Road Trip [now underway]: Rent it, Bag it, or Rack it?

[classtimesailer]

Renting a bike is a PITA. You can wait some time picking it up. And you can wait some more dropping it off. With just you and the wife, put the bike in the car. I guess it happens, but I have never heard of someone breaking into a car to steal a bike.

FYI: Eroica CA is in Paso Robles this weekend. Very cool town with a beautiful drive from the coast. Especially if you are into vintage bikes.

[Ken Robb]

Originally Posted by classtimesailer

I guess it happens, but I have never heard of someone breaking into a car to steal a bike.

FYI: Eroica CA is in Paso Robles this weekend. Very cool town with a beautiful drive from the coast. Especially if you are into vintage bikes.

Gee you have led a sheltered life. :-) I have sold two bikes to guys who had their bikes stolen from their locked SUVs while they were at work.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by kevinvc

Hey neighbor.

If you're a trusting sort of person who carries good insurance and isn't too personally connected with these particular bikes, the rack gives you the most flexibility in riding whenever you want and maintaining storage capacity. Otherwise rentals seem like the safest, and in many ways most convenient option. And it can be fun trying out a new bike.

Forgot to add - both of my bikes at the moment are custom framesets that are technically irreplaceable and I would be heartbroken if they were stolen - if I still had a Tarmac, that'd be different - I think that may tip it for me in favor of the rental route..

Too bad no one is renting RockLobsters with SR11 on them these days

Also, neighbor, did you ride the Gorge Roubaix this past weekend?

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by classtimesailer

Renting a bike is a PITA. You can wait some time picking it up. And you can wait some more dropping it off. With just you and the wife, put the bike in the car. I guess it happens, but I have never heard of someone breaking into a car to steal a bike.

FYI: Eroica CA is in Paso Robles this weekend. Very cool town with a beautiful drive from the coast. Especially if you are into vintage bikes.

We could pass through there on Sunday - is there a bike show component to it, or just the ride? Link?

[OtayBW]

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

Besides the negatives that you posted there will be some extra fuel consumption with a bike on a rack at highway speeds.

I couldn't help get a chuckle as this made me think of the many times I drove down the road with a 17ft+ sea kayak mounted on the cab of my truck.
I did move along pretty quickly, except when I was tacking....

[kevinvc]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Forgot to add - both of my bikes at the moment are custom framesets that are technically irreplaceable and I would be heartbroken if they were stolen - if I still had a Tarmac, that'd be different - I think that may tip it for me in favor of the rental route..

Too bad no one is renting RockLobsters with SR11 on them these days

Also, neighbor, did you ride the Gorge Roubaix this past weekend?

I've heard multiple stories (usually a friend of a friend type of thing) about bikes being stolen from inside locked vehicles. If I'm not mistaken, there was an article in Bikeportland a while back about someone who had a very nice bike stolen from inside their locked car in the middle of the day while they were eating lunch. Odd that nobody noticed someone busting out windows and taking a bike out of a car in broad daylight...

No, I did not do the Gorge Robaix. Honestly I hadn't even heard of it until about a month ago. I am completely out of shape and had already made other plans. However, I do plan on riding the course this summer and adding an out and back on the Deschutes River Trail. I'll probably add in a couple of overnight camping stops since I'll be starting from in town and so I can do it at a leisurely pace, which means stopping at at least one of the excellent breweries in that area. Did you go?

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by kevinvc

I've heard multiple stories (usually a friend of a friend type of thing) about bikes being stolen from inside locked vehicles. If I'm not mistaken, there was an article in Bikeportland a while back about someone who had a very nice bike stolen from inside their locked car in the middle of the day while they were eating lunch. Odd that nobody noticed someone busting out windows and taking a bike out of a car in broad daylight...

No, I did not do the Gorge Robaix. Honestly I hadn't even heard of it until about a month ago. I am completely out of shape and had already made other plans. However, I do plan on riding the course this summer and adding an out and back on the Deschutes River Trail. I'll probably add in a couple of overnight camping stops since I'll be starting from in town and so I can do it at a leisurely pace, which means stopping at at least one of the excellent breweries in that area. Did you go?

