Covering bike and luggage as security

On my trip round Europe, I had a brainwave of buying a big cover (XL or something) and then everytime I stop somewhere and want to wander off to investigate something I can put the cover over my whole bike plus panniers and tail pack, and my helmet and trousers and jacket on the seat and then padlock it underneath. That was I could just wander around in my shorts and everything would be secured (from opportunist thieves of course) and out of the way of prying eyes. Would this work? What cover would people recommend? What size? Are XL sized covers portable (practically, in addition to tent, clothes etc etc)?

Ta!

You could just buy one of the mesh things you can get for rucksack when backpacking i'm sure that would do the same job but be more secure. They may even do a bike luggage version. The mesh is metal and is very difficult to cut, well for opportunist thieves anyway, it has like a metal string threaded around the outside which you pull tight around your stuff and padlock shut. Can't think of the name but i'll put my brain in gear and try.

Found it, it's called pacsafe

http://www.performance-pacsafe.co.uk/adventure-10-c.asp

Hmm, not a bad idea. I'm note sure it would be big enough to go round all my luggage though? And helmet and gear. has nobody done it with a bike cover?

[Luckypants]

It should be big enough, they do all sorts of sizes. We saw a bike with one of them big round bags that go across the pillion seat and panniers with one of the pacsafe type mesh around it, was locked to the rear sub-frame.

I don't know where in Europe you're going but I know in france you don't need to protect your luggage. It's v different then in the UK. People won't nick things from your bike. A friend who lives in france leaves his tankbag on the bike all the time he says it's v safe there.

Make sure that you check your travel insurance as I only recently found out that most of them don't cover bikes, mine covered bikes up to 50cc.... The AA do a good rate for annual travel insurance (£37 for 1 person europe cover).

The mesh thing would be good to leave your helmet and leather jacket under in case you want to go for a wander. I have seen it used for that. You just leave it on the floor, tied to the bike obviously.

We are going all over, to eastern europe too (bosnia, croatia, hungary etc). Thanks for the suggestions!

I bought the pacsafe tailsafe and it's been one of the best investments I've made It has a cable lock on it too, which I sometimes loop through my jacket + helmet to lock it all to the bike.

Alternatively buy a cheap bike lock to attach your helmet.

Good stuff that pacsafe, saw a guy at Thundersprint in Northwich with it. Stuffed his and his pillions leathers etc in a biiiiiiig roll bag, wrapped the pac safe around it and locked it to the bike.