Warning! Are you going to Spain or Italy and do you have a bike carrier on the tow bar?

[Souter]

Have done Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria and Italy with 2 bikes on towball rack with no issues whatsoever. Always had the red/white board on. Not too much of a pfaff to put it on1

 

[Allard Jongebloed]

No offence, but that is a bullshit post.
I've lived in Italy and Spain past 5 years. I always travel with my bike. I carry the red/white board in the trunk, but I've never had to do it. Nobody cares. Same with some country stickers - nobody cares.
Similar with three plates. I got the third one now recently, but all previous years, I always had just two. Again, never any problems.

Locking bikes is a good idea. But I lock it directly to the towbar under the towball. Not to the carrier, which can be removed together with the bike. (probably fine with cheap bike, but not sufficient, once the cost of the bikes is half the price of the van)

Of course you are absolutely right, usually the police don't worry too much about it. Usually, that is, until you run into a ‘guardia civil de trafico’ who has a hangover from the previous night or simply hates foreigners. Leaving aside the good ones—there are plenty of those. But you probably don't believe me, but ask any Basque… I am curious how you are going to, in your own words going to ‘bullshit’ your way out of that.

As for your next comment, if you read the post carefully, the bike is secured to the carrier with a lock, the bike is secured to the tow bar with a chain lock, and the carrier is secured to the tow bar with a lock. So, three locks.

But if you want to take that risk because of a 1 euro sticker, go ahead.

I have been coming to Spain since 1980, and I have experienced quite a bit since then.

 

[Adam8374]

I personally choose to pay a fine once in about ten years, rather than hassle with the metal label daily for ten years....

Anyway, can you post a picture of the lock that you use to secure locs to the tow bar? It took me good few years to find one. (and the one that I found is not that much secure). Maybe yours is better. I'm using this one: https://www.amazon.es/-/en/gp/aw/d/B0DV5L47VQ?tag=unique0601-21

 

[Allard Jongebloed]

I personally choose to pay a fine once in about ten years, rather than hassle with the metal label daily for ten years....

Anyway, can you post a picture of the lock that you use to secure locs to the tow bar? It took me good few years to find one. (and the one that I found is not that much secure). Maybe yours is better. I'm using this one: https://www.amazon.es/-/en/gp/aw/d/B0DV5L47VQ?tag=unique0601-21

Sure, no problem. It’s a yale pad lock, you can choose different sizes. The heavy chainlock is AXA.

 

[Adam8374]

Oh, right, you lock it into the security lanyard eylet. I did it like this before I found those locks linked above. They lock below the 5cm towbar ball.

I was afraid that the steel of the eylet is will be too easy to cut into. And also the shackle width is limited by the eylet opening size. I've been looking for an ideal lock for good few years.
(the current shackle width is 16mm)

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Also been going to France and Spain since 2009 in the California. I have never been stopped or spoken to by police in either country. They’ve got better stuff to do. Also been on this forum for 5+ yrs and never read anyone complaining of police in either country. Read lots of blather of people panicking about this and that.

Nobody has ever looked in our fridge which is full of food we are taking into EU.

I hardly ever remember to take my driving license and I cannot be bothered carrying an insurance paperwork. I probably have some receipt on my phone.

Last Easter we arrived at Eurotunnel on our way to the Alps with less than 3 months on my daughter’s passport. That was a proper thing to fret about. The douanier asked us when we were coming back. I said in a week. He said the passport needs updating soon and waved us through.

Been caught on speed cameras in France and been pulled over doing 80mph between Folkestone and London. A stupid thing to do.

It’s good of you to warn people of new rules. It’s not really anything to lose sleep over.

 

[DaveB]

Oh, right, you lock it into the security lanyard eylet. I did it like this before I found those locks linked above. They lock below the 5cm towbar ball.

I was afraid that the steel of the eylet is will be too easy to cut into. And also the shackle width is limited by the eylet opening size. I've been looking for an ideal lock for good few years.
(the current shackle width is 16mm)

I could open that yale with two spanners

 

[Adam8374]

I agree. I. Would not rely on such a lock. That's why I've been searching for a 15+ mm shackle lock that I can lock below the towbar. The one I found is not perfect, but it's quite good.

truly securing bikes + a lightweight modular bike rack recommendation

two tips about towbar bikeracks: 1. I have a very heavy chain, but was thinking about a secure anchor point on the car. was using the weels few times, but I was looking for a lock, that could lock to the towbar - below the bickerack and so that the tow ball is larger that the lock eye so it is...

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