I'm slowly chipping away at the munros and I've been really enjoying the brief wee cycle to the start of the hike with my gravel bike. I've been using a planetX cafe lock which I'm fairly sure could be easily cut through with a leatherman or similar, of which most hikers probably carry. I'd hope most people are fairly honest as they're all in the same club but I'm sure some people go out just to pinch bikes in that way.
Needs to be lightweight as I've already got my backpack with a multitude of layers to carry and needs to be long enough to wrap around an appropriate sized tree or fence. I know something lightweight isn't going to be completely theft proof, it just needs to be a little bit more so than what I'm currently using.
Have you ever heard of a Munroist's bike being stolen from the hills? Doesn't sound like it would be a common occurrence.
Nothing long, flexible, and light is going to be secure against a thief with a tool. It will also be hard to find something immobile to lock the bike to on many Highland walks.
I'd just slap the cafe lock on and trust in the good character of my fellow hill-walkers. You can also take the thru-axles out of the bike when you leave it, so it cannot be ridden.
Honestly, I was going to suggest the same type of lock that you already use. Although I know that it’s not very secure.
If I was looking for something more secure, while still kind of portable, I’d Persinally look at a Hiplock folding lock, like this one:
but I have no personal experience, so I’m afraid my post isn’t very valuable.
@Garry_Lager yep fraid so, from a thief perspective they know people ride bikes to a bothy/hut/fence then disappear in the hills for hours at a time. Easy enough to turn up while they're gone and ride it back down again I'd have thought. I'd like it to not be a thing but I think we're all coming to realise that peoples are scumbags!
As above - sonething like the Hiplock, combined with tucking the bike away out of sight wherever possible. Rather than fence or tree, it's sometimes better down behind a random peat hag or in a ditch
This will be a step-up from a cafe lock. No weight given, but can't be too bad, I wouldn't have thought. And half-price for this lime colour....£12.50 - tempted to get one myself for that price.
Hiplok POP - Wearable Bicycle Cable Lock with 140cm Locking
I've got a hiplok ZLock - basically a security cable tie, but I don't think it's long enough to go around most street furniture & the bike.
I've never bothered. I've dumped bikes and/or rucksacks in the heather to be retreived later. I also often leave some very expensive camping gear "on show".
For example, a mate and I went for two days (ie 2 walks with a night out) on the southern Cairngorms a few years ago, rode in from the Linn of Dee and just dumped our bikes roughly where the blue spot is on this map. It was far enough above the track that they were invisible from below, and no-one going to or from the hut at Geldie Lodge had any idea they were there. OK we put a simple cable and padlock on them, but that wasn't really necessary at all.
Im with the lawman on this - if you are a few miles from the road then no one is going to steal it certainly if they have to carry it. A token lock to stop someone riding off on it maybe - try a small padlock thru the chainring
Or take the QR skewers / axles out and carry them with you
I too rely on hiding out of sight rather than locks. I've had bikes 2m off a track and you would never know it is there unless you peered over a random hillock....
And I've never heard a bike go missing in the hills proper before.
I too rely on hiding out of sight rather than locks. I've had bikes 2m off a track and you would never know it is there unless you peered over a random hillock....
And I've never heard a bike go missing in the hills proper before.
I always just go with the 'hide it in a bush and take the skewers with me' approach.
I've not done it with a superposh bike but a nice enough one and it's been fine
I'm in agreement with the hiding option, perhaps with a small D lock on it. First line of defence is surely making the scrotes unaware of its existence....
from a thief perspective they know people ride bikes to a bothy/hut/fence then disappear in the hills for hours at a time. Easy enough to turn up while they're gone and ride it back down again
If that is the case then I doubt any lock you can wrap around a decent tree, and carry, will deter someone who has gone with the specific intention
I have that Hiplock Pop. It's small step up from those very thin cafe/free from MBUK type locks. Ideal for popping into a garage or shop. Light at 350g. It won't stop much, but the cable 'looks' quite thick. It isn't though. Mostly just the plastic outer. Can go round your waist too if your pack is full.
I've done this many times often with nice bikes. A basic combination lock, hide it and take the axles with you and I don't worry about it at all.
Don't leave it in the obvious places like the bothy or the bridge, and hide it above the track where it's hard to see rather than below the track where you can look down at it. I worry more about being able to find it again than someone nicking it.
Oh, and a combination lock after a little incident where I left the bike at one end of the Ben Lawers ridge then drove to the other end and walked from there. Having walked the ridge and got back to the bike to ride it back to the car, I looked for the key to the lock. Right, that'll be in the car then...
How about covering the bike with a camouflage lightweight tarp? Lock and remove axles as mention above then cover it up?
Fit an airtag somewhere and leave a note on the bike ,basically saying its being left temporarily-might actually be an idea to give a route plan, for a double safety aspect.
Also, the idea about taking off a wheel and locking it to the bike will prevent anyone cutting off the lock and riding away, but tbh ive yet to hear a tale of a bike being nicked from outside a bothy, given most require a fair walk to get to, and i really dont see any potential thieves doing such a thing.
Yes to hiding my bike with a minimal lock. I actually take a pic of the track near where I've hidden my bike as I've struggled to find it on occasion.
In sure I’ve got friends who have left 2 top end ebikes in a bothy whilst munro bagging
I leave my e-bike with the front wheel locked to the frame and the front axle stowed safely in my rucksack. Anyone who wants to steal it is going to have to carry the 20-odd kilos back to the road.
also very context dependent - some hills/ bothies are more ‘nedtastic’ than others.
I've dumped bikes and/or rucksacks in the heather to be retreived later
I suggest marking the location by GPS on your phone. That was the tip I read, and I'm glad I did.
As above. Wheels off, locked to the frame with a cable and padlock, QRs in the pack, placed vaguely out of sight. I'm using the same cable and padlock I was using 25 years ago...
