gauvins

Not that bad. Actually a fun way to start an adventure

irc

Fair point I have done it both ways in the USA. A night in a hotel first is preferable. The Holiday Inn at Glasgow Airport is 200 yards from the exit from the airport. You could push your trolley there. Failing that any hotel in the city centre is a 15 minute taxi ride. Or if you are Inverness bound it is 10 minutes over the Erskine Bridge to the Dumbarton area. The Travelodge, Dumbarton is literally about 20 steps from the Glasgow - Inverness bike route which runs immediately behind it.

nun

A few years ago I flew into Heathrow with my bike in a Ground Effect Tardis bag and I put it together outside Terminal 3. I got a few strange looks. The biggest difficulty I had was disposing of the cardboard I'd used to pad the bag out a bit as there were no litter bins around because of security issues. Luckily a cleaner came by with a rubbish bin on wheels and he took my trash. I strapped the Tardis to my saddlebag and the rode to North London to stay with a friend.

On a trip to Iceland I took the bus to my hotel in Reykjavik and put the bike together in my hotel room which was a lot more relaxing. I think getting a hotel is the nicer option rather than a ride immediately after a long flight. You can also either leave your bike bag at the hotel if you are coming back or post it to yourself at a convenient post office. Spending some money on taxis and hotels is worth it if you are lugging a bike around in a bag.

Tourist in MSN

I took the bus to the hostel next to the Reykjavik campground, stayed there two nights, gave me time to assemble bike (was in an S&S case, so more assembly required), buy a bunch of groceries, pick up some maps, and try to reset myself to a very different time zone.

I know that some on this forum prefer to get off the plane and start riding from the airport. If that works for them, great. But I want a more relaxed time table. I am there to have a good time. That said, I am retired so my trips can last longer with no job waiting for me too soon after I fly home.

That Carradice bag looks REALLY full. I assume that is a camper longlflap?

nun

How did you find Iceland? I stayed at the Reykjavik Airport Hotel for a couple of nights so I could do some sightseeing and buy supplies. I had planned to ride Route 1 ring road, but the terrible weather and headwinds made me decide to rent a car when I got to Egilsstadir which was a bit of a defeat, but it allowed me to explore a lot more in the time I had.

If you can afford the money and time for a hotel/hostel it is nice to take the time to get organized and to get some rest after the plane flight. The most relaxed way I've ever found to travel with a bike was how I organized my Norther Tier start from Anacortes. I used Bikeflights to ship my bike to Skagit Cycle Center who assembled the bike and had it ready for me. The bus from Seatac Airport dropped me off a couple of blocks from the bike shop, so I just walked over there, strapped my bags to my bike and cycled the short distance to my motel.

The bag is a Carradice Camper Longflap and I needed to extend the longflap to put the Tardis bike bag under it. I've now tweaked my gear and I'm using the smaller (15L vs 23L) Nelson Longflap saddlebag. It's actually pretty amazing how small the Tardis bike bag is...it's sort of smaller on the outside...the BBC must go after Ground Effect for some trademark infringement on that! I left the bag with my friends in London. Staying in the same place when you arrive and just before you leave somewhere can be convenient if that place will store your bike bag - hotels are usually very accommodating.

muse kidd

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Thank you for passing along this link. This is perhaps some of the best cycling photography I have ever seen. Simply stunning.

Cheers!

djb

double post

djb

thanks again for the specific details. One factor is figuring out a way to keep the bike box for the return trip. Not absolutely necessary of course, and obviously not always possible, but it does simplify things at the end of ones journey to not have to track down a box that is the right size to properly protect your bike.
Ive done the "bike in a box" thing for over 30 years, and it is nice if one can arrange it to have the same box for the return, and handy also to store the various plastic and foam protecty bits in it as well.

with transAtlantic flights going to Europe from Canada, at times I haven't slept well in the day before the trip, and then poorly during the flight, so am zonked to an extent when arriving, so yes, it is nice to have the time to do the bike assembly thing on your own time and to have a sleep in a bed.

Funny, when I started bike touring a long time ago, I used some fancy at the time IRC kevlar protected 28mm slicks that worked really well and never had flats on the numerous pairs I had on that bike.

gauvins

Perhaps consider a padded flight bag instead. In a pinch, rolled and carried on the rear rack for the duration of the trip. Usually easy to leave it at your first stop (hotel, airBnB, campground) if riding a closed loop, or forward by mail if open jaw. Done this many many times, never any issue. Tried box once and found it complicated.

