Keeping a fully loaded touring bike safe when shopping 

No matter how safe it looks, ALWAYS lock your bike up when left unattanded.

You get treated very differently when you have a fully loaded bike. I've only ever had one supermarket in Sheffield try to stop me from pushing my bike around. The security guard said my tyres would make the floor dirty, I replied 'do you want me to take my shoes off as well' no more problems.

I use 2 high quality U-locks and a very loud bike alarm. A small movement of the bike or bags sets alarm screaming. Very effective deterrent for thief to try and continue!!!

If they will not let my bike in they do not want my business. Parked in front of crowded cafe with huge chain, 5 min later came back and folks told me how fast the guy cut my chain and rode off. Bike locker with my car parked in front, they popped the hinges, slid door sideways, I realized they opened my door faster than I did with a key. Put two small cable locks just to be annoying, guy wrestled with locks for a couple minutes, got frustrated and stomped my wheels, his foot got stuck in spokes so he was still there when cops came. Guy with hacksaw tried to cut friends bike free from stop sign but got confused and cut top tube, but we found bike a block away because frame collapsed when he jumped off a curb. Bike locked to street sign, guy cut sign post with angle grinder and lifted bike off but stealing bike was a month, cutting sign was 5 years in prison. Ride a pink girls bike and nobody will steal it. Buddy put Apple tracker in his bike, it got stolen, told cops but he had no paperwork showing he is legal owner so cops will not recover it, some Saturday rides we track the bike and follow it around just for fun but the guy told the cops we are harassing him.

Bike shops being bike shops should have anchor points outside anyway to lock cycles up to! 🙂👌🏻

I reckon an alarm is also worth thinking about. I got a fairly cheap, made-in-china model for about 15 quid. It's pretty sensitive and very loud (you can adjust both), so you know if anybody touches the bike or messes with your panniers. It came with a key-fob so you can arm and disarm it remotely, and even use it as a horn. And it's rechargeable via USB. Combined with a little cable lock, the alarm gives me some peace of mind when nipping into a shop for a few minutes. As you say, "there's no 100% safe way to go shopping in a store whilst on a bike tour." My set up won't stop a pro bike thief, but it might slow them down or make them think twice, and maybe scare off an opportunist. Cheers

I'm really glad I watched this video. I am biking across America and I was wondering where I'd put my bike if I'd go into a Walmart or something. I didn't even think about asking to keep it inside. Good to know. That makes sense. Thank you for this information.

Ok, I've only watched the first 2 minutes of this post and I can't believe you are weighing up leaving your bike unlocked for a pop in, or locking it up for a longer shop. What happens if you leave your bike unlocked and there's a queue inside, or you meet a friend inside and start chatting or you might enter into a conversation with a member of staff or see something of interest and need a closer look. A distraction one would say. There is no excuse for not locking your bike when you leave it unattended. Always lock it up. The only decision is either lock it through the frame (I would still be nervous to do so) or lock your bike to a strong immovable object or structure (always preferred). You say yourself it only takes a second to steal a bike. How long will you be entering the shop, choosing the correct tube, paying for it and then leaving the shop?

When you turned to go to Earby near the end of the video it brought back memories. I was brought up on the Greenacres estate, at the turnoff, just 400 metres away. The video in Skipton High Street and the church bells made my day. I hope you're enjoying living in Earby. It's a lovely place. JP. The old guy. Fellow Yorshireman.

You just gave me a visceral flashback to holidays as a child visiting my grandma in Skipton and hearing those bells ringing on a sunday morning

If I want to leave my bike somewhere longer and don't trust it, I sometimes take the front wheel out and take it with me. My bike (locked) was once stolen in Hungary while checking in a hotel in less than 5 minutes. You're right, just take it in somewhere, maybe a bit awckward sometimes but better safe then sorry.

Very good topic, many other bike touring RU-vidrs didn't talk about it. It's very practical and crucial. Thanks for sharing your idea!

