The call of nature (and other lone pursuits)

freiteg

Hea

A while back I made use of the b2w scheme and got me a fancy road bike to improve me fitness. I am not part of any groups and go out on rides on my own. The distances are slowly growing and I am suddenly discovering certain limitations of lone cycling.

Fellow lone cyclists how do ye deal with stopping for bathroom breaks (#2) or even food stops, as both of these mean going indoors how do you keep your bike safe is it just that you have to take a heavy lock with you or do you have other tips?

jive

Any time I stop I just leave it in plain sight where possible. If going to the jacks or whatever then I just run the risk for the minute or 2 that I'm gone, I'll usually leave it in front of other people in that case. My bike ain't great though so I secretly hope it will get robbed so that I can justify a new bike!

jamesd

I use one of these locks - http://www.thebikeshop.ie/product/giant-surelock-air-loop/

bazermc

In all my years cycling I have never had the need to #2 while out cycling.

legrand

^^^
Can't speak to that lock's efficacy, but a friend had something similar but he paid around €50. Locked his bike and when he came back bike was gone and lock on the ground. Thieves cut through the cable - on inspection he found the steel cable was only about 5mm wrapped in the 10mm pvc jacket. Figured thieves got in a second with a basic wire cuttter.

Something like this steel foldable lock especially for an expensive bike would be better.

SmartinMartin

i got one of these locks, fits neatly on the bike:



I think aldi or lidl have a version of it at the minute.

iwillhtfu

It all depends on what part of the world you're in I can't say I've ever had to take a crap out on the bike but I usually hide the bike off in some random corner of a garage or around the back a the delivery area if I have o go get water or something. I don't really do the coffee and cake cycle stop a lot of people do.

I guess if you're stuck often some tissue in a pocket and hope it's not a sticky one :eek::D

Some folks just do as they please.

This was left outside an apple green on the N25 for about 15-20 mins while the lady owner went to the toilet and had a coffee. I was sweating bullets the whole time it was there. It looked to be only out of the wrapper with Ultegra 6800. Hopefully she still has it.

Raam

Go before you leave the house.

secman

Most of my spins are in rural area' s , plenty of Gates into fields for Pee.. over all the years I've been caught twice for numero 2, just lift bike over gate and we'll you know the rest. I never go out without " insurance " paper, find kitchen towel the best
I'd never considered stopping for a bite indoors, usually eat on the go up to 80 km without a stop.

arybvtcw0eolkf

I don't carry a lock when I'm cycling, and its rare I need to leave the bike but if I do (without a lock) I change through a few gears but without spinning the cogs.

So if some scally wag (I like that ) gets on to ride off the gears will mash and the fooker will hopefully drop the bike and leg it.

Of course this doesn't stop someone throwing it into the back of a vehicle.

Pee breakes, I discreetly hide and pee.. I've never had to do the other ~ well except one time which I wrote about, it involved a serious bout of gastroenteritis, jumping into the bushes along Saint Annes park in Raheny, then being too sick to ride home so I got a taxi but that's a story I'm sure you could do without!.

So, change the gears. Don't turn the cogs & the gears will mash for the thief.. When you get back to the bike yourself, pick up the back wheel, turn the cogs until it finds its proper gear and off a go.

Melodeon

Has to be posted:

Wishbone Ash

Kristian Stocky Butcher wrote: »

....change the gears. Don't turn the cogs & the gears will mash for the thief....

...or just remove the front wheel and bring it with you.

Buzwaldo

Way to much information in this thread. And I can't 'unread'it now.

CramCycle

freiteg wrote: »

Hea

A while back I made use of the b2w scheme and got me a fancy road bike to improve me fitness. I am not part of any groups and go out on rides on my own. The distances are slowly growing and I am suddenly discovering certain limitations of lone cycling.

Fellow lone cyclists how do ye deal with stopping for bathroom breaks (#2) or even food stops, as both of these mean going indoors how do you keep your bike safe is it just that you have to take a heavy lock with you or do you have other tips?

I used to carry a kryptonite mini in my jersey pocket. Heavy but fits in most jersey pockets. Maybe overkill. Haven't in awhile as most stops offer some random place to throw the bike. In a field behind the ditch if overly worried.

bazermc wrote: »

In all my years cycling I have never had the need to #2 while out cycling.

