Expensive bikes and Loughborough?

13

OK, well I have just bought a nice new GT mountain bike which set me back 700 big ones. I was just wondering if it was a good idea taking it with me to Loughborough? I want to join a mountain bike society if one exists of course.

So would you say this was a good idea? Or will it just get stolen!

Reply 1

Zipster

I'm committee for the cycling club (www.lsu-cycling.co.uk). I kept my Scott MTB in my room in halls and it was fine. Just be careful, keep an eye on it at all times and keep it locked in your room. If you join the cycling club you can get a bikes in hall forms to allow you to keep your bike in you room.
Just make sure you keep it for club rides and not as a bike to get around campus.

Oh, and come and see us at the freshers bazaar and join our club :smile:

(p.s. compared to some club members, £700 isn't a lot for a bike!!!!!!!!)

Reply 2

ElemenT'

OP

13

Ok thanks, I will have to join that club. :smile:

*makes mental note*

I could take my brothers Orange Patriot but he would kill me lol.

Reply 3

Zipster

ElemenT'

Ok thanks, I will have to join that club. :smile:

*makes mental note*

I could take my brothers Orange Patriot but he would kill me lol.

Might struggle to find anything round Loughborough that requires a bike like that!

Reply 4

im so academic

15

I recommend not bringing an expensive bike as (like you said) there are risks that it could be stolen, and if you don't have insurance on that bike, you can't claim the insurance money to buy another one. What I recommend is to get a decent cheap bike that takes you from A to B, so that way, even if it does get stolen, you wouldn't have lost so much money compared to the £700 one. I believe there are some decent bikes around that go on sale below £100, setting you back hundreds of pounds.

Reply 5

Nickolas

dont you need to keep it in a bag?, ive got a orange p7 pro which i hope to bring with me and i dont want to keep it in a bike shed. and if you need a bag how much do they cost?

Reply 6

Dirtsurfer

Hi, I'm also on the LSCC committee (secretary).

You are supposed to keep it in a bike bag, as a condition of the Bikes in Halls form which is only available to members of the cycling club (maybe the Tri club too). But to be honest as long as you don't make a mess, don't drag mud in etc. you should be OK leaving it built up. I went to Halfords and got a cardboard bike box to put my bike in for our first room inspection, and the second time I didn't bother. It will depend on what hall you're in, and how friendly your cleaner / warden is (if he doesn't run you over when you're riding that is!)

Don't ride it around campus. Don't naively lock it up outside Sainsbury's and find two pikeys having a go with a set of bolt cutters!! As long as it is in your room and you keep that locked it will be fine!

Sign up on our forum and have a look around the site if you need any more information, or just say to hello =] and as Zippy said, come see us at the AU bazaar in fresher's week.

Ben.

Reply 7

scotty01292

1

Bolt cutters? Sainsburys? Is the risk of it getting stolen really that huge? At the moment i've got an Apollo (don't judge me... I won it so didnt have to pay), but was going to get a Fuji Outland Comp for X-mas this year... I'd rather not have to have 2 bikes (one for club stuff and one for getting around) so should I get something cheaper, to use for both? A Scott Aspect 60 maybe?

Reply 8

Dirtsurfer

There's not a high risk of a cheap bike getting stolen in town if it is locked up properly. But thieves are opportunists so if they see a nice bike locked up poorly they will have a go at getting it - same as anywhere else in the country.

My suggestion would be to have a good bike for club riding, and a cheap bike for riding around campus/town. Most members of the cycling club do this. Lock the cheap one up in the bike sheds and have the good one in your room.

Reply 9

tsmith

is there anywhere to lock a basic bike up outside save taking it into ya room?

Reply 10

Dirtsurfer

There are plenty of secure bike sheds/covered bike racks available at each hall of residence.

Reply 11

scotty01292

1

Dirtsurfer

There's not a high risk of a cheap bike getting stolen in town if it is locked up properly. But thieves are opportunists so if they see a nice bike locked up poorly they will have a go at getting it - same as anywhere else in the country.

My suggestion would be to have a good bike for club riding, and a cheap bike for riding around campus/town. Most members of the cycling club do this. Lock the cheap one up in the bike sheds and have the good one in your room.

I'll bear? bare? it in mind, but i'd rather not have 2 bikes, if possible, so would I look like an idiot or a total n00b if I joined the cycling club with a cheapo bike? Maybe like the Scott Aspect 60 I mentioned in my above post... I'm by no means a n00b rider, but I don't want to spash out on an expensive bike only for it to get nicked...

Also, at the cycling club, do you do road cycling, MTB or a mixture? I'm a MTB man myself, never really got into road cycling, so wouldn't really be up for it if there was no MTB involved.