Unfortunately, the paddef bags we use are no longer available. I'd consider an unpadded bag (say, like this one) in conjunction with a sleeping pads, and perhaps a couple of plumbing insulating sleeves, etc.). An unpadded bag packs very small (sometimes down to the volume of a water bottle).

Tourist in MSN

Sorry for being off-topic here.

I had a fantastic trip. My previous tours were either with ACA or with a friend, Iceland was my first solo trip. And my first trip taking a bike on an airplane, which meant the first trip I used the S&S couplers.

I am a geological engineer by training (now retired), I wanted to see Iceland interior. I did not go there with a specific itinerary, just a generic plan to go into the interior, that had only opened up about a week before I got there, the interior roads are closed in winter. So, once I made my first pass through the interior, then I spent about three weeks wandering about aimlessly, and then spent the last week making sure that I could get back to Reykjavik in time for my flight.



I think I was only on the ring road (Highway 1) for parts of 3 days, it was so busy I hated it.

I had always heard that Iceland was dreadfully expensive, I was really suprised how (1) affordable the hostels were, renting a bed there was about the same price as a Motel 6 room in USA at the time I was there, (2) how cheap the campgrounds were, when you pay per person instead of renting a piece of land, I think my average cost was between $8 and $12 per night, much cheaper than in USA, and (3) how cheap the grocery store foods were, in many cases no more expensive than in USA. I think the number of meals that I bought that were cooked by someone else could be counted on one hand, that clearly cut the costs. Where I did buy a meal, my go-to meal was Fish and Chips.



I occasionally think about going back but next time I would spend all my time up on the West Fjords.

Tourist in MSN

That was the fullest Carradice bag I have ever seen. I bought a Camper Longflap a few months ago when I noticed how strong the US Dollar was, just in case I want to do a credit card tour some day. I camp heavier than you, I would not be able to get all my camping gear into the Camper. But I could easily see a Camper being adequate for a credit card tour, I would also have a handlebar bag.

I have the Nelson Longflap too, used that for all our food on one two person tour, it varied from needing the long flap (with the 1.5 liter bottle of wine in it too) down to almost empty depending on where we were.

irc

Possibly if you used the same hotel for the first and last nights of the tour they would store a box?

If you are starting and finishing in Glasgow I could store the box. I am 20 or 30 mins drive from either Glasgow city centre, the airport or Dumbarton. Assuming I'm home. From late August to mid October I am planning to be on holiday in the UK followed by a month bike touring in California and Arizona.

nun

I had good experiences with the Ground Effect Tardis the 2 times I've used it and when packed up it's about the size of a large phone book so it's inexpensive to post to your destination or no trouble to leave it with someone.

https://www.groundeffect.co.nz/produ...mpact-bike-bag

I'd certainly trust the Tardis with a steel or aluminium bike, but for carbon fiber something like the Post Carry Transfer Case is probably better.

https://postcarry.co/products/transfer-case

I've used both bags without incident.

nun

Past Selfoss the Ring Road gets pretty lonely. The headwinds and the road surface were brutal, but the cost of stuff was not bad. Getting back to Iceland to do all of the Ring Road is on my bucket list, but I will do it clockwise next time.

nun

It's nice to own a "record". I only rode with the bag stuffed that much for one afternoon as I left the bag with a friend.
I'm planning another trip and I'm on the fence about taking camping stuff or just CCing it. I know that I will default to hostel/motel/B&B to save my 60 year old bones, but I also fear an emergency and lack of accommodation in remote areas so I'll probably take my camping stuff just in case.

Tourist in MSN

I think you would have to bring a tent and sleeping gear, you might find a hostel is full when you get there. With the wind there, you can't plan far in advance to make reservations, but you already know that.

You mentioned Selfoss. I met an Italian there. He was in a state of semi-panic. He explained that he discovered his inner tube glue tube was hard and dried out, thus he could not patch a tube. He had one spare tube, but that meant if he had a second puncture, he was stranded. He was thinking of turning around instead of doing the trip that he had planned. I gave him a couple of self adhesive patches. He was unsure about them, showed him the instructions which he read, and he thanked me profusely for saving his trip. We rode up F35 that day together to Hveravellir that day. He took my photo for me with my camera, below:



And I took his photo.