Caught me once or twice, normally into a pub but I did have to hide out in the open air over on the continent once as it was the middle of the night, one of the audax stories I decided did not need a full report. I was just talking to a club mate about a time where one guy on an event had to polevault a gate and left us holding the bike without explanation. When he did explain, we wish he hadn't.

shamrock2004

I just leave it in plain sight and sit near it. However, I reckon it's all superfluous. The reason being that I wear cycle shoes and if someone decided to lift my bike, I'd have no chance in catching them while wearing cycling shoes. I'd recommend removing them while seated, so that you could give chase if someone made a brazen attempt to rob the bike in plain view. For bathroom breaks, I always take a dump before heading out. If I have to take a leak, I'll pull over at the side of the road and let rip.

magicbastarder

Buzwaldo wrote: »

Way to much information in this thread. And I can't 'unread'it now.

i had to reread the thread in case i had missed something insanely scatological.

rtmie

Lots of "cycling friendly" cafes. Either sit outside where you can watch your bike, or ask if there is sewhere you can leave it, some cafes esp in smaller towns will have a side passage or yard and will let leave bike there. Otherwise as others suggest bring a wheel in with you. Problem with locks is that the secure type tend to be very heavy to bring on a spin, esp if like me you are already carrying lots of extra, certainly don't want to drag a kilo of.lock around.
Wrt spud draining , lots of cafes will have other cyclists there keeping an eye on their bikes, ask them to watch yours for a couple of mins while you go to the jacks.
Oh and if you have a Garmin or similar pocket it while in the cafe, they are easily lifted.
But OP, at the end of the day nothing guarantees like a big kryptonite, if you fancy carrying it, I know I don't!

jamesd

I think my little airlock will be the thief bypass my bike and go to the next unlocked bike - I hope it does that anyways.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

...or just remove the front wheel and bring it with you.

The thief might be good at wheelies :P

cdaly_

Kryptonite Messenger Mini lives on the bike. Only 750g.


Also, a couple of baby wipes in a ziplock bag work nicely on the audax through-the-dawn calls of nature...

OldBean

If you're at a cafe, pub, service station - Just ask if you can either bring the bike inside the door and/or if they'll keep an eye on it. As long as you're spending a few bob there, you'll rarely run into hassle. Besides, they'll hardly want a paniced bloke in lycra and quare shoes hanging around if it does get nicked.

I have a super cheapo small cable lock in my handlebar bag that weighs nothing but it's some bit of comfort if I wrap it through the rear wheel, frame and onto anything at all to give some resistance. I reckon it'd take two minutes to break through, but that might be enough if the situation arose.

Wishbone Ash

If stopping at a filling station, I leave the bike at the night hatch window which is always beside the staff on the tills. There's always loads of CCTV cameras at filling stations anyway so I'd consider them to be relatively safe.

I never travel with a lock - I'd rather have the bike nicked than carry one around. I have a heavy duty one permanently located in Dublin city center for use when I'm in there.

El Tarangu

bazermc wrote: »

In all my years cycling I have never had the need to #2 while out cycling.

I usually drink a few espressos before hopping on the bike; I find that this ensures that the train leaves the station on time, so to speak.

Chuchote

Gate into a field for a pee.

Espressos are a great idea!

Warning, horrors ahead:

Please don't poo in parks.

There's always a cafe or a pub or shop not far away. A few years ago I used to bring my dog for walks in Bushy Park, and she had an unerring nose for human poo and would roll deliciously in it, and eat it. Not pleasant to have in the car with you, even after swimming her in the river several times, and it meant an immediate bath with shampoo while holding breath (me) and barking happily (her) as soon as we got home, and the car with windows left open all night, and any seat-covering thrown out. And Tesco's beside Bushy Park has toilets! Some of this was people discarding nappies or sending small children into the bushes to poo. There's a cafe in St Anne's Park with loos too.

CramCycle

cdaly_ wrote: »

Kryptonite Messenger Mini lives on the bike. Only 750g.


Also, a couple of baby wipes in a ziplock bag work nicely on the audax through-the-dawn calls of nature...

That's the one I use, fits in most jersey pockets as well.

irishrover99

The first time i did the W200 i wished my bike would be nicked at the Rathdrum stop but unfortunately when i came out it was still there and had to do another 50 km in the pouring rain:(

robyntmorton

irishrover99 wrote: »

The first time i did the W200 i wished my bike would be nicked at the Rathdrum stop but unfortunately when i came out it was still there and had to do another 50 km in the pouring rain:(

I felt like that yesterday on the GDBR. Wished for death, got a puncture. Wished for a missing bike at NSC, couldn't even get the gardai to take it away. At that stage it was "f**k it, I can't give in now." Rounding the corner into Smithfield Sq, all the pain is forgotten, and I sprinted for the line.

shamrock2004

El Tarangu wrote: »

I usually drink a few espressos before hopping on the bike; I find that this ensures that the train leaves the station on time, so to speak.

Caffeine is a diuretic so will make you pee, not push brown.

CramCycle

shamrock2004 wrote: »

Caffeine is a diuretic so will make you pee, not push brown.

Years of experience and anecdotes from flatmates would say a cup of coffee.in the.morning only does.one thing, and it is not pee.

I am pretty sure there are studies that agree and suggest it is nowt to do with the caffeine.

Also the diuretic effect of the caffeine in coffee is negligible, 2 or 3 cups of coffee a day has no effect on urine volume and regular use would seem to increase tolerance.