Speaking from experience; my Ministry of Travel tip is to check the expiration of all traveler’s passports well in advance of any international travel. And understand each destination’s policies for those expiration dates as many locales will deny entry for expiration dates in the near future. This small detail has the potential for major havoc if left to chance.

Scott

Edit: typo

Bikeflight.com has gotten really expensive recently since they switched to UPS. Shipbikes.com is what I use now, they still have the FedEx discount, similar to what Bikeflight.com used to be.

I feel like the answer to this entire thread is the Orucase Airport Ninja - used one back in May/June for a trip to Paris/Barcelona/Mallorca and it was just plain fantastic. Case fit my R5 VWD, plus tools/helmet/shoes/kits, easy to pack, and ticketing agents across 3 airlines didn't bat an eye when I said it was photography equipment (which it is - it gets me to good viewpoints to take pictures).

i have heard this about bikefights. but then i had occasion to test this. over the summer i've used bikeflights quite a bit. for example, i used them for 14 shipments in july. they were consistently quite reasonable and if you've used these folks you have a sense for their customer service, ease of tracking, etc. however, i've been using them most to ship wheels, not full bikes. at some point we'll do a review of the current iteration of bikeflights, now using UPS, as an adjunct to our travel focus. (i have no deal with them, so, i don't have any investment in who wins the bike shipping wars.)

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

In my former life when I traveled with a bike, there was an upper limit on the $$ value the airline would insure for (which would hardly cover the wheels), and the bike would pretty much have to be destroyed, plus there was waiver, etc which had to be signed while checking in the bike.
1. Has anyone here purchased additional insurance through the carrier while traveling?
2. That failing, has anyone bought separate insurance before traveling which will cover high dollar baggage, delays, etc?

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Karen ST Concierge

My lessons of bike travel
1) When comparing multiple airlines, always add the cost of bike/luggage fees to the final ticket price to get a true comparison
2) Airline credit cards with companion fares can save you a ton of money if you fly as a couple. They also usually include a free bag or reduced fees. Well worth the yearly fee. (I use Alaska and Westjet)
3) A compact car with a hatchback can carry two bike bags (I use EVOC) and two soft suitcases and two small carry-on bags. I've done this with a Mercedes A class, Toyota Prius C, Hyundai Elantra among others.
3a) When flying in Europe I always rent Mercedes as they come with GPS included no extra cost. In Germany I can usually rent a C class Estate (wagon) for the cost of a compact in the USA. Swizterland on the other hand... pricey AF.
4) Hard shell cases are no more protective than soft shell, and make it much harder to fit in rental vehicles (see point 3)
5) Flying to Europe is probably going to cost you brutal bike fees.
6) Flying WITH your bike is *almost* always better than having a service ship to your destination.
7) Renting a bike at your destination is a compromise and inconvenient.
8) If you need to store your bike after a race so you can travel around (say... a couple weeks in Europe), always ask fellow competitors. I've stored bikes in random basements and picked up before my flight. Made some good friends in the process too.
9) Bikes fees are ALWAYS changing. So check often and be aware before you go. Read the fine print.
10) Complain frequently and loudly to airlines about bike fees. It can work to change things! Just don't harass the poor desk agents.. they can't do anything.

when i corresponded with Delta last week, here's the other question i asked and the answer i got.

"Baggage Protection (insurance) starts at $3,500. Is there a base amount Delta is responsible for if it loses a bike, and no Baggage Protection is purchased?"

the answer:

"Delta no longer offers insurance with the exception of exiting Brazil. Delta is responsible for the loss of checked items up to the limits of liability, which is based on the ticket purchased."

i was surprised by that, because it wasn't clear to me that the excess liability rider was no longer offered (except from brazil). i'll be following up on that specifically in a future article, not just with Delta bit the airlines in general.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

My husband and I just did a Tour de France trip through Trek Travel. We flew Lufthansa round trip from LAX to Lyon, France, premium economy. They did not charge us at all for my bike on the trip out, as it was under the 50 lb limit so was counted as my second piece of luggage. On the way home, it was over 50 lbs, so still a second piece of luggage but they charged €100.

Since this is a travel thread, I'll add a non-bike case tip; feel free to delete if this isn't the right place. Trip insurance. I know it's insurance and they're not selling it if they're not making money. But...I broke my fibula hiking on our trip and trip insurance saved our asses. The insurance was $256 each for the two of us. My husband and I flew home two days after I had surgery on my ankle (plate and pins inserted). Trip insurance upgraded my husband and I both to Business Class ($5600 each for last minute one way tickets), arranged wheelchair transport at the airports, and had a limo take us home from LAX. Everyone I talked to from the insurance co. on the phone was lovely and helpful. It's money thrown away if you don't need it, but if you need it, wow, what a saving grace that was for us. I don't know how we would have managed that otherwise.

this is a travel thread. trip insurance is travel. so yes, it's the right place. i don't have any wisdom on this, as of this writing, but this is a topic i expect we'll take up.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

One of the things I do when travel with my bike is, hard or soft case, ship or travel with me, taking the entire RD assembly off by taking the derailleur hanger (with the RD) from the frame. There were several occasions prior to that I had derailleur hanger got damaged even without the RD on it.

I would question this. I've had many soft and hard cases, the hard Bike Box Alan is by far the best in protection so far. Even with an air bladder padded Biknd Helium case on one of the trips the derailleur hanger got damaged. With the new Bike Box Alan for tri, it looks super easy for tri bikes. Having just put the TriRig Alpha One and Omega brakes and Delta aero cover on a friend's P5-6, not having to remove the entire front-end from the stem would be so much easier for travel.

