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Know this has been asked before over the years but seeing if anyone has any new solutions!
With wild camping in areas such as the Dales being tricky recently, and not having the joys of Scottish access rules, we are thinking in some cases out of the way campsites might be a necessity when bikepacking. What are people using to secure bikes overnight whilst in a tent, in such situations?
padlock thru the chainring and guyrope tied to the bike
Bit of string tied to bike with the other end around one of my big toes
Ottolock and one of these:
These are quite good but a tad heavy for bikepacking 🙂
With wild camping in areas such as the Dales being tricky recently,
?
With wild camping in areas such as the Dales being tricky recently,
As with Martin's response,
???
If you are wild camping and adhering to the general principles of: being out of sight; arrive late; leave early; leave no trace, then the chances of anyone visiting you in the middle of the night are a million to one he said. Da, da, derrrrr!
OP has said he wants a lock for camping on a campsite not for wild camping.
At the moment we are using a very basic wire "cafe lock" for wild camping but it's not great for leaving outside all night where there are lots of other people. Been looking at these as a slightly tougher alternative where we are staying at either campsites or the bike is in a B&B shed etc:
https://hiplok.com/product/pop/ - 350g - wouldn't stop anyone serious but enough to be a deterrent/annoyance to chances
https://hiplok.com/product/d-lock/ - 1kg - bit beefier
The HipLock DX is my new lock of choice, gets quite good reviews and is only 1.5kg.
If you're worried about campsite security, a couple of orange screws can be connected in line to lock your d-lock to.
a motorcyle disc d-lock and length of security cable has a good size/weight/strength ratio for more secure bikepacking needs
I use an abus retractable cable lock. In fact I have a few cable locks because they're generally quite handy
It's enough to stop a casual thief/drunk walking/riding off with it and that's all I use it for - outside cafes, pubs and shops
Used it on last weekend's jennride, locked a couple of bikes together in ambleside, provided some peace of mind
For staying in campsites I'd sway towards a small D-lock. Maybe even a cable to go with it and attach to a fence if it was anywhere I felt uncomfortable. It's a chunk of weight to carry around, but what's 500g or even 1kg in the grand scheme of things?
I obviously frequent the wrong/right campsites. Anything more than a wee, retractable cable lock seems overkill given the risk. Assuming you have the bike beside your tent, tie it though a guyline or something.
OP has said
heshe wants a lock for camping on a campsite not for wild camping.
Yes, not worried about bikes wild camping, but rather that wild camping in less remote places has got tricker due to the fly camping culture of the last year with landowners keeping far more of an eye out (maybe my perception is wrong). Also as I recover from long COVID I’m looking for easier routes.
Thank you for the suggestions - will take a look. And Scotroutes, you are right - I have looked out for quiet, out of the way, small campsites.
I think your perception is wrong - we live just south of the Dales and have wild camped or bivvied in the Dales with no problem over the last year even when seen by the farmer. Get away from the road and areas close to either tourist hotspots like Malham Cove or water features and you'll be fine.
Current regs let farmers set up "temporary" campsites for several weeks, I think it's 90 days per year, without needing to become fully official. I've not seen a list of such farms in the Dales.
Ok, thanks Whitestone. I am naturally an anxious person so either worry about being told off, or the bikes getting nicked. Not ideal. We wild camped in the Howgills last weekend (without the bikes) fine, but just feels more remote than all the Dales farms.
https://securityforbikes.com/proddetail.php?prod=P11-x.x-SS50P5
Used this one when I did the West Highland Way. Gave a certain sense of confidence about leaving the bikes out of sight.
( Yes ok, we did pay £40 to get the chain moved from B&B to B&B every night of the four😃)
Coming on here to say the same as JoB, small motorcycle brake lock and a bit of strong cable, might not be necessary at some camp spots but handy for piece of mind, stops at shops etc
Sorry for the assumption ahsat!
I use an abus retractable cable lock. In fact I have a few cable locks because they’re generally quite handy
It’s enough to stop a casual thief/drunk walking/riding off with it and that’s all I use it for – outside cafes, pubs and shops
Used it on last weekend’s jennride, locked a couple of bikes together in ambleside, provided some peace of mind
This? I wouldn't lock my bin with that. One good shove and it's open, I saw a jakey pop a proper cable lock just by running the bike back and forth until it burst. That just keeps honest folk honest, if you have no intent on being as such then it's game over.
used a small oxford disc lock for leaving outside of shops etc when I done the NC500
I've done two trips recently to the Dales bike packing. Wild camping was no issue following the usual rules. We use a cheapo cable lock and a slightly bigger one to lock the bikes togethor overnight. For town use, shops etc one person stays with the bikes. Saying that I've stayed on small campsites in the Lake District and only used one cheap cable lock with bikes piled in a heap between tents.
used a small oxford disc lock
Thanks all. Ordered one of these, plus one of our existing cable locks for now/tie into the tent guys. We’ve got a night at an out of the way Dales farm campsite booked for next weekend that we might use for a bikepacking trial to see how my legs go for two days (if weather is naff, we can take the van - Lol!).
