Bike components in hand luggage?

[CC07 PEU]

What's everyone's experience of taking bike components in hand luggage on planes?

I'm wondering if I can get away with taking a chain and cassette in my hand luggage.

[ALawson]

I have taken Vector pedals and torque wrench. I think you will be ok.

[joshleb]

Not allowed any tools, and not sure what they'll say about the chain.

[ALawson]

I must have been lucky!

[battered]

Ring and ask. There is no rhyme or reason. I have been refused a small karabiner on a camera because it could become a knuckle duster, but a foot long steel rule is fine. I could sharpen a ruler on a kerbstone in 5minutes, then we know what.

[CC07 PEU]

Who would I ring though? The airline? Security?

[murray]

Took a pedal spanner off me at Bristol.

[47p2]

Just put it in the hold luggage

[Barchettaman]

I took a folding bike lock (Abus) in my handluggage, it was pretty wieldy.

I checked with the security guys prior to check-in, and also with the airline, both said it was OK.

They don't want tools on board. Something like a bike multitool was a no-no.

[upsidedownmark]

Short version - just no. Check it.

Longer version - maybe, but it's a crapshoot. It's not really got anything to do with the airline, it's down to the interpretation / mood of the particular person you encounter at the bag scan, and they're not generally the kind of people you can debate / reason with. Only try it if you're willing to bin it if they aren't feeling nice.

[37Flipper]

Barchettaman said:

I took a folding bike lock (Abus) in my handluggage, it was pretty wieldy.

I checked with the security guys prior to check-in, and also with the airline, both said it was OK.

They don't want tools on board. Something like a bike multitool was a no-no.

I forgot and put my bike multitool in my hand luggage when I visited La Santa in November. Sure enough I was asked to undo the bag and they pulled it out and said it wasn't allowed, I just looked at it and then at my wife in a wheelchair and said it's for repairs if it goes wrong..... I was allowed to carry it onboard but I was asked to pack it in the main luggage for the journey home.

[battered]

I managed to forget about a Swiss Army knife in the top pocket of a rucksack when returning from Spain. They missed it at the X ray, surrounded by coins and keys, and I only remembered it halfway through the flight. Oops. I kept the bag shut and refrained from rummaging around in it for change. Clearly they don't see everything.

[CC07 PEU]

A few years ago a bicycle pump that I forgot about in my back pack showed up on the X Ray. They had a look through the back pack but couldn't find it as it was lying horizontally in a pocket within the bag... I was left to go on my way and didn't have any problems on the way back either.

Regarding the chain and sprockets, I decided it's too risky to take them on the flight and it was cheaper to post them given that I wasn't keen on paying £20 for hold luggage.