Touring alone

[martint235]

Ok it's not really touring as such. It's a one day blast from London to Lancashire but I will be on my own. So it's the basic practicalities such as:

1. How do you judge a place safe to leave a bike while you have breakfast?
2. Ditto for toilet stops?

I do have a lock, it's not great and if someone turns up with boltcutters and a van I'll probably be in the middle of Derbyshire without a bike unless I'm fairly close to it

Tia

 

[numbnuts]

Get yourself these and you will be fine the D lock on frame and the cable on both wheels
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/abus-granit-53-ush-bracket-bike-d-lock-230mm/
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kryptonite-kryptoflex-4-foot-cable-bike-lock/

 

[alans]

Ok it's not really touring as such. It's a one day blast from London to Lancashire but I will be on my own. So it's the basic practicalities such as:

1. How do you judge a place safe to leave a bike while you have breakfast?
2. Ditto for toilet stops?

I do have a lock, it's not great and if someone turns up with boltcutters and a van I'll probably be in the middle of Derbyshire without a bike unless I'm fairly close to it

Tia

I'll respond further,later 'cause I'm off to give my daughter away to a very decent chap who will soon be referred to as SiL.
Meantime I've sent you a message

 

[martint235]

Cheers. Looks like time to invest in a d-lock then.

 

[Scoosh]

Slightly facetious response:
1 if they allow you to take it in with you/sit where you can see it
2 if they allow ...

More considered:
If you choose your stops such that they are in more rural/not in major urban areas and have a light-ish weight lock you should be OK. If someone comes with boltcroppers and a van, there's not much you can do - anywhere, anytime.

If in any doubt, ask inside if there is a safe place to leave your bike; if not you can take your custom elsewhere.

As a passing thought - if you have a reasonable idea of your route, you could ask any cycling clubs in the area/ CTC/ CycleChatters ...

Here's a couple of links I've found :
CTC Cyclists's Welcome
YACF

There are sure to be others.

 

[martint235]

Cheers for the links. I know the route (or at least the GPS does) and it's largely A road stuff (ok, ok pretty much exclusively!). The only things I don't really know are the timings. I know I'm leaving my house in SE London at midnight and I'm hoping to hit the outskirts of Nuneaton by 6am but as others will no doubt be along to mention, my timings have been known to be wildly inaccurate.

 

[Friz]

I know I'm leaving my house in SE London at midnight and I'm hoping to hit the outskirts of Nuneaton by 6am

Nothing to add other than what's been posted already but I have to say I like yer style...

 

[GrumpyGregry]

breakfast where I can see it. and I lock it anyway with a cafe lock.

No. one's it comes into public loo's with me.
No. two's, the u lock comes out along with the two cable's (thick one for wheels, thin one for brooks saddle and helmet if used) - as a result I avoid no. two's when riding alone, but I'm a pretty regular kind of guy.

MaccyD's generally don't have a problem ime with you bringing your bike in for breakfast btw.

 

[martint235]

Nothing to add other than what's been posted already but I have to say I like yer style...

Well it is a solo blast and there's nothing to see in the dark anyways. I may ease up when I hit the peak district (I may have no choice!)

 

[CopperBrompton]

Your style of touring is a little faster than mine ...

+1 for the Abus Granit Plus.

I find with most cafe stops, you can position the bike where you can see it, so as long as it's got anything other than a cable lock, that will give you enough time to get to it if you see anything suspicious. I tend to use hedge-stops so there's no-one around during those moments when you are unable to get to your bike immediately ...

 

[Crankarm]

If you are cycling London to Lancashire in one day you are going to be in the saddle practicallly the whole time, so little opportunity for your bike to be stolen. Are you anxious of being bike jacked? I wouldn't bother with a lock. Your bike will always be in view. Honestly London to Lancs in one day is good going. Chapeau if you make it.

 

[Ian Cooper]

1. How do you judge a place safe to leave a bike while you have breakfast?
2. Ditto for toilet stops?

There is no such thing as a safe place to leave a bike unlocked. Even if you can see it, if it's unlocked and someone grabs it, what are you going to do? Can you run faster than a thief can cycle?

If you must leave your bike unlocked, get some of those MKS removable pedals, remove them whenever you're away from it, and keep the bike in sight, so that if someone steals the bike, they will have to run off with it and you will probably catch them.

By the way, London to Lancashire is a heck of a ride. When I was in top cycling shape, I considered attempting (by bicycle) the highwayman Swift Nick Nevison's famous horse ride (often attributed to Dick Turpin) of London to York in one day. But in the end I never did it. I wish I had, as that would have been something to tell the grandkids about.

 

[martint235]

There is no such thing as a safe place to leave a bike unlocked. Even if you can see it, if it's unlocked and someone grabs it, what are you going to do? Can you run faster than a thief can cycle?

If you must leave your bike unlocked, get some of those MKS removable pedals, remove them whenever you're away from it, and keep the bike in sight, so that if someone steals the bike, they will have to run off with it and you will probably catch them.

Sorry I do have a lock but not a D Lock at the moment. It would hold someone with bolt cutters up about as long as "We might need to get the bolt cutters from the van"

It is going to be food stops (breakfast around Nuneaton hopefully) and toilet stops. I'm planning on being finished by 4pm but please see point above about my timings being wildly inaccurate. Certainly hoping for daylight otherwise the parents will start to worry!!

 

[bigjim]

Try not to stop at cafes. Use the layby trailer food stops. Cheaper as well. Big bowl of porridge and fruit before you go. 2 malt loaves on you. Hedge for comfort stops. I use a £1 shop cable lock and keep bike in sight. A thief fiddling with the lock gives me plenty of time to go over and floor him.

 

[martint235]

Try not to stop at cafes. Use the layby trailer food stops. Cheaper as well. Big bowl of porridge and fruit before you go. 2 malt loaves on you. Hedge for comfort stops. I use a £1 shop cable lock and keep bike in sight. A thief fiddling with the lock gives me plenty of time to go over and floor him.

Cheers I'd forgotten about those trailers and I'm guessing once I'm outside London they'll be fairly frequent on an A road.