Bike shelter and safety

[Solrider]

Call me paranoid but I have some questions regarding bike safety and shelter while out on the trail.  First, here in Arizona we don't have to worry about rain that much, but I was curious what, if anything, people were doing to keep their bike from getting soaked during an overnight rainstorm.  Should I just not bother to worry about it?  On my motorcycle I drag a tarp along that is big enough to use over the bike and tent if I need to not only for rain but against the hot desert sun as well.  In the lower desert where I'll be doing a lot of my riding I don't exactly have a lot of trees to park my bike under to keep it dry/cool.

Second, I'm wondering what folks are doing about keeping their bikes from getting stolen.  I've done a lot of backpacking and generally haven't had any problems out in the wilderness, but if I want to stop in a town for supplies or lunch, I can usually drag my gear in with me.  A bike, probably not.  So are you all carrying locks with you, not concerned about it, or what?

Sorry for the trivial questions, I'm just interested to know what everyone else has experienced out there.

I'm hoping to get out for my first bikepacking adventure in January, it will probably be solo and we do tend to have a couple rainy weekends here around that time so I'm just trying to plan ahead.  I'll be switching my gear from tent to Nemo Gogo bivy, as I'm looking to go as light as possible.  Thus, I don't want to carry any extra gear I won't be needing. 

[Done]

Hi Solrider,

Likewise, I hate leaving my bike in the rain. But on a bikepacking trip, I stop worrying about it. A little rain won't ruin a well-maintained bike. That said, on the CTR this year (which was incredibly rainy), I somehow managed to fill up my Cannondale Headshok with water. When I took it into the shop for servicing, water actually squirted out of the top! A little TLC (and a lot of fresh grease), and all was well.

I'm a big fan of Gore cables when the trail gets wet. No rusty or contaminated cables!

In places where I'm worried about my bike being stolen, I sometimes carry a lightweight cable luggage lock. While too wimpy to deter a determined thief, I think that it might buy a couple of minutes--which is all I'm ever away from my bike anyway. A good trick is to buckle your helmet to a wheel, so that a would-be thief can't get away as quickly. A similar trick is to shift into your fastest gears, or pull the chain off of the front rings, so that the bike can't easily be peddled. In short, stay close to your bike, and make it difficult for someone to ride away with it before you can catch them!

Cheers,
Toby

[Solrider]

Toby thanks for the reply.  I should mention that I'm riding SS so no gears.  I do like your suggestions though.  I guess on those rides where I think I might be stopping in town for something I'll have to drag a cable lock along.

[flatfishy]

Try a smallish padlock through the front chain ring and over the chain which would only allow half a pedal stroke at most.

[AZTtripper]

Small lock through the chain ring that's a new one sounds like it would work for a ride away but not the throw in the back of a truck.

I have in the past carried a small cable (Kryptonite seatpost cables) and lock. Lately I have been going with the helmet and gear change system.

I think it depends on the situation. Some places may let you bring the bike in and then again in some small towns I am not as worried. Knock on wood.

[Done]

Try a smallish padlock through the front chain ring and over the chain which would only allow half a pedal stroke at most.

That's an awesome idea!

I wish that there was a device that would lock the front brakes after ten or twenty pedal revolutions. Whoops!

[jhl99]

Call me paranoid   

You are paranoid!!!  In the east, we have rain... and not just at night, and it sometimes rains when we are riding :-) 

Bikes are tough, rain doesn't hurt them.  Carry some chain lube in your tool kit and don't worry about the rain.

[Solrider]

Sounds good, thanks everyone for the replies.  I wasn't worried as much about the bike dealing with the rain as I was me dealing with a soggy bike! 

[LaurensDXC]

I always carry around a small 2 person tent. So... I kinda sleep next to my bike. Tends to hurt when ur moving too much in your sleep, but you'll have the comforting thought of having your bike safely next to you.

about the rain... Well, if it hadn't been a bike, it wouldnt have been wet lol. Lots of grease.

Once replaced my crankset and a full glass of water came out of my frame, I've seen a lot but that was "WOW"; drilled a small hole and it's been dry ever since.

[Dallas.S]

I wish that there was a device that would lock the front brakes after ten or twenty pedal revolutions. Whoops!
[/quote]

I LOVE THIS IDEA! lol.

[cjsbike]

Call me paranoid but I have some questions regarding bike safety and shelter while out on the trail.  First, here in Arizona we don't have to worry about rain that much, but I was curious what, if anything, people were doing to keep their bike from getting soaked during an overnight rainstorm.  Should I just not bother to worry about it?  On my motorcycle I drag a tarp along that is big enough to use over the bike and tent if I need to not only for rain but against the hot desert sun as well.  In the lower desert where I'll be doing a lot of my riding I don't exactly have a lot of trees to park my bike under to keep it dry/cool.

Here in northern Michigan it does rain a fair amount.  I do not worry about the bike getting wet.  I properly maintained bike will do fine in the rain.  I bring a small bottle of lube with a little bit of rag and chopped down tooth brush for needed maintenance after multiple days on the trail.

Second, I'm wondering what folks are doing about keeping their bikes from getting stolen.  I've done a lot of backpacking and generally haven't had any problems out in the wilderness, but if I want to stop in a town for supplies or lunch, I can usually drag my gear in with me.  A bike, probably not.  So are you all carrying locks with you, not concerned about it, or what?

