The same but usually at least one person stays outside (although not necessarily with the intention of safeguarding bikes)

QFT.

Also, stopping for water/snacks 3 times for 50 miles? Two bottles ought to last half that mileage.

I responded to your topic on BF. Same response here, go read it there so I don't type it again.

My same thought. 3 times? I wouldn't stop that much. Maybe once, maybe. For a 3 hour ride you can go straight without stopping but I get the social nature of the ride so at least one stop for coffee was necessary. That being said if I ride alone I get the bike in the store and ask one of the store employees if I can leave it there while I get stuff. Usually people are nice, understand the situation and don't have any problem with it.

Yeah my group stops once for a 100 miler.

Yeah I ignored the excessive stops. For 50 miles I would prefer 0 or 1 stop.

It was 89 degrees with a dew point of 75 when we finished at 11 am. We were drinking about 20 oz an hour. I ended up drinking 80 oz during the ride, then another 100 oz at home before my urine cleared. We were all so sweaty the handle bars and seats were slippery. My bike is a disgusting mess right now.

You could see the sweat blowing off people as we rode. It was not a normal weather situation by any means.

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"...the street finds its own uses for things"

That’s about the conditions I ride in every summer wknd in Texas (our weather is hotter but less humid). But, no matter. Frequent stops on a ride just annoy me. So, I just personally prefer to bring more and stop less. Back to the topic at hand...

I always have a cheap cable bike lock with me, just have it wrapped around the rear bottle holder mount. Gives me a bit of peace of mind when I need to leave the bike unattended. No illusions that it's going to deter a real thief. I haven't been bothering to take my Garmin off. I always check my skewers if there are a bunch of people around after a buddy broke his collar bone when his wheel came off after a stop - someone had released and loosened his front one.

Never had anyone screw with my bike on a quick stop. When we do the "beer ride" we have bars and restaurants that allow us to park our bikes inside the bad. Pretty cool.

I'd never leave my bike unattended outside a shop. On a group ride someone usually hangs back to watch the merchandise.

We leave ours outside but they’re always within eyesight. Most of our stops are farmers markets so lots of outdoor space to stand or sit while you rehydrate and what not.

I’m definitely in the naive group and feel that people are mostly good. Helpfully no one ever proves me wrong.

Newer garmins have an alarm.
I have the CycliqPlus camera and it has an alarm.

Both of the above will notify your phone if someone moves your bike. Not sure about the garmin, but the CycliqPlus has an audible alarm as well.

Nothing physical, but a bit piece of mind...

Not going to sh*t on you for what many (myself included) see as excessive stops. That said, always leave my bike outside and unattended and have never had an issue. Of course, I live in an area that is thick with cyclists and triathletes (Northern Colorado)... so that may play into my sense of comfort doing so.

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In search of the righteous life... we all fall down

I use my helmet to lock it to something: pole, chair, another bike.

My reasoning: Stealing a bike in front of a store would be a "crime of opportunity". Because the potential thief is acting in the moment, they are capitalism on their assessment of it being a low risk situation. They moment they meet resistance or create a ruckus, their assessment will change and they will not complete the crime. They are unlikely to take the moment to figure out they can simple unsnap the helmet buckle.

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I talk a lot - Give it a listen: http://www.fasttalklabs.com/category/fast-talk
I also give Training Advice via http://www.ForeverEndurance.com

The above poster has eschewed traditional employment and is currently undertaking the ill-conceived task of launching his own hardgoods company. Statements are not made on behalf of nor reflective of anything in any manner... unless they're good, then they count.
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I bring my bike into gas stations and lean it up against a wall or cooler or something. Never had anyone ever complain about that, and if they did, I'll go to the next gas station with my business. You are a paying customer after all.

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Strava

Clip your helmet straps between the front wheel and the fork. That way if someone were to hop on and try to ride away - they will be thrown over the handlebars when the front wheel stops turning.

When I used to ride solo, I would take the bike inside the front door of the shop and do the above.

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I avoid stopping in the sketchiest places around here and then I’ll clip my helmet around the downtube and the front wheel. I still try to keep an eye on the bike while I’m grabbing a drink.

That and the fact that most people are good has worked so far ( knock on wood).

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"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

Everyone is different, so stopping several times for any distance is just fine. That's out of topic. I drop by place where the window is so I can see the bike or I ask nicely if I can bring the bike in. Most of the times, they say it's ok. One fancy hotel restaurant had no problem with keeping our bike inside and eating. Manager said he could do it because it's 3PM and it's slow time.

Another trick is to knock your chain off so they can't ride away, should buy you enough time.

Helmet strap as a lock.
I got a Garmin 530 a few weeks ago. One of the reasons I bought it was for the alarm. I was disappointed with how quiet the alarm is. However my phone will receive the alarm as long I am in bluetooth range.

Most of the time I ride alone and can be selective about where I eat, so here is what I do then.
Chain = Biggie/Smalls.
1 glove around the chain near the RD on the bottom to get hung up when the pedals turn.
1 glove around the chain near the FD on the top also to get hung up when the pedals turn.
Front wheel skewer removed and stuck in my phone mount on the stem so the thief will faceplant the first time the front wheel comes off the ground.
Front skewer locking nut stuck in my pocket so a smart thief can't put the skewer back in.
Helmet straps wrapped around the seat post and rear wheel and fastened to buy me a few more seconds before he makes off with my bike.
Lastly, I put my bike in an area I can see from the restaurant and I think it would be impossible for anyone to get through all of those before I was on him.

When I am with friends on a casual ride I bring a lock as well.

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The more people I encounter the more I love my cats.