Bikes on bike carrier - France - security

[chopper602]

Hope someone might be able to give me a little advice on this :

Taking four bikes on holiday to the Dordogne in France this year (Thule tow-ball mounted bike rack on a new Saab 9-5), three low end bikes (one of which is kids bike) and my new Specialized SL. Obviously I've got a decent D shackle and a cable to thread around them and onto the towbar, but as we're staying in a 'B&B' hotel in Evereux overnight on the way I'm a little worried about security. The carrier locks into place and the 'arm' that attaches to the last bike on the rack locks too. Anything else I should do ?

[superlightr]

chopper602 said:

Hope someone might be able to give me a little advice on this :

Taking four bikes on holiday to the Dordogne in France this year (Thule tow-ball mounted bike rack on a new Saab 9-5), three low end bikes (one of which is kids bike) and my new Specialized SL. Obviously I've got a decent D shackle and a cable to thread around them and onto the towbar, but as we're staying in a 'B&B' hotel in Evereux overnight on the way I'm a little worried about security. The carrier locks into place and the 'arm' that attaches to the last bike on the rack locks too. Anything else I should do ?

Think you have taken all reasonable precautions. Perhaps sleep with your bike. I have (not with your bike clearly as that would be unfaithfull and tbh yours is not my type not that she ugly you know....) but my lovly bike I have.

[Mars]

I've just bought a Thule towball mounted carrier too. Great piece of kit but I'm not convinced Thule's locks would present much of a problem to anyone other than an opportunist.

I have tried to work out whether there's a way of further locking the handle into its closed position - perhaps drilling a hole then inserting a cable lock through it? To be honest, I don't rate those cable locks any more than the Thule locks, so a meaty chain through the bikes, through the Thule carrier, and through the wishbones of the car appears to be the only solution. I happen to have such a meaty chain but some people (including my wife) thinks the £250 2.5 metre Almax Series IV is overkill, as it combined with the Squire padlock, weighs in at about 17Kg.

http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/kozj5g21603...

I'm sure there are move convenient ways to lock the bikes to the carrier but as I don't entirely trust the carrier's lock, I can't see how. That said, the carrier weighs a ton anyway, so if the bikes were locked to it, it'd have to be a very determined team of thieves that could make off with it all.

[anonymous-user]

this might sound odd but if you want a deterrant, check out a kayak/canoe lock.

last but one item down http://www.kayaksandpaddles.co.uk/canoe/kayak/uk/s...

[chopper602]

There happens to be a small loop attached to the towbar, which I was going to loop something through, but as it's quite small it has to be a thin cable . . . unless I can get another larger 'loop' welded on somewhere else.

[smifffymoto]

Reverse up to a wall or hedge,just make it awkward to get too and don't worry about it.

[Lemans Party]

What you need is an anti-tamper vibration activated wireless alarm.
...but I have no idea if such a thing exists or not!

[RRS_Staffs]

The Thule locks are for decoration only in my opinion

We went to France last year and in the queue for the ferry realised I have left the key on the kitchen table

After the quick regulation panic attack I checked my lock serial number and then decided to walk about and see if anyone else had the same one to unlock it which seemed unlikely

Predictably the car behind also had a Thule rack and had the same key code in his barrels!
What are the chances!
So i unlocked it with his key
I suspect most others also had kit number 909 too

I really really wouldnt rely on them outside a hotel overnight though
Take the bikes off or use a BFO lock and chain costing 200 quid at least

Good luck

[snotrag]

For me - there's no answer other than take the bikes inside with you.

[Mars]

RRS_Staffs said:

The Thule locks are for decoration only in my opinion

We went to France last year and in the queue for the ferry realised I have left the key on the kitchen table

After the quick regulation panic attack I checked my lock serial number and then decided to walk about and see if anyone else had the same one to unlock it which seemed unlikely

Predictably the car behind also had a Thule rack and had the same key code in his barrels!
What are the chances!
So i unlocked it with his key
I suspect most others also had kit number 909 too

I really really wouldnt rely on them outside a hotel overnight though
Take the bikes off or use a BFO lock and chain costing 200 quid at least

Good luck

Unfortunately every last item I've bought from Thule came with a different bloody lock, even after (on one occasion) I asked for a specific key/lock (which was ignored).

