Self Storage for Bicycles while Camping

More people than ever enjoy spending time enjoying the outdoors on their bikes, and combining cycling with camping is a great way to escape for a few days. However, you may be concerned about how to keep your bicycles safe while camping in tents. A bicycle often represents a significant investment, and you will need to keep your bike safe. You may also wonder where to store your bicycles while you are not using them. Here are some handy tips to assist you.

The following tips are from our friends over at BikeStorage.co who know a thing or two when it comes to storing your bike safely and securely, whether at home or on the move.

Keep your bikes chained together
UK Campsite recommends chaining your bikes together, and then to a stationary object while on site. This will help to keep your bikes safe while you are sleeping or exploring the area. By placing your bicycles into a combined nest, you will make them difficult to move without your knowledge. Many campers recommend chaining your bike to a stationary object in plain view. This will prevent anybody from having the time to unlock and release your bike. Many campsites have such facilities. If they do not, simply use anything close to your pitch: some railings, even your vehicle.

Related Read: Campground and RV Fitness Guide

Keep your bike in plain sight
One of my friends, a fellow cyclist, gave me this tip. If you are camping with a bike, and you do not have a lock or anywhere to chain your bike, keep it close to your tent, lying down, with one of the wheels under the flysheet. This means that, if anyone tries to steal your ride, you will see and will be able to intercept them. The same principle applies to other situations: keep you bike in eyeshot, or within view of someone that you trust. In this way you will not need any sophisticated security systems, or fancy locks.

Use a good quality lock
Fairly obvious, but really important, is the fact that a good quality lock will keep your bike safe. Try a good quality cable lock with a strong padlock that will be thief-proof and will keep you bike safe even if you go off to explore and leave it at your campsite. In addition to that, many campsites, provide security for your bikes: this could involve steel bike racks that you can lock your bike to, and, in some campsites, even more secure facilities, perhaps even up to bike sheds with private combinations. Make sure you remove anything that can be stolen (the seat, pannier, potential the front and rear wheels) and then it will be very secure.

Use a bicycle tent
By enclosing your bicycles in a storage tent or garage, you will be able to keep them both dry and protected from the elements. This may be particularly important to you if you are an avid cyclist and you have invested a lot of money in a top of the range bike. If you are still concerned about security, you could still chain your bicycles to one another. A storage tent keeps your bicycle safe while you are free to use your own tent for relaxing after a long ride. Some campers recommend storing your bicycles with saucepans or other noisy items so that you will know if they are being disturbed, thought of course you could also merely use an alarm.

Speak to your campsite
If you are using a campsite, there may be space to store bicycles. Speak to your campsite in order to find out where you can chain your bicycles. Some sites have bicycle racks where avid cyclists can chain their bikes while they are not in use. This way you will be able to access your bikes when you need them, but will have peace of mind while they are no longer in use. This may of course incur a small charge, but the piece of mind will be worth it and it will allow you to relax and enjoy your holiday without the worry that your bike will be stolen.

Related Read: Top 10 Absolute Must Have Camping Gear

While stealth camping
If you are stealth camping, you may be touring on your bicycle, and may end up camping in unofficial areas such as forests, farmyards or out of the way places. Such sites do not often have space for bicycles. Stealth camping means that you will be relying on your bicycle to get around, and will need to travel light. Many stealth campers may choose to chain their bicycles to a tree or store them in their tents while sleeping. Stealth camping often, but not always, comes with the added bonus that you need not necessarily worry about thieves in the area, as you will often be camping in out of the way places with little to no chance of disturbance!

While camping with a car
If you are camping with a car, you can store your bicycles on your roof rack or trailer while not in use. This will keep your bicycles safe and easy to access. Chains or locks can be used to secure your bicycles to your vehicle. If you are using a trailer, you can use a normal bicycle lock to secure your bike. There are a host of options to store your bike on your car, and these range from roof racks to rear racks, and they vary in price from a few pounds to many hundreds. The key is to get the one that fits your budget and allows you piece of mind.

What if you have an RV?
Many people who travel in their RV also like to take bikes with them. Luckily, there are lots of options for storing your bikes. The go to option, particularly if you are used to travelling by car, is to use a bike rack. The average one will hold 2-4 bikes, and this is a perfect solution for a family. There are a number of options on the market, and a number of ways you can fix them to your RV, such as to the spare tire bar, and to the roof. Swagman is a company that has a good reputation and seems to be trusted by those with an RV internationally. Another option, and perhaps the most simple and obvious, is to put your bike in the cabin. Many people do this, and simply secure their bike with cables or ties. The bonus of this method is that you do not need any extra equipment.
When it comes to storing your bicycle, most campers stress that a strong cable and sturdy padlock are crucial in order to keep your bicycles safe. Though this may sound a little obvious, we cannot stress the importance of this enough. Though you may simply trust that your bike will be safe and that the fellow campers on your campsite are trustworthy, unfortunately in the modern world we have to take precautions, particularly since we rely on our bike so much if we are an avid cyclist.

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Stefan is the Community Manager at BikeStorage.co. Stefan is a keen blogger and in his free time likes to discover new cycle routes around his local countryside. As a keen cyclist Stefan joined the team at BikeStorage after struggling to find the right storage solution for his bikes while at home, and while travelling.