Righto I’m taking a few days off at the end of the month to cycle (most) of NCN 2; pretty much riding from Plymouth to Brighon.
I’ve got the train ticket booked, memory map plotted out, and figuring out how LITTLE I can get away with carrying!

However, I’ve never done a little tour before, and wondered if it’s sensible/the done thing to carry a lock?
It might be a bit pointless tying £2k worth of metal with a lightweight lock, no? If so – what do people do when they pop into a shop/pub/loo….?

Also, anyone live in/near Plymouth or Exmouth with suggestions of good bivvy spots?!

Cheers

DrP

Would have thought that a reasonable lightweight cable lock would make the difference for shop/loo stops, so I would take one. Last time I toured (a long time ago) that’s all I took. Didn’t want the weight of a massive lock and wasn’t intending to go off for long periods of time away from the bike.

Never bother.

Just cross shift the gears without pedaling so its incredibly difficult to ride away without busting their nuts

If its a really dodgy looking area i might take out the front skewar and take it with me.

Doesnt help if the load it into a van but given its unlikely to be out of sight its never worried me.

If it’s just for popping in to shops etc then a lightweight cable lock will be fine. I usually make a judgement based on where I am likely to stop (e.g. Highlands of Scotland I’d not bother).

For the actual bivvying – if you’re somewhere your bike is likely to be stolen then it’s not the best place for a bivvy.

I took a D lock and cable lock on my touring trips as figured they don’t take up much space in the panniers and I was carrying so much weight anyway. Did not want my bike stolen as it would rather spoil things and didn’t know how safe a place I could find to keep it at night.

Did that uber lightweight titanium ‘band’ lock ever take off or become available??

DrP

Spesh cable lock for frame and wheel to post etc.
Lightweight extension cable through the panniers/saddle etc if anywhere dodgy or you have to leave everything for a while.

It might be a bit pointless tying £2k worth of metal with a lightweight lock, no? If so – what do people do when they pop into a shop/pub/loo….

Well not really one of the little wire ones (which can be cut with a decent pair of pliers – but are compact and light weight) will stop the opportunist from walking past and helping themselves.

If you are only in a shop or the loo then unless someone is ‘tooled up’ they aren’t going to get your bike. Overnight or a long food / pub stop someone might go and get tools and come back for your bike, but its much less likely than if it were unlocked completely. The better the lock the more secure, but also the heavier. If I had somewhere safe to keep it overnight and wasn’t going anywhere dodgy I’d be happy with one of these: http://www.alloutdoor.co.uk/pacsafe/pacsafe-locks/pacsafe-retractasafe-100-smoke.htm?gclid=CK_k1pjCyMACFWX3wgod_TkAfQ

I try to avoid towns and cities when i’m touring as they’re a pain to navigate mostly, so i tend to stop in little village shops. I figure the bikes less at risk there so don’t normally carry a d-lock. I just put it in the highest gear and put a little brass padlock through a hole in the disc rotor – it’ll make a mess if someone tries to ride it but I’d rather that than lose my bike. If it looks dodgy enough to need a big lock, I wouldn’t stop there.

light and useful
I just take something like this for shop stops, should stop an opportunist scrote running off with it.
Edit, in fact it’s the same as the Pacsafe one linked to above but was £3 in TK Maxx.

That cable lock looks like it would do the job..packs down nice and small..
I won’t have panniers – just seat pack (10L) and partial frame bag.

DrP

I have a Hiplock which I use when riding my bike around town for errands. You don’t even know you’re wearing it. Haven’t toured with it admittedly. Just don’t fall off; you’ll face certain death (apparently).

Get a lightweight lock like a poundshop job. Its more for the visibility of the lock, than someone being able to crack it

When I stop at the pub or cafe I just use a very long cable lock and artfully run it through the frame and every component possible in every possible combination. In fact I successfully confuse myself with how to remove it!

Assuming the Wessex Way has been postponed? Looking forward to a report and pics of this one. 🙂

I’ve been thinking about the same.

You can buy stainless steel wire and have swaged eyes fitted, choose length and diameter to suit.

