6. Bicycle Security, including Unique List of Places to Go
Have an especially cherished bicycle that you just don’t like to take your eyes off of? Scroll to the bottom of this page for a sampling of places in Monterey County where you can kick back, enjoy yourself, and still keep a sharp eye on your bike.
City of Monterey keeps an electronic eye on bikes parked at their Sports Center!
Lock it!
Take common sense precautions to keep your bicycle secure. Here are some tips on locking your bike, and—just in case—tips on getting a stolen bike back. (Thank you to Velo Club Monterey for bringing this resource from Jim Langley to my attention.)
If you’re renting a bike, a lock is usually included.
If you brought your own bike but no lock, purchase a lock at one of the many Monterey County bike shops. U-shaped locks are often recommended; refer to Langley’s tips, linked above, for more on locks.
See the Bike Valet Parking and Other Bicycle Parking section for more on locking up your bike.
Serial number and registration/license – recovering a stolen bike
Having your bicycle registered, if your city of residence has that option, is a good idea in case of theft. Registering your bicycle is typically very low-cost! For example, residents of the City of Seaside (which has the highest number of bike commuters in Monterey County) can swing by the Seaside Fire Station, 1635 Broadway Avenue, Seaside and purchase a bicycle license for one dollar ($1).
Whether you register your bike or not, do write down your bike’s serial number so you are better prepared to retrieve it from the police if your bike is stolen and recovered.
Engraving identifying info
Some cities do not have bicycle registration/licensing. However, police departments and bike advocates encourage you to engrave your name or driver’s license number and state abbreviation in an obvious spot on your bicycle’s frame.
Don’t want to engrave, in case you decide to sell the bike later? Another idea is to put a small index card with your name and phone number, written in permanent ink, inside the handlebar tube.
Don’t have an engraver? Police departments, and even public libraries, often have one they will let you use. Swing on by the City of Monterey Police Department to borrow their engraver, or contact PDs or libraries nearer you to inquire about availability.
If you spot a stolen bike on craigslist, etc., it is not wise to attempt to recover it yourself. Contact your local police department (e.g., City of Monterey or City of Salinas) and provide them the information.
Gear
For some cyclists, it may take more time to remove those detachable expensive lights, cargo carriers, and so on than they’d like. When that’s the case, a desire to stop for shopping or a meal out will include factoring in how to deal with the security of those items.
There are as many ways to deal with this as there are cyclists! One very basic example: I usually have a little backpack on when doing shopping and errands by bike. (I had a bike trailer when I had young kids, and I miss it–the trailer and the kids! Now I wish I had a cargo bike.) My bike repair stuff (ha! not my area of expertise) normally rides in a quick-to-detach pouch strapped to my bike, rather than add it to the weight on my back. At any stop, if I am concerned about leaving my repair kit on my bike, I can quickly toss it in my pack and take it with me.
Of course, there are times when you’d find it much easier to just keep an eye on your bike! At the end of this section, there’s a list of some of the HER Helmet Thursday spots where it’s easy to do exactly that.
Storage
For anyone with an expensive bike that they are nervous about leaving locked-up outdoors, the City of Monterey established bicycle lockers, which may be available for your use at the Cannery Row and East Custom House garages. However, those bike lockers may not be a solution for you. If the options offered below don’t address your needs, please feel free to contact me to discuss other alternatives.
Overnight guests
If you’re an overnight guest in Monterey County, most lodging businesses have storage rooms designated for bikes, and some—i.e., the Monterey Hostel, a member of Hosteling International—have bike lockers for their guests. Those lodging providers offering the HER Helmet Thursdays discounts can be particularly counted on to have carefully considered the bike storage needs of their guests.
Bicycle valet and other bicycle parking
One solution to bike security needs is to go to a place that offers bike valet parking, where valets will take responsibility for keeping your bicycle secure.
Refer to the Bike Valet Parking and Other Bicycle Parking section for some of these locations, along with other bike parking tips.
This valet at the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa stands ready to care for Laurel Thomsen’s bike.
Bike security: A unique list of places to go
Don’t wanna take your eyes off your bike?
Often you’ll want to bike somewhere that doesn’t offer valet parking. Many HER Helmet Thursdays participants have other helpful options for bike security.
