Bike Security whilst camping

[simonhill]

First thing is to check the requirements of your insurance if you have it. No point in doing anything if it breaches the conditions.

Nowadays I am usually in my VWCamper and lock it with cable lock to rear carrier.

Checking my policy I found any valuable (eg a bike) kept in/on/with vehicle must be out of sight. A phone call to insurance co explaining the situation got locking to rack accepted as my van was deemed an immovable object.

I remember a few years ago the CTC insurance didn't cover bikes left outside overnight. I pointed out this was crazy for a cycle touring and often camping policy. I believe it has now been changed.

Don't let logic play any part in your locking policy without checking your insurance.

[Cunobelin]

An interesting idea I came across was to use a pair of dog anchors. Has anyone actually tried this? Of course they could be sawn through (but you'd probably hear). It would be hard to get them out of the ground if they were spaced apart and both locked to the same bike.

Leaving the dog attached also helps!!!!!


I have used these successfully, however pay extra for the ones with a welded "loop"

[Tigerbiten]

An interesting idea I came across was to use a pair of dog anchors. Has anyone actually tried this? Of course they could be sawn through (but you'd probably hear). It would be hard to get them out of the ground if they were spaced apart and both locked to the same bike.

I was going to post exactly the same thing. Screw inside the tent, attach cable. I'm sure taht the ground would count as an immobile object for your insurers...

They are designed for the soft ground in gardens so I think you'll find that it will be very 50-50 if you can screw an anchor far enough into the ground to be useful.
Heck, at some campsites it's even very iffy if you'll get all the tent pegs in the ground with a mallet.

[eileithyia]

Am sure this has been asked before, on a campsite camp near a perimeter fence and lock to the fence.

I would not lock to the perimeter fence, too close to people who don't have to enter the site. Move your camp site towards the centre - hopefully better pickings before they get to you. I'd lock through the rear wheel and frame and then off to my tent ... try to move the bike and you move me. The wire cable is small .. say 1/8" so easily over looked. True it will not stop thieves .. but even a heavy lock won't do that.
Oh .. the bike has its own separate fly.. I prefer a dry bike to start off with. So that disguises what is under it, olive drab colour and not a pretty cover.

In remote camp sites around Australia I leave my key in the motorcycle overnight ... bugger all people around and I don't have to find it in the morning. Note .. remote camp site = no formal camp ground, no facilities .. maybe a tree, some creek or pool with some water if your lucky and probably some fire wood. Just pick a spot off the road where you won't be seen.

Well I said perimeter fence i did not necessarily mean one that is easily accessible... fences surrounding campsites can be fairly inaccessible if they back on to the another of the farmer's field... and you can choose an area that is furthest away from the entrance area...

[Paulatic]

[Gattonero]

A cable lock is usually enough.

Thieves want to make money, so they need bikes that will sell fast with no hassle or will move on to a better target.
Yobs with hoodies want bikes to make wheelies on the pavement.

The average bike of the humble cyclotourist is not appealing to both of the above, being considered "grandpa's bike" "the heavy clunker" and so on. They don't know about cycling to begin with, would steal anytime a £300RRP Specialized rather than a £2000 Mercian tourer.
Good for us

[Gattonero]

Happily we very often don't lock bikes up when out and about in this area.
Back in April while on a C&CC site in Kent I wandered over to chat to a cycle camper who was staying. Situated in a small orchard way off the road Ken had 3 locks on his Thorn bike. I couldn't help but notice and also couldn't help but comment. Chatting with Ken I discovered he lived in London and I realised the very genuine fear he had of his bike being stolen. My bike leant up against the back of the caravan unlocked for 7 weeks whilst I toured the South without incident.
Ken was trying out his gear before setting off on route1 to Inverness the week after. My advise to him was to get rid of a lot of weight and only take one lock as the further away from London he got the less he'd need. Now maybe I'm a little too trusting but I wonder do others worry a little too much?

To be fair, he wasn't wrong.
Though a touring bike is not the main target for thieves, in London you will get the wheels stolen in no time if they are not locked! Leaving a bike overnight in some areas -not even "dodgy" ones- may incur in lots of parts being stripped: a few years ago several chaps in Islington had the whole front end (wheel+forks+stem+bars+shifters) of the bike stolen

[Sweep]

With regard to bikes being nicked on campsites, I have heard of bikes mounted to the back of campervans being nicked. And I think they were locked. May be best to stick to simpler sites where there isn't a high proportion of these things advertising a certain wealth.

[mercalia]

A cable lock is usually enough.

Thieves want to make money, so they need bikes that will sell fast with no hassle or will move on to a better target.
Yobs with hoodies want bikes to make wheelies on the pavement.