Thanks

Reply 12

dhutch

17

I had my £650 spesh up with me all last year, and will have it again this year.
- When i halls i kept my bike in my room 98% of the time, not in a bag, without being a member of the bike soc.

There was a bit of arsing about imago moaning, but really very little. Didnt even take the wheels off and put it the top eather.
- Just stood there, againt the wall, the whole year. Although it was a ensuite (larger) room. And i did make sure it was always fairly clean.
- Last 8weeks or so i got a space in the bike shed at last, and kept it there, which was secure enough untop of a d-lock and cable.

I also not have a second bike (my old rockhopper) for geting to lectures on, really just so i dont have to put the miles on the rockhopper and chip the frame stacking it agaisnt bike racks.

I would have no hasitation leaving the rockhopper outside saisburys during the day, or campus however.
- Although my mate did leave his mint P3 outside the town swiming pool for two hours int he dark and come back to a missing set of calipers (which fortuantly where old cables ones he was just using temperally).

Ive also insured mine with butterworth cyclocover. £60 for the two insured to £700 and £550 respectivly, with 50% discount on the second, and a years no claims bonus.

Daniel

Reply 13

username104603

14

I was in Royce last year, block 5. And the first thing the cleaners said to me was that my bike needed to be in a bike bag. Our cleaners were very leanient with everything else but they didnt like bikes out a bag. I now have a redundant bike bag which I would happily sell to someone if they need one.

Reply 14

Nickolas

how much?

Reply 15

username104603

14

£15, I'll have to check it though cos i'm not sure if the zip was a little bust.

Reply 16

thepinkpowerranger

13

dhutch

I had my £650 spesh up with me all last year, and will have it again this year.
- When i halls i kept my bike in my room 98% of the time, not in a bag, without being a member of the bike soc.

There was a bit of arsing about imago moaning, but really very little. Didnt even take the wheels off and put it the top eather.
- Just stood there, againt the wall, the whole year. Although it was a ensuite (larger) room. And i did make sure it was always fairly clean.
- Last 8weeks or so i got a space in the bike shed at last, and kept it there, which was secure enough untop of a d-lock and cable.

I also not have a second bike (my old rockhopper) for geting to lectures on, really just so i dont have to put the miles on the rockhopper and chip the frame stacking it agaisnt bike racks.

I would have no hasitation leaving the rockhopper outside saisburys during the day, or campus however.
- Although my mate did leave his mint P3 outside the town swiming pool for two hours int he dark and come back to a missing set of calipers (which fortuantly where old cables ones he was just using temperally).

Ive also insured mine with butterworth cyclocover. £60 for the two insured to £700 and £550 respectivly, with 50% discount on the second, and a years no claims bonus.

Daniel

How old is your rockhopper? My one is a couple of years old but still looks pretty shiny (had a bad experience doing the London - Southend ride and that's kept me away for a while, mainly through fear :P but I want to get into riding!!)

Just wondering if I should be fearful for it!

Cheers.

Reply 17

Zipster

Loughborough is not a particularly rough place, my bike which I take racing lived in my room in halls without a problem. As long as your sensible with your bike, there should be no difficulties and the chances of your bike getting nicked are quite slim.

Just don't leave a nice bike parked up outside or in the communual bike sheds with a crappy lock - coz then something might happen.

Come and see the cycling club at the freshers bazaar - we're all nice people :biggrin:

.....and then if you join, you can come and ride with us....we're even planning something with mini bicycles for freshers week activites (shhh....no-one knows about this yet, and we er need to get hold of some mini biks) :p:

Reply 18

dhutch

17

thepinkpowerranger

How old is your rockhopper? My one is a couple of years old but still looks pretty shiny (had a bad experience doing the London - Southend ride and that's kept me away for a while, mainly through fear :P but I want to get into riding!!)

Just wondering if I should be fearful for it!

Cheers.

New last year. In otherwords, within a week of owning it it was on campus.
- Although as i say, for the bulk of my rides into campus i was using my older (04?) hardrock. Mainly to prevent adding damage/milage to the RH.

Loughborough is not that bad, but obvously also, if you do stupid things you will be punished.

Ie, a £1000-600 bike will be safe locked on campus, with a good lock, in day light. But dont leave it with a poor lock, in a dark backstreet on town.

Also, insurence from buterworth and the like is well worth it for peice of mind, and costs around 10% the cost of the bike, as i say.

Dainel

Reply 19

Rory_070707

1

What is the cycling training at loughbourgh like. I will bring my nice race bike, but during the winter i often train indoors with a power meter. Do they have suitable indoor trainers to pair to zwift or should i bring my own turbo training to attach my road bike too.

Expensive bikes and Loughborough?

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