Lithuania

*update*

I bought a trico case and flew on delta. Delta allows you to check bikes as regular baggage. My bike and case weighed 52 pounds which was even under Deltas 60 pound limit.

I flew from DC to atlanta to phoenix with a one hour layover.

I dont think they even opened my case.

I also received it on the baggage carasoul like a normal piece of luggage.




I am going to be flying cross country later this month and I would like to bring my bike with me so I race while out there.

What is the best method of transporting a bike?

Is it worth it to buy a hard case and bring it on the plane or should I just ship it ahead of time?

DieselDan

If it is a nonstop flight, it may be worth flying it with you. You will be charged for cargo, but there is the price of convience to consider. Is it worth it to you to have the bike up until the time to fly?

rha600

do you have a good travel case to put it in for the plane ride? they can get expensive so if cost is an issue that might decide it for you. although I think even if I shipped my bike I'd feel more comfortable having it in a hard case.

Lithuania

It not a non stop flight.

I might buy a hard case even if I dont bring it on the plane and use it to ship instead.

merlinextraligh

Everytime I've priced it, (which admittedly most of the time was international travel) UPS comes out more expensive than the airline fees. And I lke having the bike travelling with me, as opposed to worrying about whether UPS wiil get it there late, or whether it will be secure if it gets to the hotel early.

steaktaco

get the trico, it's probably the best value for a hard case. flying isn't bad if you have someone drop you off at the airport...

and you're not afraid of the bike missing its connection (hint: that depends purely on how light your bike is).

Sponge

My advice is if you’re in with a good bike shop they will likely lend you a travel bike box, a lot of shops rent hard cases too. Might be worth it if you are only traveling once a year or so.

Last year I borrowed a padded bike box from my local shop it had Velcro straps around it to hold it tight. I also used those straps for handles and it worked great.

Flying out of O'Hare United charged me but flying back out of Monterrey/Carmel they didn't! If you're flying out of small airport you might luck out too.

We had to sprint from our Monterrey flight to our SFO connection to get back to Chicago and my bike made it! I couldn't believe it... I now travel with less stress about my bike and plan to do it at least 3 times this year and plan to buy a case in March.

Now what they charge is another story and an absolute rip ! I travel w/golf clubs no charge and because I travel alot for work I have earned enough miles/status that I can check 3 bags. Why I can't just check one bag and let my bike count as two I'll never understand...if I could check my bike for free or only $20 I would take it with me on all of my overnight trips and that would solve a lot of my training issues.

BikeInMN

See if you can find a shop that will rent you a hard case.
I like the Serfas case a lot more than the Trico Iron case as I think the latching system is better unless they've changed the Trico in the last few years.

The shop that sponsors our team "borrows" them to us at no charge which is great as most of us head south for a week or more this time of year.

El Diablo Rojo

I've done both. FedEx beat crap out of my bike case, Southwest Airlines did not. The downside of taking it on the plane is (at least at LAX) security will open the case and remove everything in it. They would not let me repack it so I had to trust that they wouldn't bend a rim or scratch the frame. Oh yeah do not pack any Co2 cartridges TSA doesn't like those much

Pedal Wench

One issue is that the airlines have no real way of tracking your bike if it gets lost.

jimbud

I'd ship the bike ground DHL, UPS or Fed Ex. Living in Minnesota which is Northwest Airlines home base we hear on the news about baggage handlers that lose or damage luggage and blame it on cut backs by the company. Normally happens during contract negotiations. Before the holidays the flight attendants and baggage handlers unions said that their members would be doing random work slow downs or "work day no shows" until their employer Northwest Airlines got serious about contract negotiations. Why chance not having your bike for your trip.

fogrider

Don't they tag it just like luggage? I would break it down. you can get a case just for your wheels which will count like regular luggage (you could pack your clothes in there with the wheels - just put them in a trash bag to keep them clean). Then it's just a frame and fork, you're be surprised how much smaller it will be. they will still charge you for cargo, but it should be less. or you could ship it fedex ground, it will take a few days more, but way cheaper.

Flak

If they treat bikes like they treat skis, then i wouldnt do it. I saw them loading my skis last time i went to Vail and they toss them all over the place.

But im paranoid.

query

Patently false.

aballas

+1 I saw how they treated just my luggage....i can't imagine how they would treat something like a bike....god forbid I had my laptop in there or something....

Pedal Wench

Please elaborate.

Last time the airlines lost our bag, they had no idea where it was, and when I asked why they couldn't track it, they said that they do not scan in every bag. Basically, the bag ends up in a random airport, and when no one claims it, it gets stacked in a big pile and resorted. That doesn't inspire alot of confidence in the system.

R900

I just got back from CA flying SouthWest with my bike. SWA only charges $50 each way vs $80 - $100 for the other airlines. TSA opened the case both ways, but didn't really touch anything. On the return flight my rear wheel got tweaked a little, I assume from loading/unloading and having a ton of stuff piled on it. In general traveling wasn't that bad, you only need a few tools to assemble/disassemble. Also nice not to worry about finding a place to ship to and from. Some shops will do received/ship bikes, but there may be a charge. So you need to buy a case, I bought a Thule similar to the Trico. Some guys used larger cases that looked great but are bigger and could be harder to store, move to/from airport, etc... You also need to rent a car with folding rear seats or a van. All that said, I flew to San Diego, and could have easily rented a nice bike, that would have been cheaper and easier. Just bring your seat.

Lithuania

ive thought about doing the rent a bike thing but i dont know if i want to race on a rented bike. i might do it anyway.

mpd224

Or you could demo one from competitive cyclist for $200.00.

oboeguy

A hint if you fly with it: take pics of how to pack the bike at various stages of the process, print said pics nice and big (say letter paper size), and tape them to the inside of the case (cover entirely with tape to avoid rippage). Our folders seem to get TSA'd every time. I shudder to think what would happen to them if I didn't have the pics inside the suitcases!

Lithuania

An update for this thread.

I ended up flying on Delta and they dont charge anything to bring a bike.

Pedal Wench

How did you pack it? Was it just in a cardboard box or their special bike box? Inquiring minds (who've paid the excess baggage fee) wanna know!

Lithuania

ohhhhh yeah i guess i forgot to mention that part. I got a trico iron case thingy. At first I was pretty nervous about squishing everything in there but it looks fine. Im going to put it together now.

Gee3

do you have an REI near you and an REI at your destination? If you do I've shipped my bike that way. It took about a week but the bike arrived safely for about $100. BUt I was only needing it one way.

Other people told me to go to a bike shop and get a cardboard bike box and see if you can get the packing materials that were in it and wrap and ship it yourself.

But I felt pretty confident with REI and they put the bike together for me as well.
I'd think the shipping it on the airlines would be the cheapest option though.

Good luck!

tobycat

I like the convenience (and the price was cheaper too) of shipping it directly to my hotel. FedEx ground was the cheapest and they picked it up at the bike shop and delivered it right to the hotel. No schlepping.

You do have to remember that you will be without your bike for a few days before adn a few days after the trip. I had an extra bike for traveling so it wasn't an issue.