I have rented road bikes in France, Virginia, Cape Cod, MA, and Park City in the past year. Always been an easy and affordable process. Just takes 15 minutes of research a month or so before your trip. Always ended up with bikes nicer than the ones I leave behind. Now this was just for road biking trips, not for racing. So not really an applicable anecdote for racers.

Because of ever changing policies in the airline industry and various airlines themselves, appearing, disappearing throughout the years--I am happy to see this "Ministry of Travel" as a RESOURCE for future travel. It will certainly change as do all things, but thanks for starting this Dan!~ Makes me wonder why nobody thought of this before (or if they have, did not implement it). Good job!

I disagree with #7. Last time I flew with my bike the airline broke it. Last time I rented a bike I won my age group.

So, you took how many more checked bags? Although Southwest has a bike fee, you also get two free bags.

At this point, a box or bag where I have to take my front end off is a non-starter. SciCon AeroComfort Tri 3.0 was perfect for me so far. BikeBox Alan Triathlon Aero looks like a hard case option as I'm not a Giant.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

- I have a really nice road bike. I do know that my friends have always got Colnago's in Italy, but I would still prefer my bike.
- it's quite difficult to get TT bike rentals. Road bikes aren't so bad.

I remove the RD, but taking off the hanger seems a bit excessive. The design of my Evoc bag means that pressure on that particular area is pretty hard to do.

The last 50 times I flew my bike wasn't damaged. So...

I'm sure a rented bike was not the reason your won your age group. It was probably a weak field. ;-)

I am about to fly to Mumbai from the US at the end of the month with a P5-6 in a Biknd Helium. Extremely nervous about it. My one trip with the Biknd to Oceanside was absolutely marvelous with how easy it was to drag the bag through the terminal.

I can relate. I've travelled w/bike and mostly been OK, but did suffer some frame scratches. So...
for a number of years I used to "come home" to do Lifetime Fitness tri in MPLS. Didn't think it was worth it to bring my bike. So I rented a road bike, brought clip on's and an ancient forward angle seat post. Won my AG every time (w/fastest bike split). Road bike was great for twists and turns that the course featured.
Now to be fair... Dan (Slowman) was standing next to me (he didn't know me), when I got my rental for Kona in '17 - the bike was WAY better than mine. I had my worst race ever - not because of the bike, 'cause some moron didn't hydrate properly during the bike portion of said race.
Moral of the story, rent or bring your bike, what ever you think. Don't forget to take a drink.

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I saw this on a white board in a window box at my daughters middle school...
List of what life owes you:
1. __________
2. __________
3. __________

Dan,

Thanks for this.

We have an upcoming flight with United (headed to Kona!).

I just checked the United site and the language for bikes seems a bit vague - https://www.united.com/...ports-equipment.html. The "normal" linear inches measurement for most bike cases/bags is greater than 62 in and less than 115. For example, my Biknd Helium comes in at about 82 ins. But it is less than 50lbs. when packed!

Normally we fly with Air Canada - the "Bike Fee" has been $50 for some time - which is a reasonable and manageable number. The Kona trip came up late in the planning this year, and we had to use points for the flights, and United had the best connections and timing for us.

When we show up and check in - will it be "Standard Checked Bag Fee" or $150 Bike Fee??

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

It looks like the United policy has not changed since I flew to Kona from Toronto last year. If you depart with an Air Canada flight then connect to a United flight in the US I have always paid the lower Air Canada fee. If you depart Toronto on a United flight you get to pay the special $150 United fee (Canadian dollars). In Kona I have always had to pay the United $150 fee (US dollars). Occasionally I will get lucky in Toronto and the ticket agents doesn't charge the bike fee.

Agree on the weak field. I was in Florida.

Flown 3 times - 1 Cracked frame on my BCM TMO1, 1 EVOC bag. plus $900 in fees.

Rented twice - $350'ish total

Replacing the BMC was very inconvenient. It was my race bike. Probably 200 miles on it... I won't be traveling with its replacement, I'll bring the training bike or rent.

It probably takes 2 minutes long to take the RD off by removing the derailleur hanger than just the RD itself, and I think it's well worth the peace of mind.

As of last week, United still charges $150 each way for bike. If you don't declare it's a bike, it would be even more expensive as they will charge you oversize luggage fee of $200. For that reason alone, I stopped flying United if I can.

Oh Fleck, the unwritten rule is NEVER FLY UNITED.

Oh Fleck, the unwritten rule is NEVER FLY UNITED.


Generally speaking, "Yes".

We booked this on points and the timing, connections and availability at the time meant that, this was the "best" option when I did that. So while we will pay next to nothing for our flights, it's going to be a bit costly for the bikes! ;-)

Here's the weird thing about United flights out of Pearson Airport in Toronto. United is partnered with Air Canada. Sometimes, on one connection or stop-over flights you are on a United flight, but you Check-In with Air Canada at Pearson because the first leg of the flight is operated by Air Canada! In this case, you would only pay the set AC bike fee of $50.

That's normally been the case when we go to Kona - it's a United flight that we bought, but we go AC to LAX and then get on a United flight to Kona, and we have only paid $50 for the bikes all the way to Kona!

Are you still with me . . . .

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Two points I want to share with you:

1. batteries
I had an annoying experience at a check-in counter of Condor (a European airline) As I run Campagnolo ESP they did not like the battery. In the end I was lucky and they let it through.
After some research I found out that in principle you are not allowed to have any batteries in checked in luggage I think with any airline. You can take it in hand luggage if the capacity is <100 Wh, which is generally the case for such batteries.
With Campagnolo it is difficult to demount the battery. Although my trip this week to Kona is with Lufthansa and United I will demount the battery and mount it again in Kona anyway because I want to avoid any problems beforehand.

