Locking bikes & panniers during the day in Europe (in urban setting)

[Looserlama]

Hi!

So I will be biking across Europe this summer, and one of the last things I was wondering was how you advise to best lock up my bike during the day?

For evenings I'm not too worried: if we're camping out of town we'll tie our bikes to a tree and if we're staying in a hostel or hotel we'll bring the bikes into our room. What I'm concerned with is during the day: if we stop at a café or at a grocery store in a town or city how should we lock our bikes? And what should we do with our panniers?

The reason I'm so concerned with this is because so far we've opted for lighter weight locks (these), which should be fine to deter someone from stealing our bike in a rural setting, but when we get to cities or towns I'm worried these won't cut it. Obviously if we're going to go explore a city we could potentially find a bike shop that might be willing to hold on to our bikes for the day, but when we're doing quick stops, like lunch in café for ex., what should we do? Also, should we bring all our panniers in with us? Because that would be a lot to bring into a small café for ex., but it would be very bad if someone took off with our tent or stove or gas canister (I will always have my valuables with me, but these are bulkier items I don't think I'd like to lug around a grocery store for ex.).

I don't particularly want to buy a U-lock, because they're pretty heavy, so I'm not really sure how to deal with it. So what do you think I should do? Any advice or experience with this would be amazing!

FYI: we'll be biking through Spain, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, Sweden & Norway.
(I'm sorry if there's already a post about this, I've found some about locking bikes overnight, but not for these situations)

 

[snorri]

Leave panniers on the bike but try to get a window seat in the café from where you can keep an eye on it.
It is possible to purchase a wire mesh/net that covers the entire pannier and can be padlocked in place but if some desperado really wants your gear, he will have it regardless. There is only so much you can reasonably do but if you exercise common sense I don't believe the risks of theft are so very high.
When wishing to explore a city I opt for a hostels stay where I can leave the bike indoors and sightsee on foot.

 

[Mark Grant]

On my few trips in France I have found that we can usually prop our bikes up outside the cafe where we are sitting outside at a table fairly close to them. If we stopped at a boulangerie or supermarket to buy some baguettes and pastries for lunch later, one would wait with the bikes and the other go in to buy lunch. There were many times when touring alone I would leave my fully loaded bike locked outside a supermarket. Most people are not thieves, but it is sensible to always keep valuables with you.

 

[Looserlama]

Ok, all that makes perfect sense. That's very reassuring, thanks!

On a similar note: would you recommend a wheel lock, like this? I already have a pinhead lock on the front wheel.

 

[Mark Grant]

Ok, all that makes perfect sense. That's very reassuring, thanks!

On a similar note: would you recommend a wheel lock, like this? I already have a pinhead lock on the front wheel.

I've only ever used a 'medium duty' cable lock.

 

[Brandane]

I use a long steel cable designed for motorbikes, along with a brass Yale padlock. Something like this:

Mine is about 4' long and not overly heavy. I thread it through the back wheel, frame, pannier handles, and onto a solid fitting like a lamp post. Then I carry smaller valuables with me in my handlebar bag. Obviously it's not going to stop a determined thief, but it might deter chancers. I always try to park up in an area with a high footfall in the hope that someone might intervene if they see someone with a set of bolt cutters (or scissors - for the pannier handles)! So far I have been lucky. That includes abandoning bike and panniers outside branches of Carrefour and disappearing for an hour or so in different areas of France.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Take a proper Sold Secure Gold U-lock. The weight difference is not massive on a fully-loaded touring setup, and cheap locks are worse than useless as they give you a false sense of security.

 

[Bodhbh]

Like Snorri said, if I want to spend time exploring a city I'd prolly camp up or check in a hostel, leave the bike there, then do it on foot. For cafe breaks, I leave everything but the barbag on the bike and try to keep it in line-of-sight...where possible. If you think what a PITA unclipping 4 panniers and carrying them about is - no one is running off with them while you're having a coffee...unless it's with the bike. I've just got a cable lock, so it's good for stopping someone hopping on it and riding off, but that's about it.

