Transporting bikes securely

[chenderson1965]

Hi,

I have just retired and my wife and I are about to buy a motorhome with a view to doing some touring in the UK and on the continent. We done a fair amount of research and decided that we want and a class that is between 7 m and 8 m long to give us the space we need.

We are both cyclists and want to take our road bikes with us. I’m quite large so my bike is over 1.2 m high (and a bit less if I remove the wheels). Both of our bikes are reasonably valuable.

Even with vehicles the size of the ones that we are looking at, it’s not easy to find one with a garage large enough to take both bicycles. They do exist but It greatly reduces choice and there are often compromises with the interior layout as a result.

What are peoples ideas/experiences with carrying bikes on an external rack? How secure is it possible to make them? How much of a security issue are bikes? Has anyone here heard stories of have experience of bikes been stolen?

Any and all ideas/help/experiences would be gratefully received.

Thanks a lot.

Chris

 

[TheBig1]

bikes on racks are a magnet for thieves, especially expensive bikes. loads and loads of stories about the thefts. you can get a loop fitted to your alarm to help protect them

 

[PhilMary]

I suggest you buy a bike cover this hides the types of bikes on the bike rack. A big secure bike lock, the motorbike type. I also use an alarm system for when I'm away from the motorhome.
Phil

 

[Lenny HB]

Normally get the largest garage with a twin bed layout, our bikes (full size 28" wheels) fit in our van with about 9" spare above the handlebars.

 

[chenderson1965]

Yes I know. We really don’t want twin beds though which is why we’re looking for another solution.

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[brynric]

I had my bikes (both electric) targetted whilst on the aire at Graveline. I was disturbed by some sound and chased off the thief but he had taken off the fiamma cover and undone the wheel straps.
However he had not made any inroads on the various locks and devices fitted. It takes me several minutes to take the bikes off and I have the keys and codes. If they really want the bikes nothing will stop them but making it difficult will make some think twice. I probably overdo the locks but the Graveline experience has made me a little paranoid.
Each bike has an AXA frame lock with added chain wrapped around bike rack. heavy duty Kryptonite chain (reqiured for insurance) and a combination D lock holding the bikes together.
It might be easier to buy a van with garage!

 

[Burgo]

Get a tow bar fitted and tow them in a small enclosed trailer. Also will help your axle loading / payload. A. Ittle lightweight one is no problem to whip in and off when parking up if you need to.

 

[peterc10]

No matter how many locks and chains you have the weakest part is usually the aluminium rack that holds them. Scrotes with a battery angle grinder will cut the whole thing off in no time and throw the remains of the rack with the bikes still attached into the back of a transit and are off.

Why not twin beds? Nearly all can be converted into a huge double bed if that is what you want.

 

[Misterg]

Inside - it's the only way we feel safe. We compromise by taking the front wheels off to reduce the height (which isn't too much of a faff) - means that we can get away with a ~900mm high garage for medium sized bikes without having to touch the saddle height of the road bikes).

(Oh and we built the van around the bike storage because we couldn't find a commercial offering that met our requirements )

ETA: The back doors also have a deadlock fitted!

 

[Reallyretired]

I used to carry bikes on a rack with nothing much in the way of locks. Mind you they were the sort of bikes nobody would want to steal, still did the job though.

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[Pausim]

We found it difficult to find insurance for our bikes because of the values and conditions imposed. We eventually solved it with a specialist home contents policy but theft from a vehicle is only covered if locked inside and enclosed. In effect this means in the motorhome garage, though a box trailer might qualify.

 

[138go]

We had ours on racks but they are at risk and they get dirty. We bought a cover, which turned into a right faff to get on and off, it also flapped at night if it was windy. We met a couple at Honfleur who had their brand new e-bikes lifted, before they’d even used them.

We now have an A class and our bikes go inside. I fully recommended you go down this route.

Mrs QFour

 

[Augusta08]

I carry two quite expensive Raleigh ebikes on a towball rack. I use a Oxford gold rated chain and lock. I thread the lock and chain through the inner rear wheel frame struts, hence you can't get an angle grinder in to attack it without destroying the object of desire, the bike. So far this has proved effective and my £2500 bikes are still mine?

