How to leave bike at trailheads?

[jrichard]

After reading the recent post about leaving a bike at 19 Mile Brook trail, I have to ask how one would leave a bike at a trailhead. I'm paranoid about my bike, having had one stolen as a kid.

I assume you'd lock your bike, and that you'd bring only beater bikes. But that probably isn't going to stop thieves and vandals in a remote area who smash windows to grab smelly hiking gear.

Do you stash it in the woods? And hope no one sees you?

Or do you leave it in the open?

And are there bike racks in populated areas, like FS sites along the Kangamangus or the AMC sites like Pinkham or the Highland Center that the public can use?

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I bring my least-tempting bike, and I hide it in the woods, locked to a tree. Lying down is even better because it is harder to see.

Nobody would go crashing around the woods looking for a stashed bicycle - not worth their time really. Maybe if you were seen with a high-end bike while the TH was being 'cased' I could see a problem. I've done it 5 or 6 times without a problem.

I've never notice bike racks at a TH - maybe that's another column in Roy's TH amenities thread.

I've left it at 19MBT twice, Livermore/Depot, Glenn Boulder, and Edmand's Path - that's all I can remember.

Tim

 

[Kevin Rooney]

And are there bike racks in populated areas, like FS sites along the Kangamangus or the AMC sites like Pinkham or the Highland Center that the public can use?

I seem to recall a bike rack at the PNVC; don't remember at Highland Ctr.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Pinkham and Highland should be resolvable with a phone call. One additional tidbit -- if you're used to riding in clipless pedals then the uphill direction is really weird/difficult wearing hiking boots. Downhill not so much. Consider this when evaluating bringing your cycling shoes.

Tim

 

[REK]

I bring my least-tempting bike, and I hide it in the woods, locked to a tree. Lying down is even better because it is harder to see.

That's just what I do. The only time I was worried was at Base Station when I stashed my pack in the woods because I didn't want to ride with it. I locked it to a tree but there was no way to protect the contents. It was cool though.

One thing that sounds obvious but at least for me wasn't; take a couple of bearings to help locate the bike in the woods. All I could think of was Rumpelstiltskin as I crashed around the woods trying to remember exactly which tree I chained it to.

I also plan my trips for the longest downhill return run. Think Crawford Notch!
Bob

 

[Jay H]

I've left bikes in the catskills though the trailheads are way more remote and not as busy as the whites. I've left my bike shoes, helmet and stuff too in some places, other times I have ridden my clipless pedals with my hiking boots.

Normally, I just walk the bike into the woods a little and lock it to a tree.

Jay

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

I bring my least-tempting bike, and I hide it in the woods, locked to a tree. Lying down is even better because it is harder to see. Tim

I haven't done it since Duffy died, but otherwise I would say "ditto". That's the way I did it.

 

[blacknblue]

I bring my least-tempting bike, and I hide it in the woods, locked to a tree. Lying down is even better because it is harder to see.

That's basically my plan, too, although sometimes I don't bother with a lock if I think I've hidden it well enough and if nobody saw me walk into the woods with my bike.

Also, I almost always park the car wherever I plan to end the hike, and then bike to the start of the hike (preferably downhill). Just in case something does happen to the bike (e.g. stolen, flat tire), I'm not facing a long roadwalk after a long hike.

 

[jniehof]

Pinkham has a rack, but it's total garbage: dishdrainer style and not tied down to anything. Lots of people around though so probably safe. I *think* Highland Center has a ribbon rack, not much better but at least it's anchored.

Otherwise I've just stashed in the woods with a cable lock around a tree. Even going back in twenty feet will make it pretty hard to see. I also use a folding bike for this sort of thing, so it makes a more compact pile, less identifiable as a bike...and someone may not know how to unfold it. I have a friend with an old Raleigh Twenty that holds the frame together with a removable "key"; he takes the key with him when he parks in the city.

Kick some leaves over the reflectors. It's probably at least as safe as your car. Figure a trashmo bike is worth less than a good GPS and it's a lot harder to carry.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Good point on riding TO the start and hiking back to your car. I have found that riding uphill is often a nice warmup (except, as mentioned above, it's a little weird in hiking boots) - for instance, riding up route 16 from Stony Brook to 19MBT, not that 19MBT is that steep, but if it is in the 40s at 7am, riding downhill will get you chilled. Riding up 16 from Rocky Branch to Glenn Boulder I was very warm and very sweaty for the immediately steep Glenn Boulder Trail.