2. stem
I demount the stem from the fork to fold the cockpit such over the frame that it fits in my bike case, leaving all the cables. If you do not secure the fork-bearings the bearing balls can fall all over the place. A friend of mine had that-> he could not ride the bike when he arrived and tried to mount the stem again.
What I do is mount a dummy stem for travel such that the fork bearings stay in a defined state.

Not sure if it is available in the US, but I have found that Armaflex pipe lagging is pretty good for extra protection for your bike frame. You can buy it in different diameters (obviously for different sized pipe), but also in various wall thicknesses. It is like a very high density neoprene type rubber. It's pretty cheap too.

If your flight to an EU country is delayed you can claim drinks, meals, and possible up to 600e. I’ve been delayed on this trip to 70.3WC both coming and now going. I will file my claims and report back

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http://www.TriScottsdale.org

Something that terrifies me about flying my bike in/from the US.. I've heard some horror stories about the TSA opening up bike boxes and damaging the bikes either during the search or by repacking them very poorly.

Anyone know how to avoid this or is it just an inherent risk of flying with expensive things?

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Too old to go pro but doing it anyway
http://instagram.com/tgarvey4

if one were to read my review of the B&W bike box II, i add some tips on how i pack, and i have a pair of 20mm headset spacers i insert in place of the stem. that's the "dummy stem." if your friend is losing ball bearings it's time to buy a new bike ;-) i haven't had a bike with a headset that uses loose bearings in 20 or 25 years.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

ask TSA to inspect the box while you're present. i've done this. i open the case, let them inspect, close the case.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Way back in the day when I flew with a clamshell I could almost be guaranteed some lazy TSA agent would rifle through my box, throw it all back in and cause some sort of damage or lose small parts. This happened while standing next to an agent at LAX and telling him how to pack it!

Years later I bought my EVOC which only has one proper way to pack. No more issues! Well.. once they did spill all my small parts into the main compartment. Thankfully they were all there when I arrived.

I stopped using the Trico Ironcase because of the repacking issues with TSA (however do still use it with bikeflights) and use my EVOC bike bag now (usually left this for the MTB and used the other for road and tri). Over the many times I have travelled I have realized there are a few things that seem to make life easy for TSA and ultimately me, but it is always a risk for sure.

1) Don't overpack the case: Bike, tools, maybe spare tube or the like, helmet and shoes. Keep as much visible when they open it.

2) Transparency: Try to minimize the use of the zipper pockets unless, like the EVOC, it has on that has a transparent window which is where I try to put most of the "hard" items like tools. Soft items I will either put in a large ziplock bag or put in the pockets. I remove my saddle as well, not necessarily need for the EVOC (and sometime it "slouches") but makes it easy for them to look down into the frame without removing the bike.

3) Bubble wrap and zip ties: I pretty much do this around the bike. Bring cutters for arrival and extra ties for return. I use the bubble wrap versus other items like pipe insulation because it is clear and they can see through it.

4) CO2 Cartridges: People say you can pack them, others say you can't and there will be a fine. I buy them wherever I am if needed and give them to a local when I leave, and usually gets paid forward when I am the local and others are traveling by air. Most of the TSA people, I think, will realize these will be in the bike bags on the saddle, so I put that right in the middle on tip of the bike - easy to find - and just use one of the velcro strips to attache to case so it does not bounce around.

5) Strap It: Not sure of the other cases but key for me on the EVOC is the bike is strapped to one side, so the bag can be opened and everything stays in place (unlike the Ironcase). I make sure everything is strapped (bike, helmet, shoes, etc.). For me this avoids the repacking risk as they can see everything in the bag easily.

Hope that helps.

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I miss you "Sports Night"

because i can't leave well enough alone i shot off an email to United's media relations dept this morning. i'll let you know what they say. i'm also going to next poll our readers on whether, really, they're likely to change airline alliances as a result of baggage policies. this is sometimes just not possible. could be that the airport you use is tied to a specific hub, or is a hub. hard for chicagoans to not use united. hard for dallas folk to not use american. and so on.

however, in socal, i switched from united (where i'd been for decades) to american. i did so out of true love. my wife was a longtime american traveler so what was really inconvenient was for us to be loyal to different airlines. it was pretty pain free, as it turned out. so, we'll be polling this.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Aren’t there CO2 cartridges under every seat for the inflatable life jacket? Is it a pressure issue in the hold?

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Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

It’s basically the same with whatever partner you fly with,return out of Munich 300$ euros, out of Kamloops bc with AC 150$cad. I could go on.

But before that, the number one way to lower bike fees is to be the nicest person possible and then some to the check in staff. Basically these people get shit on non-stop their full shift.

Maurice

Well I'm still wondering what you paid for bags, since that box counts as two bags.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

i'm not following you. can you rephrase?

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I have no idea of the technical risk. However, I do know some items are allowed to be in the cabin but not in checked luggage. I don’t think it is a pressure thing as much as the ability to address an issue in person - example a battery fire. Like those Away bags with the built in battery, which I think now are checked to be removed when boarding. Best guess.

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I miss you "Sports Night"

So I'm looking at the bag fee matrix on Delta and the excess bag fees here.

Domestic:
Bag 1-$30
Bag 2-$70
Excess
Bag 3-$150
Bags 4-10 - $200 each

So my point here is that if you fly with the B&W Box II it's likely going to cost you $230 on Delta in bag fees within the US and Canada.

Now examining flights to Europe
Bag 1- Gratis
Bag 2- $100
Excess
bag 3-10 - $285 Each

So is it actually worth taking two boxes instead of just a soft-bag or a hard case that comes in under 50lbs was why I had my original question. Because looking at it, I'm still saving myself $310 flying on Southwest even though I'm paying $75 each way if I'm traveling to a race domestically.

That's probably clear as mud.

