It depends very much on your budget. I always preferred to stay in my tent wherever I went. If you want to get in touch with locals and if you like to learn more about culture and population of the country you are travelling in, you're always better up to camp somewhere out in the countryside. It's not just cheaper but also a lot safer. I never got stolen something whilst camping - but beware of hostels and hotels.
Nevertheless I prefer to leave my bike in hostels in case I'm visiting a large city.

Ekki