I may do Franconia Ridge this way at some point - anyone who has done it and would like to weigh in on which way to ride the bike (Skook <--> Lincoln Woods)?

Tim

 

[RoySwkr]

I've never notice bike racks at a TH - maybe that's another column in Roy's TH amenities thread.

Unless people start naming sites with bike racks, it can be a null column

I may do Franconia Ridge this way at some point - anyone who has done it and would like to weigh in on which way to ride the bike (Skook <--> Lincoln Woods)?

I've never done that one, Skookumchuk is the higher trailhead so the guy that likes to start riding uphill has an easy choice. I prefer to ride downhill but that means hiking uphill all day instead of getting most of the climb out of the way early.

What I would (and did) do is go down Flume Slide instead of Osseo, that is a much shorter ride all on paved bike path.

 

[sierra]

I use the woods to stash my gear or bike as I think its safer then a trailhead or car. IN fact when I used to rock climb and hike on the same weekend, I hiked. then I would cache my rockclimbing gear in the woods, somewhere no one walks and never in years had a problem. I would never had left all that hardware in my vehicle at a trailhead.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

What I would (and did) do is go down Flume Slide instead of Osseo, that is a much shorter ride all on paved bike path.

I've done the Flume Slide but not the Osseo... this might be one of those trips that the bike is just not suited for.

Tim

 

[Dennis C.]

I almost always park the car wherever I plan to end the hike, and then bike to the start of the hike (preferably downhill).

Lots of good advice here. I think the best is: "out of sight, out of mind". Hide the bike well. I've done this a number of times, especially in NY on 3000 footer bagging where usual hiking partners had already gotten the peaks I still needed.

 

[smitty77]

I may do Franconia Ridge this way at some point - anyone who has done it and would like to weigh in on which way to ride the bike (Skook <--> Lincoln Woods)?

I've ridden from Cannon down to Lincoln as part of a bike ride and can say the bike path is not well-suited for going from A to B. The twisty turns and lots of ups and downs meant a lot of braking and shifting. Definitely a sight seeing path. Maybe you won't find it that bad, but at the end of 50 miles I was cursing every little (yet deceivingly steep) hill I had to stand out of the pedals for, only to have to grab a bunch of brake on a downhill because the path makes a sharp turn. I seem to remember it smooths out some after Lafayette place. And it is best to do it in the morning. We had to dodge a lot of slow bikes and walkers in the afternoon. After the path it's a very nice ride down old Route 3 and then up through Lincoln to LinWoods.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Stashed in the woods, on the ground. Often with a note which says something like.

"If you find this bike, it is not an abandoned bike. I'm hiking and depend on it to get home. Thanks."

My thinking is that if it IS found by someone wandering around, chances are good that it will be found by an honest person who went offtrail to relieve himself, or something like that. The sign is just in case he thinks that it is a stolen and abandoned bike.

 

[Tony]

Making me tired just reading your posts

I'm just impressed by all of you who have the energy to both hike and ride a bike to get there and back. Kudos.

 

[dclynch]

I've used the bike spot a fair bit and usually leave it in the woods locked to a tree. At Lafayette Place, it was locked to a metal sign post in the open, and at Lincoln Woods tucked behind the ranger station. I usually opt for biking downhill at the end of the hike.

I think you would have to be a really strong biker to go from Lincoln Woods to Skook at the end of a day on Franconia ridge. The other way, not so bad.

 

[sierra]

Ive ridden the franconia bikepath bothways, tougher going north, going south I found easy and fast, just watch for walking tourist, a few waved at me, but I didnt see thier whole hand if you know what I mean.

 

[Elizabeth]

Kayak/bike

This may be a different subject altogether; but I have had good luck doing one-car river kayak trips. I leave the kayak secured with a cable bike lock around a tree, somewhat hidden, at the put-in spot. Gear stashed inside, paddle under the boat - not secured; but not obvious either. Drive to the take-out point and bike back, switching the cable lock to the bike. The kayak and gear are only left for an hour or two; but the bike and helmet for longer. I've done this quite a lot and - so far - have not had anything stolen or vandalized.
(My equipment is all old, and perhaps not worth stealing.)