Sleep With Your Bike In This Roomy Cycling Tent: Review

The Bicycle Tour Camping Tent lets you store your bike inside, with plenty of room left over for quality slumber.

I rolled out of my south Minneapolis apartment on a Friday night in search of a little clandestine bike camping within city limits. My sleeping partner for the night would be my bike, inside the tent with me.

I knew it wouldn’t fall over and wake me up in the middle of the night, thanks to the Bicycle Tour Camping Tent from NSR Riding.

The Bicycle Tour Camping Tent is said to be the first of its kind with dedicated straps and room for a bike inside. While it looks like a standard single-wall tent, protrusions extend out of the tent body for the handlebars and front wheel.

From my experience reviewing the tent, and an interview with the North American Director of Products, Christian Mo, I got the lowdown on this wacky-looking shelter.

Review: NSR Bicycle Tour Camping Tent

Secluded near the river in St. Paul, I quickly set up the NSR Tent, thanks to its amazingly simple design. Two shock-corded aluminum poles cross over the top in separate sheaths, anchoring into four corner grommets.

It is a free-standing tent but includes nine light and sturdy anodized stakes for windy situations. My drop-bar Breadwinner B-Road bike rolled right inside—with the wheels on, thank you very much. I secured it with buckles around the fork.

The tent material bumps out for the front wheel, drop bars, and pedal, and an internal shock cord wraps around the top tube and stakes on the outside. The bike has all the support it needs to stand up without tipping.

Sleep Test: Cycling Tent

Inside, the tent felt cavernous. A tall, boxy design with high walls gave ample room for my six-foot frame to sit up (not stand) and stretch out, with no interference from the safely ensconced bike in the corner.

A zippered mesh window on either side makes air-flow and cross-ventilation a breeze (see what I did there?).

There is a pocket on one side but it is at ground level, so I had to make sure I didn’t roll over in my sleep and break my glasses.

I had no opportunity to test the weatherproof-qualities of the NSR Riding Tent on the first night. The temps hovered in the low 60s and it was beautifully calm.

In the morning, I broke camp and stealthily rejoined the bike path brethren who were none the wiser.

Who It’s For: NSR Cycling Tent

Bike-packers and tourers would be the obvious contenders to purchase this tent. It could be useful for cyclocross or mountain bike racers, offering space to change before and after their events, and it would work as semi-secure storage spot for the bike. It’s essentially a portable bike garage.

For bike-packers, the NSR Bicycle Tour Camping Tent does come in its own saddle bag, which on the surface is a great idea and value.

However, the nylon webbing and buckles on my bag did not offer enough friction while under compression. Thus, the bag sagged when mounted.

This wasn’t a deal-breaker, though. I solved the issue with a Surly Bike Junk Strap.

NSR claims a weight of around 3.7 lbs. My tent weighed in at 4.1 lbs. on its own, and 4.9 in the included saddle bag.

My version was the road bike tent, but NSR also offers mountain bike versions.

The Fine Print

NSR Riding recommends “dryer, low wind conditions such as desert and high-altitude. Extreme wind and wet conditions, as it is a single skin tent, is not recommended. It may test the limits of the tent design.”