Joined: 25 Jul 2005Posts: 1466Location: on the lake
Hey travelers,
Two great friends are heading off to Ireland and then to places beyond on a bicycle band tour this spring/summer.
As I was walking in tonight they were heading off to go look an new bikes. Full size, real bikes and they are planning on flying with these bikes.
I found this alarming due to the potential for the cost.
What can you tell me about extra costs when you fly with a bike, and do any of you have a folding bike from the Tokyo trip laying around you might consider selling or renting?
While almost every airline nails you with fees on domestic flights, a fair amount of the time, international flights on European airlines don't charge you anything for a bike, best bet is check with the airline by phone and write down the name of the person you talked to or ask the question by email and bring a copy with you or look it up on their website and bring a copy with you since the agents at check in usually charge out of reflex.
I have a Folding bike - Oyama brand athat I'd sell pretty cheap ($250) if someone else wants it. I bought it when I was living in San Diego and now that I've moved back I'm not really using it and I like my Bike Friday better.
Saul
derrickito
Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 7:28 am
now with 50 percent more EVILJoined: 22 Jul 2005Posts: 10566
ive brought full size bikes in hard cases on international flights for free. just counted as one of my checked bags. domestic sucks for this, international gets it done. but yes, check with your carrier.
martin
Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 7:41 am
Joined: 30 Jan 2006Posts: 712
derrickito wrote:
ive brought full size bikes in hard cases on international flights for free. just counted as one of my checked bags. domestic sucks for this, international gets it done. but yes, check with your carrier.
But if you go over 50lbs on the bike - they may charge. When I went to Aus with my bike, it was a total hassle to unpack at SeaTac and shuffle the heavy stuff around.
Coupler/Ritchey Breakaway bikes are great.
Alex
Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 8:05 am
Joined: 18 May 2006Posts: 3128Location: Roosevelt
martin wrote:
Coupler/Ritchey Breakaway bikes are great.
...if you fly a lot and then go on long or fast rides on the other end of the flight.
They require oddball sized cases, so the cases cost a lot more than the generic plastic suitcases for a folding bike. The couplers are expensive too.
If you don't fly a lot then it will take years or decades to pay off the additional cost of the couplers and suitcase.
I like my Bike Friday for short to medium length rides, but if I were planning on spending a few weeks touring in Ireland I'd just pay to fly my regular bike over there. The Bike Friday is awesome for travel when you are doing a mix of biking, driving, bussing, and flying. The one that I have (Bike Friday Tikit) packs in a few minutes, so I pretty much always bring it along when I'm out of town. I find it more useful than a S&S bike in town too, especially if I'm doing something like riding to meet friends for dinner and expect to be carpooling back home.
A folding bike + suitcase is cheaper than S&S couplers + repaint + suitcase.
Don't let your S&S bike get too fancy. The airlines don't insure them and it sucks sitting on the airplane watching them throw your $4000 bike around in it's suitcase.
alex
Saul
Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 8:22 am
Joined: 07 Aug 2006Posts: 2Location: On my bike
You should check the weight limits that apply to your ticket, genrally higher classes of service have a higher weight limit and greater number of items, also your frequent flyer status can up this significantly as well, even on a coach ticket. My limit is three pieces of baggage at 70 lbs, on United or other partner airlines(compared to 50 lbs and 2 pieces for most flyers), and when I brought my Tandem Take Apart (not a folder) Bike Friday, on a trip from Prague to Paris, that was the only reason why I managed to avoid the extra charge. Keep in mind that the airlines seldom measure the exact size of the case, the way they measure is kind of weird, it's a length + width+ thickness is = to or less than 62", this makes it hard for a Richey with 700C or 29'r wheels (if you leave the tires and tubes mounted) to make the cut if they actually measure. wheels at 29x29+ your hub thickness of about 5" puts you at 63" and if the case has foam and any thickness to the covers you may get another inch or two. That said, I fly with my Bike Friday about 20 times per year and with my regular bike about 3-4 and have only had the case actually measured twice. Some of the larger regular suitaces are over the limit as well.
derrickito
Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 8:23 am
now with 50 percent more EVILJoined: 22 Jul 2005Posts: 10566
i have a hard sided bike case that anyone can borrow whenever they need to.
corpusjuris
Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:29 am
Don't you ever lie to meJoined: 12 May 2008Posts: 1059Location: Boat on a hill
derrickito wrote:
i have a hard sided bike case that anyone can borrow whenever they need to.
