Norway Solo - Bike Security

[Grey Beard]

I plan on a return to Norway circa early June 2012, solo with bike. Plan would be to travel from from Northern Germany to Norway via the Hirtshals/Christainsand ferry. Make my way up to the Nordkapp taking in some sights I missed this year and probably return via Sweden/Finland/Estonia/Latvia/Lithuania & Poland.

I wish to do some walks ranging from 6 hours to two full days and so have to leave the bike unattended (mainly northern Norway/Finland).

I realise that Norway, Sweden & Finland are probably pretty low in crime away from the cities & tourist areas, but if you cannot get everything into locked panniers, how do you deal with security? Is it safe to leave valuables (PC., camera gear, etc.) in locked panniers?

I was considering a walk of two days into the Nordkyn Peninsula (near the Nordkapp) from Mehamn and that is OK, because I could leave the bike at the Adventure Centre there and they could look after the PC and any heavy camera stuff, I didn't want to walk with. However, if I wanted to do a walk at Mageroya to the non-tourist part (Knivskjellodden) then I think I have to leave the bike at the Jalgavarri car park on the E69, 6km before the start of the toll road to the Nordkapp (tourist trap).

I have seen a steel mesh security net that you can lock up packs, etc. but don't know if these are overkill, etc.

http://www.globetrotter.de/de/shop/detail.php?mod_nr=109769&GTID=796e5294c696a8858b9e273268fb34e2a37

There is also another 2 day walk (Reisa Nat Park) that I may consider if it is not a one way route.

Also, what about bike security in places like Estonia/Latvia/Lithuania/Poland when you wish to just do some sight seeing around town, etc? I would likely try camping wild (in the North) or in established camp sites most of the time unless the weather drove me to alternative accommodation.

Any thoughts on security of gear inside and outside camp sites?

Grey Beard

 

[ThorH]

I wouldn't worry too much in Norway, never heard of anyones panniers been broken into. What's locked down should also be covered by your travel insurance, but check the fine print. The net is a good investment in peace of mind if you need to leave tent, sleeping bag etc in the open, I have one on my wish list as well.

In Eastern Europe however, I would worry... A lot.

 

[Grey Beard]

I wouldn't worry too much in Norway, never heard of anyones panniers been broken into. What's locked down should also be covered by your travel insurance, but check the fine print. The net is a good investment in peace of mind if you need to leave tent, sleeping bag etc in the open, I have one on my wish list as well.

In Eastern Europe however, I would worry... A lot.

Hi ThorH

Many thanks for your reply. I was in Norway late August/early September this year with a motor home, only as far north as Alesund, but I never saw any bike chains or locks on bikes there, even in Oslo. Nice feeling to know people respect your property and don't walk off with it in the blink of an eye.

So what do other members of this forum do when travelling in Europe, when for example you want to leave the bike and do a sight seeing trip around a major city. I know some look for secure parking at a hotel, but what if you are just passing through en-route to another destination that evening, but still want to go walk about?

I remember Oisin Hughes in his blog saying he missed out on seeing the inside of the Church of Bones, because he was on his todd and didn't dare risk leaving his bike unattended outside.

Grey Beard

 

[EyeCake]

I did a similar trip this year from Dublin to Norkapp via England,HollandGermany , Denmark and up along the coast
I then headed south thru Finland, Sweden FSU states, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Germany and France
I was very prejudiced and worried that as as soon as I left the safety of my homeland everyone would be trying to rob me every minute of the day
After 10 days in very safe Norway I started to relax but crossing into Estonia the paranoia returned big time
Anyway taking reasonable precautions, e.g. putting a cover on bike at night all was OK
I left a tent and inflatable sleeping roll on back seat during day when parked sightseeing and under cover at night
Maybe I was just lucky but I wouldn't use it as an excuse not to go
Norway felt the safest place I have been

 

[Grey Beard]

I did a similar trip this year from Dublin to Norkapp via England,HollandGermany , Denmark and up along the coast
I then headed south thru Finland, Sweden FSU states, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Germany and France
I was very prejudiced and worried that as as soon as I left the safety of my homeland everyone would be trying to rob me every minute of the day
After 10 days in very safe Norway I started to relax but crossing into Estonia the paranoia returned big time
Anyway taking reasonable precautions, e.g. putting a cover on bike at night all was OK
I left a tent and inflatable sleeping roll on back seat during day when parked sightseeing and under cover at night
Maybe I was just lucky but I wouldn't use it as an excuse not to go
Norway felt the safest place I have been

Thanks for your experiences Eyecake. Wow, that's quite a list of countries you visited. How many miles/km did you do and how long did you take for your trip?

Did you also need to have the bike serviced during the trip or change a back tyre? You must have done around 15,000km minimum?

When you put a cover on the bike, which is always sensible, did you pad lock the cover to the bike so it could not be lifted?

I realise like me, you would have been camping. In Scandinavia, there is always the option of hytte if you get too wet. What was your weather like in Norway, particularly at the Nordkapp and did you use hyttes occasionally? It probably works out a bit pricey if you do use a hytte and are solo. In which month did you do your trip?