ETA: Ummmm, nevermind, confusion cleared up.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

I'm thoroughly confused as to where you draw the conclusion that the box counts as two separate checked bags. It could be that I'm an idiot, which is always a safe assumption.

This all said, after the death of our beloved Pika Packworks EEP, I'm leaning towards the EVOC for our next purchase.

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----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Looking back at that article...I was looking at the size and definitely thought that was two boxes for one bike based on the size. So I didn't dig in as much, so it's one box per bike. Then that removes basically everything I wrote about fees...carry on!

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

The answer is it depends on whether they are regulated under cfr

I can travel with a loaded avy bag cylinder as it has a pressure release valve and won't blow a plane up

Smaller bike cylinders don't have a release valve

It's simply not worth the hassle

I think's its likely that those canisters are "aerospace certified". Even though the difference of a couple PSI is HIGHLY unlikely to cause an off-the-shelf canister to fail, the FAA would want to see some process control/ design info to ensure the factor of safety is sufficient.

Worth pointing out if you have a Delta credit card, the first checked bag is free (assuming it is not overweight / oversize).

I have the SciCon AeroComfort 3.0 TSA. I have used hard-sided clam-shells and for me, the biggest advantage the SciCon offers is allowing me to keep the cockpit/handlebars attached (as the associated wiring and hydraulic lines). IMO, the TSA, and not the airline, will be your biggest enemy of travelling. I have never been successful in getting a TSA agent to stop what they are doing and inspect by bike bag prior to departure. The bikes I travel with have skewers and thru-axles and the TSA have no idea how to operate thru-axles. Most of the time, the skewed wheel is detached and not put back in properly. It hasn't led to damage but allow for more movement within the bag.

I also travel with discs removed, derailleur detached and placed within the triangle, wheels with sealant aired down to 15-20psi (enough the retain the bead seal).

The Lezyne Travel floor drive pump is awesome - https://ride.lezyne.com/...ucts/1-fp-tfldr-v206

When I flew United "internationally" from PHL to YVR I was stuck with $200 usd for an over sized bag (Pika pack works) as well as $35 b/c it was my 2nd bag. Luckily my bike bag was not over weight. Year was 2015 so possibly out of date.

Return trip was Air Canada, with low fees. Issue was 1st leg was domestic YYC to YUL and the bike bag didn't fit through their scanner, so I had to unpack it to send piece by piece, and they weren't satisfied with the derailleur in the little padded derailleur bag, so I had to take that out too, now dangling by the cable. I got to get all greasy and try to carefully repack it all sitting on the floor of bag check. Not really a fun experience. And I wasn't careful enough. Contents shifted, helmet got scratched and spoke was broken in transit.

PS, paying an over sized fee for a 48 cm P2C on 650 wheels, which literally swam in that giant "size small" Pika bag, rubbed me a bit wrong. Ruster is also much to big for my 48 slice, so I just picked up an Airport Ninja Sub 62. Neat bag (finally a non-swimmy fit), but super heavy and requires bike origami.

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

Does this apply to Di2 batteries as well? If so I can return my Orucase as I'll never be able to use it.

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

You WANT a Pika? I've got one, hit me up.

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

because i can't leave well enough alone i shot off an email to United's media relations dept this morning. i'll let you know what they say. i'm also going to next poll our readers on whether, really, they're likely to change airline alliances as a result of baggage policies.


Dan,

Thank you for doing this.

It will be interesting if United takes notice of what the competition has done and make some changes.

In Canada, we are fortunate that both Air Canada and West Jet have a $50 bike fee. The only variable here, is do they add the First Checked Bag fee on top of that. So sometimes when you check the bike it is $50, sometimes it is $75 and sometimes it is just $25(First Checked Bag Fee). There seems to be the usual confusion with Counter Check In Agents about this. No matter, it was always WAY less than what the U.S. carriers had historically charged.

Now where Canadians had often got fooled, was if you book via 3rd party online sites, Expedia, Hotwire etc . . and you book by lowest fares, sometimes you may find a flight from Toronto to, say Atlanta is LESS with one of the American carriers vs AC or WJ. But then if you added, those historically higher bike fees, you would come out behind vs going with AC or WJ and just paying the set $50 bike fee!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

i have sent off a note to TSA's media relations, asking them whether it's appropriate to request a bike case inspection in your presence. i don't have an answer yet.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

For international flyers travelling to US ... United will charge $200 each way. Air Canada is $50 (with only a slight detour).

Australians got it the best. Virgin Australian will not charge a fee as long as the weight is within the checked baggage allowance. That’s domestic policy I don’t know about their international.

This was my experience in the last few years, things might be different now.

Every time I’ve flown my bike into the US, TSA always leaves a note in my box to say they’ve gone through it. So if you can get them to check it while you’re there, that’d be ideal (luckily no damage to my bike).

This might sound a bit over the top but if you’re travelling somewhere that sells bikes cheaper than where you live .. buy the bike there, take a few training rides, do your race then bring it back. That incurs only one fee instead of a return fee (e.g $200 x 2). ONLY if you’re planning to buy a new bike. I live in a very expensive country so for me, anywhere else is cheaper to shop.

I've always explicitly been asked about "spare" lithium batteries, as that is what is explicitly banned by the FAA in checked luggage. They do allow batteries installed in personal electronics as long as they "[are] turned completely off, protected from accidental activation, and packed so they are protected from damage." Shimano Di2 batteries are very much on the small scale of personal electronics batteries (500 mAh vs 2716 mAh for an iPhone X). The only potential hiccup could be that there is a specific callout for "Portable recreational vehicles" that are mostly banned by airlines, but they use huge batteries. I would expect you're likely ok with the Di2 battery, but I would just mention it outright when checking your bag. Worst case you have to pull your seatpost out and take the battery with you.


https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/

How was this trip/Trek Travel? I've dreamed of doing this trip...looks amazing.

