downtube42

When i moved to Texas, I carried two on a trunk rack and shipped one. Cable lock securing bikes to car. At restaurants I'd park with the bikes in sight, and at hotels bring them inside. Wrangling two bikes at hotels was a pain. Felt secure enough.

If i were you, I'd consider shipping one.

Kapusta

My rack is padlocked to my hitch receiver with a very short, thick chain.

morecommas

Yeah, I'm just bringing the mountain bike in that scenario. If you have an extra set of wheels, maybe bring them and fit them with some more road-friendly tires.

rosefarts

Pretty sure it’s just going to be the mountain bike. I might box my gravel up and leave in my garage, and if I feel like I really need it, ask my neighbor to ship. Probably though, it would sit unused. Considering a more permanent “home” this fall. It would great to get the whole rotation of bikes back out by then.

I did end up getting a cover for the bike. We’ll see if I take it by St Louis or fall in love with it.

rm -rf

What kind of cover? Whenever I see items with a bag or tarp cover on a rack or in a pickup, the cover is flapping extremely fast with a lot of force. (And often starting to rip or fray.) The only good coverings are wrapped with rope so there's nothing loose.

GrainBrain

Did I miss anyone suggesting a rental bike? Maybe the cost is prohibitive or the selection is limited? I did it once for a family vacation, we brought my partners bike and I rented. Next time I'll just rent both.

If I was traveling with a friend it's easier to keep an eye on things; if I was going solo I'd leave my personal bikes at home. Or like op mentioned maybe ship them to friends.

Road trip security for me means keeping a low profile. Keeping a clean and unassuming vehicle; a thief should be able to peer in and not be interested.
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mirfi

You have a big vehicle and this may be off the wall (BTW, I'm kinda of a car guy). So it may help 'finding' space.

But I considered popping the rear/passenger seat out of my 20 year old Accord(better gas mileage than other vehicles) for an extended road trip. I looked up removing the seats on Youtube.

Of course I'd be removing pedals/wheels as needed.

Good luck.

SpeedyBlueBiker

I have a bike rack for my SUV but never use it. I prefer to place my bike laying down in my old crappy looking 2002 Honda CRV which I bought five years ago. (It also serves as my trailhead car when off hiking, road biking, or mtn biking) By putting the rear seat down I just take the front wheel off and then place the bike in the storage area. I can also lock my bike to the car as the metal bar that holds the seat in place is now exposed. I use a thick six foot cable and the thickest quality padlock I could find. The bike is then covered with two blankets. There is a tono cover that is in place over the last section of the storage area. The SUV also has dark tinted windows which helps to make inside items less visible. If I were going on a long trip I would look into storing the bike upright to conserve space. Would also want to use a cover to shield the bike from prying eyes. At home I also keep all my bikes locked up as well when not in use.

rosefarts

The suggestions to remove entire seats won’t work. I’m traveling with two kids and my wife and we need a fully functioning vehicle once there. We need to be a two vehicle family once in a place.

We pack for season changes and living in a place. It’s not a ton but between a pack n play (crib), a folding dog kennel, climbing gear, clothes for a family, and a training potty.

This is pretty far removed from the time I moved overseas for a couple years and brought a backpack.

Yes, I realize I’m trying to do too much but my wife and I have a pretty excellent track record of getting things done.

rumrunn6

would be easier if your hobby was fishing. I bought a cover for my bike's drivetrain but I couldn't figure out how to put it on & it tore in the process. now I cover those parts w/ plastic bags & velcro straps & tape. I like this saddle cover tho
Brooks England Nylon Saddle Rain Cover

this one was OK, but wasn't 100% waterproof, so not good for leather saddles. also it degraded over time. I often use it under the Brooks cover, cuz, why not
Serfas Waterproof Seat Cover

maybe this will work for you. probably smarter than me ;-)
M-Wave Bicycle Chain Guard Cover

Michellemayer

Vou acrescentar uma dica sobre segurança: Nunca deixe sua bicicleta montada em um quarto de hotel. Remova sempre pelo menos a frente e, de preferência, ambas as rodas.

Por quê? A coisa mais fácil sobre o roubo de bicicleta é que, uma vez que você liberou a bicicleta, você pode ir embora para o pôr do sol. A remoção de uma ou ambas as rodas torna isso problemático, a menos que o ladrão também seja uma pessoa de bicicleta. Mesmo que o ladrão tenha que remontar as rodas, leva tempo e pode ser apenas o suficiente para fazer com que não valha a pena, porque eles não a levarão como está.

Isso é algo que também recomendo aos alunos - tranque sua bicicleta do lado de fora, leve a roda dianteira com você para a aula. Mais difícil fugir assim.

mstateglfr 

mstateglfr 

In all the times I have brought bikes into hotel rooms, I have never thought to then disassemble the bikes. What are the odds of a hotel room being broken into? I get that it is possible, but is it likely?...or is it really worth planning for?
Its definitely something I can spend a minute thinking about.

mstateglfr 

Since you have gone into specifics, I think its slightly less inappropriate for me to ask something that is really on my mind- are your kids both not yet in school(i can guess one isnt, based on the pack n play) or do you enroll one in the local schools for however long you are there?
I couldnt tell if its a 2.5 week drive all at once or if its 2.5 weeks of driving over many months(you mention 3-6 months per stop).

Its a fascinating setup you guys have and the logistics are interesting.

Herzlos

I'd try and get away with just taking a single bike; it's only a 2.5 week trip. If you need to leave it on the car, take the one of the wheels with you. You could always get one of the fork fixing roof mounts so the bike is locked to the rack without the front wheel, but you're still going to be at risk of someone just breaking the rack off.