Thanks

Grey Beard

 

[mrsroynie]

No experience of Scandanavia. However, I did travel to Russia and back with Roynie and A.N. Other, JP, this summer - via Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia ... and back through the Ukraine (about 10,000 km in all). We took care in that we always locked the bikes together which, I dare say, would have put off opportunist thieves. However, on the whole we left our hard luggage locked on the bikes and it came to no harm. (JP was travelling on an under-powered Harley MT350 with soft luggage, so he always removed everything from his bike overnight - but he never had any problems leaving the bike unattended for short periods during the day.)

We heard nothing good about Eastern Europe, Russia and particularly the Ukraine before we left, but had nothing but good experiences all the way. Don't let the scare stories put you off. Take care with your belongings, obey local laws (especially speed restrictions), keep an eye out for Police check points, i.e. Police officers waving lollipops by the side of the road (slow down and be prepared to stop), and you'll be fine.

 

[Sunny Jim]

Done Denmark, Norway and Sweden a few times now - never had a problem. The people I came across are good, honest, hardworkers - the rest of us should look at them and their culture with envy

 

[Grey Beard]

No experience of Scandanavia. However, I did travel to Russia and back with Roynie and A.N. Other, JP, this summer - via Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia ... and back through the Ukraine (about 10,000 km in all). We took care in that we always locked the bikes together which, I dare say, would have put off opportunist thieves. However, on the whole we left our hard luggage locked on the bikes and it came to no harm. (JP was travelling on an under-powered Harley MT350 with soft luggage, so he always removed everything from his bike overnight - but he never had any problems leaving the bike unattended for short periods during the day.)

We heard nothing good about Eastern Europe, Russia and particularly the Ukraine before we left, but had nothing but good experiences all the way. Don't let the scare stories put you off. Take care with your belongings, obey local laws (especially speed restrictions), keep an eye out for Police check points, i.e. Police officers waving lollipops by the side of the road (slow down and be prepared to stop), and you'll be fine.

Thanks very much mrsroynie. Always good to have recent first hand experience.

Actually, I was in the Touratech shop in Hamburg a couple of says ago and they said that Russia was actually not a problem. They have a customer who goes there several times/year and never has any problems.

I guess I will take out specific insurance for the cameras and computer stuff and just be sensible where I leave the bike.

Grey Beard

 

[Grey Beard]

Done Denmark, Norway and Sweden a few times now - never had a problem. The people I came across are good, honest, hardworkers - the rest of us should look at them and their culture with envy

Thanks Sunny Jim. I felt totally relaxed in Norway and in Sweden on a previous holiday, as regarding security. (I was a bit preoccupied with the speed limits and the level of their fines in Norway, it has to be said!)

I guess, where I leave the bike for a couple of days walking will be in the very far north of Norway, so I don't think there will be much of a problem there. Just need to be sensible in the cities, especially Baltic States & Poland.

Grey Beard

 

[snaponphil]

Pacsafe

Hi Grey Beard.
I just returned from a month touring Europe, I have a couple of the mesh nets which are called pacsafe, (there is currently one in the for sale section) I use one for my helmet which has a waterproof black cover built round the mesh, it secures to the bike with a thin but very strong steel flexible cable & keeps rain from helmet, it also hides my nice looking helmet from temptation.

I also use the mesh net to go round a cheap bag which I carry on the pillion seat in front of the top box, (I keep extra layers & semi essential soft items in it) which also has a steel cable to attach to the bike.

During my trip I parked up for an hour in an area I thought very safe, when I returned my pacsafe had saved my luggage. For me worth every penny, very visible deterrent.
Also they take up very little room as when not in use I lay them flat in the bottom of my panniers. Also the combination locks are very good, unpickable , small & strong.
I also use a pacsafe security cable to secure my tank bag to my bike, & to hold the zippers closed.

& no, I don't work for pacsafe, but am impressed with their stuff, it's worked for me fir 4 years now with no signs of wear or corrosion.

Hope this helps..
Phil

 

[Peirre O`Bollox]

Having recently got myself a copy of the John douglas E6 Norways Arctic Highway book, the idea of spending time riding through Norway & Scandanavia sounds appealing. As a winter project I`ve so far managed to convert the route, and the various approach routes listed in the book into Garmin Mapsource format. With the various towns and villages listed in the book as waypoints, and the ferry ports as points of entry.
Though its far from being a refined, more definative final version, needing some tweeking, its still ok-ish, gives me a resonable overview of the routes in the book. Over the next few weeks with some research online, I hope to refine the detail of each route into a workable format with stop overs for myself, fuel & accomodation included. Obviously the details I include in a more finished version will be more suited to my requirements than anyone elses.

I`d have attached the norway file but unfortunately is 2Mb+ and exceeds the upload limit

 

[ThorH]

You could make a post with screen dumps of the routes, then you could get some feedback as well.

 

[grez]

Norway

My first ever trip abroad on the bike was a solo trip to Norway. No plan, I just booked a ferry and went. I have hard panniers which kept everything locked safe and just parked up wherever I found myself and explored. There are allways a few places in cites (around train/bus stations) that tend to be worse but I had no problems, even leaving it all day in quiet side streets. Didn't lock the bike at all.

