Bike Security

[Gbadgley]

Hello,

I'm going to Mountain Bike the camino from Pamplona to Santiago and am curious as to what your experience has been in locking your bike. Do the albergues/hostels/hotels allow you to bring the bike inside, or are you forced to lock them outside?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts,

Gary Badgley
Canada

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I met a Dutchman who had cycled from his home outside Amsterdam, and his bike was stolen in Logrono when he did not secure it for a store visit. Amazingly he found the bike later in the day, minus all the equipment, and continued to Fisterra.

Trust but verify.

 

[k1ypp]

We had no trouble securing the bikes at night. Usually the albergue/hotel/hostal would make certain we had a secure location to keep the bikes. This varied, sometimes the bikes were in our rooms, or the hotel kitchen, a spare room, a garage, etc. Take the usual precautions that you would take anywhere and things should work out.

As for stops during the day, we always locked them, or had one person stay with the bikes. In cases where we would leave the bikes to go tour a building, eat, etc., we carried all or our really important things (computer, phone, documents) in a day pack. I highly recommend the Sea to Summit, Ultra-Sil pack. It weighs 2.4 oz/68 gm and it proved to be worth it's weight in gold. It stuffs into a storage bag that is about the size of a pack of cigarettes. It also served duty as our grocery/shopping bag and we never travel without it.

Enjoy your ride and report back on your experience.

 

[peregrina2000]

Like some of the others, I've met people whose bikes have been stolen. When the Zamora albergue opened a few years ago, bikes were routinely put outside on the clothes-drying patio. Then one night, someone jumped over the wall and took all the bikes. The albergue then installed a fence that seems to have solved the problem. I wouldn't say it's an epidemic, but valuables of any kind may be a target, so take care of them!

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

I was mixed in my experience. Some alburgues let me bring my bike inside, some had a specific place for bikes and some made me lock it up outside. I brought my valuables into the albergue with me. I always travel with a lock for my bike. Of course it's really only a deterrent. If someone really wants it, they'll take it regardless. My experience was that the vast majority of people along the routes pilgrims and locals alike were "good" people trying to get by and survive just like the rest of us.

 

[Gbadgley]

We had no trouble securing the bikes at night. Usually the albergue/hotel/hostal would make certain we had a secure location to keep the bikes. This varied, sometimes the bikes were in our rooms, or the hotel kitchen, a spare room, a garage, etc. Take the usual precautions that you would take anywhere and things should work out.

As for stops during the day, we always locked them, or had one person stay with the bikes. In cases where we would leave the bikes to go tour a building, eat, etc., we carried all or our really important things (computer, phone, documents) in a day pack. I highly recommend the Sea to Summit, Ultra-Sil pack. It weighs 2.4 oz/68 gm and it proved to be worth it's weight in gold. It stuffs into a storage bag that is about the size of a pack of cigarettes. It also served duty as our grocery/shopping bag and we never travel without it.

Enjoy your ride and report back on your experience.

Yes, the Sea to Summit bag turned out to be very valuable. The only criticism I would have of it, is that should have a small buckle attached to the straps so you can buckle it across your chest. I missed this. But it was worth its weight in gold!

 

[peregrina2000]

Not to instill paranoia in any one, but you should be careful when you arrive in the pilgrims office and are waiting in line to get your compostela. There have been some, not many, incidents of bike and backpack theft, and there is now a security guard in the courtyard during peak hours. If you think about it, it's a perfect storm for losing awareness of your belongings -- the emotions of arriving at "the end", the frequent chance encounters of long lost camino friends, none of this is very conducive to paying attention to your pack and/or bike.