I’ve done other bike tours and have seen people lose there bike and personal items to theft. What are the logistics for securing personal belongings?
1st Ragbrai and wondering about theft
(26 posts)
(21 voices)
| Category | Topics |
|---|---|
| RAGBRAI XL | 436 |
| RAGBRAI XXXIX | 1,849 |
| Clubs, Teams & Charters | 206 |
| Gatherings & Meetings | 16 |
| Training | 31 |
| Miscellaneous | 263 |
Theft on ragbrai certainly is not a big problem but you might use your lock & cable during the overnight (of course) if your bike is outside. I carry my lock everywhere in my bike bag just incase I need it.
I’ve only heard of one bike theft on RAGBRAI in the last 9 years but a light weight lock and cable is cheap in easy to put on. I lock my bike at each over night … lock to another bike if nothing sturdy is nearby … and when I stop in towns if I’m going to walk around. Why tempt fate?
What do you do with your bike any other time when you are unable to lock it up indoors? Do the same thing here; based on my previous experience(s), that should be good enough.
-”BB”-
Although bike theft on Ragbrai is rare and a high percentage of the bikes are eventually recovered (because drunk joy-riding fellow riders ditch the bike when they’re done with it), it’s still a potential nuisance. I know two people who had bikes stolen on Ragbrai.
Use common sense. In the more urban areas where we’re camping in or near town, my group chains up or removes front tires. Even minimal security measures will cause a thief to move along when there are thousands of bikes just lying around. Also, if you have a really expensive racing bike that it would break your heart to lose, just leave it at home and ride something else. You don’t need it on Ragbrai.
I’ll second spaul. If you’re worried about your bike, leave it at home. Everything I take on Ragbrai is disposable, including the bike. Not saying that I wouldn’t miss it, but it’s my original road bike and the only time I use it anymore is ragbrai.
The story I use is if you leave a $20 on your bike seat, it would still be there when you came back an hour later. If not, look on the ground, because the wind probably blew it off. But if a cheap cable can give you peace of mind, feel free to do what you think is right. No one will care either way.
I accidently left my billfold on a curb in Colfax. I was almost out of town when I realized what had happened. I rode back to where I had been and it was still there. And my money and credit/debit cards were all still there. 
I put aplastic table cloth over my bike at night. Mainly to keep the dew off.
YIKES. . . You have real handcuffs? Hum, I better not comment further. . .
10usstring:
I’ve used a set of handcuffs to lock up the bike.Fit well in the bike bag or jersy pocket.
“I’ve used a set of handcuffs to lock up the bike. Fit well in the bike bag or jersy pocket.”
Good idea! Just one problem: as I understand it, if they are regular police-issue cuffs from a manufacturer like Smith and Wesson, the keying is universal — meaning that if anyone else happens to be carrying a handcuff key, they can open your handcuffs.
-”BB”-
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
