SECURE ON BIKE
Bring a heavy, strong bicycle lock. If possible, lock your bike to something fixed. If you are planning to lock your bike outdoors at night, particularly in larger towns or cities, bring an extra lock for the front wheel, and cable for the saddle. Remove any items that can easily be taken, such as pumps or trip computers.
Contrary to intution, your bike probably is in greater danger of being taken when it does not have touring baggage attached. It will be much easier to ride, and much less conspicuous. Paricularly in cities and at major tourist attractions, make sure your bare bike is locked to something fixed. The author knows of examples where bikes were stolen when this rule was ignored.
Normally, the author doesn't bother about his luggage, or attaching his bike to something fixed, when going during daylight into a supermarket, food shop, tourist office, restaurant, or modestly visited tourist site—except that, as a precaution, he may carry his good camera with him. Thus far, nothing has ever been taken.
When visiting major tourist sites on route (with hundreds of visitors) where you will be far from his bicycle, and can't watch it for extended periods, to arrange to put his bike somewhere where it will be out of sight, or watched, or indoors.
If this cannot be accomplished, remove your bags from your bike, and consign it somewhere. Often, there are official check rooms available. For example, at a major château in the Loire Valley that the author was determined to visit, bicycles were not permitted to be left inside, or in front of the building. The author felt compelled, therefore, to ride his loaded bike right up to the château entrance; lock it; unload his bags and carry them inside to the checkroom; unlock his bike; move it about 300 yards away to a bicycle park by the parking lot; and lock it to a pole there. Then, like any other tourist, he visited the château for two hours. When the visit was over, the author reversed the above process.
When there is no official place to check items, it is usually possible to agree with the seemingly trustworthy manager of a hotel or restaurant or shop to watch your bags for several hours. (Even though you offer to pay, and do pay, or perhaps eat at a restaurant, the manager needs to be profusely thanked.)
The author always tries to lock his bicycle up inside at night, both to protect if from theft and from possible night storms. Almost all hotels outside the larger cities can arrange this. At campsites, obviously, the bikes will remain outside.
DICKY SATYADEWA
TRiC - 077
InBIKE - 031
HTML - 853
HORNET - 151
(www.tric.or.id) & (www.inbike.org)
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