Locked up behind the Holiday Inn. Feeling a little nervous.. it’s my battered base model Kona Dew and the lock is a chunky silver rated Abus one. But still..

It should be fine as long as you are on it and cycling…

Well it’s good as gone innit now that you have told everybody 🙂

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en-US&ll=51.537582,-0.104447&spn=0.055095,0.169086&t=h&z=13

It’s north of the Parks.

Best prepare for the worst.

😉

I live in Islington. Can you see me? :waves:
In my experience it will be ok if:
1) it’s not got a crappy cable lock on – kids, the typical bike theives round here are armed with bolt croppers
2) it’s not daylight – past the theives bed time/ their stoned by now/ playing XBOX
3) it’s raining or cold outside – kids don’t like the cold/ rain
If you’re unlucky they might pinch a wheel or two, or your lights, just because they can.
If you can’t tell, most of the bike theives round here are kids – they nick bikes for money from the older kids who sell them on to drug dealers, who sell them somewhere else.

Right.. that’s good info thanks 🙂 It’s got full mudguards and a rack, so hopefully that will put the kids off somewhat…. Lights are off, I will go down and put the front wheel in the lock shortly.

I just went to an Indian restaurant called the Mint Leaf on City Road – it was lovely.

I’m a police officer in Islington (for another 2 weeks). It’s doooooooomed!

@brakes

Waves back 🙂

only a silver rated lock? I’d bring it inside.

Anyone got a pair of bolt croppers I could borrow? And an oyster card…

I might need that oyster card later in the week.

I’m considering bringing it in the hotel room but I’m terrified of being told off by the desk guy.

put it in the hotel room.

take it inside

I’m considering bringing it in the hotel room but I’m terrified of being told off by the desk guy.

Bin bags, odd shaped parcel (I tend to take a bike bag for that reason when staying in hotels).

I am using it as transport.. can’t carry a bike bag on a bike sadly 🙂

FFS MTFU, and inform the counter bloke you are bringing it in. Do it in a Michael Douglas/Falling Down style. I doubt he’ll ever bother you again

Be sure to freak him out by attempting to order room service for you both

what is more terrifying, talking reasonably to a desk bloke, or going out to find a bike missing in the morning?

personally I’d just insist that the bike is going in your room and let him have a strop.

can’t carry a bike bag on a bike sadly

I have – though it depends what your bag is like – mine’s unpadded – and how much other stuff you have.

I have a week’s worth of clothes, smart and casual.. panniers are full.

Although.. I am imagining some kind of bike bag with slots underneath for wheels so you could ride it whilst it’s still in the bag

Going downstairs shortly, I will let you know how I get on…

take a wheel or two off and put wheels into room?

looks likes its already been had….

Didn’t realise you were leaving it outside overnight.
I wouldn’t. Seriously.
Not sure where the Holiday Inn Islington is, but if it’s where I think you mean, then it’s not worth the risk. It might not get pinched with a decent lock, but people might kick the wheels in and/ or strip parts off it.

take a wheel or two off and put into room?

bad idea, people will think it’s been abandoned and will strip the frame bare.

Just take it in the hotel if worried – I would. I have put the tandem in loads of hotels – just ask them for somewhere when you check in.

ride it through the lobby and into the lift.

Take the wheels of and take them in then try and take the frame in if not just keep the wheels in your room safest way to avoid a loss

Double room with bike by molgrips, on Flickr

*pleased*

Now lock it – you are in Islington

No-one said anything, and the lift is plenty big enough for a bike unlike the Canning Town one.

Oh god!

Man who had sex with bicycle in hotel room arrested

good job. I would have offered it a place next to our bikes in the living room rather than leaving it out all night.

*waves at molgrips, brakes and redthunder*

have they designed the decor so the only time you spend in the room is when you have your eyes closed?

Well you know these business trips are lonely.

And my faithful bike is sitting over there.. looking at me… you know, I never really noticed before how the led ceiling lights pick out the welds in her seat tube cluster…

I’ll look up the Mint Leaf too. Ta!

Edit: eurg! I feel dirty, crossing posts with that.

“crossing posts”? eurgh again!

Thanks ned.

What are people doing tomorrow night then? 🙂 No-one on the bike forum was interesed in my monopoly board bike ride idea.

The room and in fact the whole hotel is quite decent actually. Well, the hallways are a bit violent chromatically speaking.

Man who had sex with bicycle in hotel room arrested

Good god! news travels fast – Mol has only had the bike in his room for 8 minutes 🙂

Rad downstairs action tomorrow – with vid please !!

Good work.

Hotels are perfect places for doing a bit of cleaning and maintenance work too – no need to explain why there’s black grease marks in the bath…

Tempting.. the wheelbase is awfully short though with these 700c wheels.

Simon – it’s the commuter. It doesn’t get cleaning and maintenance 🙂

have they designed the decor so the only time you spend in the room is when you have your eyes closed?

No – it’s to hide the tyre marks.