I could have stood to know that in January, but you know, whatever.
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derrickito
Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 6:13 am
now with 50 percent more EVILJoined: 22 Jul 2005Posts: 10566
i cant post that same thing once a month now can i? besides, you would have hated traveling with it. always storing it, moving it from place to place, etc. would have sucked for your kind of back pack traveling.
works best with a fly into one town, ride for an extended period, then fly out of the same town type trip.
martin
Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 6:46 am
Joined: 30 Jan 2006Posts: 712
Alex wrote:
martin wrote:
Coupler/Ritchey Breakaway bikes are great.
...if you fly a lot and then go on long or fast rides on the other end of the flight.
They require oddball sized cases, so the cases cost a lot more than the generic plastic suitcases for a folding bike. The couplers are expensive too.
If you don't fly a lot then it will take years or decades to pay off the additional cost of the couplers and suitcase.
I like my Bike Friday for short to medium length rides, but if I were planning on spending a few weeks touring in Ireland I'd just pay to fly my regular bike over there. The Bike Friday is awesome for travel when you are doing a mix of biking, driving, bussing, and flying. The one that I have (Bike Friday Tikit) packs in a few minutes, so I pretty much always bring it along when I'm out of town. I find it more useful than a S&S bike in town too, especially if I'm doing something like riding to meet friends for dinner and expect to be carpooling back home.
A folding bike + suitcase is cheaper than S&S couplers + repaint + suitcase.
Don't let your S&S bike get too fancy. The airlines don't insure them and it sucks sitting on the airplane watching them throw your $4000 bike around in it's suitcase.
alex
I thought Justin said they were shopping for new bikes? If I was going to buy just one bike - it would have S&S couplers. How about a Surly Travelers Check?
I love the idea of the Tikit, or maybe a Dahon, but those bikes have a hard time being an every-day rider the way a S&S bike can.
fourfingersdown
Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:29 am
r.w. = rainn wilson!Joined: 21 Mar 2008Posts: 1078Location: NOT FUCKING ENGLAND
martin wrote:
I thought Justin said they were shopping for new bikes? If I was going to buy just one bike - it would have S&S couplers. How about a Surly Travelers Check?
I love the idea of the Tikit, or maybe a Dahon, but those bikes have a hard time being an every-day rider the way a S&S bike can.
How about a fuckin' Fargo?
_________________ Please disregard.
langston
Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:31 am
Joined: 25 Jul 2005Posts: 5547Location: Columbia City
fourfingersdown wrote:
How about a fuckin' Fargo?
The flooding and close-minded rednecks make for poor portability
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fourfingersdown
Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:36 am
r.w. = rainn wilson!Joined: 21 Mar 2008Posts: 1078Location: NOT FUCKING ENGLAND
langston wrote:
fourfingersdown wrote:
How about a fuckin' Fargo?
The flooding and close-minded rednecks make for poor portability
Spot on, spot on...
_________________ Please disregard.
joby
Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:13 am
goes to elevenJoined: 25 Jul 2005Posts: 3899Location: The Cloud
martin wrote:
I thought Justin said they were shopping for new bikes? If I was going to buy just one bike - it would have S&S couplers. How about a Surly Travelers Check?
I love the idea of the Tikit, or maybe a Dahon, but those bikes have a hard time being an every-day rider the way a S&S bike can.
It's true. I love my Dahon (It's here in Oakland with me right now) but folders really aren't the same as a full-sized bikes for long rides.
If I was doing international touring all the time, I'd buy a traveler's check. If I was just doing one tour, I'd by a nice touring bike and bite the bullet on baggage charges.
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now with 50 percent more EVIL
Joined: 22 Jul 2005
Posts: 10566
Joined: 30 Jan 2006
Posts: 712
Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 3128
Location: Roosevelt
Don't you ever lie to me
Joined: 12 May 2008
Posts: 1059
Location: Boat on a hill
r.w. = rainn wilson!
Joined: 21 Mar 2008
Posts: 1078
Location: NOT FUCKING ENGLAND
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
Posts: 5547
Location: Columbia City
goes to eleven
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
Posts: 3899
Location: The Cloud
