what do you do with your bikes on your car when you're out?

[dizze98765]

This may be a really stupid question, but is there anything to do with your bikes when you're out and about with it on your bike rack? I have a trunk mounted bike rack. My trails are 1/2 hr away from my house so it's not easy to just run over there and I always have errands to do, but my bike is on the back of my car! I've ran into stores real quick but it would be so easy to steal if someone knows what they're doing. I put my bike lock on it to make it look like it's secured to someone who doesn't realize that they can just take the bike rack off! Any suggestions on what anyone does? Thanks, Danielle

[Irulan]

I either use a locking rack, take the bike home, or take in with me. The only exception is the video store.

Irulan

[Adventure Girl]

My bikes get locked on my rack. And my rack is locked on my car. ALWAYS. I was surprised that both locks were optional. To me that's like having the lock on your front door optional. I would never leave any of my bikes unlocked. I know you can't stop all thieves, but at least you have to make it tougher for them!

[dizze98765]

well, it would've been nice if the bike store people would've informed me of this. I understand why you all would not leave your bikes unlocked, but then there's the folks like me who just spent 100 on a bike rack and cannot just say oh well and go and buy one that locks... i guess i'm just stuck with never leaving my cars sight

[Irulan]

I don't know of ANY strap on racks that lock.. even if you lock the bike to the rack, someone can just undo it.

Irulan

[Adventure Girl]

Just a thought... Do you remove your front wheel to put the bike on your car rack? Even if you don't have to, you might consider popping it off and putting it in the trunk or taking it with you. That way if a thief takes your bike, he can't just ride away.

I have a friend who had bikes stolen out of his garage. He had about 6 or 8 bikes in the garage, and they stole 2. I asked him how they decided which bikes to take and which bikes to leave. He said they took the only bikes that had both wheels on them.

Like I said before, at least you have to make it tough for the thief!

[fasteryet]

You could get a long chain, and put it through the bike wheels and through something under your car - like the brackets that hold on the bumpers. I used to do that before I got a hitch rack. Now I lock my rack to the hitch reciever(with a spare chain), and lock the bikes to the rack.

[aka_kim]

Several years ago one of my bikes was stolen from off the strap-on rack on the back of my car. They lifted both bike and rack off the car, destroying the trunk lid and the rack, tossed the bike in a truck bed, and off they went, all in say 15 seconds. I unfortunately know all this because I heard the commotion and ran out in time to see the b**tards peeling out of the parking lot. I switched to a locking rack after that.

Definitely find a way of locking the bike and rack to the car.

Kim

[kimba]

I have a trunk mounted rack-
It's by Yakima...
but I was able to get a cool little cable lock device for it that actually locks the rack onto the back of the van - or the trunk.
It's better than no lock at all!


Otherwise- I festoon my bikes with locks- heavy duty- and I mean HEAVY DUTY shackle locks ( U lock- whatever) lock the front wheel to the frame. Then a super thick 6 foot Kryptonite lock figure 8's through the frame and wheels.

I figure they'll look to the unlocked bikes first.

Kimba

[Trek420]

I have (had?) a trunk mounted Yakima rack but yesterday was rear ended in a parking lot.

I'm ok, thank G** my bike was not on the rack, the gal who hit me took out one tail light, put a dent in the bumper. The Yakima trunk rack has a scrape but I have not fully assesed it. Regardless I am not about to trust it with my bike.

So, I have just bitten the bullet (gulp) and ordered a roof rack, chose the Yakima Cobra, hope y'all approve. My LBS says they will do the install free. I shopped around, their price (though a hard bullet to swallow) beat the others. It's much more than replacing the trunk rack but unless I can get my body shop to remove the magnet that seems to be on my car's rear bumper I should put Menace (my bike) up on the roof.

Oops I'm getting off subject. The only difference between the King Cobra and the Cobra (besides price) is that the King Cobra has a lock built in. We figured there is plenty of room to affix a standard lock or locks onto the Cobra and that saved me another 20-30 bucks.

[kpc]

Yeah, I have a strapped on rack too. I lock the bike to it, but as my LBS guy and aka_kim pointed out, that only adds a step to being ripped off. So I rarely leave the car w rack and bike at all or for more than a few minutes. Luckily I'm still w entry level bike. I'd be PO'd if it was stolen but might have recourse to buy a better bike. Of course that would leave me w/o a decent bike for weeks.
Does anyone feel weird too a bike rides just laynig your bike down and walking away to use the porta john?

[Trek420]

kpc "Does anyone feel weird too a bike rides just laying your bike down and walking away to use the porta john?"

yeah, I do, but what I do is this.

Your best option if riding with a group is to prop your bikes up like an A frame. Like horses lounge about head to tail each switching the others face of flies...you line your handlebar up with your friends seat/rear wheel and they lean on eachother, both bikes stand up! To further keep them together use your gloves and or helmet straps to loop together at some point.