That said, for a 2.5 week trip with the kids and dogs, I'd probably just leave the bike at home.

SpeedyBlueBiker

Bom conselho

rosefarts

The kids are 2 and 4.

Typical travel assignments are 13 weeks with 2-3 weeks between assignments. Most people bounce locally within a few different hospitals. My wife and I are a little different. We want to maximize adventure and have fun in an area we probably won’t ever move to

The logistics are daunting. We need two travel assignments and one of those needs to be PRN or part time, availability of a furnished house, and a daycare without a waitlist (some cities, it’s years long). We also rent our house out to other people doing the same thing, and that can be difficult from thousands of miles away.

By this fall, I expect to put both boys in a Montessori school and stay in one place for a while.

This will be a huge road trip, I don’t think we’ll take another assignment that zigs the country again. Besides the poor reliability of Subaru, it’s been a pretty fun time.

mstateglfr 

Well that is an incredible way to live for sure! Get it in while you can and then settle. Its good to try to do a lot of living in the time you have to do it.
As a parent of 2 Montessori kids, I can tell you its a quirky approach at times, but is also a really neat way to learn when done well. My oldest is now in HS, but the school is a pre-K thru 8th grade school that is a little bubble and keeps em from having to deal with too much of the crap that kids are forced to deal with at too early an age.

Your planning skills will never be questioned in life too!

Michellemayer

Sorry, I found the tip valuable, which I ended up reposting. I'm in Brazil, and I try to translate to Portuguese. One more time, sorry. Michelle

Camilo

In your shoes, I'd seriously look into the viability of a small enclosed trailer which you'd use a lot for household items and secure weather safe transport and secure storage of bikes, it seems to me. We weren't working, but traveled with our two kids (2nd and 5th grade) for a year in small VW-sized camper vans.... with four bikes. Half year in Europe with an actual VW camper van and the other half in Australia with a Ford/Mazda similar-sized van. The bikes were two in back and two in front on tray-type carriers, but they weren't very expensive bikes so I wasn't very concerned about rain, road grime or theft. But all we had other than that were a bare, bare minimum of clothing and some basic camping gear and we outfitted the vans with basic discount store cooking stuff when we got there. We didn't have all the stuff you need to actually set up households from time to time and the special additional stuff that such young kids need. For you moving from job to job and staying put for a quarter at a time, boy, enjoying good quality bikes, a small enclosed trailer would make your life a lot easier, I'd think, and an not unreasonable expense of that great lifestyle.

soyabean

I assume you are not travelling alone.

What I do is have one person remain in the vehicle as one other one gets food at roadstops. Eat in the vehicle.

At my destination hotels/airbnb, store them inside.

On the days we aren't biking and take the vehicle out instead, bring along all the seatposts and front wheels, so the bikes in the room are unattractive.

coffeesnob

get a van

Ironfish653

IMHO, a little common sense goes a long way. Contrary to BF lore, there aren't roaming gangs of mechanized bike theives, just waiting to steal your **** the second it's out of your sight. Most of the time, bikes get stolen from places like trailheads and public parking racks because it's a known spot where there are going to regularly be bikes left unattended for long periods of time.
​​​​​Constantly moving from place to place is a form of security in itself.

​​​​​Same goes for securing the bike when you're on the go; a little bit goes a long way:. Lock the bike to the rack to the vehicle frame. I like cables, some people prefer chains, but nothing is 100% "un-stealable". The point is to discourage the opportunists, by making it obvious that it's going to take some extra time, so maybe look for something easier.
When I have to leave the bikes on the car for a short while, I try to park front and center, where there's constant traffic and attention. Parking at the end, or around the corner will reduce your visibility, but it also can provide cover for anyone messing with your stuff. Backing up into a Holly bush is a good idea; I've used that before.
Keep your bike in the hotel room, for sure. Also unless you're traveling to an event with your "good" bike, bring your #2 or #3 bike. It'll be less painful if something does happen to it.


rosefarts a small trailer might not be a bad idea for an extended trip, with two littles, depending on how self-sufficient you're trying to be (how much stuff you're bringing with you,) it's a whole other set of considerations, but could make it more comfortable than weeks with a packed-to-the-gills passenger vehicle

rosefarts

Great ideas overall.

Ive managed the first 1700 miles without incident. The bike cover absolutely isn’t worth it. Even directly behind a suv, it still catches too much wind.

Im not worried about someone stealing my rack. It’s old with rust spots. At around 50lbs, I don’t think the rust it has is structural. Feels like a tank to me. I tighten it to the bumper with a big hardened bolt, though I may add spacers for wiggle.

I use a U-lock and cable. Tomorrow I’m passing by my address, I’ll swap the gravel for MTB. It won’t have the geometry to use the u lock. I do like the idea of one of those monster chains. I’ll look into it.

My biggest concern is coming up. The bike might have to spend some time on the back in both Pueblo and Albuquerque, neither have a great reputation crime wise. I’m brainstorming ideas to get everything inside before our urban errands in each spot.

50PlusCycling

"Albuquerque, New Mexico. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.*

I write this as a native of the city. Crime, violence, drugs, and police who are as dangerous as the criminals (I am also a veteran of law enforcement). Avoid the central area of the city, east of the mountains there is a highway with nearby trails which runs from Carlsbad, Roswell, passes the old fort where Billie the Kid is buried, then up to Cerrillos (it used to be the perhaps the last remaining Old West town), then on to Santa Fe. The sun is deadly, so wear good sunscreen.