 

[Peirre O`Bollox]

You could make a post with screen dumps of the routes, then you could get some feedback as well.

I`ll work on the screen dumps/shots over the weekend. But I suspect the file sizes will need reducing for me to be allowed to upload them.
But until then if you`d like to give me some feed back, PM me an email addy and I`ll send you the mapsource file to look at

 

[aRTy_Hexhead]

Norway ways

Not that seasoned....but did spend three weeks in 'Scandanavia' in July this year. Camping. Solo.

Two weeks up Norway, Lofotons, Nordkapp etc and 1 week back via Finland and Sweden.

If you don't mind popping off your route I will pass on some tips...if you think they are of any value.

...

 

[Grey Beard]

Hi Grey Beard.
I just returned from a month touring Europe, I have a couple of the mesh nets which are called pacsafe, (there is currently one in the for sale section) I use one for my helmet which has a waterproof black cover built round the mesh, it secures to the bike with a thin but very strong steel flexible cable & keeps rain from helmet, it also hides my nice looking helmet from temptation.

I also use the mesh net to go round a cheap bag which I carry on the pillion seat in front of the top box, (I keep extra layers & semi essential soft items in it) which also has a steel cable to attach to the bike.

During my trip I parked up for an hour in an area I thought very safe, when I returned my pacsafe had saved my luggage. For me worth every penny, very visible deterrent.
Also they take up very little room as when not in use I lay them flat in the bottom of my panniers. Also the combination locks are very good, unpickable , small & strong.
I also use a pacsafe security cable to secure my tank bag to my bike, & to hold the zippers closed.

& no, I don't work for pacsafe, but am impressed with their stuff, it's worked for me fir 4 years now with no signs of wear or corrosion.

Hope this helps..
Phil

Hi snaponphil

Yes. I have seen the Pacsafe 85 units and already bought one on eBay, but will probably get another. Helmet Pacsafe Lidsafes seem expensive and not often available S/H, though I guess, cheap, even new, compared to the price of a helmet plus Comms system.

Hadn't given much thought to securing the tank bag, as would likely take that with me, but the cable is a possibility.

Grey Beard

 

[Grey Beard]

Having recently got myself a copy of the John douglas E6 Norways Arctic Highway book, the idea of spending time riding through Norway & Scandanavia sounds appealing. As a winter project I`ve so far managed to convert the route, and the various approach routes listed in the book into Garmin Mapsource format. With the various towns and villages listed in the book as waypoints, and the ferry ports as points of entry.
Though its far from being a refined, more definative final version, needing some tweeking, its still ok-ish, gives me a resonable overview of the routes in the book. Over the next few weeks with some research online, I hope to refine the detail of each route into a workable format with stop overs for myself, fuel & accomodation included. Obviously the details I include in a more finished version will be more suited to my requirements than anyone elses.

I`d have attached the norway file but unfortunately is 2Mb+ and exceeds the upload limit

I would be interested in seeing the rough route plan.

Personally, I would just do a rough outline route plan with the main areas that I want to visit and the longer ferry points identified. Once there, I would just take it as it comes. Weather is going to have some influence and if I liked an area more, may try and spend a day or two extra. Helps not having to make a ferry connection on the return journey though, as we found this year we were driving longish distances in wet conditions to get back to Larvik for the ferry. Also, when we got there, (4 September), all but one of the camp sites were closed (end of season), as these were normally populated by Norwegians with static caravans, full height industrial fridges & freezers, 70" plasmas. etc.

Grey Beard

 

[Grey Beard]

A question for ThorH perhaps.

I know the roads in Norway are pretty reasonable, even for Motor Homes/Wohnmobiles.

However, there are some small roads marked on the 1:330,000 maps which are described as Cart Tracks/Footpaths/Kjerrevei-Sti.

Some of the foot paths are on the glacial plateaus and mountain walks so obviously unsuitable for bikes. But the cart tracks, are these suitable for motor bikes and if so, can you get away with normal road tyres, or are proper off road tyres required on a 1200 GSA, etc?

Are such tracks just gravel or are they rougher?

Was having the bike serviced yesterday and had a natter with the owner who said he thought Norway was a bit harsh on tyres. I know Iceland is very hard on tyres (basalt road chips?) but didn't think Norway was particularly bad. What is the collective's view on this? Again for a heavyish bike like a 1200 GSA.

Thanks

Grey Beard

 

[ThorH]

It isn't so much a question of tyres, most legal places can be done on Tourances. Those tracks can be anything, but they tend to be closed for motor vehicles. That said, Norway is quite large and diverce, you can of course find a legal track where you'll wish for knobbies.

 

[Grey Beard]

It isn't so much a question of tyres, most legal places can be done on Tourances. Those tracks can be anything, but they tend to be closed for motor vehicles. That said, Norway is quite large and diverce, you can of course find a legal track where you'll wish for knobbies.

OK, thanks. I was assuming that if shown on the maps they would be public, but I guess it is a case of checking each individually, or asking at the local Tourist Centre.

Grey Beard