Well, not that easy for me. The battery is installed in the seat tube above the bottom bracket. That is where the 2015 Slice battery mount sits. So I'd be pretty well screwed if I was already checking into my flight when this restriction was discovered.

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

I have a Trek Speed Concept. What kind of case works best with these? Obviously, your opinion will vary with how you prioritize:

— weight
— disassembly required
— protection
— portability

Assume you are trying to stay under the 50 pound threshold, and minimize the disassembly / reassembly process

Has anyone actually had a problem with TSA or an airline over an internal DI2 battery? We're having to fly for the first time with a QR PR6 with the battery buried in the seat tube (SFO to MIA - no TBT service available and no one to accept UPS/FEDEX shipment at the AirBnB we are using). I know the voltage is well within the airline's allowed wattage but I'd hate to have a big problem at the last minute.
A friend of ours recently had the DI2 external battery on her Cervelo confiscated at Zurich airport on her way to Nice 70.3. They would not allow her to take it on the plane (checked or carried) and she had to scramble to locate and purchase one on arrival.
I would assume that since most Shimano tri bikes now have DI2 that this is not a problem or I would have read about it by now -but?

No issues on Southwest from PHX to DET.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

i have a conference call with TSA on monday. i'll add this to the agenda. that said, the latest guidelines are that installed batteries are fine in checked luggage. i'll find out what the limits are in installed batteries. uninstalled (extra) batteries must be carried on board, in carry-on. the limit is 100 watt hours. a di2 battery is rated at 3.7 watt hours. so i don't see what the issue would be. nevertheless, we'll have this talk on monday.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

note a couple of things from today's article. first, the bike case check info. second - caught me off guard - TSA has nothing to do with batteries. if they SEE a battery, they don't treat this as, say, they'd treat a tube of toothpaste that exceeds 4oz. they refer you back to your air carrier. it's an FAA thing. i assume that's the case with CO2 cartridges as well. so, i'll be interviewing someone at the FAA, maybe next week, and writing about batteries and cartridges. note that in today's article i link to the FAA's guidance on batteries. but i'll be asking them anyway.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Not sure if this has changed since 2016, but I was told when flying PHL>LHR for IM Wales that I could not be present during the TSA inspection. At LHR, my bike case (Tri All 3 Velosafe) was sitting off to one side of the baggage carousel - unlatched - with the top half in place on top of the bottom half, but loose. Luckily there was no damage and nothing that had been in the case was missing.
No issues whatsoever flying back the other way (I didn't ask about the bike check as I assumed it would have been the same response as the outbound leg).

well, that's why i asked! this is the official statement. that's why the people from TSA are named and quoted. accordingly, i'll be querying my entire readership, asking for any instances in the last year where your experience was replicated. then i'll forward back to TSA and, one presumes, some hides will be chapped.

mind, i have pretty much always had great experience with TSA. i went out of my way to thank TSA folks during the govt shutdown because they were required to work, but they weren't getting paychecks. i always thank them. imagine the usual, and deserved, thanks for your service for those in uniform. i'm the same way with TSA. and the folks i interviewed for this couldn't have been nicer, more helpful, more immediately responsive. these folks are not your DMV. this a rock star agency in my opinion.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Is there a contact at the TSA that issues with this can be passed on to? I ask because I know my sister has specifically been refused by TSA agents after Dirty Kanza and Land Run this year and she was pretty frustrated about it, but didn't know who to contact. I'm guessing at these smaller regional airports, the TSA staff is not as well informed on the rules.

Crazy thing is that SEA (my home airport and where the TSA agent was from that Dan talked to) is the one airport I have repeatedly been denied the option of overseeing the inspection of my bike box. Other airports have been happy to let me observe with TSA and actually in most cases the TSA agents are thankful that I am willing to come down and spend the time to observe and help talk through the best way to open and close back up the case. I will note that traveling home the day after a big race you can expect it to take some extra time (get to the airport early!) Last time I flew home I walked in to the inspection room and the TSA agent had 10 bike boxes sitting there he was trying to get through inspection.

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______________________________________________
Team Zoot

Just flew Europe LAX Kona, in LAX my bikebox was not closed anymore the right way, but there was no damage or missing things. Must have been the Germans or do the TSA check on arrival of the luggage?
I closed it properly and in Kona it was closed improperly, the box was skewed and I thought first it was broken but everything was fine in the end.

It is a standard B&W box, WTF it can not be a problem to close it properly? It can as it appears...

By the way, did not know you can attend when TSA is checking, that's a good option. Is it at check-in that you have to ask if you can attend?

it's all right there in the article!

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I've got a question relative to shipping a bike, not as luggage.
I'm fixing to do RAGBRAI next year and it appears that shipping a road bike would be the best option considering I would likely have 2 checked bags to make this happen.
When it comes to shipping, 130 inches is where the big break in cost comes in. Shipping is measured as L+2H+2W.
A case under 130 is about $37 each way and 131 inch case is about $97 each way - quite a difference.
From my investigations, it appears that only boxes and Serfas hard cases fit under this limit. Potentially, the Trico Ironcase may also fit under this limit, though other info says no.
I'd prefer to have a case and am looking on the used market for one.
Also, apparently the shipping companies round up in inches, so 10 1/2 inches ends up being 11. So, with their math - 10.5 x 2 is not equal to 21, but 22.
I am quite comfortable with bike disassembly, so that isn't much of a problem.
Can anyone provide some real world experience on cases that fit under 130 inches?

