Air Travel with a bicycle

SpartaBard

Well-Known Member
I just booked tickets for a trip to San Francisco and in an ideal world I would love to bring my road bike with me, so I am looking for information. I will be staying in the city for a few days then driving elsewhere around northern cal.

1) Does anyone have any experience flying with their bicycle?

2) Do you have any recommendations on types of travel cases?

3) Any logistical suggestions?

4) Regarding transport of bike in the rental car once I am there, stuff it in an SUV or minivan? Do any rental companies have bike racks for their cars?
 

map111158

Well-Known Member
I found working in the bike shop, many people preferred renting at their destination instead of paying high airline fees and risk of damage to their bikes. Plus the hassle it adds to your travel.
Other options are ups shipping to a local lbs or renting a Thule or equivalent hard travel case
 

Robin

Well-Known Member
when we went to BC, we flew with Lance's bike. We were lucky in the fact that Air Canada had cheap costs for flying with bikes - but he ended up renting there anyway because of the terrain. I've heard horror stories on fees that airlines charge. Definitely look into this.

Alex and Mark let Lance borrow their bike bag - which was a soft case. The bike shipped fine thanks to some suggestions on packing the bike. I will say, at my size, it was difficult to maneuver with all the luggage through the airport. Something to consider too when getting to your hotel/destination - will the vehicle/taxi be able to fit a bag that big. Since we were getting picked up by the tour company, they had room/a trailer.
 

Frank

Sasquatch
I went to Spokane Wa. in September and looked at all the options. Rental fee was $75/day and finding an XL was difficult, so I opted to take my bike. Next I looked into pre-shipping via UPS or Fed-Ex and it was over 120 beans each way. Next I looked into the airline I traveled on (Alaska Airways) and it was the most cost effective. I had a rather large clamshell type carrier that I loaded with my bike, helmet, shoes, Camebak etc. and most of my clothes for the trip....95# worth. I ended up with 1 carry on bag for cameras, batteries etc., and my laptop and it was only 75 each way.......and there was no damage or hassle. Check the airlines site for sporting equipment options.
 

Pearl

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
I found working in the bike shop, many people preferred renting at their destination instead of paying high airline fees and risk of damage to their bikes. Plus the hassle it adds to your travel.

this. the ease of renting and trashing someone elses bike outweighs whatever savings you would have if you brought yours. we brought mandis bike to CO and it was sort of expensive vs renting. They opened the box to inspect what was inside and we had to pick it up in a different area, causing a headache.

granted if you cant find anything that fits you to rent, you are on your own.

we packed her bike in a box from the bike shop. just made sure it fit the dimensions that are required.
 

SpartaBard

Well-Known Member
I looked at the prices of bike rentals and it seems to be in the $60-75 ballpark per day. I would be doing this for a two week rental.

United says this - I also posted it below. The big factor seems to be the size of the case, 62 total linear inches seems to be well below a typical bike case, so I would have to pay $150 each way. I will call them though to confirm. $300 is still cheaper than renting a road bike that may or may not fit me (I will likely need a super small) for two weeks.

We will have a rental car at the airport, but at some point will still need to transport the bike and the case from hotel to hotel.

United Airlines Policy

United accepts non-motorized bicycles with single or double seats (including tandem) or up to two non-motorized bicycles packed in one case as checked baggage. If the bicycle(s) are packed in a container that is over 50 pounds (23 kg) and/or 62 (158 cm) total linear inches (L + W + H), a $150 service charge applies each way for travel between the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and a $200 service charge applies each way for all other travel. If the bicycle(s) are packed in a container that is less than 50 pounds (23 kg) and 62 (158 cm) total linear inches (L + W + H), there is no bicycle service charge, but the first or second checked bag service charges may apply.

The following are bicycle restrictions:

Handlebars must be fixed sideways and pedals removed, or
All loose items must be enclosed in plastic foam or similar protective material, or
Bicycle should be transported in a sealed box.
If your itinerary includes a United Express flight, please contact United for information regarding aircraft cargo hold limits
United is not liable for damage to bicycles that do not have the handlebars fixed sideways and pedals removed, handlebars and pedals encased in plastic foam or similar material, or bicycles not contained in a cardboard containers or hard-sided cases.
 

