Bike theft along Pacific Coast Highway

[LOTR_fan]

Hello,

I am planning a 3 week cycling trip along the PCH, starting in Astoria, Oregon, and cycling down to LA. I am cycling alone, and will be staying in campgrounds most of the time. I am particularly concerned about the possible theft of my bike...I just bought it last year and it is a really nice road bike (Giant OCR).

I'm just wondering if anyone out there has done a trip along this stretch, and has any insights into the likelihood of theft of a nice bike like this. I'm guessing it is less likely to happen in Oregon and more likely the further south I go.

Currently I am considering spray painting my bike, but an experience bike thief will likely not be deterred. Any advice is appreciated...thanks!

 

[jabantik00]

bring a lock and you will likely be ok. i have ridden from san francisco to san diego many times, and from port angeles to san francisco once. i always secured my bike with a u-lock and cable, and i have never had any problems. i try to lock the rear wheel and seat stays to barbeque grate or something fairly difficult to cut, and secure my front wheel with the cable. if that is too difficult, i loop the cable around something like a picnic table and lock the seat stays and rear wheel to the cable. most hiker/biker campsites will have a picnic table or barbeque or something to which you can lock your bike.

some of the hiker/biker sites are becoming hobo camps, especially as you go further south, and you will want to be especially vigilant at those sites.

Hello,

I am planning a 3 week cycling trip along the PCH, starting in Astoria, Oregon, and cycling down to LA. I am cycling alone, and will be staying in campgrounds most of the time. I am particularly concerned about the possible theft of my bike...I just bought it last year and it is a really nice road bike (Giant OCR).

I'm just wondering if anyone out there has done a trip along this stretch, and has any insights into the likelihood of theft of a nice bike like this. I'm guessing it is less likely to happen in Oregon and more likely the further south I go.

Currently I am considering spray painting my bike, but an experience bike thief will likely not be deterred. Any advice is appreciated...thanks!

 

[LOTR_fan]

bring a lock and you will likely be ok. i have ridden from san francisco to san diego many times, and from port angeles to san francisco once. i always secured my bike with a u-lock and cable, and i have never had any problems. i try to lock the rear wheel and seat stays to barbeque grate or something fairly difficult to cut, and secure my front wheel with the cable. if that is too difficult, i loop the cable around something like a picnic table and lock the seat stays and rear wheel to the cable. most hiker/biker campsites will have a picnic table or barbeque or something to which you can lock your bike.

some of the hiker/biker sites are becoming hobo camps, especially as you go further south, and you will want to be especially vigilant at those sites.

Thanks for your reply jabantik00! Port Angeles is in Washington right? So you are familiar with the conditions in Oregon as well? I am guessing there are less 'hobos' at hiker biker sites in Oregon, and that it is generally much safer than in California. Is this true? Anyways, if hobos are a problem, I suspect I could stay in a regular campsite (slightly more expensive of course) if that is safer.

I currently use a cable and a 'Master' lock that looks like handcuffs. One of the cuffs loops around my back wheel and seat tube, and the other loops around a bicycle post, or something like that. Do they have lots of bicycle posts in urban areas along the PCH (I'm specifically thinking of posts that are not too large, as the diameter of each cuff is only about 3 inches). Obviously my cuffs limit where I can lock up my bike, but they are extremely difficult to break into because there is no room for a thief to leverage a crowbar inside the cuffs.

One other question I have for you...what type of bike to you ride, and did you do anything to camoflage it? vbmenu_register("postmenu_2759814", true);