Take your bike in the mini-mart?

I ALWAYS bring mine in.  Never had a problem with store personnel.  Most of the clerks know me anyway by now and we chat it up a bit (at 3 different places).

PS:  Plus how can I PR my strava segments if I'm carrying the added weight of a lock???

Hmm, I've never really considered it getting stolen while I was inside.

I'll still leave it outside though... If I'm on a ride I'm not going to be inside a store for more than 2-3 minutes tops. Acceptable risk

I have never carried a lock with my bike. My baby will never be held in chains! I have, however, carried it up escalators, and brought it into stores of all kinds. Very rarely does someone say anything. Usually I get asked questions about the bike or how far did I ride.

I have asked fellow cyclists (strangers) to watch my bike while I went to fill bottles or use the bathroom. I assume if they have a bike of equal or greater value I'm safe. Happens a lot here in and around the city. Otherwise, bikes disappear fast.

I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving mine unlocked outside.

I've taken my bike in a store a couple of times to buy some water/gatorade.  I just try not to be a bother or get in anyone's way with it.  Nobody's ever complained about it, but one clerk did call me "Lance".

Mark

I usually leave it outside depending on the logistics of the store (windows, line at the checkout counter, etc)

This is funny because I work in a bank and one of my customers always comes in with his bike and when he's in my office he leans it against the plate glass window that is inside my office and positions his chair so he can always see his bike and talk to me.  For goodness sake, his bike is inside an office,  inside a professional office building, with about 15 bank employees between his bike and the nearest exit.  I don't want to become that guy.

Hey, good tip. Thanks.

A bike in the Quick Mart?!?!?  I'm not even supposed to be here today!!!!!!

I assure you, we're open!

^^ Julio wins the thread.

I've done both; play it by ear depending on the situation.  I have never had a store owner be upset that I set the bike inside, but obviously it's done curteously and not getting in anyone's way.

No cleats? A lot of the gas stations I frequent in my rural long rides in NE Kansas are just happy you have shoes!

Wow, I wish I lived where some of you all do!!!

One of my Circle K stops is 2 blocks from Meth head central.  No way I'm leaving anything out there, much less my bike.  I'm just glad they're pretty neighborly at the station and don't mind me trucking in my bike.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one to stands outside swaying from foot to foot over the indecisiveness of it all!

Thanks for the replies!

I'll be taking my bike inside next time, courteously, of course!