Originally Posted by
indyfabz
.... I wouldn't be surprised to learn that my large LHT weighs 35 lbs. as equipped. Maybe I will have the shop weigh it\ next time I take it in. Throw in the racks, empty fuel bottle, stove and the weight of the box and I'll bet I am over 50 lbs.
Originally Posted by
Rob_E
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I have definitely been able to get my my Troll, with rear rack, into a cardboard box and keep it under, but close, to 50lbs. Close enough that I relocated some of my tools to my other bag, just to be certain everything was under the limit. I can't quite see getting my bike and touring gear into one 50 lb bag and a carry on, but when not touring, I was able to get my bike and a week's clothing into my S&S case and a carry on.
A luggage scale is a travelers best friend. My last tour, both of my checked bags were less than one kg below the limit because I could pack them that way by having my scale tell me when I was over or under weight.
I always carry my pedals and saddle (a sprung Brooks, so not too light) in a different bag. I know from past experience that these things are dense and easy to carry in my carryon. My rear rack will not fit in the S&S case either, so that weight goes in my other checked bag.
But, now I have to rethink the pedals in the carry on option. My last trip, my pedals triggered a hand inspection. The inspector then was concerned that my liter sized bag with the 100ml bottles was not an official 1 liter bag, so I then had to shove some bottles in a different bag (that she supplied) to prove they all fit. That extra security delay meant that I missed my flight and got home at 2:30am.
Originally Posted by
Rob_E
I think I had only just made enough trips to justify my same purchase when my S&S bike died an early death. I've been debating the wisdom of having my new frame cut in half, but between Delta and American(I think?) now allowing bikes at no extra charge, it seems like it might not be worth it. Also I flew my new frame with me to Pittsburgh a few weeks ago, and the ease of reassembling a bike that had not been completely split in half was definitely welcome.....
I find that the time consuming thing with an S&S bike is not splitting the frame, instead I find that it is the nearly complete disassembly. Water bottle cages, remove both racks, fork comes out of the frame, for my bike I have to remove both crankarms, etc. I use fenders around home but they do not fit in the S&S case, so they stay home when I travel. But they add time for the disassembly and re-assembly at home.
Originally Posted by
cyccommute
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Still doesn't get around the stove issue, however.
I have had no problems with a butane type stove. Two weeks ago I watched a Canadian security official say to me that it is a judgement call, if there is any smell the stove is confiscated. She smelled nothing, I kept my stove. Three years ago a TSA inspector looked at one of my stoves that had a saw tooth shaped pot support, he was more concerned that the saw tooth design on the X ray screen could be a weapon. I did not lose that stove either as it had no smell and the saw tooth design could not cut anything. But I am no longer flying with a liquid fuel stove, too much work to clean it and a good liquid fuel stove costs more than a cheap butane stove if I did lose it to an overly zealous inspector.
***
I will probably continue to use my S&S case when I fly, especially if it is international. Having a case that it is not oversize was a huge advantage due to complicated logistics on some trips. My last trip that I got home from a week ago was a five week trip, home in Madison WI to downtown Halifax Canada and back home again, it involved two taxi rides, two multi-state bus rides, two motel/airport shuttle trips, and two airport to downtown shuttle rides. A full size bike case would have really complicated that trip as the taxi and the airport/downtown shuttles both would not have been able to handle a full size bike box.
Also, on my last trip I could store my S&S Backpack case with the side panels removed to collapse it at the hostel, but they clearly stated that they would not store a full size hard bike box due to a small luggage storage room. Photo is of my case as I stored it and that case also had my other checked bag (a backpack) folded up inside of it. It was about 2 to 3 inches thick, 26 by 26 inch.
I also stored that same S&S case with my other empty checked bag collapsed that way at the Reykjavik hostel three years ago, they would allow cardboard cases in the luggage room if they were flattened but otherwise did not have any hard cases stored there.