I've heard similar stories - of course, there are thousands of bikes in cars not being broken into at this very moment - but I'm not much of a dice roller and don't take all that much comfort in statistics - my life seems to be one tail event after another..

I did the Roubaix race on Saturday, but wish I'd done the ride instead - would have enjoyed myself more and made the drive more worth it. Next year - or later this year - not like it's a closed course

[choke]

Another vote for #2 with a blanket.

Originally Posted by Clean39T

We could pass through there on Sunday - is there a bike show component to it, or just the ride? Link?

There's a show/swap meet on Saturday. Sunday is only the ride, though if you visit the park in the afternoon you'll get to see people finishing and wander around looking at their rides.

https://www.eroicacalifornia.com/program

[kevinvc]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

I've heard similar stories - of course, there are thousands of bikes in cars not being broken into at this very moment - but I'm not much of a dice roller and don't take all that much comfort in statistics - my life seems to be one tail event after another..

I did the Roubaix race on Saturday, but wish I'd done the ride instead - would have enjoyed myself more and made the drive more worth it. Next year - or later this year - not like it's a closed course

Then again, there are plenty of stories of peoples' homes being broken into when they're on vacation and having their bikes stolen that way. I guess if you're really paranoid you can find a reason to worry no matter what choice you make.

What tire size would you recommend for the Robaix? Are knobbies necessary or would fat slicks work ok for someone wanting to enjoy the ride rather than going for speed?

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by kevinvc

Then again, there are plenty of stories of peoples' homes being broken into when they're on vacation and having their bikes stolen that way. I guess if you're really paranoid you can find a reason to worry no matter what choice you make.



What tire size would you recommend for the Robaix? Are knobbies necessary or would fat slicks work ok for someone wanting to enjoy the ride rather than going for speed?

It was sunny and dry - 700x23 would have been fine - I rode 25s.. I imagine the Sunday course was more technical though.


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[Rob1519]

Rooftop box. Relatively aero, lockable, bikes stay clean and out of sight.

[Lovetoclimb]

I used to put my 59cm bikes in the old Honda Civic with a tarp on the back seat, then fold the top layer over and completely mask the bike. Left it parked that way for 24 hrs before in many places with little concern. Obviously left the entire trunk free for other luggage on long trips. With the front wheel off its just a matter of some slight Tetris to get the bike in but it becomes easy after a few times.

[rwsaunders]

I'm not sure if the rental comoany in SB delivers, but I've used this service a few times in Seattle...super efficient and the bikes were in excellent condition. Highly recommended.

http://pedalanywhere.com/how-it-works/

[Clean39T]

Okay, so renting won at the wife's behest..

And it's turned out okay. I ended up with a Trek Domane something with Ultegra Di2. It's, umm, well broken in...to be nice to it... But with a slammed and swapped stem, it's ending up alright. I'd much rather have my own bike of course, and anything other than Gatorskins...not gonna let that stand in the way of some great riding though.



And great riding it is! I got out for just under an hour while my wife settled in to our Air BnB. Holy crap. This place is nuts. All I did was a quick jaunt up to the East Mountain Road and back down. It just might be one of the most gorgeous rides I've done. Top Ten anyway. And I know I'm just scratching the surface.



Tomorrow morning is Gibraltar Rd. with hopefully some extra looping if there's time.

More on how the Domane gets on after that...first impressions were mixed...first ride on Di2 and the ISO-decoupler thingy...


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[cnighbor1]

OR EVEN IN CAR
Friend did just that in LA and entire contents of car were gone
Your welcome here in walnut creek to spend a nite or two
925 708-1295
The wife and I are taking a road trip to Santa Barbara leaving this coming weekend and I'm trying to decide what to do for my bike needs on the trip. We'll be driving our CX-5 down from Portland. I have purchased a trailer hitch and Kuat rack for it, but haven't installed it yet. We are zipping down to SB on the way there, with just a quick overnight in NorCal. Then we'll be in SB for 4 days, 3 nights. Then likely stopping in the North Bay for two nights or so on the way back.