4mm would be hard work with most side cutters, 6mm and larger to resist hand held wire cutters.

Yacht chandlers or online, like here, S3i

Those cable locks are also usually available from snow and rock or equiv sold as ski locks if there happens to be one local to you.

Plymouth to Brighton? I’d definitely take a decent lock.

A mini d-lcok like this might work, i’ve got one and its about 900g.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Onguard-Mini-Pitbull-14mm-Shackle-D-U-Key-120cm-Coil-Combo-Bike-Lock-lk8008-/131248906937

Last time i did some touring, i took a full-size D-lock. It was a loaded tour though, and we wanted to leave the bikes and go off and do stuff mid-route.

I’ve a little “Targus defcon” alarmed combination cable lock.

Forget pliars, a good pair of scisors would get through it eventualy, but it’s enough to stop someone walking off with it, and if they did try and cut it the alarm would go off and I’d be able to run out of the shop. Weighs about the same a an innertube at a guess.

I did NCN 2 many years ago and one night we planned to camp at John Grimshaw’s brothers farm which is pretty much on the route. (As it turned out we bumped into a friend who lived in the area and we stayed at his place….)

I can’t remember the name of the farm, but, if you can work out which farm it is then I’m sure it would be a good place to stop. (Although maybe he’s sick to death of cyclists by now!!!)

(John Grimshaw used to be the head honcho at Sustrans)

Have a good time, from what I remember it was a great route. There used to be an option of a tidal crossing point somewhere, some folks got the times wrong and ended up wading across holding their bikes above their heads

It might be a bit pointless tying £2k worth of metal with a lightweight lock, no? If so – what do people do when they pop into a shop/pub/loo….?

I had £8k of carbon locked up with a light, thin, cable lock I got free with MBUK (so pretty cheap) whenever I was off the bike in Whistler. It’s purely a deterrent, but seems to work. (though tbf there were plenty of similar value bikes not locked up for any prospective theives)

+1 for the little cafe stop locks with the wire and combination code. They’ll not stop someone with a pair of snips, but it’s a good deterrent for the casual scrote. It’s what I use – I just stop in what I hopefully judge to be the ‘right’ places. I avoided a busy supermarket butty stop the other day on my short tour because of the amount of characters hanging around. The grub I got at the independent place a few miles further on reminded me I’d made the right choice on two counts!

Thin cable lock is handy for when you pop into Spar etc. Sometimes the milkshakes are at the back of the shop and you lose sight of the bike.

I also “Monkey Puzzle” the bike with the Helmet strap clipped round down tube and through front wheel.

Try not to cut your hand off 😉

For bivvy sites near exmouth I would check out Woodbury common it’s crossed by a couple of roads and loads of bridal ways that you could push down lots of little wooded areas to offer some cover. The only possible disturbance would be be military or more likely cadets on night time training. Just steer clear of the firing range clearly marked on os maps and you will be fine. Lovely views down over budleigh and the cost.

I use a cable lock through the frame/wheels then this http://www.halfords.com/motoring/garage-equipment/hand-tools/rolson-alarm-padlock through the frame and cable.

Anyone disturbs the cable/bike it sounds a 110db alarm. Pretty lightweight as well. Very handy for campsites or nipping into a shop and puts my mind at ease

old fashioned wrap a cable lock around the seatpost here – not cool but means can nip into a shop/café turn back on bike and worry a bit less that its in the back of a van or been thrown over the nearest bridge for “a larf”
not gold standard security just enough to deter a grab

edit but remember where you put the key or you might have to leave it on for a while

Just seen there’s been some more updates – cheers!

Woodbury Common is pencilled in as a spot near Exmouth..I’ll watch out for late night firing!

Any suggestions of areas near Plymouth?

The final night in/near Bournemouth will probably be spent on Studland beach… Got to watch out for late night firing there too…! Nudist beach 😉

Here’s ALL that I’m taking!! Sparse eh!

DrP

That looks like an awesome way to tour. I’m always put off seeing bikes loaded up with 4 paniers +

Enjoy. 8)