[TwoNin9r]

i was reading another thread about how to transport one's bike, and it dawned on me. i travel quite a bit and i'd LOVE to bring my FS rumblefish one. but i'm wondering if it'd be more feasible t build/buy a traveler bike. what are you guys' thoughts? discuss...

 

[SelfPropelledDevo]

it depends on your mode of travel
air
rail
car
camel?

heck... use Amtrak easily with a Surly Big Dummy.
flying a bike to Hawaii? New Zealand? How about Calgary? Totally different deal.

in that light, probably the easiest bike to travel with would be something like a Bike Friday Tikit

 

[TwoNin9r]

was thinking air since that;s how i usually travel, and i meant to hit the trails with

 

[SelfPropelledDevo]

in light of Air Travel...
from my experiences, it really doesn't matter too much as to what kind of bike you are shipping. Basically the airlines is going to measure and weigh the box. Thats what is going to be the major factor.

then there is the idea of what are you going to do with the box when you get to your destination, where you will keep it, or if you are going to use a cardboard box...

if you will have someone picking you up
or if you will be assembling the bike at the airport, and pedaling away....
etc...

from my experiences
the Greatest Common Denominator in air travel, is the air line used.

I'm a big fan of Alaska Airlines.

travel = logistics
perhaps, it would be cost effective to simply ship your bike ahead.

 

[skiahh]

I'll throw in a different consideration.

HTs are simpler than FS. Spare parts, shock pumps (though I guess you need one for a fork, too) and the like mean more stuff to take. But with a HT, you don't have to worry about that. Just throw on the front tire and go.

 

[Walt]

Fs

*Most* full suspension bikes can be relatively easily broken down (ie, the rear end removed) with common tools. I'm guessing the Rumblefish is one of them, though I don't know for sure.

That means you can get an S&S case (26x26x8, which is exactly the dimension limit for non-oversize luggage) and fit everything in, though it will be a long and annoying process to pack it the first few times.

-Walt

 

[mechastrisand]

walt is right, your much better off with a non-fun hater bike. you can also can order cheap custom made double walled boxes from custommadeboxes.com for cheap, they are fast too. order two and packing won't be so epic.

 

[TwoNin9r]

perfect looks like i need to practice assembly and disassembly then!

now, what are tyhe options for luggage? i know S&S, and i believe thule makes one?

 

[bdombrow]

The magic numbers you are looking for are 62 and 50. Length + Width + Height <= 62 will keep you away from oversize charges. The S&S bags and cases are 26 x 26 x 10 which puts things right at the limit. 50lb is the current weight limit on most airlines. Most of the hard shell bike cases I've seen come in over 30lb on their own. Unless you've got a really light bike, the 50lb limit can be hard to meet with a hard case. Back in the day, the limit was 75lb and it wasn't hard to get a bike and case under that limit.

If you can't meet one of the limits, don't worry about the other. Most airlines will only change you the higher of the oversize or overweight fees. Most of the time the fee is the same either way.

One last thing, watch out for puddle jumpers. I almost didn't get my bike back from San Diego once because they had tighter limits on the puddle jumper to LA. I think it was the weight they were complaining about on that trip.

 

[Walt]

I have searched high and low...

...and the S&S case is the only one I have found that both fits a bicycle AND passes the airline size requirements. Which is unfortunate, because even in the bicycle world, it's a nigh-unbelievable ripoff - it is a very simple and not particularly well made piece of luggage.

That said, it's the only option I know of that is guaranteed to work.

I believe the Thule case is for non-coupled frames - and it's much too big for the airline. Yes, you might not get charged, but then again, if they measure it, you'll get dinged for $150 or something.

One useful tip: Put decals or something on the case to indicate that it contains, say, a display table for your financial services company presentation at the big conference. Some baggage check mouth-breathers will try to insist on charging you for a bike, regardless of the size of the package, if they find out what it is.

There are a couple of pictures of how I pack a full suspension 29er here that may be helpful if you go that route:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157621996991447/

-Walt

perfect looks like i need to practice assembly and disassembly then!

now, what are tyhe options for luggage? i know S&S, and i believe thule makes one?

 

[TwoNin9r]

Awesome info!

 

[dubdryver]

I own a Tallboy, and have owned a Blur Carbon. I can remove the front triangle from the rear in under 5min, and only need a torque wrench (in-lb) and a 5/6 to put it back on. The front triangle is only slight larger than the wheel. With very creative packaging, you might be able to bypass oversized charges.

 

[TwoNin9r]

hmm... i'd hate to buy one of those soft sided bike bags and then end up not being able to fit the frame in. i'll see if i can find something on ebay that's the same size for practice purposes.

 

[dubdryver]

Stay away from soft bags..learn from my mistake....unless you have loads of money for all the replacement parts you will be buying!

 

[TwoNin9r]

What do you use?

 

[dubdryver]

What do you use?

A left over bike box from a LBS, repacked. I am thinking about buying a suitcase style hardcase but free is always better than $300...but I know all it will take is 1 time. The soft bag caused $180 worth of damage w/ the airlines...eventhough it was packed really well. I threw it away after I took it out of the bag and saw the damage....lesson learned.

 

[TwoNin9r]

Oh I got ya. On eBay they sell 26x26x10 boxes in bulk for cheap. I wasthinking grab some of those and so that wrapping thing they do at the airport