Bike theivery can happen. I do not carry a lock or similar, kind of heavy and limited room in my packs.  I do park the bike as close as I can to my sleeping arrangements so I can hear unwanted guests.  For resupplying at grocery stores I bring the bike into the lobby or entrance way with no problems, usually.  I was kicked out of a store on a trip in July because the manager thought I would get the tile dirty with my dusty rig!  For restaurants I park near a window and request a seat/table at that window, plus the seat/table needs to be close to the door so I have time to use my Kung Fu skills on the theif!  For the most part I do not think about it because my 29er is custom size XXL.  Unless the theif is 6 feet, 5 inches with a 35 inch inseam then I will worry.  Kind of custom anti-theft geometry!

Sorry for the trivial questions, I'm just interested to know what everyone else has experienced out there.

I'm hoping to get out for my first bikepacking adventure in January, it will probably be solo and we do tend to have a couple rainy weekends here around that time so I'm just trying to plan ahead.  I'll be switching my gear from tent to Nemo Gogo bivy, as I'm looking to go as light as possible.  Thus, I don't want to carry any extra gear I won't be needing.

Enjoy your first trip!  You will love it and be hooked.  That new Revelate Tangle bag will work awesome!

-Chad

[Solrider]

Thanks again.  Considering I had the catalytic converter cut out of my truck at work a couple months ago I'm sure you all can understand my paranoia.  I also work on a college campus where bike theft is high, locked or not.  I was also just reading about a state park here that I was thinking about visiting that is having a major problem with thieves coming into camp and taking anything not nailed down in the middle of the night.  This would have been a motorcycle trip, not bicycle but its still the same...camping next to the bike with nowhere safe for gear except maybe in the tent with me!

[Damnitman]

Where I live in Alaska, the only bikepacking to be had is during the winter...the tundra bogs, sloughs and rivers all freeze (mostly), and snowmachine (snowmobiles for you southern folk) traffic creates a network of trails with near endless probabilities.  That being said, it is also very easy to die out here, shelter is not always accessible (even materials for building improvised shelters)...to make things more interesting, temp swings of 40f are not uncommon (it was nearly -10f two days ago, it was almost 35f today and the forecast is for a return to nearly -10 day after tomorrow...well, at least it hasn't rained like it normally does).  So, anyways, I feel the need to bring shelter with me on anything more than a day trip.  What I found was one of these http://www.lifesystems.co.uk/psec/mountain_survival/bothy_8.htm  the large is big enough that I can fit my bike and bivy inside this thing.  My bike is protected from drifting snow, rain, sleet...everything.  I even have enough room inside to fire up the MSR.  In high winds I can tie-out the top corners nice and low (kinda like a lean-to) to help shed wind...the seams are taped, and it is fairly small, not much bigger than a Foster's oil can...No more 1/4 of ice on the bike, no more pogies full of snow, no frozen brakes, no frost covered seat...There are a couple different brands and sizes, but the one I linked above is the tallest I could find, specifically to facilitate sheltering my bike...I could have bought the two person just for the bike, but I thought it silly that my bike should be better protected than me...This Bothy has also allowed me to drop a bit of bulk and weight from my bivy, I was using an OR Advanced or Alpine ( which is a great choice for winter use!) and now use my MH Conduit SL (more of a snocave-use bag cover than stand alone bivy)

So, I guess long story short, you are not alone in your bike exposure paranoia...

[Mike Brown]

I use a hammock and my bike sleeps beneath me and my tarp if worried about rain.

For in-town security, I use a super cheap child's bike lock/chain I've had since 4th grade.  Fits into the cup of my hand and is very light.  Yes, I could break by using the bike as lever, but it'll still stop most thieves.

[Solrider]

Where I live in Alaska, the only bikepacking to be had is during the winter...the tundra bogs, sloughs and rivers all freeze (mostly), and snowmachine (snowmobiles for you southern folk) traffic creates a network of trails with near endless probabilities.  That being said, it is also very easy to die out here, shelter is not always accessible (even materials for building improvised shelters)...to make things more interesting, temp swings of 40f are not uncommon (it was nearly -10f two days ago, it was almost 35f today and the forecast is for a return to nearly -10 day after tomorrow...well, at least it hasn't rained like it normally does).  So, anyways, I feel the need to bring shelter with me on anything more than a day trip.  What I found was one of these http://www.lifesystems.co.uk/psec/mountain_survival/bothy_8.htm  the large is big enough that I can fit my bike and bivy inside this thing.  My bike is protected from drifting snow, rain, sleet...everything.  I even have enough room inside to fire up the MSR.  In high winds I can tie-out the top corners nice and low (kinda like a lean-to) to help shed wind...the seams are taped, and it is fairly small, not much bigger than a Foster's oil can...No more 1/4 of ice on the bike, no more pogies full of snow, no frozen brakes, no frost covered seat...There are a couple different brands and sizes, but the one I linked above is the tallest I could find, specifically to facilitate sheltering my bike...I could have bought the two person just for the bike, but I thought it silly that my bike should be better protected than me...This Bothy has also allowed me to drop a bit of bulk and weight from my bivy, I was using an OR Advanced or Alpine ( which is a great choice for winter use!) and now use my MH Conduit SL (more of a snocave-use bag cover than stand alone bivy)

So, I guess long story short, you are not alone in your bike exposure paranoia...

Wow that thing is awesome!  Thanks for sharing, might need to order one just to have for other purposes!

[martinkates]

fully agree, hmm... Prioritise, shelter and safety, u'll never go wrong

[bartspedden]

I also saw a great idea like the lock through the chain ring on bikehacks, but instead of the chain ring the lock goes through either the front or rear rotor.  Check out the post here: http://www.bikehacks.com/bikehacks/2011/05/bike-disc-brake-lock-hack.html