What to do with panniers while touring??

[moodle]

I'm going on a 5 day cycle tour, my first time, and I need to buy some panniers.

One thing is stumping me though - what happens when you have to leave your bike? i.e. stop to go into a museum/church/coffee shop/toilets etc. Do people tend to leave the panniers on the bike or take them with them?

I'm not sure whether to make sure I get panniers with straps. I was just going to buy second hand ones. Surely if you're carrying a tent/sleeping bag etc you don't want to carry them around with you. I guess maybe you set up camp first and then go exporing. But what if this isn't practical?

 

[Jerry Atrik]

I thread a lock through the handles and around the panniers as a visible deterrant and so far so good .

 

[Arch]

Yeah, I've used a small cable threaded through the pannier handles, and the D-lock. I only tend to be leaving mine while I'm in a cafe, and try to keep the bike in sight, or at least somewhere where I can get up and look at it everyso often. But in a lot of places, you'd probably be ok leaving the bike with the bags on. If they can't be removed quickly, I don't think a lot of casual thieves will rummage through, for stuff that is probably not quick and easy to sell. As an added deterrent, pack all your unwashed clothes at the top of the pannier.

Also, you can sometimes find someone, a cafe owner or a small shop assistant* to keep an eye on your stuff.

*I mean an assistant in a small shop, not a pygmy behind a counter.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Yeah, I've used a small cable threaded through the pannier handles, and the D-lock. I only tend to be leaving mine while I'm in a cafe, and try to keep the bike in sight, or at least somewhere where I can get up and look at it everyso often. But in a lot of places, you'd probably be ok leaving the bike with the bags on. If they can't be removed quickly, I don't think a lot of casual thieves will rummage through, for stuff that is probably not quick and easy to sell. As an added deterrent, pack all your unwashed clothes at the top of the pannier.

Also, you can sometimes find someone, a cafe owner or a small shop assistant* to keep an eye on your stuff.

*I mean an assistant in a small shop, not a pygmy behind a counter.

 

[andym]

It depends.

Stop at a church, coffee shop or toilets etc in the country or a small town I tend to park the bike outside. I often lock the bike, but not the panniers. I generally prefer to sit somewhere where I can keep an eye on the bike and I wouldn't leave it for a long time. I'd advise against leaving a bike around in a city.

Museums, often have somewhere to keep bags and it might well be worth asking. Equally there's nothing to stop you taking your panniers off the bike and leaving them in a corner at the back of the church.

Otherwise, yes it may be a question of finding somewhere to camp and then going sightseeing. Unfortunately sometimes this isn't practical - and as they say you have to cut your coat to suit your cloth - but often there's a way round. If there are really important places you want to see then plan your route around these - either identifying a place to stay nearby or making them the focus of a circular day-trip.

Oh and at risk of stating the obvious, it's worth having a separate bag which you can use to carry valuables, definitely don't leave really valuable things with the bike. Some people use a bar bag for this. I wear a backpack - this isn't for everyone, but one option might be to carry a minimalist lightweight backpack bungeed to your rack.

 

[Wardy]

My last two cycle camping trips were with front and rear panniers and I was never in a situation, in transit, where I felt I needed to keep them with me when leaving the bike. Most times, I was able to keep the bike in sight. However, my rear panniers (Altura Arran) had a swivel-out securing device which locked them onto the rack, thus making it impossible for them to be taken off quickly by someone without experience. In addition, I stowed my tent, poles and extra groundsheet on top of them so this effectively hid access to the pannier clips etc.. The front panniers were not so easy to secure. Although I like cycle camping on my own I recognise the advantage of having a pal to look after the bikes while I visit the loo! I think it also depends on where you stop too. There is no way I would leave my bike unattended (even if locked) in a city centre, but going into a village shop in (say) the Scottish countryside is a different matter.

 

[ufkacbln]

I use something called a "Pacsafe"

If you get the 140 Litre one you can put the rear of the bike with panniers inside it in a few seconds

The whole thing then "cinches" tight to the rear stays and carrier.

Prevents opportunistic theft.

 

[psmiffy]

Most of the time you just have to risk it for a biscuit - remove all the cartable valuables and lash the bike to something and sightsee or shop as rapidly as possible – not something I would trust to in the UK but in Europe I am much more trusting – crossed fingers not had a problem so far – all day sightseeing I generally take a day off and have a collapsible back pack to carry those bits and pieces I do not want to leave at the campsite – on one occasion – Venice – I just lashed the lot to the Police Station and hoped that they did not blow it up

 

[ComedyPilot]

For me, I pack my most valuable bits - camera, passport, wallet, phone, iPod etc - in the handle bar pannier, and that goes with me like a man-bag.

Everything else is left with the bike, cable locked up.

 

[frank9755]

I have my valuables in a bar bag. I take that with me and leave the panniers on my bike, unlocked.
Never had a problem. Dirty camping gear - even if it is good quality stuff - can't be top of the list for a casual thief.

I do the same when I go grocery shopping - just load up the panniers between shops.

I have no evidence for this but I always have a feeling that a bike is less attractive to a thief if it has heavy panniers on it than if it doesn't and that locking up my panniers implies they have valuables in them.

 

[Brains]

Our solution is bike pyjamas

You lock the bike up as normal with panniers and then put the cover over both bikes, panniers and all, and lock it to the bike

The bike pyjamams also keep the bikes dry when camping, doube up as a picnic groundheet for lunch and have served an an emergency shelter for us humans

Considering the minimal weight, well worth taking on tour

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[snorri]

andym has spoken my thoughts

I think we develop a "feeling" for security issues and just hope the feeling is right.

 

[Garz]

Brains at least we know where you store the screenshot locally on the home computer!

 

[Bodhbh]

I just leave them as is, although my mate has a small wire lock he puts through the rack and handles. If they're new there's always kicking them around in the muck to give the hobo-on-tour-not-worth-robbing appearance.

 

[Gary Cummins]

I have my valuables in a bar bag. I take that with me and leave the panniers on my bike, unlocked.
Never had a problem. Dirty camping gear - even if it is good quality stuff - can't be top of the list for a casual thief.

I do the same when I go grocery shopping - just load up the panniers between shops.

I have no evidence for this but I always have a feeling that a bike is less attractive to a thief if it has heavy panniers on it than if it doesn't and that locking up my panniers implies they have valuables in them.

I'd agree with all of this!