Noted re Dales wild camping. I probably also need to be better getting up early! Hahaha!
I use a vibration sensitive motorcycle alarm disc lock in my bike shed.
It'll certainly wake you up if someone tries to take your bike.
It'll wake up half the rest of the county too mind.
I clicked into this thread thinking it was about hairstyles for bike packers... disappointed
One wheel inside the tent with you will stop a passer by just getting lucky and riding off with it. No lock will stop a concerted effort so something which make a lot of noise, lightest lock for visual effect and a loud movement alarm? They'll drop it a scraper if it wakes the entire site. You be very u popular if you trip over it on the way back from the toilets mind
Litelok Core Diamond if you can get one, next generation of wearable bike locks
For the weight weenies out there I've seen a friend use some zip ties. He uses a knife to re open them so he can use them again. One round the front wheel to the fork, one round the back wheel to seat stay and a couple togerther to secure it to a Tree or post. And some fishing line tied to his tent from the bikes seatpost. Its rare he stays in a campsite though.
His thinking is he's bike packing so probably won't need to use them and he carries zip ties anyway as part of his repair kit. He won't carry a lock as its "too heavy". They are black and hard to spot so if they do steal it, they can't cycle away as the wheels won't turn. Gives you time to run after them.
If your traveling lightweight there's not much difference between a zip tie and small lock when it comes to a decent set of bolt cutters. And when it's dark you can't tell from a distance that they are zip ties, they just look like a lightweight lock.
When I asked him if his insurance would payout based on zip ties he laughed.
Personally for my insurance, I need a lock and an immovable object like a tree. They don't specify the standard of the lock. So I carry a small lock that's just big enough to go round a tree and my bike. I bought two so when I go away with a friend they carry the extra one and they lock into each other to make the cable longer.
Litelok Core Diamond
waste of time. At that weight buy a proper case hardened 16mm shackle double locking d lock. That litelock is cosmetic only. decent bolt croppers will have it in seconds
My mate attaches a rape alarm to his bike, with the ring tied to a bit of fishing line pegged down.
It's loud.
For the weight weenies out there I’ve seen a friend use some zip ties
Funnily, I looked Hiplok Z Lok as a cafe lock alternative thinking something similar. Only really for stuff that is in sight though.
I have been reading reviews and the Seatylock Foldylock Compact seems quite sensible on balance of security (SS silver, for what thats worth), size and weight (1 kg). And I have a stupidly large number of bottle bosses on my Niner, at least, that it could just be frame mounted without using up loads of space.
I’m liking the idea of two dog leash ground anchors and a d-lock through the chainring and BB.
Never tried it but it sounds good
that foldylock looks a lot like an abus bordo. I have one on my brompton
@squirrelking - i agree, it's not stopping anyone from walking off with it who really wants it. i won't use it in areas that need a proper lock. but it's peace of mind and a few more seconds delay that might be crucial in areas that i'm not worrying (village pub, spar in a little town etc)
I wouldn't even say its that though. I've often thought that the next time I get something from Planet X I will get one of their cable locks and see how easy it is to bust it open. I have an old laptop lock at home that is very similar that I can do it on as well, ironically I locked it before noting the code so have to figure that bit out first.
You either need a proper boltcropper proof lock or just something to stop someone riding off on your bike. Stuff like that foldylock are just a waste of time money and weight. Weights a kilo but 2 seconds with a bolt cropper its broken. You might as well use a cable tie or a small padlock in the chainring. gives you as much protection
When I was guiding, one customer used small mini padlocks through the discs meaning if anyone wanted the bike they were going to have to carry if off.
Thankfully didn’t test the Oxford lock in anger, but it’s INCREDIBLY loud and fits round a 1x chainring; so there is no way the bikes could be moved without disturbing it. Then just cable locked everything to a post. That and, it was the sort of campsite that you just didn’t overly worry (though it still took me a half an hour to settle).
This is the one we got. Much like the one Kayak linked too. Quoted weight 285 g.