to be clear, there's a measurements for shipping, and there's measurements for taking a bike on a plane. the latter is the combo of just length + height + width. a typical bike box, a cardboard box, is usually about 50" x 10" x 30". that will net you your 130". as to the ironcase, the way i've seen some measure (for shipping, not airline, purposes) is to wrap a tape around the circumference, and add that to the length. if you do that i think you'll be fine with the ironcase. if you measure width and height, round up in each case, and double it, then you might be in trouble. but i've not had a situation (yet) where i've challenged this and been overruled by the parcel delivery company.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Rumpled:

Used the Trico Ironcase when on a journey to race triathlons in all the US states. Shipped via ground in brown trucks most places, flew with me too a few times. The store personnel measured the box at 128"/129". Often had them prepare return tags (or shiping tags to the next race) with the proper measurements too so I could leave the Trico at the hotel and the carrier would pick up without me being there or me having to track down an open store before heading off to the airport. The width, length, & height measurements varied an inch or two but always came in at a total of 128"/129". Sometimes on the return shipment, without me being there, the driver would change measurements that pushed up the shipment charge to the higher amounts. I always wrote a letter to the carrier with previous invoices showing the accurate measurements below the combined 130" and the carrier always credited my credit card. This happened about a third of the time. Once, the driver charged an added fee because the bike case was not in a cardboard shipping container. Strange but maybe drivers incentivized to apply inappropriate charges to customers that don't check their credit card statements. That too was credited by the carrier. Completed the journey and sold the Trico. Started another journey and bought an Orucase Ninja. That case is soft-sided and way below the 130" total. Flew without charges on SAS five times this summer. Waiting to see what happens when on board with UAL....

https://www.palmtreesahead.com/

Yea I flew from PDX to Washington, DC in May 2019 paying the $150. I handed the bike box off & a United person looked it over without opening it and then added more United labeled tape. Said Good to go. Later my husband, as leaving from dropping me off saw it was taken away all the tape cut, opened and wiped with tissues. So you don't have any real protection against the "bike check".

well, now, i'm getting a lot of comments about instances like this, but i just... wrote... an article... yesterday about how to inoculate yourself against this. forewarned is forearmed!

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

First I did not understand what you meant with "the" article because I'm mostly only in the triathlon forum.
Now I understand that you meant the article on the front page of this site.
Thanks for asking all of the questions to TSA and I understand that they always check at entry in the USA and the guest cannot attend.

As to the batteries: The only problem I had was checking in (the lady firstly thought it was an e-bike, I had to call the manager) and this was in Europe with Condor.
And guess what, Condor just got broke since yesterday (although I got nothing to do with that: a late revenge).
I spent hours yesterday and today to fiddle the cables through the frame again: maybe I just let the battery on next time and hope for the best: in the end it is an embedded battery (although I can't recall that they tell between embedded and not-embedded batteries in the regulations). And 2 years ago I did not encounter problems with Lufthansa and United when I left the battery on the bike.

Dan, not to get too OT here, but I'd imagine a lot of forum users don't arrive at the forum via the ST front page (I never do). While a lot of the articles on the front page are great and very informative, I know the only time I read them is if I happen to catch the weekly newsletter in my email (~2x a month).

Have you considered putting links (maybe with a thumbnail pic) to the articles in the sidebar of the forums?

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Strava

I have used a box that I haven’t seen anyone mention here...Buxum Box. They are aluminium. I never bring a bike on the plane but always ship it. The one I have (I think it is the Tourmalet) fits under the 130. It was pricy but worth it. I always used Bikeflights and loved them but on the last trip I switched to Shipbikes as I didn’t like that bikeflights switched to UPS from FedEx. Of course, FedEx put a forklift through my aluminium box (did all kinds of paint damage etc but thankfully frame not cracked). Shipbikes has been zero help with FedEx (it was insured and fedex is denying the claim). So I am getting a new Buxum Box and going back to Bikeflights.

I much prefer shipping and it is there when I get there and they pick it up. Nicer than schlepping it in my book.

And, I much prefer the aluminium box. Although boxes this size (unlike the B&W Bike Box 2 or the Alan) are tough in a rental car...hence another reason to UPS it.

I think depends on the race ad the distance. I'm not sure I'd want to do a 70.3 on a rented bike. I want the bike I've been fitted to properly. For a sprint or Olympic I would consider it. Though I'm mechanically inept when comes to taking my bike apart and putting it back together. If the race is supported by Tri Bike Transport I go with them. Take my pedals off, leave it at my local shop and pick up at the race venue. I also like the fact that after my race, I don't have to spend part of the evening taking it apart and packing it.

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Tri-ing for a cure.

NYtrigal's Team in Training Page

Dan, thanks for the follow up and getting the TSA on record. While I don't agree with your assessment that they are rock stars, I appreciate the additional info that was provided and in particular the bike checking procedures. I'd like the ability to tell them how to re-connect my rear triangle/skewer to the bike bag attachment. I mentioned that this was the part that has been disturbed the most and has happened every time I've flown.

I forgot to add, and I think it's good practice, to always unplug all Di2 connections (FD, RD and junction box) when flying. You'll need the Di2 wire connecting tool which is only a few bucks. I can't speak for Campy or SRAM.

i think we have their ear. if you think there's a set of best practices we can give them that might help them, then let's put one together. i asked them about this, specifically. they were enthusiastic about the idea.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Packing a bike is EASY. For my Evoc bag.
- remove pedals (need small wrench)
- remove front wheel, drop skewer in pocket
- wrap frame pad
- put fork in fork pad
- remove 4 stem face and bolts, put them in pocket, strap bars to frame pad
- remove seatpost (loosen two bolts) with seat attached, unplug di2 from internal battery
- remove rear wheel, drop skewer in pocket
- put bike and wheels in box. do up straps

Not mechanically difficult at all. Literally 6 bolts and removing the pedals. Start to finish is about 10min. 15mins if I have to drink beer while doing it.
Honestly, you should understand how to check and tighten these as a loose seat or stem could cause a crash.