I bought a pair of MKS Esprit Ezy Superior removable pedals. Won’t stop the bike getting bumped off but they won’t be pedalling away

Great to see you back on the LHT great advice thanks Keep safe

Sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission - a couple of times i've turned up at a local supermarket and realised i've forgotten a lock, so just wheeled the bike in with me round the aisles, through the checkout - a few strange looks from fellow shoppers, but none of the staff batted an eyelid :)

I pretty much do the same things you talk about. Excellent video! It is funny how the risk of theft seems worse in cities in some of the most developed countries. I've left my bike outside stores in Central American countries (for short periods) and never had a problem. Sometimes a heavily loaded bike can be a deterrent. A friend once had his bike stolen while he was staying at my place. Someone came and cut the lock. The thief left a shitty old bike where he took the nice touring bike from.

On my trip across North America, I would often park my packed bike up against the glass window of a cafe, to keep an eye on it. I felt that people would perhaps be reluctant to steal a bike in full view of the owner. Then I realized that I could slip away from the cafe for brief shopping. Most people would think the bike was still being watched! Never had a problem. But maybe I was just lucky. I wouldn’t try this in the city!

I took your advice and parked my bike inside Morrison's foyer while I went in Lidl next door. Thanks for the tip!

Thanks for sharing your opinion on this topic! Also, riding downhill and feeling the air on your face get stronger is such a good experience isn't it 😁

I saw your US tour video. I had a hunch you were from Northern England, but didn't realise you were so close (Bfd). Glad to see you're doing well.

When touring, I typically carry 200 lbs of bike, gear and trailer, so extra weight doesn't bother me. First thing is that I only paid $400 for the bike ($500 retail), so it's not terribly worth stealing. It's still a fine bike, though admittedly my advanced knowledge of bike repair allows me to employ a relatively inexpensive bike. I use a heavy cable with integrated lock, which I use to lock the rear wheel to itself, and to a post if available. Then I lock the trailer to the bike's rear wheel with a lighter cable and keyed padlock. I use 3 large plastic storage bins (2 of these are flat) with snap-lock tops, and then secure these to the trailer with a pair of ratcheted tie-down straps (which are always there anyway to keep gear from popping off while I ride). Removing the tie-down straps makes lots of noise. I keep my most expensive gear, my rainsuit (jacket, pants, shoe covers and gloves) which retails for about $400, in the bottom-most bin hidden within stuff sacks. I keep all my smaller valuables (wallet, cellphone, extremely expensive non-riding sunglasses etc.) in a handlebar bag, which I pop off when departing from my bike. Finally, take off anything which is easily picked off. In my case, it's my expensive nightlight and wireless cycle computer (total retail $150) Also, pay attention to the neighborhood and people around your bike. I hate to be that guy, but I congenitally mistrust homeless people. The fact is that I am more vulnerable to theft than anyone else (that is, compared to a person with a car and locking trunk) and, unfortunately, many homeless people are opportunists. I typically tour around 60 days total per year, and never had anything stolen. Hope this helps, though admittedly, this is most useful for those not overly concerned with pulling excessive weight

This was really useful. Thank you.

Some good advice Adam. Although here in Central London because of the sheer amount of cyclists, unless you are going to a quiet bike shop it's not usually possible to take you bike into shops. If leaving my bike outside, even unloaded I now have three diferent types of locks, two on the frame, one permenantly on the brooks saddle, and a concealed bike alarm haha. Sounds like over-kill I know. But it's all about making things as difficult as possible for thieves here.

The man is back,video the downhill please, so much fun

I grew up in Los Angeles, California in the 1950s through the 1970s. I had two of my childhood bicycles taken off of our front porch. Both were locked and the chain was cut. The last bike I had at that home, I got a thicker harder cable and locked the bike to our staircase pipe railing. That finally worked. I am wary of leaving bicycles unlocked or poorly locked in cities. Police do not care about stolen bicycles especially lower cost ones. Just my own experience.

Good to see the old bike back on the road Adam

I usually chain my bike to something like railings , I have the panniers cable tide to the rack , takeoff lights and pump , front bar bag , and carry them in . I use plastic carrier bags inside the panniers in which I place shopping . My lights are sometimes made hard to nick by taping them up . Good Luck Adam .

Cycling thro Sweden mostly rural, I carried a very small padlock, I would attach it to a spoke and a strut on the mudgaurd /fender. The whole point is to slow an opportunist thief down, the most expensive lock can be removed in seconds by an equiped thief in a big city. 2nd rule, never leave ur bike out of sight, no matter what lock is on it. Every thing else is bullshit.