Frank

Sasquatch
Damn, United is steep...roughly twice what Alaska was. Even if you got Kirts case you are at approx 88" which is the 150 buck charge. If your bike is an x-sm you may be able to box it light and small and fit their parameters....go for it.
 

SpartaBard

Well-Known Member
I just found a place online where I can get the following bikes in my size for 15 days. These prices seem better compared to the $300 United wants to charge me for packing my bike, plus the cost of a case.

Fuji Altamira 2.3 C 2013
$345

Specialized Roubaix SL4 Expert 2014
$406

Giant Defy Advanced 1 2013
$345

Scott CR1 Pro 2013
$345
 

gtluke

The Moped
A bike in a case should not count as a bicycle. It should count as oversized luggage. Just tell them it's fishing equipment. The airlines are jerks.
 

Pearl

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
45 bucks to not worry about lugging your crap around? thats a little over 3 bucks a day. sign me up.
 

1speed

Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
I've flown a bike a few times now. I have a Trico Iron Case and I usually use Southwest when I fly. I don't know if they've changed policy since the last time I flew with it (2013), but it was only an additional $75 if it exceeded the weight limit. On the way out, I was able to get over on that by lifting up one side of it while it was on the scale. The guy behind the counter either didn't see me do that or didn't care enough to make a big deal about it. On the way back, I put my saddle, seat post, pedals and whatever else I could easily take off the frame in my carry-on. The total weight for the bike (my Misfit) and the cases was only 46 lbs that time, so I was well under the 50 lb limit. So it was just like any other checked bag. And the case itself is awesome -- bulletproof and actually pretty easy to roll around. One thing though -- if you don't usually do your own mechanical work, just realize you'll need to bring some tools or have a shop put it back together for you.

I know some airlines have dimension limitations in addition to or instead of weight limits, and I'd have failed those, but Southwest was good with it as just a checked bag.

One thing -- if you are asked what is in whatever box you have, say "bike parts". Don't say "a bike". I know it sounds ridiculous, but that alone can make a difference with some airlines -- their policies specifically cover complete bikes. As long as yours is in pieces, you can use that loophole.

Food for thought: even with an easy airline like Southwest, it's stressful as hell to fly a bike -- I've never had a problem, but I am always sure mine won't show up or something will happen (in fact, when I went to Minnesota in '13, it was flown to Chicago on a different flight than the one I took, and it was waiting for me when I got there.) Since I was flying to race every time I've taken it, I didn't really have an option to rent, but if you can find one to rent for a vacation trip that might be worth the cost in peace of mind alone no matter how it stacks up to the cost of flying with your own bike.
 

mfennell

Well-Known Member
I've traveled with bikes 2X with Continental/United. Once I borrowed a hard case from my LBS. It was a road bike case and I had a FS 29er, so a lot of disassembly was required. The next time, I packed a road bike in a standard shipping box from my LBS. Both trips were w/o major incident but, as you've found, it was EXpensive.

Expect the TSA to want to look in the box. With the FS and the hard case, I had used every cubic inch of the case and they were unable to get it properly back together. Nothing was lost/destroyed though.

Don't forget to factor in the aggravation at your destination. In AZ, that meant schlepping 75lbs worth of hard case to the million-miles-away rental terminal. In KY (for a trip to southern IN), the airport was much smaller and the lighter boxed bike easier to move around. Make sure you get a hatchback if you don't want to spring for an SUV.

MTB in the AZ desert and long o-dark-thirty commutes on deserted roads in BFE IN were worth it though.

Random Aside: there's not much of a culture of fitness in BFE, IN and middle aged men in mitchy-matchy lycra are, um, uncommon. I did not see one single adult cyclist in 3wks of riding.
 

Delish

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
A few folks are now making "sports equipment" cases that just happen to fit most road bikes unless they are quite large. 62" linear inches seems to be a magic number for a lot of airlines and that's the number these cases target at a max:

http://www.gavilanbff.com/ - Sold by Gavi (yeah, the local Gavi). Lots of use this year by his pro crit team...on flights seemingly every week

Orucase Airport Ninja: http://orucase.com/ - I know a couple people who use these. $350 for the case is less than the cost of 2 flights or 1 week rental at the rates you were quoted.