I generally agree about a longer race on your own bike. I'm quite mechanical, so that's not the issue for me. In Kona it was a mucho better bike than mine. But the bike couldn't make up for me being stupid about hydration.
most important; did you like my last line with the rhyme? :-)

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I saw this on a white board in a window box at my daughters middle school...
List of what life owes you:
1. __________
2. __________
3. __________

My 2 cents regarding CO2 and Travel Pumps, buy a Fumpa or 2.

- Regular Fumpa (mini air compressor) easily fits in carry on and can easily handle all pumping needs and has a digital gauge. Also works flawlessly on my Zipp disc wheel - no crack pipe needed!
- Mini Fumpa replaces any need for CO2 cartridges.

No more wasting space in your bike case for a pump and no need to buy CO2s upon arrival at your destination just to have to throw them away (or donate) prior to your return.

In a later post I'll show off my Ritchey Breakaway Ti/Carbon draft legal race bike. No bike fees on any airline.

Replying to no one in particular, but just picked up one of these to keep in the car/ bike bag and it's fantastic.

https://www.rei.com/...0EAQYASABEgIWiPD_BwE

The barrel wants to move a little bit when pumping hard, but otherwise it's fantastic. The head works really well, and because it folds into a cylinder it packs into a bike bag really well.

My experience was very different yesterday. And it leads me to believe that this is based on the whims of whoever is running the local TSA and whether or not the airport has the necessary screening area in a location that is accessible to passengers. I ended up flying from Oakland to Seattle, and then immediately from Seattle outbound international. Both experiences were completely different/

At Oakland, I asked the check in counter if I could be present when TSA would inspect my bag. The lady flat out said it was not possible, since the screening area for oversize luggage is behind the check in conveyor belts and is in a secure zone. After asking around, she came back with the same answer. So I let it go, then walked over to the TSA agent at the screening point to ask the same question, the agent asked a few others around him, and said "no, its not possible to be present for the inspection". After i cleared the Security check point, I found a little make shift office of sorts, and asked the agents at that office again. These two ladies looked at me and said -- well you can request it, and needs to be done outside the security checkpoint. So I narrated my story, at which point they said, oh well - you can request it, doesnt mean that they have to honor that request. Its up to them to see if they feel like letting you be present.

Since I was flying international from Seattle but not on a connecting flight and not on the same booking, I had the opportunity to go through this entire exercise a second time at Seattle. After I picked up my bike bag and went back to check-in, the airline counter directed me to the Oversize baggage drop off area which is clearly marked and said I am supposed to walk my tagged bag over to this area and hand it off. (unlike in Oakland, where the Airline counter just wheeled my bag past some double doors and immediately out of sight.). At the Oversize Baggage dropoff area, there was a friendly TSA agent sitting there to receive the bags, and he basically asked me questions around how to open the bag, performed his check, then asked me how to close it. Had some light banter, and then off we went.

Based on this - i feel like this is more a function of how the airport has setup bag drop off, and not particularly a TSA official policy.


Dan - - considering you spoke to the TSA office in Seattle, that would make sense because they literally have an agent setup to receive these bags.

I used Bikeflights this year to ship my bike from DC to KC for Dirty Kanza. No issues, and the price was fine (proportional to what I've paid in years past to ship back/forth to California). I'm using a soft case, and the relatively low weight may not trigger a more expensive pricing band that heavier boxes may fall into.

FYI, for derailleur hanger protection, I use threaded rods and a bodge of nuts/washers as dropout spacers. This lets me use a PVC end cap with some creative dremeling/drilling as a "bumper" that protects the hanger. I also use foam pipe insulation and zip ties to protect the tubes, with a bag of zip ties and old wire cutters living permanently in the bag, along with a Topeak Mini-Morph pump, which has a gauge and hose.

Even though fees have dropped, I'll probably still use bikeflights for U.S. trips (only 1/year usually) because it's easier to have the bike show up at the hotel, and not worry about TSA issues.

When I did Ragbrai, I used Pork Belly Ventures as my outfitter (if you haven't heard about these services, it's worth at least looking into). They have their own shipping service along the lines of bikeflights. The difference is that they will ferry your bike from the start town to the end town, which is super-helpful. They handle several hundred people bikes each year for the event, so it's all pretty dialed in. I think they'll handle your bike even if you don't use them as an outfitter

I've looked at many options for RAGBRAI, and will most likely use PBK. Seems they provide a good package for an out of stater like myself.
I still think that 130 inch cutoff will be the big price cut, and I think a hard case would be best.

I've done it all: shipped my bike domestically and overseas, flown using hard and soft cases, and rented, again both domestically and overseas. I've had good experiences the first two ways and also some big-time clunkers, many of which have been written about in previous threads. I've done a lot of renting too and have never, as of yet, had a bad experience. I can't speak to the convenience factor because I've chosen good bike shops to work with which were as close to each race site as I could possibly manage and which, at least to me, were fairly priced. As to the "compromise" factor, well, yes, a tremendously individual decision for every racer. I've rented Giant's, Trek's (6 times), BH's, Fuji's (podium in Pontevedra), and a Merida with a bell and front-reflector light (podium in Adelaide)--all really good bikes that performed very very well for me. Could I have done better on my Specialized Transition? Sure. But that's where the balancing act--convenience/hassle; pricing; performance--enters. Here's what I've learned: with my Transition, and on a 20K course, I can generally complete the bike leg 45-75 seconds faster than what the rentals would generally give me. That's my compromise: convenience v. hassle v. pricing v. performance--a totally individual decision for every racer. The new pricing on some of the airlines may help me change my mind about lugging my bike along to races, at least domestically. But I'll continue to check out rentals, then do my balancing act.