I have had a drink in the Devonshire a few times this summer and always lock my bike to the handrail by the door. I come over on the train from Morecambe to ride the canal several times this summer.

If I was leaving my bike, and there’s nothing to lock it to, I always lock up the wheel to the frame at least. That way to steal it someone would have to carry it. 😀

I have locks with me but I also put the bike in the smallest cog to make it hard for them to ride way plus take the chain of the chain ring they all delay the thief. I have small ratchet straps on my panniers as I've had them jump off the bike over rough terrain they are also for security as I hide the ratchet at the back of the pannier and tie the loose end with knots until there's nothing left. For longer periods of time just take the saddle off and put it in a bag or take the front wheel with you.

Have you considered using a little motion sensor bike alarm? I recently bought one off of Amazon for a bike trip I was going on but I didn't end up bringing it because after I got it I thought about it some more and it didn't seem like I'd need it were I was going which was mainly campsites off of the trail. We ended up staying a couple nights in a motel but they catered to cyclists and let us bring our bikes inside the rooms. While we were camping I just used a cable lock around a tree to secure my bike and brought everything else inside the tent or vestibule. I don't know if the alarm would be more of a nuisance but it might be useful to draw attention to someone trying to mess with your bike while you had it locked outside.

I witnessed a bike thief in action right be hind me at the City of Portland (OR) Building Department. I had my back to an entire exterior wall of glass. Someone noticed that a guy was cutting a cable bike lock. Then about a dozen people all turned around and watched him, and called security. He continued to cut the heavy duty cable lock in broad daylight! Due to the distance to the door with respect to where he was, I could not get to him quickly, so I took out my phone and took several pictures of him. After another minute, he gave up realizing everyone was watching him, and a security guard was moving his way. He threw his cable cutters in his backpack, and just casually walked off. I gave my photos to the security. I never heard if he was caught. I am usually a very trusting person, but now always either take my bike into the establishment, or remove the front wheel and lock the frame to solid bike rack with a U-Lock.

This is why I have toured on a Brompton so far I can take it literally with me everywhere. Though I have been limited to fairly flat routes to date.

I think the best to be riding a bike with at least another person or more . It will be safer not only to be not stolen but who knows what will happen in road far from home . I know it will be difficult sometime to find another to make a long ride but much safer .

I just didn't go shopping. 😂 In Japan I never worried about it but everywhere else if I couldn't see my bike from inside I didn't go in. So most of my shopping was done in convenience stores, not grocery stores. If I wanted to explore a city I'd usually get a hotel room just to have a safe place for my stuff. One thing I do when leaving my bike outside someplace is change it to the hardest gear but don't pedal it to get the chain to change rings so that if someone jumped on and tried to pedal away they'd have a second or two of messing with it barely able to move, hopefully enough time for me to run out.

Posting on social media & stolen bike FB groups helped me get my bike back when it was stolen in the city, also bike rain tarps are a good way to detour thieves.

For supermarkets i just take it in, doesn't take more space than a shopping cart anyways. If they refuse me i just take my money elsewhere.

you made the video! cheers buddy appreciate it :)

Hey Adam, great video! Do you have plans for a new bike trip anytime soon? I'm planning to go on a bike tour to France next year.

Only time I worried about my bike in south east asia was in hanoi. Had to leave it on the street for 1 night. This was in march when the virus first kicked off. It was difficult finding a hostel that would take British people let alone had storage for a bike. Next day I found an underground storage which made me sleep easier. In laos never locked it once. My front door to my bungalow didn't even have a lock. 7 months there no problems.

When touring, I carry a very light cable lock to keep people from walking off with the bike. If I don't have a lock with me, I try to slow down a would-be thief by taking the chain off the chainring or clipping my helmet through the spokes.

Whoa! Always take your bike inside a shop. If they don’t like it, tell them it’ll be just a minute while you buy something. In other words, negotiate. If they still refuse, definitely lock your bike outside where you can see it, and activate your motion sensor alarm so if anything or anyone one touches it, the loud alarm will sound. No matter the location, take your bike with you or lock it outside-take no chances. If your bike isn’t safe, neither are you. Don’t have to be a trusting Mr. Nice Guy when it comes to your vital personal possessions. It’s often the case that you will not be able to stop and shop somewhere because of the lack of bike security so keep on riding until it’s safe for you and your bicycle.

