Fastfwd01

I have very recently picked up a pretty pricey new bike - Cervelo R5 Dura Ace. Now, I'm starting to consider how to handle keeping it secure while traveling and at events. This is my first year of attending events and I've been pretty shocked to see how casually people with super expensive bikes and components leave them unsecured at events. They have more faith in their fellow man than I do most certainly.

My main question for this topic is what everyone's experience has been with what is referenced as *secure* bike checks at events? I'm going to guess that with what I've seen in terms of people leaving their $10k bikes with $3k wheels propped up against a wall unattended that the majority will say that there is nothing to worry about - it's *secure.* Is it? Is there any liability on behalf of the event if it's not and it was claimed to be possibly? Do they carry insurance for that maybe?

69chevy

Motorcycle and Bicycle GPS Trackers - Spybike

These look interesting.

merlinextraligh

I'm sure it has happened, but I've never seen or heard of a bike being stolen at a Century or similar event. I think your risk stopping at rest stops, or around the start of an event is pretty deminimus.

Park it with the other bikes, and keep an eye on it as best you can. Throw a lock on it when its on the car, and don't leave it on the car unattended other than short breaks where you're around the car.

And there are whole threads on here that explain why theft insurance for a bike is a lousy idea.

RPK79

If you leave your bike in an area highly populated by other cyclists how would the potential thief know if you are no where in sight or you're the guy 5 feet away?

bikemig 

Depending on the event, this is where a 2d bike can come in handy; also you can get a cheap lightweight lock.

andr0id

I've been doing cycling events for 40 years and never heard of a bike stolen from centuries or races.

I have read about an incident where bikes were stolen from a triathlon.

HOWSER

Happens all too often. Just this past summer we had a Cervelo stolen off the back of a car at a crit. The woman walked away for just a moment and it was snagged that quick. Was attached to her rack, not locked. I occasionaly her about bikes being stolen from the transition areas at Tri's too. Now that's brave!

happyscientist

A secure bike check at an event might be like the transition zone in triathlons. Before you take your bike in, you have to put a sticker with your race number on the bike. In order to get the bike out, the number on the bike has to match your race number. They also won't let anyone into the transition zone who doesn't have a race number.

Thefts do happen at events, and it sucks. A couple years ago, a race director here had his bike stolen at a cyclocross race. It was probably someone who came in from out of town because the cycling community around here is pretty tight and word went out fast. As far as I know, it has never shown up at any of the local bike shops. However, a bunch of people chipped in $10-20 bucks each and bought the guy a replacement bike.

RPK79

+1

It is very easy to hide a 2d bike since you can easily slide it into a narrow crack and you can take advantage of it only being visible on one plane to hide it from view of most people.

Nachoman

The question of insurance might become irrelevant, depending on the verbiage contained in the liability waiver that you will likely sign before participating in the event.

Fastfwd01

I've seen those while searching recently. Seems like a guy on here said he used a pet tracker of some sort to do the same thing. I need to do a search on that.

CliffordK

I was asked to do a bike check at a non-bike event this weekend, I think. I don't know if it will happen though. I could imagine some events would deal with bikes like a coat check. Check in the bike. Get a ticket. Check out the bike with the ticket.

The one race I went to last year was a cargo race. Once one got inside the "gate", I assume it would be frowned upon to take the bike back out until the start of the event, not that it couldn't happen. But, it meant that everyone was lounging around inside a fenced field with or without the bikes.

indyfabz

While a somewhat different scenario since the bikes were left unattended for longer, five people had expensive bikes lifted from camp during the 2012 edition of Cycle Oregon at the end of the penultimate day of the event. We camped in a park on the outskirts of Klamath Falls, OR, a town that has seen better days. There was a public road bordering the camping area, which I am sure made things easier.

It comes down to situational awareness. Those of us who tour and are not of the mindset that there is a thief waiting behind every tree understand that. If I am doing Cycle Oregon and the lunch stop is in a field in Middle of Nowhere National Forest I won't think twice about letting my bike out of my sight while I fuel up. If I do my club's century this Sunday, which starts in downtown Philly, the bike will stay with me all times at the start, but not at the rest stops out in the 'burbs.

bikemig 

Sometimes a less expensive bike may be a viable option.

WhyFi

Yeah, but the saddles are so uncomfortable.

Sy Reene

Maybe they would watch people leave their bikes and see where they go?

Jiggle

loooooooooooooooooooooooooooool

Monkey D.Luffy

Put it next to a more expensive bike?

bikepro

I agree. I've done so many events in the last 30 years that I'm adding a new room just for the t-shirts. I've never heard of anyone loosing a bike at a rest stop or what ever.

kbarch

Think "safety in numbers."
Secure bike checks are good for keeping bikes in order, so you don't have to worry about where you put it and whether it's in anybody's way. Any sizable, close collection of bikes with riders coming and going is reasonably secure from theft. What's most vulnerable is the straggler out by itself, regardless of what kind of lock is on it.

r8dr_rider

When i take my Specialized Tarmac Mclaren out I just tie a string with a bell on it. If some one steals it i will hear the bell, then i will blow my whistle and alert everyone around. Or as others said use a second bike. It makes perfect sense to buy an expensive bike and not use it and also buy a chepaer bike to use it.

bikemig 

I've always liked having 2 road bikes. Sometimes you have down time on a bike, sometimes it's just good to have a 2d bike. If I were worried about security, I might take the less expensive of the 2 bikes. Lots of good bikes out there and price doesn't necessarily equate to quality. But YMMV and you may feel that what is more expensive is always better.

Jim from Boston

This thread does re-awaken thoughts I have had at the few organized events I have attended, but I do as you do at the start and rest stops. However, if I drive to a ride, I keep the bike inside the locked car, either in the family station wagon, or a rental SUV. In particular I just don't like transporting my high end bike exposed to the elements, especially at freeway speeds.

Rowan

This.

One of the main reasons we bought a van was so we could keep our bikes securely locked up inside to deter thieves. The one bike theft experience was because our bikes were beside the van, unlocked in a camp ground in a town where "nothing like that ever happens here". We've transported bikes on a rear rack since then, but only to get from one state to another, with a total of four bikes inside the van and four on the rear rack. There was a heavy-duty stainless steel chain and locks for it and the linchpin holding the rack on the towbar. Bike theft makes one paranoid like that.

Footnote: We eventually got the stolen bike back, three years later and after a happy coincidence while scanning through eBay.

Bacciagalupe

I don't recall ever seeing a secure bike check at a century.


Uh.... no.


Uh.... no.

Read the fine print. They aren't liable for anything.


Maybe. Maybe not.

My rule of thumb is, don't buy a bike you can't afford to replace. I don't think I'm the only one who follows that maxim.