Stupid question about bike security

[Keith]

This is my first year riding, and I have a question that I'm sure has already been thought of and answered thousands of times - What does everyone do about securing their bikes at night? While I'd hope my fellow riders wouldn't be a concern, I'd imagine anyone interested in stealing an expensive bike would target the campsites. Is somewhere provided to lock up at night? Do people just prop their bikes in the tent? Sorry for what's probably a stupid question, but I am curious.

[RAC]

This is my first year riding, and I have a question that I'm sure has already been thought of and answered thousands of times - What does everyone do about securing their bikes at night? While I'd hope my fellow riders wouldn't be a concern, I'd imagine anyone interested in stealing an expensive bike would target the campsites. Is somewhere provided to lock up at night? Do people just prop their bikes in the tent? Sorry for what's probably a stupid question, but I am curious.

Welcome Keith,
And no that is not a stupid question. I had the same question the first time I signed up for Dalmac.

There are a couple of different approaches to securing your bike.
Some people have a tent large enough to put the bike inside while they are gone or at night while they are sleeping/snoring.
Others put the bike outside along side the tent, with a lock on it to make it more difficult to carry off. Covering it is a good idea
as there is always a lot of dew in the mornings, and your bike will be pretty wet.

I'm sure some other people will chime in with more ideas, but I haven't found security to be a big concern. Most of the overnight stops are at
rural schools, with not many people just walking by to check out the bikes.

You might also want to check into your homeowners insurance policy to see what is covered at your campsite, while away on a camping trip.

I hope this helps with your question.

Another option is to ride a cheap bike and not worry about it at all. That's my plan!

Have fun and see you at Dalmac!

[TREKx2]

I have rarely locked my bike, and when I did it was with a very small lightweight cable and a luggage combo lock around the back wheel and frame. Just enough so that it couldn't be rolled away. The bike either spends the night near the tent leaning against a fence, building, or standing upright with stakes and cord.

I'm personally not aware of any bikes ever being taken, although it seems like the most risky stop could be at CMU.

[wendell]

I'm personally not aware of any bikes ever being taken, although it seems like the most risky stop could be at CMU.

I don't recall the year, but I recall that someone believed to be a student jumped on a bike and tried to ride it away at CMU. I was told that he was quickly caught by other riders, before he got very far. It was following a football game when some students were walking by our tents on the way to the dorms. I believe he was prosecuted.

I've never worried about my bike, but I don't have a mega-bucks ride either. I do cover the bike, both for a small amount of security, and to keep the dew off it as long as possible.