Heading off on holiday with your bike? Whilst you’re likely to know a lot of this, and you’ll be doing all you can to keep your bike (s) safe, we’ve put together our top tips for securing your bike on holiday.
Want to know more about keeping your bike safe on your day-to-day rides? Check out our bike theft prevention guide.
Bike security when travelling
When you’re travelling, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is bike security, but when you’re on the go, you’re more of a target, especially if your bikes are on show.
Before you go:
- Give your bike or home insurance a call to see what you’re covered for.
- Invest in at least two bike locks to keep your bikes secure whilst travelling
Tips on locking your bike when on holiday
Here’s our list of tips to keep your bike safe and secure in holiday accommodation.
How to lock a bike to a Campervan
If you’re travelling in a traditional camper, chances are you will have your bike secured to the back of your van, and you’ll be staying in your camper during your trip. But what about keeping your bikes safe when you’re sleeping, or off doing something else?
This is a bit of a tricky one. The main thing here is ensuring everything is as secure as possible. Make sure you’ve secured all wheels and frames together and use the best lock possible. Our LITELOK Core Plus in the 100cm length would be a great option for this. It’s flexible enough to allow you to secure frames and wheels around the rack with no issue (and it’s a Sold Secure Diamond lock!).
How to secure your bike in a Hotel
If you’re staying in a hotel during your travels, unless it’s specifically bike-friendly, it’s worth giving them a call to see if you’re able to store your bikes somewhere secure. Some hotels will have storage space, or let you take your bike to your room.
If your hotel will let you take bikes in and you’re worried about making a mess, pack a bit of tarp to put on the floor to prevent any mess.
If you’re not able to take your bikes into the hotel, the first priority will be checking your insurance. Read the policy wording to see if you’re covered for storing bikes in your car or van. If so, you’ll likely only be covered for a certain number of hours and be required to use a certain level of Sold Secure bike lock.
If you’re covered and not allowed to bring your bikes inside, here are a few things you can do to keep your bikes safe:
- If you’re in a car, make sure your bikes are under cover and out of sight. If possible, park as close to your room as you can. If this isn’t possible, try to park somewhere that has good lighting, CCTV, and a lot of foot traffic. Always remember to keep your bikes locked when they are in the car.
- If you’re in a van, back the van up against a wall, hedge, or obstacle to prevent thieves from accessing the rear doors. If you can, secure any side doors from the inside. You can install locks, or as a temporary measure, use bungee ties to secure the sliders at the top.
Our best advice would be to look for bike-friendly accommodation. They often have all the facilities you need, and you won’t be worrying too much about having to leave your bike in your vehicle overnight.
Tip: We wouldn’t recommend leaving your bikes on a roof rack overnight, it’s unlikely your insurance will cover you. Make sure you read insurance terms very closely or give them a call to check.
How to secure your bike in an Airbnb
If you’re staying in an Airbnb, get in touch with the host before you book to ask about bringing your bike(s) along. To do this, you just need to click on a listing and tap ‘contact host’ to reach out. You can ask if it’s ok to bring bikes along if it’s not mentioned in the listing, and where you’re able to store them.Keeping your bike safe in an Airbnb property is the same as you would in your own home. Keep your bikes secured with the best lock you can and keep them out of sight from any windows and doors.
How to secure your bike when Camping
Heading off on a camping or bikepacking trip? You’ll probably be slightly off the beaten track, but there’s always a risk.
If you’re camping, do what you can to make stealing your bikes as awkward as possible. We recommend taking the wheels off and popping them in a locked vehicle, or in your tent with you. Taking the wheels off also means they are easier to store in the porch of your tent if you don’t have a car.
Obviously, if you’re bikepacking, you’ll probably have no vehicle or room in your tent. To save space (for both camping and bikepacking) we’d recommend taking one (or two) of our Go Flexi-O locks, especially if you’re riding alone and need to stop somewhere on route. They are easy to coil up and pop in a bag, great for on the go and securing your bike if you’re stopping to grab some food or use the toilet.
For those that don’t mind wearing locks and want the ultimate peace of mind, opt for the 75cm LITELOK Core Plus. They are Sold Secure Diamond, giving you cover for high value bikes and accessories.
Invest in a good bike lock for your travels
A bike lock company telling you to invest in a good bike lock is a little biased, but we know a thing or two about bike security. We want to help keep your bike safe, that’s why all our locks are Sold Secure Silver or above.
We recommend getting two locks to deter thieves and make it difficult for them to steal your bike if it’s targeted:
- Sold Secure Silver locks offer a greater level of resistance against the more determined thief. They are for higher risk environments.
- Sold Secure Gold locks offer a top level of resistance against dedicated thieves in high-risk environments.
- Sold Secure Diamond locks offer the ultimate level of security. They offer the highest level of theft resistance.
Have any questions about our locks? Check out our FAQs or get in touch, we’ll be more than happy to answer!