 

[Paddywack]

Yes I know. We really don’t want twin beds though which is why we’re looking for another solution.

Welcome to the motorhome conundrum! Everything is a compromise, if you want your bikes secure they need to be inside and to get the height you need the twin arrangement. What's your objection to the twin beds? You are aware that with most you can make them up into one massive double?

 

[138go]

Our bikes travel in the garage of our A class. We don’t have twin beds, we have a double island bed in the back and a drop down double at the front.

Mrs QFour

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[pandas]

We found it difficult to find insurance for our bikes because of the values and conditions imposed. We eventually solved it with a specialist home contents policy but theft from a vehicle is only covered if locked inside and enclosed. In effect this means in the motorhome garage, though a box trailer might qualify.

Just to clarify, our insurance insist the bikes are locked within the garage - not just within a locked garage! Through John Lewis buildings and home insurance. If they are on an externall bike rack they required the bikes to be locked to an immovable place not a rack that can be un bolted.

 

[Landy Andy]

Removing the external bike rack was almost the first thing I did to my MoHo. I don’t want bikes stolen, I don’t want them damaged (either by the elements or people), I don’t want to give people an easy way onto my roof where I leave vents open, and I don’t want that weight on my rear wall.
That’s why I bought a MoHo with a garage.

 

[Makingtrax]

Yes I know. We really don’t want twin beds though which is why we’re looking for another solution.

Can’t believe it, I think that makes two of us on here.

The twin beds or transverse beds give you the biggest garage. Island beds normally go up and down so not much height in the garage, French beds also restrict the garage space as the bathroom is also at the back.

If you opt to put the bikes in the garage, you have the problem of cluttering it up and have to be very strict with storage solutions.

We have a French bed and love it, as the van seems bigger than when sections are closed off, it also has reasonable sized garage. The bikes go on a back rack, and because they’re not ebikes we’ve had no problem with weight. We cover them and lock them, which only takes 2 or 3 minutes.

As far as thieves are concerned, the odds of them being stolen is very dependent on your camping habits. If you intend to wild camp obviously you’re at higher risk than if you mainly use campsites, which we do. We’ve been motorhoming for 10 years and have never had an issue with crime. Being careful where you stop is most of the solution. We have an alarm which is fitted to the bikes at night when they’re on the rack.

Hope that helps.

Edit: Because our current bikes are less than £1000 each our home contents cover them. We are considering ebikes at the moment and looking into insurance/weight issues. The rear rack is rated at 60Kg which is not a problem, but I’ve written to the manufacturer of our van for assurances that the back wall is strong enough for 40kg (2x 20kg without the batteries on). They said they’d get back to me this week.

 

[Ingwe]

Our e bikes are insured through Velosure and we lock them to the Fiamma bike frame already fitted to the van when we bought it. We cover them with a now dirty Fiamma bike cover.
As they are only GTech bikes, nobody as yet has tried to nick them. One day we might come back and find other GTech bikes dumped there.
But seriously, as we have no garage, if we want bikes, we have to use the rack, locks etc. We can only be stoical about it as otherwise the neurosis of losing them would ruin any pleasure of using them.
As others have said, if thieves want your things badly enough, they'll have them.

 

[NorthernSands]

We have a garage under a double (205cm x 140cm), transverse bed. Both our road bikes fit inside with wheels and saddles on - plenty of clearance above. Our A-Class (1996 Hymer E700) also has a built in bike rack that folds down from the back wall. This can be useful when we're using the bikes a lot on shorter journeys.

As others have said, you can get Moho alarm extension sockets that fit behind the rear skirt, on the outside. You then just plug in a security cable that sets the alarm off if disturbed (the alarm can be set when you're inside as well).

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[Richard n Ann]

I've just been looking at disc locks and this mini one came up on Amazon search results, would stop someone riding off on it, just 5 quid and is a small pocketable size.