 

[samid]

I use a U-lock and if going into a cafe try to keep the bike in sight, taking the bar bag with me. For touring, it is important to get the widest U-lock you can find, as sometimes it needs to go around a tree.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

We took a D lock each and a (easily cut but stops an opportunist) spiral cable lock with us.
And as you said it is a we, which makes life much easier. One of you does the shopping the other stays with bikes and kit. Museums we would just go in and ask if they had anywhere they would store them for us and in Scandinavia and Turkey, this wasn't a problem usually and they would find somewhere suitable for us to leave the bikes and kit whilst we went around that museum.

One thing we did find really useful were 2 little bits of elastic (tent pole elastic, 3mm shock cord) on a Locking Toggle (these things). We would put them over the brake levers and the bikes go nowhere when they are on. Pulling them tight stops the bikes dead in their tracks... this is useful for 2 reasons, the first is that it stops someone rolling the bike away, because they don't see them! and the second is that it stops the bike rolling away! Think about that sentence for a moment, you are trying to prop your bike against a wall and there is a slope... put the brakes on and the bike is much more stable. Carrying the cord gives you a spare is one breaks in your tent pole, (not to mention spare for tent peg elastics) and you can make these toggles up really easily as well.

 

[Bodhbh]

One thing we did find really useful were 2 little bits of elastic (tent pole elastic, 3mm shock cord) on a Locking Toggle (these things). We would put them over the brake levers and the bikes go nowhere when they are on. Pulling them tight stops the bikes dead in their tracks... this is useful for 2 reasons, the first is that it stops someone rolling the bike away, because they don't see them! and the second is that it stops the bike rolling away!

Ha! I do the same, although after snapping a few rubbers bands, hairbands, etc., settled on a spare velcro strap (reflective ankle straps are good for it too). But more than once I've got on the bike or tried to move it and wondered wtf is going on. Then the penny drops. If I'm stupid enough to fall for something I should already know about, I guess it'll probably slow down a thief as well.

 

[CopperBrompton]

I've just got a cable lock, so it's good for stopping someone hopping on it and riding off, but that's about it.

Only drunks ... Anyone who goes out with any intent at all to steal a bike will snip it in one second flat with a pair of hand-croppers and be off down the road before you even get out of the cafe.

I would honestly say you want a proper lock or nothing. If you have nothing, you know your bike is vulnerable and won't stray more than a few feet from it; if you use a cheap lock, you will probably fool yourself into thinking it's ok if you can see it through the cafe window.

 

[Arrowfoot]

Get a very light weight cloth or nylon cargo net to drape over the bike and the panniers. Get a small D lock and a spiral cable. The whole bike drapped in a cargo net protects the bike and the panniers. Its also throws off any opportunist. The kryptonite d-lock can be sleeved into a holder strapped to the top tube.

 

[Bodhbh]

Only drunks ... Anyone who goes out with any intent at all to steal a bike will snip it in one second flat with a pair of hand-croppers and be off down the road before you even get out of the cafe.

I would honestly say you want a proper lock or nothing. If you have nothing, you know your bike is vulnerable and won't stray more than a few feet from it; if you use a cheap lock, you will probably fool yourself into thinking it's ok if you can see it through the cafe window.

Yes I know, I've cut a 'good' cable lock before - a mate who locked it round his seatube and lost the key. With bolt cutters, it took...2-3 seconds...well, the time it took to go *snip* with moderate effort...if you are in a hurry, it would be less.

Sorry I've had a few and probably can't put up a proper argument. At least a cable lock stops everyone but a tooled-up bike thief. Tooled-up bike thiefs hang about city centre bike racks. If you're stopping for 30mins in a random cafe with good line of sight, I can't see it's likely. Reading between the lines, I think I agree with you tho that awareness where your bike will be vulnerable and being careful is worth more than a lock...I could double D-lock my bike outside kings X, go exploring for the day come back and find a stripped frame.

You have to have some faith in human nature as well, or you go nuts, and that spoils your trip.

 

[ufkacbln]

I have used a "PacSafe" for years

The larger version will envelop the rear of a bike including the panniers and then "cinches" around the bottom bracket and rack stays

I doubt it would deter a determined thief but certainly would deter the opportunists