Travelling with a bike

[McFsC]

Hi,

I'm looking at taking my road bike to Spain to do some riding over there for 10 days or so.

I'm going to be travelling by plane and wondering what sort of bag/packaging I would need...

Currently looking at this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Avenir-Bike-Cycle-Padded... along with some bubble wrap/cardboard but would spend more if this won't be adequate.

Also, what parts would I remove? Wheels, seat, bars?

Thanks.

[Pothole]

Looks very similar to the one I have used for 3 flights around the Med'. Depends on the bag size but I just took the wheels off and turned the bars parallel with the top tube.

Get some studding and nuts or cut a couple of pieces of wood to size to keep the jaws of the forks from getting squashed together.

[McFsC]

Ok, thanks for the advice about the forks, I will get something in there.

The size is 108cm x 96cm, what size was yours?

Cheers.

[barker22]

Perhaps pedals aswell, should be easy enough and that will knock an extra foot off the width.
Pipe lagging is pretty good for wrapping around the various tubes on the bike, forks, crank arms, top tube etc.

[Pothole]

Ah, yes, pedals, I just turned mine inside out (unscrewed and screwed back into the inside of the cranks)

[anonymous-user]

Personally I'd hire a "BikeboxAlan" http://bikeboxalan.co.uk/ 10 days is £108 plus delivery charge. Having seen them in the flesh there isnt much else I would trust my bike in, they are very robust. I dont travel abroad with my bike so cant justify one but hiring one makes perfect sense.

Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 27th January 17:50

[McFsC]

They look decent them, £200 deposit though...

[nammynake]

This hard case by Canyon seems good value:

http://www.canyon.com/_en/shop/?category=Z07&i...

[Pothole]

pablo said:

Personally I'd hire a "BikeboxAlan" http://bikeboxalan.co.uk/ 10 days is £108 plus delivery charge. Having seen them in the flesh there isnt much else I would trust my bike in, they are very robust. I dont travel abroad with my bike so cant justify one but hiring one makes perfect sense.

Edited by pablo on Sunday 27th January 17:50

So despite having any experience you're prepared to recommend something costing 3 times as much?

PH is so hilarious sometimes.

I didn't travel alone, I was with 24 other cyclists and none of us had anything more robust than a bag as suggested by the OP or the kind of cardboard box bikes are shipped in, which one can usually get from the LBS. No bikes were damaged in 72 individual flights.

[McFsC]

Pothole, that's really encouraging actually... Sounds like it's worth the risk and just go with the cheapish one. The bike isn't worth all that much anyway.

Cheers for that.

[Pothole]

Sorry to rant in your thread, mate, it just touched a nerve! Don't be ranting at me when your bike is twisted into something resembling a balloon donkey, though!!

[McFsC]

To be fair, I'd take a >1/72 chance anyway, I can confirm no blame will be placed on you should the inevitable happen...

[okgo]

Yet and rent a hard case. I wouldn't dream of putting my bike in anything soft.

That canyon one looks great. Might purchase that as plan to do more trips away

[anonymous-user]

Pothole said:

Sorry to rant in your thread, mate, it just touched a nerve! Don't be ranting at me when your bike is twisted into something resembling a balloon donkey, though!!

....which isnt going to happen in a hard case?!??!

[Pothole]

pablo said:

Pothole said:

Sorry to rant in your thread, mate, it just touched a nerve! Don't be ranting at me when your bike is twisted into something resembling a balloon donkey, though!!

....which isnt going to happen in a hard case?!??!

Don't be winking at me, you humourless twonk! You don't know if it will or it won't, in any case. (DYSWIDT?)

[AyBee]

okgo said:

Yet and rent a hard case. I wouldn't dream of putting my bike in anything soft.

That canyon one looks great. Might purchase that as plan to do more trips away

At that price to rent, I wouldn't bother, I'd buy. Even if you sell it on after one use, it's cost you less than renting would have. The problem with soft bags is, yes, they're usually ok, but would you like to go on a cycling holiday and get there to find that your bike is bent and you have to spend all holiday doing something else while your mates are riding? I'd rather buy the hard case for that reason alone. I'm off to Majorca in May and my bike won't be going in anything other than a hard case!

[okgo]

You can find them for £40 for a week to rent.

http://www.bikebox-online.co.uk/

Obviously living in Surrey/London I am spoilt for choice for places to rent from, suppose its not quite as common elsewhere in the country to have so many high end shops offering this service for us jet setting Londoners

[AyBee]

Just went for a little google and this looks like good value at £130+£10p&p. Last time I flew with my bike, I borrowed one of these from a mate and it did the job perfectly, plenty of room and you can use the extra space to wrap the bike in the clothes you're taking so you only have to take this plus carry-on (nb. most airlines say you shouldn't put clothes in your bike bag, but if they're protecting the frame, I'd argue it ).