Leaving camping gear on bike whilst locked up out of sight?

[Sara_H]

Hi folks, just wondering what you all do if yo need to leave bike locked up whilst en route with gear attached?

I have a handbag with phones, purse etc, I have a method for locking panniers to rack but I have a fair bit of expensive gear if you want to go in a museum or restaurant for example where there is no where secure to lave bike/gear?

 

[vernon]

Not had a problem. I left my fully loaded bike locked to railings outside of the Roman amphitheatre in Orange for several hours while I indulged in some awe and wonder. A tent and camping gear is hardly alluring to an opportunistic thief.

In mainland Europe it's possible to leave the bikes in full view when eating at cafes and restaurants normally because I am eating outside. Here in the UK I have asked if I can leave my bike in the yard of the establishment if it isn't possible to see the bike from inside the premises and have never been refused.

 

[headcoat]

I've not had an issue with mine, although I do take my phone, wallet, camera etc with me. Just leave the camping gear, panniers fixed to the bike. I will try and run the lock through the panniers and bike though just as an extra deterrent.

I think it all depends where you are leaving it, ie inner city of small country village.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

We just asked the staff inside the museum if they have somewhere safe we can leave the bikes becuase we wanted to go around the museum. More often than not we have been told to take the bikes around to the back of the building into a staff only area where we have been able to leave the bikes & contents (and this has included my expensive dSLR +lenses) - I usually work on the grounds if someone sees me with a small camera on my shoulder, they believe my bike no longer has one.
Never had an issue, though I always have a feel for the place first and would never consider doing that in a larger city. For us it was museums in the countryside where we did that, it felt odd, but we never had an issue. We would not even lock the bikes in these cases but were travelling through Scandinavia where we felt completely at ease with the situation. Would I have done the same in a city - no, but that is just me: if I wanted to see a museum in a city then we stayed put an extra day (or half day) and the bikes & kit stayed in the room when we went out to be a tourist...