But, my BFO chain/lock is impenetrable without military hardware.

[AyBee]

Unless I could reverse up to something in order that no access could be made to remove any locks or bikes without great difficultly I think I'd be taking the bikes into my room. If you're anything like me, no matter how carefully you've locked it and planned it, you'll still worry that they're out there...why spoil a holiday for a little bit of hassle for an overnight stop?

[neilski]

If your B&B is somewhere quite rural, I wouldn't worry too much about it getting pinched. I've just cycled through France and as I approached each village the "ze cycliste is coming" alarm would go out, all the shops selling food or drink would close, everyone would go indoors and every shutter in the village would be pulled closed until I'd passed safely out the other side of the village then it was business as usual.

Seriously though, the risk of crime is very low in rural areas and I've left my bike outside my tent or B&B with just a flimsy cable lock or if it's round the back of the B&B out of sight, nothing at all. I think major towns would be a different matter but most of the French hotels I've stayed at have had a garage or store room where you can keep your bike overnight if you need to.

[Harpo]

There is a motorbike disc lock that has a loud alarm. Any vibration and it will make a hell of a din. Must be worth buying one.

[timbo48]

Why not phone or email the hotel and ask them if they have storage? Ten minute extra unloading/loading will be worth it for peace of mind. (I know what it's like squeezing four 'bikes onto a rack but would still do it!!)

[chopper602]

RRS_Staffs said:

The Thule locks are for decoration only in my opinion

A ferry queue is quite different to what a French might carry round with him!

But yes, I agree they are pretty dumb. I'll try the hotel in my best Franglais and see if there is anywhere we could leave them and if not - plenty of good seperate locks and take mine into the hotel room!

Edited by chopper602 on Thursday 21st July 08:29

[Digga]

chopper602 said:

RRS_Staffs said:

The Thule locks are for decoration only in my opinion

A ferry queue is quite different to what a French might carry round with him!

But yes, I agree they are pretty dumb. I'll try the hotel in my best Franglais and see if there is anywhere we could leave them and if not - plenty of good seperate locks and take mine into the hotel room!

Edited by chopper602 on Thursday 21st July 08:29

A scrote of any nationality would doubtless be less concerned about preserving the integrity of the Thule lock, since it's not his to worry about. I reckon a bit of brute force and screwdrivery would defeat them.

A bunch of us went over to the Alps earlier this month. Some of us took Sleazyjet (surprisingly painless as regards booking bikes onboard) but my mates who drove wedged theirs into their cheapo hotel room during their overnight on the way:

[superlightr]

Digga said:

A scrote of any nationality would doubtless be less concerned about preserving the integrity of the Thule lock, since it's not his to worry about. I reckon a bit of brute force and screwdrivery would defeat them.

A bunch of us went over to the Alps earlier this month. Some of us took Sleazyjet (surprisingly painless as regards booking bikes onboard) but my mates who drove wedged theirs into their cheapo hotel room during their overnight on the way:

that does look like a compact room to say the least.

[Digga]

superlightr said:

Digga said:

A scrote of any nationality would doubtless be less concerned about preserving the integrity of the Thule lock, since it's not his to worry about. I reckon a bit of brute force and screwdrivery would defeat them.

A bunch of us went over to the Alps earlier this month. Some of us took Sleazyjet (surprisingly painless as regards booking bikes onboard) but my mates who drove wedged theirs into their cheapo hotel room during their overnight on the way:

that does look like a compact room to say the least.

It was something like an F1 hotel or some such. Surved a purpose during the drive from the chunnel to the Alps I guess.

[chopper602]

Well, in France now. Used a combination of two 7ft cables and the big D lock. A smaller cable looped around the carrier itself to the car. No idea if it was a deterrent or there were no scrotes around, but here safe & sound - 900 miles is a long way!

Carrier certainly moves around a bit, but I guess it's working as designed.