Second best is there is nearly always something to lean the bike on, tree, fence, rock...you can use a curb, pedal at 3 o'clock and sometimes that's enough to lean the bike on. It's worth the extra few yards to find a clear space vs hours of cleaning the chain etc

If you have to have to lay the bike down make sure the derailure side is is up

[kpc]

Never even thought about the derallieur, thanks. The A frame idea is easy too.

[Trek420]

nothing spoils a long ride like getting dirt in the deraileur, and once the dirt gets in there and gets circulating through the whole works everything wears out quickly.

on most bikes besides your frame it's the single most expensive item to replace.

a clean power train is a happy power train :p ;) :D :cool:

[Susan126]

My husband's truck has a topper/canopy and we have floor racks for the bikes inside. We take the front wheels off the bikes secure them to the floor stands and lock them in.

[blurgirl]

I saw this posted elsewhere. Bic pens can be used to crack U-locks
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=66128

[han-grrl]

My hubby's and my bike nearly got stolen off the roof our car. they were locked into our Thule bike rack (no front wheel). we caught them with one of the bikes, they dropped it and ran. they ripped the darn tray RIGHT off the car. our friends have similar racks and they had already gotten to their bikes. so even if your bike is locked to the roof, if they want it, thieves will take it. the best thing to do is to either lock the bikes inside your car, or to make sure they bikes are in view at all times.

my two cents

Hannah

[Irulan]

there are no guarantees... my friend had the windows busted out of his Jeep and they stole his bike, and few other things.

Irulan

[spazzdog]

There's always the good old country way...

Chain your dog to the bike rack (well, not my dog :o ) and don't feed him/her. Especially those little yappy ferocious ones.

Thieves HATE messing with dogs.


** for all concerned: this is not necessarily a serious suggestion, although I've seen it work quite well.

[snapdragen]

[i]
Thieves HATE messing with dogs.

My fuzz-butt corgi would show them where the key was hidden! :p Then follow them home, cheap tart that she is.

[pedalfaster]

Originally posted by Irulan
there are no guarantees... my friend had the windows busted out of his Jeep and they stole his bike, and few other things.


Yeah I know a few people with the same story. Be sure that your homeowners/renters policy covers your bikes. A friend found out the hard way that having her bike stolen out of her car was not covered by her auto policy.

I still think that inside the car/van is the best way to secure a bike. If your vehicle is going to be out of your sight, try to make sure your bike is out of sight (in the trunk with both wheels off or toss a blanket or cover over in a van or wagon).

[triscuit]

When I was using a roof rack, (a thule big mouth and a yakima king cobra) I used the locks on the trays themselves, but then also added a u-lock and a cable if I parked somewhere. Mostly because the trays do not actually lock to the bars, at least these two don't, though the bars are locked to the car.

After a little incident with the king cobra and a parking garage, I am now using a saris bones trunk rack. I lock the bikes to the rack with a cable lock, then put a u-lock through one of the little holes for towing in the car frame under the trunk and loop another cable lock to the u-lock and rack, locking the rack itself to my car. Of course, if someone had a cable cutter, they could still get them. But I never leave for too long, and I figure it is about as much deterrant as I can get. But I have to remember to unlock the rack/frame stuff before driving away.

The only problem now is I just replaced my kryptonite u-lock with an onguard u-lock and I don't know if it will fit in the little towing hole.

[Maine-iac]

Definately check to see if it will be insured. Our home owners will cover theft from inside the car, but not from the roof rack.
If I'm likely to be away from the car, I lock it in the car....I'm lucky to have that capability.( it's a CR-V) I've also been known to back it up so that the rear is butt up to a wall, eliminating the "easy" route.

[Trek420]

I got a Yakima Cobra roof rack installed. Now watch, next a piano falls ON my car from above ;-)

Heading out to get the little locks so theives can't easily pop the rack off the car. Also got a step stool in the trunk, even with my low car it's a stretch. Ultimately sounds like putting the bike IN the car is the way to go but I'm blissfully car-payment-free right now and enjoying that.

[spazzdog]

On my trip to NYC, I picked up what the natives call a "bodega lock", basically what all the shop owners use on their barred gates that come down at closing time. In addition I've ordered a Kryptonite NY chain.

Now, I don't need it where I live, but when I go anywhere else, this 10 lbs of steel will be my companion.

And the cool part... you wear it as an accessory... a belt. Tres chic!!

[Maine-iac]

And who said NY's didn't have any style?

[spazzdog]

OK... the Kryptonite NY Chain arrived.

It weighs at least 10 lbs! Now, I saw 100's of folks with these things around their waists or slung across their shoulders bandolero style but I fear that if I do either I'll fall down.

This thing is HEAVY!!!

Well, you'll know me if you see me. I'll be the accordianed cyclist buried in huge chain links on the road beside a pretty zebra bike.

spazz :D

[Maine-iac]

New form of weight training!:D