1x Universal Bicycle or Motorcycle Brake Disc Lock Stainless Lock Security Brake Disc Lock with 2 Keys Random Colour Amazon product ASIN B077K6P532

 

[Wellington]

Not sure how well you can see, but this is my 6.4m Carthago compactline 138 with a rear transverse double. They do rear twins (which convert easily and permanently to an enormous double if required) or various queen bed layouts at various lengths and they all have the mahoosive garage, with emphasis on the height. I love the garage, but will definitely move to the twin soon.

As you can see, there is so much spare height for my ladies bike I have put in a plywood deck so I can slot the recliners under and get them out easily without emptying the garage. It leaves plenty of space width wise for the chairs, as I am also carrying the biggest cold box I could find, a halogen oven and a load of charcoal. I can leave the panniers on the back, and that easily leaves room for the two spare tables, pop up tent and surfboard I packed and have not yet used.

I wish I’d left the bike rack on. It makes an excellent place to hang towels and swimsuits to dry, hang a rubbish bag or attach a shade sail to. I reckon you could manage some sort of drop down table, for barbecuing too.

 

[Makingtrax]

Not sure how well you can see, but this is my 6.4m Carthago compactline 138 with a rear transverse double. They do rear twins (which convert easily and permanently to an enormous double if required) or various queen bed layouts at various lengths and they all have the mahoosive garage, with emphasis on the height. I love the garage, but will definitely move to the twin soon.

View attachment 322211View attachment 322211

As you can see, there is so much spare height for my ladies bike I have put in a plywood deck so I can slot the recliners under and get them out easily without emptying the garage. It leaves plenty of space width wise for the chairs, as I am also carrying the biggest cold box I could find, a halogen oven and a load of charcoal. I can leave the panniers on the back, and that easily leaves room for the two spare tables, pop up tent and surfboard I packed and have not yet used.

I wish I’d left the bike rack on. It makes an excellent place to hang towels and swimsuits to dry, hang a rubbish bag or attach a shade sail to. I reckon you could manage some sort of drop down table, for barbecuing too.

Love the place for the fly swatter.

 

[Wellington]

I have three, and a usb chargeable zapper. It’s been brilliant - the mozzies in Padova were maneaters.

 

[jwells]

Do all the people that load up their rear 'garages' with all the stuff, ever have their vehicles weighed? Bikes, motorcycle etc - and we have seen an awful lot of stuff rammed into some rear ends, no matter what size, and never enough space of course - all over the back and not necessarily over the axle. Must affect the tyre/axle loading, as I found out much to my horror after putting a rack and two bikes on the back of my little van!!

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[Wellington]

Not yet , but only because our local weighbridge closed down, and everyone else I contacted with one more or less told me sod off. I’ll find one when I get back and see. The Carthago is supposed to be able to take 350kg in the garage, although obviously this will increase the weight on the back axle rather more. One hopes they would have thought of this, but who knows?

 

[NorthernSands]

We have a friendly local weigh station. I weighed our old van (1986 Hymercamp, 3100KG max) and calculated rear axle loading for the 125cc Yamaha that we hung off the back. We basically weighed ourselves stood on and off the motorbike rack, making a note of the weight difference. We then weighed ourselves on our own at home afterwards and calculated the formulae we needed for axle loading. The moped worked, if the petrol tank was no greater than half full.

So yes, people do weigh their van's correctly. I'll be doing the new one on Wednesday, all being well.

 

[stevewagner]

We weighed our Carthago Compactline 143 last week with a Honda Vision in the garage along with an awning, chairs tool box etc., and 2 electric bikes on the rear bike rack and were still 300kg under weight on the rear axle - very pleased!

 

[gerry mcg]

Have a look at Globecar 600L (5.99m) and campscout (6.36m) Revolutions.
These are PVC based on the extra high (2.90m) ducato and have a full size motorised lifting bed in the rear.
We have a 600L Revolution and with judicious packing we can get 3 bikes (2x MTB, 2 1x Road) front wheel off, saddle dropped and all our kit under the bed

 

[Rob Turner]

Definitely put them in a garage. You can buy the best locks available but nothing will stop a grinder.
I had an issue at Gravelines, they didn’t get them mind but they did cut through one of the three kryptonite locks before I got out.

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