Adam! You are very, very creative...! 🎯 ... 🤣🤣🤣...

I did Pacific coast from Canada to LA...I rode with a U lock in my back pocket the whole time

My thought here is that someone like thieves are ‘professional’ meaning that they will scout around with the van ready to pick up any bike they can find it’s not locked to something solid or even be ready to cut through bike locks to take the bikes away. If I was thinking like them I think that I’d most likely find bikes locked up outside a bike shop. So even if it looks quiet it’s a bit of a hotspot for bike theft. The other location and time that comes to mind is lunchtime in the countryside outside of a pub where cyclists might stop. Here at weekends you can see quite a few bikes often thousands of pounds worth at a time parked up while inside the riders, God bless them, have lunch inside.

Try northern Spain, leave the bike and dump the kit anywhere and I will never be touched. Walked away to shop and cafe with bike out of clear sight and nothing touched for over hour. Bike was locked but luggage wasn’t.

Locks are absolutely necessary whenever you walk away from your bike, no exceptions! That doesn't mean that you won't come back and find only two wheels and a frame. Or even just come back and find some jackass walked away with your skewers. I feel way more secure when my bike is fully covered in addition to being locked. What I want to see is pull down clamshell security covers for bikes. - photos.app.goo.gl/6qs3omh1GG1GGRJp6 Stay safe.

hi adam.. are you on holidays ? where are you biking ? nice videos.. I have seen a lot thanks for visiting Malaysia

I solo bike tour around France outside the cities I think risk is low but my approach is to leave all bags on and cable lock to something immovable I just take my phone and wallet/passport holder in with me. That way if a thief strikes I am still basically ok and can get out of trouble and take train home and hit the insurance for nice new everything

Bro we was pedlin from whitby to Manchester..in leeds we went the canal route the wrong way ended up in Skipton lol pissin down all day..pedalled to skipton a couple times nice place

Tip: if you cannot decide if you need full lock (time) or leaving bike unlocked (safety) you can bring small carabiners with you and attach them to the disc brakes. Middle ground solution for quick shopping. The only real downside is when you forget about them you can bend the discs easily (not permanent damage, but still).

I try to stick to street markets, and tiny village shops, as much as possible. I could do with stowing the bike more often though. Would be nice to go inside some interesting places instead of just observing from the outside.

If I run into a cafe or store for a minute I always switch to a higher gear before stopping and loop my helmet thru the wheel. Thought is no one would be able to hop on it and ride away.

Tow a kids bike trailer that also converts to a stroller. You can bring that in anywhere. It might look funny but it works

What kind of lock did you take bike packing? If it was a chunkier d-lock did the weight / size hamper you?

Get a disc lock as well as a heavy duty lock you can't ride off if the disc lock is on I had some lowlifes try to seal my motorcycle. They removed the ulock a lock and chain but could not get the disc lock off it was a good quality one.

I took my bike to walmart to get groceries , took it inside with me , no problem .With gas prices so high I save 10 bucks just for riding 16 miles round trip miles .My trek 520 seems to ride better fully loaded .It coasts forever .

In Kings Cross station you must bring your bike with you everywhere including inside shops. It must never be left unattended. It feels strange walking a bike through Waitrose

if ever you go shopping in sunderland there is a bike lockup place in the multistorey car park but you must have a lock with you to lock your bike to 1 of the bike rails in that place.sunderland used to be 1 of the worst cities in england for bike theft but now very few bike are stolen there.

If you ride a quiet whorseless bike nobody will steal it. I ride a Herkules Grand Tour LX out of the year 1980 or such and I don't have any concerns to leave it alone. Best wishes from Germany

Here's some word advice. A GPS tracker sticker on your bike. Put it on the top tube where it can be seen. Even if you don't have one that's sticker can work wonders. Also when bicycle touring always carry a cable lock. Always lock your wheel to your frame. No matter if it's 2 seconds or 2 hours.

Very good points mate. I've found very early in the morning is a good time to shop at a supermarket if you have to lock your bike up outside. You can be in and out quickly and most thieving lazy cretins will still be in bed 😂

No matter where I am I always double lock my bike. If I think it needs three locks, I move on cos I ain't stopping there.