That was one of the longest days I have ever had on a bike. I started that day at about 7am, met him around 8am, we made Hveravellir at 9pm.

nun

That looks epic. Yes cycling in Iceland is on another level and it will test all the weaknesses in your gear and yourself. My next trip will include Scotland...not Iceland, but I'm concluding that either place really requires camping equipment if you are playing things by ear.

In Selfoss I visited Bobby Fischer's grave


and after Hofn there are some great views and eventually the main Ring Road turns to gravel.

djb

Very gracious potential offer IRC. I still haven't looked at flights and juggling family/work stuff yet.
The least expensive flight options will probably be a Canadian airline that flies direct to Edinburgh or Glasgow. Getting another flight to Inverness is possible, but what cost etc I need to look into. My sister can drive to get me from Inverness, they are all in the Nairn area, but riding up there is one idea. There's the train option also, so basically I need to start making plan a, b, c, d etc
The idea of getting to a hotel and asking them to store box is certainly an option.
I've always used cardboard bike boxes without incidents and am still leary of soft bags, despite the good experiences that people like nun have had.

I also will be looking at a new lighter tent and a new lighter, better rain jacket, both of which are in preparation and realistic expectations of rain.

Have even thought of heading over to the west coast and hopping on a ferry from ullapool to Stornoway, to see the village where a lovely older fellow I work with grew up ( speaking only Gaelic)

So lots of ideas, just need to sort out the when and for how long. Haven't seen my family members for years now, my mom before COVID and my sister from a good long time before that.
cheers

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djb

I recall very well you talking about your TARDIS bag years ago ( grew up watching Dr Who, so always remembered the name) . It's been years since I've looked up prices, but for now, I'm pretty sure I'd like to stick to boxes ( goofily I still have the box I used last summer, in my garage)

But I appreciate your comments and experience.

Tourist in MSN

I did a van supported trip several years ago with two others that I know in my community, we traveled together to where the trip was run. One of them had a very well built cardboard box that had already seen several trips by BikeFlights, and would probably see several more. He had a hard case at home but for reasons that he did not elaborate on, he liked the cardboard box better than the purpose built case. I suspect it was the perfect size for his bike.

I was going to ship one of my full size bikes by BikeFlights on that ride too, the local Trek store called me when they had a bike box for my bike, when I asked for a bike box they asked what size I needed so they could make sure I got one to fit. Went over and picked up the box and when I went to pack my bike in it, the box was a few inches too short. So, on short notice and lacking a box, I brought my folding bike as checked luggage on the plane on that trip instead.

If your box is the right size and is still in good shape, keep it. I have an old Amtrak box in the basement, almost 10 years old. Not sure if I will ever use it again but if I might need it, I have it.

djb

One factor for box size is that if it is too long, lots of space in front of forks, then the whole frame can really slide forward with a smack if the box falls off a conveyor belt onto the front of the box. I now always tape a bit of blue foam under the plastic fork brace thingee, to have a bit of cushion here, but it is nice if there isnt too much extra space.
I also tend to jam my sleeping bag in front of the fork, to brace a bit and to try to minimize the frame from sliding back and forth in the box
On the other hand, I have had to squeeze a bike into a box almost too small by turning the forks backwards, but that bike had flat bars so easier to get in properly. With drop bars and my Gevenale shifters, I have to be careful with the front wheel spokes, the shifters sticking out a bit, and the cables (Ive also tended to leave my ortlieb mount on the bars, just less hassle and wear on its internal cable)

On some other trip in the past, I did start getting bike boxes well in advance for both of our bikes, and had to return to the store and get a larger one for my bike, no big deal if you have time and a car.
I have marked down the dimensions of the box that is ideal for my main touring bike, and also of course, a box that is smaller vs bigger is easier to put in a car/taxi etc and also to wheel around on an airport cart, through doorways and in check in line etc.

nun

Amtrak boxes are really good. I've been on Amtrak twice with my bike and both times it was great. I took the train from Portland ME to Boston and there was a dedicated rack in the baggage car for bikes and on the trip from Buffalo to Boston I had to use a box, but that too was inexpensive and simple to fit my bike in.

djb

The train boxes I have seen are great big suckers, certainly more challenging with a car, taxi or getting around in an airport.

Tourist in MSN

Yup, and far bigger than most airlines will accept.

Amtrak boxes, you leave both wheels on the frame and put it in the box.

djb

That's really why I brought it up, in case someone reading about them is unaware of that.
Thanks