Here’s just one example from the “E”/Educational category: Montellese Family Chiropractic extends a special welcome to cyclists concerned about bike security by welcoming them to bring their bike right on in!
And in the “R”/Restaurants category, here are many examples (not a comprehensive list) of places with good options for keeping an eye on your bike. Some have outdoor dining where you can park your bike immediately alongside you or very closeby. Others have bike parking within close sight of an indoor window table.
When being seated at a restaurant (or phoning to inquire, or to make a reservation), no need to be shy about asking for what you need. These restaurateurs are especially committed to welcoming cyclists!
In Monterey, Pino’s Cafe is one example of a place where you can keep an eye on your highly prized bike while dining!
Please note that the quick parenthetical notes are not meant to suggest that there may not be other options at these spots. Just because sitting outside may be recommended here does not mean that the place won’t have other secure bike options for you in inclement weather. Again, just call ahead and ask!
The list below does not include all spots that may have especially secure bicycle parking, it’s just a sampling. And for all spots in the HER Helmet Thursdays project, click here.
Note: At present, the below are linked to their own websites. Until a volunteer offers to swap out these links, to find bike-there tips to most of the following spots, please take a moment to refer to their HER Helmet Thursdays listing (e.g., as linked with Abalonetti and Haute Enchilada below).
- Abalonetti, Monterey (wind-protected outdoor waterfront deck/patio where you can park your bike)
- Cafe La Strada, Monterey (bike rack by front door; bike valet parking also available at hotel)
- Carmel Tagine Moroccan Cuisine (sit indoors but facing front patio, where there’s room to park your bike off to the side)
- Curly’s Barbecue, Seaside (large picture windows all around dining room)
- East Village Coffee Lounge, Monterey (patio seating with bike racks nearby)
- El Palomar, Monterey (ask to be seated on patio and to park your bike there)
- First Awakenings, Pacific Grove (lock bike on railing and request nearby table)
- Gilbert’s Seafood Grill, Monterey (ask to be seated on back deck–room for cycling groups, too!)
- Golden Fish, Salinas – (front patio has bike rack nearby)
- Haute Enchilada Café & Gallery, Moss Landing – (patio)
- Island Taco, Carmel – (outdoor tables)
- Kula Ranch, Marina – (ask to be seated on upper deck or lower patio, and to take your bike there with you, simply parking it out of the way)
- La Sala’s Bi-Rite Deli, Monterey – (lock up out front and sit at window table)
- London Bridge Pub, Monterey – (patio seating, or indoor seating in view of bike rack)
- Maha’s Lebanese Cuisine, Monterey (ask to be seated at tables out front)
- Paluca Trattoria, Monterey (walk your bike down Wharf I and lock it to our railing)
- Papa Chevo’s, Monterey (large picture windows; also a couple tables out front directly on sidewalk, where you can have your bike right beside you)
- Peter B’s Brewpub, Monterey (bike rack directly alongside outdoor dining area!)
- Pico de Gallo, Monterey (front patio)
- Pino’s Cafe, Monterey – (tables out front or sit by window; use bike racks directly in front of Adventures bike shop, just across from Pino’s, or kick-stand your bike out of the walkway, along the side window of Pino’s)
- Plume’s Coffee House, Monterey – (sit at tables out front)
- Point Pinos Grill, Pacific Grove (outdoor patio)
- PortaBella, Carmel (outdoor tables)
- Red Brick Pizza, Del Rey Oaks (outdoor tables with nearby bike rack)
- r.g. Burgers, Carmel (outdoor tables)
- r.g. Burgers, Monterey (outdoor tables)
- Schooners Coastal Kitchen and Bar, Monterey – (bike valet parking available)
- Taqueria del Mar, Monterey – (sit at window bar facing street, and park your bike right out front)
- Toasties Café, Pacific Grove (outdoor patio)
- Trailside Cafe, Monterey (outdoor patio with bike rack nearby)
- Turtle Bay Taqueria, Monterey (outdoor tables)
- Turtle Bay Taqueria, Seaside (outdoor tables)
- Wickets at Bernardus Lodge, Carmel Valley (bike valet parking available)
- Wild Plum Cafe & Bakery, Monterey (outdoor tables)
