic and heard a vehicle pull and and pull away with their stuff. You also hear anecdotal stories but like anything on the internet it gets magnified. In leading tours for 17 years with 70 trips, we lost one childs bike in Somerset.
You just have to lock and hope and 9.999 out of 10.000 you'll be fine.
As for locking in a crowded place think this one through. You lock your bike, walk 100 metres and this 'drat left the computer on' so you run back and remove it. Has anyone ever challenged you?............ No
Neil
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PT1029
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Re: Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Post by PT1029 »

The 2 times I have had stuff stolen :
Camping stuff one night while sleeping in a youth hostel in France (others had stuff stolen too) (1980)
Left luggage (outside behind campsite reception), 1989. All my luggage incl bike had been sent on ahead (long coach journey), so I only had stuff I needed for the coach for 2 days. Oh yes, it was of all places, Eyers Rock!

If I visit somehwere that has an outside ticket office, I usually ask if I can park in view of the office.
eileithyia
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Re: Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Post by eileithyia »

Items stolen on tour; Front wheel and SADDLE! while overnight in a hostel in Copenhagen, had arrived late and hadn't put second lock around frame / front wheel. Replacements easily sourced in Copenhagen.

Camera in Bastia while in a shop, foolishly left camera on view 'bungeed' over saddle bag....... more p155ed off about the missing photos of the holiday than the actual camera.

All valuables in an easy to carry bag, so passport money camera (yes I know) when visiting attractions and basic lock on bike..... if someone really wants to root through panniers and remove grubby touring underwear they are welcome to it..... I usually take stuff that is starting to get to it's last legs anyway and often throw away once I am in last couple of days of tour.... so I don't have to lug it back home. :lol:
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
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Neil Wheadon
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Re: Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Post by Neil Wheadon »

Camera in Bastia while in a shop, foolishly left camera on view 'bungeed' over saddle bag....... more p155ed off about the missing photos of the holiday than the ac

I do advise people coming on a tour to use lots of little memory cards instead of one larger one, so that if a camera does go missing (quite a few over the years are mislaid/lost/stolen) then they still have the pictures

Neil

PS How can you quote in this forum, I see others can do it, but I can't fathom it
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Cyril Haearn
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Re: Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Use the " icon top right
You may abbreviate (..) but you may not change, bold, italicise
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Neil Wheadon
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Re: Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Post by Neil Wheadon »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Use the " icon top right
You may abbreviate (..) but you may not change, bold, italicise


Thanks :D
Neil
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mjr
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Re: Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Post by mjr »

Neil Wheadon wrote:PS How can you quote in this forum, I see others can do it, but I can't fathom it

Start a reply by clicking the " symbol in the top corner of the post you want to quote, then cut it down.

If you allow JavaScripts, you can click "quote" buttons next to posts shown in a little frame below the reply box too, but then you also have to suffer popup ads for "Tapatalk".

Back to the thieving worry (as it seems more of a worry than an actual problem), I dropped a mini camera in a Belgian taxi when it fell from my bag after loading the bike onto the back. They posted it back to me at cost. Most people are basically decent.
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Cunobelin
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Re: Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Post by Cunobelin »

Deterrent as opposed to security, but there is a device called the "Pacsafe"

Designed for rucksacks, The largest one can be placed on the floor and the bike rolled on. The "neck" can then be cinched tight at the angle of teh carrier/frame and bottom bracket.


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eileithyia
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Re: Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Post by eileithyia »

Neil Wheadon wrote:Camera in Bastia while in a shop, foolishly left camera on view 'bungeed' over saddle bag....... more p155ed off about the missing photos of the holiday than the ac

I do advise people coming on a tour to use lots of little memory cards instead of one larger one, so that if a camera does go missing (quite a few over the years are mislaid/lost/stolen) then they still have the pictures

Neil

PS How can you quote in this forum, I see others can do it, but I can't fathom it



Yes but I am ancient :lol: and it was SLR slide film pre digital age...... these days many of my photos are daily uploaded to facebook so at least they are preserved in one online / digital media....
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
hayers
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Re: Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Post by hayers »