Have you seen the wsdcam bike alarms? They only cost about £12 and will start alarming if someone touches your bike.

Hi that was interesting but you could see if there cctv outside the shop giving a little more ease of mind what you think.

Quick shopping, where you can see the bike, take your helmet and click the strap through the rear wheel, drive-side leaned against wall, then put your gloves into the front wheel hub. Those two will slow down or stop the quick grab and run thief.

I never leave my bike, even locked up. Always walk in with it.

Is a framelock seen as too heavy & too little dissuasion? I like the odds in some situations.

I spent 40 of my 50 years in Slough. Trust me when I tell you that if you took your eyes off your shadow for more than 5 seconds, some thieving, lowlife, crackhead would pinch it! As such I have zero trust in people, no matter where I am. Even locked up I like to be able to see my bike. Bit of a problem when it comes to supermarkets though

Did you ever update what happened with the GT after that crash? Thanks 🙏 BB

Got my seat and seat post stolen out of a locked bike yesterday. What's wrong with people? 😞

My bike came with a cable lock attached to the frame so it's easy to lock it every time I'm parked. Sure it can be cut if someone has the tools, but that's not common. The idea is to stop the opportunistic thief who sees an unlocked bike and takes it on impulse. If I'm lazy I just make the bike *look* like it's locked.

Was in a shop for just a few minutes when some miscreant took off with my bike. Haven't left my bike unlocked since then.

In NYC you can always bring your bike inside,they want you business! I had two bikes stolen and hunted my old trek down and found it being used for deliveries! There is a reason we used to hang horse thieves!

You mentioned Japan it can even stay for a week and no one would touch it, that is right? Japan when it comes to theft and vandalism they are in another league altogether, something children are trained from school and it is a mindset as well. Thanks for the video cheers.

I normally remove the Quick Release pedals and the seatpost and lock it up. I guess thieves would rather steal a bike they can ride off with.

Hey Adam! How do you keep your bike safe when you're wild camping?

Sorry if you're here in Holland, you can't ask of you leave your bike inside the stores. Because if everyone does, then there have over 20 bikes inside the store...

I watched a video and if leaving the bike unlocked and unattended that person shifted the bike into it's most difficult to pedal gears. So if someone tried to pedal away, it wouldn't be as easy as if it were in a lower gear.

I use a u lock with a vibration alarm on it. If anyone touches it it goes off, alerting me. I'd like an alarm that sends a text alert, but my tech skills are lacking.

Going in a bike shop would be the most natural time to take your bike in the shop, no questions asked.

I wonder if they have those tracking devices for Android? Yeah if I'm out camping I will have the solar panels and a wagon and I sure don't want to lose it but I doubt I can bring it in the store it's really big it is an ecotric hammer ebike and Cannondale wagon. I have almost $3,000 into it with the batteries in the solar panel and I can't afford to lose it cuz I could never afford another one

Take your front wheel in with you. I've bought £3,000 worth of foldie, so I can take it in with me. My other bike I take wheel and seat/seatpost with me.

Also: put your bike in the heaviest gear.

What is your wheel and tire size??? Thanks in advance!

I did 20 biketrips in europe, never had any problems, just lock it. More you cant to do in my opnion

Ditch em in some bushes and cover with a dark tarp.

I doubt there are many bike shops that wouldn't be OK with you bringing your bike inside the shop. Other shops certainly are different though.

I would not leave a bike unattended anywhere in drug infested Britain because it will get stolen. In your case I would have locked the bike together with the chairs and table behind you in the front of the shop. Now you are safe. Great videos by the way I have been following you from the start of your adventures.

When i went in shops i brought the bike in with me an pushed it round like a trolley

Here in Holland Van s from Poland are driving around area s specially for steeling bikes from innocent thinking people, in a split of a second they stop and put the bike in.

You have a cool accent.

Hi Adam I from Malaysia,how are you

Like raleigh

Airtags! As last resort

Want to travel to Mongolia.

First option, leave it unattended, unlocked. Hmm. I dont need a video for that.

In the wild wild west, horse thieves would be hanged or worse have limbs chopped off. It seems appropriate for bike thieves to meet the same Fate

Very nice video on an important topic.