The average bike of the humble cyclotourist is not appealing to both of the above, being considered "grandpa's bike" "the heavy clunker" and so on. They don't know about cycling to begin with, would steal anytime a £300RRP Specialized rather than a £2000 Mercian tourer.
Good for us

hmm not true. an lidl aquaintance has an old 531 framed bike that should realy be put down it is in a poor state with a rusted top tube and wheels that need adjusting, the owner is not a bike person. You would have thought no one would want to steal it. Normally the guy locks it up ( this is London ) The other week he wanted to pop into a shop in and out in 30 secs so left bike unlocked - ok fine but then realised he needed to pop into another shop ok then another - by the time he got back this pathetic excuse for a bike was gone. Now the strange thing was, you know they say thieves return to the scene of the crime, well this one did and the real owner was perchance there and collared him ( a kid ). So this old decrepid bike is back in the owners hands.

[mercalia]

Happily we very often don't lock bikes up when out and about in this area.
Back in April while on a C&CC site in Kent I wandered over to chat to a cycle camper who was staying. Situated in a small orchard way off the road Ken had 3 locks on his Thorn bike. I couldn't help but notice and also couldn't help but comment. Chatting with Ken I discovered he lived in London and I realised the very genuine fear he had of his bike being stolen. My bike leant up against the back of the caravan unlocked for 7 weeks whilst I toured the South without incident.
Ken was trying out his gear before setting off on route1 to Inverness the week after. My advise to him was to get rid of a lot of weight and only take one lock as the further away from London he got the less he'd need. Now maybe I'm a little too trusting but I wonder do others worry a little too much?

To be fair, he wasn't wrong.
Though a touring bike is not the main target for thieves, in London you will get the wheels stolen in no time if they are not locked! Leaving a bike overnight in some areas -not even "dodgy" ones- may incur in lots of parts being stripped: a few years ago several chaps in Islington had the whole front end (wheel+forks+stem+bars+shifters) of the bike stolen

yes seen a lot of abandoned bikes locked to railings slowly vanish

[millimole]

I don't do camping any more, but have been watching this thread with interest. My greatest worry when touring is not the theft of the bike (I have a naive faith in my locking strategy) but theft from my luggage. While I doubt anyone would like going through my laundry (!) it's my tools and suchlike that I fear for.
Is this reasonable, or am I paranoid?


You can easlily remove the Tapatalk spam using settings on YOUR phone

[Warin61]

My greatest worry when touring is not the theft of the bike (I have a naive faith in my locking strategy) but theft from my luggage. While I doubt anyone would like going through my laundry (!) it's my tools and suchlike that I fear for.

Put laundry on top. Works well at border crossings.

I had a bag pinched in Greece. It was a nice bag, my mother gave it to me - they would have cut the carrying strap to get it. It contained lunch.

So .. why would they bother to go through your bag/s .. when they can take the whole lot? They would go through it latter.

[Vorpal]

I don't do camping any more, but have been watching this thread with interest. My greatest worry when touring is not the theft of the bike (I have a naive faith in my locking strategy) but theft from my luggage. While I doubt anyone would like going through my laundry (!) it's my tools and suchlike that I fear for.
Is this reasonable, or am I paranoid?

My brother had stuff go missing from luggage a couple of times. The consequence of that is that I take my stuff off the bike and take it with me, or store it someplace safe if I go shopping or something and I don't have anyone else to look after it. If I am leaving stuff at a campsite, I take anything likely to be stolen (tools, electronic items, etc.) with me.

Some people use cable locks and/or alarms on their luggage, if they leave it unattended.

[Tigerbiten]

I've never had stuff go missing from my trike-trailer on any of my long tours.
I only once had my tent raided at 5 am when I was on the loo, but I had gotten into a habit of not fully shutting my tent.

[Gattonero]

A cable lock is usually enough.

Thieves want to make money, so they need bikes that will sell fast with no hassle or will move on to a better target.
Yobs with hoodies want bikes to make wheelies on the pavement.

The average bike of the humble cyclotourist is not appealing to both of the above, being considered "grandpa's bike" "the heavy clunker" and so on. They don't know about cycling to begin with, would steal anytime a £300RRP Specialized rather than a £2000 Mercian tourer.
Good for us

hmm not true. an lidl aquaintance has an old 531 framed bike that should realy be put down it is in a poor state with a rusted top tube and wheels that need adjusting, the owner is not a bike person. You would have thought no one would want to steal it. Normally the guy locks it up ( this is London ) The other week he wanted to pop into a shop in and out in 30 secs so left bike unlocked - ok fine but then realised he needed to pop into another shop ok then another - by the time he got back this pathetic excuse for a bike was gone. Now the strange thing was, you know they say thieves return to the scene of the crime, well this one did and the real owner was perchance there and collared him ( a kid ). So this old decrepid bike is back in the owners hands.

One out of....how many touring bikes are not stolen?
Had the kid seen an unlocked Specialized/Trek/Marin/etc Mtb right there, which one you think he'd steal?