Neil Wheadon wrote:As for locking in a crowded place think this one through. You lock your bike, walk 100 metres and this 'drat left the computer on' so you run back and remove it. Has anyone ever challenged you?............ No
Neil


A while back, a lost key saw me in a shopping centre sawing through the lock on my eldest's bike. No one batted an eyelid.
bohrsatom
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Re: Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Post by bohrsatom »

In my experience I've found most museums/castles/etc outside large towns and cities are happy to keep your luggage at reception whilst you look around. These places tend to be pretty quiet anyway and I think they appreciate the visitors, plus it gives the reception staff something to do. The Valrhona chocolate museum in Tain-L'Hermitage kindly looked after our bags when we spent a few hours learning about how chocolate is made/eating as many samples as possible (definitely visit here if you're in the area!).

If that doesn't work there's often a cafe/hotel nearby who would most likely be happy to look after your bags in return for you having a coffee/beer/lunch on your return. Just ask with a smile, we've never been turned down.

In big cities leave your luggage at the station, then find somewhere secure for your bike. Better still get a hotel and dedicate a day to sightseeing.

The only place I remember we left our bags on show was at Melk Abbey when riding the Danube bike path. It's a busy tourist attraction and we didn't think they'd be that keen on looking after panniers, although must admit we never asked. We took all our valuables in our bar bag, then made sure to put our dirty and smelly clothes at the top of each pannier, thinking somebody would have to be desperate to search beneath! A few hours later we came back and everything was just as we left it.

Overall it's easy to be afraid of stuff getting stolen but I'm sad to say this seems to be a mostly British concern. I live in London and use an extremely solid D-lock to secure my crappy bike outside Tesco even when I pop in for 5 minutes to buy a pint of milk. On a recent visit to Copenhagen we hired bikes and left them locked on the street outside our apartment with nothing more secure than a very basic cable lock. The bikes were still there the next morning, and the morning after, and even the morning after that.
Angstrom
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Re: Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Post by Angstrom »

I'm French and I tour. Here's my contribution. Short answer first:
1) It all depends (and I'll detail later) but overall, the first advice is right: take your valuables and don't worry too much, if touring in rural France.

2) Long answer: stuff gets stolen because either:
  • it has high value (ie an expensive camera/phone)
  • it is appealing to a majority of people and low risk (a bank note being extreme)
[*]it is easy to resell (a modest phone, a bike)

Everything can be sold. So anything is at risk when/where lots of passers by, mainly locals (other tourists are seldom thieves). That is the case in cities, downtown and at train stations etc.

In rural museums, tourist centres, etc., the risks are low for everything but high value and stuff appealing to everyone.

If travelling where few other cyclist travel, there will be no problem getting restaurant owners, museum staff etc. allow you to park your bike & stuff in a good place where you should not worry.

If you travel the mots popular Eurovelo cycle routes in the most hectic period, it will be much harder, as one can easily imagine that the nicest person in the world would react differently when asked the 100th time for the same favour than the first or even 5th time.
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PH
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Re: Bike touring- What to do with bike at museum

Post by PH »

Angstrom wrote:2) Long answer: stuff gets stolen because either:
  • it has high value (ie an expensive camera/phone)
  • it is appealing to a majority of people and low risk (a bank note being extreme)
[*]it is easy to resell (a modest phone, a bike)

Sometimes stuff gets stolen because there's a possibility that one of those is true. The low value unappealing stuff will later be dumped somewhere. You may get some satisfaction from knowing the thief didn't profit from your dirty laundry, but you'll still miss it. I doubt much of my stuff would fetch a good price in a quick sale, panniers, tent, quilt, mat, cooker, change of clothes, waterproof... I'd still quickly burn through £1,000 replacing it.
Several posters have commented on the likelihood of being robbed, I'd agree it's rare, there aren't people of every street corner waiting for a casual cyclist. OTOH there obviously are people who will take your stuff and however low you think the chance, if it does happen it could put a big hole in your plans as well as bank balance, so finding ways to mitigate the risk seems entirely sensible to me.
BTW the campsite I had my tent gone through was in rural Aquitaine, while there's obviously high and low risk areas I don't think anywhere is immune.
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