I heard this story about a guy who stopped in a small town to buy some groceries and when he came out half an hour later, his bike was gone. He went across the street to the police station to report the theft. The Chief of Police picked up the phone, called someone and said, "A man's bike was stolen from in front of the grocery store. I'm going to walk around to the back of the fire station in fifteen minutes and it has better be parked there just like he left it."
He said they went around the fire station and sure enough, there sat the bike. The panniers were off and had been opened but they were laying on the ground beside it. Everything was there. The chief said he knew the kid who had taken it and if he hadn't, he would know who did and that was the easy way to get it back.
Jim
----- Original Message -----From: j.a. tackettSubject: Re: [ultralightbiking] Urban Touring with a carbon fiber road bike?
if you are traveling alone.......i would be taking that bike in the store with me......i have a trek fuel all out fitted with ultralite packs........that bike goes where i go.....some time back a bicyclist on the great divide trail stop and took a nap......when he awoke he had no bicycle.....and that was in montana ..........i guess no matter where you are you have to keep your eyes open .....an not to trust others as much as you would want to.....it is so much easier to be traveling in a group.....that way everybody can trade off when stopping for food...who stays and watches the bikes....good luck....