I think there is another one but can't remember the name right now. Having spent hundreds of dollars renting marginal road bikes over the past couple years I have been considering buying one of these cases.

BTW. Hit me up for ride suggestions around SF and other parts of northern california. There are rides you should not miss.
 
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Santapez

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Love my Ritchey Breakaway.

So far have only taken it on two trips, one to Idaho/Wyoming, another to Iowa. (That sounds more boring than it is)

$25 each way on United, etc Southwest doesn't charge, all depends on the airline. The bag the bike/frame comes with is JUST over regulation size but it doesn't seem that there is a case out there yet of someone getting oversized charges. It's a soft case so it's hard to measure anyway. Does need to stay under the maximum weight which is usually 50 lbs.

Takes 5-10 minutes to assemble. It's a full on road (or in my case, cross). What makes it a travel bike is a coupler on the downtube and the top tube & seat tube are held together by the seatpost. Good design.

http://ritcheylogic.com/frames/break-away-road/break-away-steel-road-frame.html
 

soundz

The Hat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Consider renting a mountain bike. There's some trails in city outskirts and you can always ride a mtb on the road.
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
the SS coupler bikes are real nice, but with the 700c wheels there's no way to get under the oversized baggage limit. I eventually got a Bike Friday Pocket Llama for travel, it fits in a regular 29" hardshell luggage. No extra baggage fees since I bring 2 good sized bags on board.

What $25 each way?, what year was that, it doesn't matter if its in a bag, box or case, nowadays still the same flat fee each way. Also having it bagged scares the crap out of me unless I was bringing a Huffy. My brother used to work in baggage handling for Continental and they just loved when people brought sports equipment along. Just think Irish national games with luggage.



Love my Ritchey Breakaway.

So far have only taken it on two trips, one to Idaho/Wyoming, another to Iowa. (That sounds more boring than it is)

$25 each way on United, etc Southwest doesn't charge, all depends on the airline. The bag the bike/frame comes with is JUST over regulation size but it doesn't seem that there is a case out there yet of someone getting oversized charges. It's a soft case so it's hard to measure anyway. Does need to stay under the maximum weight which is usually 50 lbs.

Takes 5-10 minutes to assemble. It's a full on road (or in my case, cross). What makes it a travel bike is a coupler on the downtube and the top tube & seat tube are held together by the seatpost. Good design.

http://ritcheylogic.com/frames/break-away-road/break-away-steel-road-frame.html
 

Pearl

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
There's some trails in city outskirts and you can always ride a mtb on the road.

Bard MTB over Bard Road?
creepy-wierdo-o.gif
 

Santapez

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Ritchey doesn't use the S&S couplers, however similar concept.

S&S hard case is 62 linear inches. Ritchey case is barely over the airline limit. Like I said, doesn't seem like anyone EVER has had an issue on the size of the case.

$25 each way seems to be the normal fee for some flights like United. Last time I flew out I took United out, Southwest back. Southwest doesn't charge for luggage.

The "bag" for the Ritchey seems scary, until you use it. The sides are hard plastic and the bike gets well protected. with padding, supports, etc.

Mine is a 700c cross frame, fits no issues. Friend of mine has the road bike version and has done probably more than a dozen trips.

Bike Friday is a travel bike you can ride on the road. A bike with the Ritchey is a road bike you can travel with.

-Steve

the SS coupler bikes are real nice, but with the 700c wheels there's no way to get under the oversized baggage limit. I eventually got a Bike Friday Pocket Llama for travel, it fits in a regular 29" hardshell luggage. No extra baggage fees since I bring 2 good sized bags on board.

What $25 each way?, what year was that, it doesn't matter if its in a bag, box or case, nowadays still the same flat fee each way. Also having it bagged scares the crap out of me unless I was bringing a Huffy. My brother used to work in baggage handling for Continental and they just loved when people brought sports equipment along. Just think Irish national games with luggage.
 
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