I've done four flights this year on United with the EVOC bag, and haven't paid anything.

Every time I fly I check in through the United app, and then note that I will be checking in one "normal" bag (I carry on my suitcase).

When I arrive at the airport I check in with the Premier desk, and hand over the bike bag. Some have asked if it was a bike, some haven't, but I've never been charged for it.

I'm not sure if they are being nice and igorning the fee due to status, or they don't feel like changing the one checked bag I have already confirmed to actually list an oversize bag, but this method hasn't failed me yet.

Also, I'm a silver on United, it's not like I'm getting the super-preferential treatment of a 1k or GS.

Yeah, that happens every once it a while for sure. So as not to out the location :) will just make it yes/no as curious if you live in one of their major hubs like Chicago, Houston, Denver, or Newark? Usually I get lucky at non-hub locations, but not the hubs.

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I miss you "Sports Night"

Updating our recent, as of yesterday, experience with United to Kona from Toronto.

I will preface my comments here, by saying normally, I'm a savvy and experienced traveler with bikes. Been doing this for a long time and typically would NOT stand to pay what we paid. But, we booked for Kona late this year. And I used points for the flights for my wife and I (ie - next to nothing for the flights). The timing and the connections for the flights (with United) we did use, worked for us. Normally, I would have done something different.

The United $150/bike ($CAN) at Pearson Airport in Toronto seemed non-negotiable. I fly a decent amount for work and pleasure, and I never get wound up, and am always super-nice with every airline employee I encounter along the way. We nicely explained to the Check-In Agent that UA now had the highest Bike Fees in North America by far. I shared that, I fly a great deal with Air Canada(AC) - AC's Bike Fee is $50, that I have AC Status and it's worth noting that UA and AC are Star Alliance Partners! The agent, thought the UA Bike Fees were "crazy", seemed genuinely, interested in our situation, felt sorry for us . . . . . but still ended up charging us $150 each for our bikes!

Now, as I said these were extraordinary circumstances for us. I would never have got this far with this, as I would never have booked with UA, if I was paying full price for the airline ticket in the first place.

The rich irony of this is that in the past, because UA and AC are Star Alliance Partners, is that in the past when we have gone to Kona, and been paying full price, we have been flying "United", but the first leg of our trip, usually to LAX would be "Operated by Air Canada", thus we check in, in Toronto with AC and the bike fee, was only $50 - and that's all I've ever paid in the many times heading to Kona!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

it used to be that, even when there were bike case charges, that did not apply to intl. which yours is. so, while delta, alaska, american have gotten more liberal with bike fees, united has actually gotten stricter, taking away benefits they previously granted.

exactly two-thirds of our readers profess an airline loyalty. part of a loyalty program. of those two-thirds, 30 percent are already with a bike friendly airline. of the remaining 70 percent, 16 percent say no, they don't want to, or cannot, change from their bike unfriendly airline, while 54 percent say yes they have the freedom to, and intend to, change to a bike friendly airline.

the crazy thing is, if i'm a 1k flyer with united, i'm flying how often with my bike? 5,000 out of that 100,000 miles? i was a united frequent flyer for 30 years, typically what was back then called "premier executive" status, which i think was about 75,000 miles flown a year. i would absolutely change out of principle. if you don't value what's important to me, why should i give my loyalty to you?

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

the crazy thing is, if i'm a 1k flyer with united, i'm flying how often with my bike? 5,000 out of that 100,000 miles? i was a united frequent flyer for 30 years, typically what was back then called "premier executive" status, which i think was about 75,000 miles flown a year. i would absolutely change out of principle. if you don't value what's important to me, why should i give my loyalty to you?


And that's why, I would NEVER give UA my paid full-fair business, when I have the choice!

Even when NOT traveling with my bike, out of principal, I would not give them my business.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

They've been LA, SF, and BDL flights.

This is me. I have something like 2.4 million miles on United, lifetime platinum, current 1K, etc. But their bike policy stuck in my craw. I have a Dimond and use the Hen House, so I have always avoided the bike fee - except once when leaving KOA after Honu, but I complained to United and got my money back plus another $100 for my trouble - but the fact that they ALWAYS angle to charge you for the bike, I mean "exercise equipment," bothered me.

So I voted with my feet. I moved to the Big Island this year, and switched over to Alaska, which matched my United status for a year. Alaska has been awesome with my bikes (I have moved 8 over gradually), and I've never been charged a fee (I get 2 free checked bags, so the bike is one of them). We also moved three cats over, and they couldn't have been nicer.

I work remotely for a Bay Area company, so still have work travel, but luckily it's domestic, and Alaska goes *most* places I need to go. I won't say I'm done with United entirely, but it's become second choice by a wide margin.

United relies on its customers' investment in its loyalty program to allow them to degrade service and nickel and dime. Unless pax vote with their wallets, the airline won't change.

Ian

I traveled from Miami to Atlanta for 70.3 Augusta this past weekend, with American Airlines. Knowing the 50lbs limit - and having a Thule 699 (which alone weighs 37lbs...) I packed *only* the bike (Scott Plasma 5 + 808 / disc) to try and be under the limit. Still, it weighed at 55lbs... Note: according to specs, this case is also above the 126 linear inches restriction (at 128) so technically I would have to pay the $150 fee.

However my experience both on my way to Atlanta and back was extremely friendly and despite the agent letting me know that the box was 5lbs overweight, they boith waived the fee.

It's great that they seem to be a bit more friendly now compared to previous experiences, but I don't want to count on "friendliness" alone to avoid paying fees. I will be selling my bike case and going for something "lighter". My problem with soft cases is that I've seen many instances where bikes get damaged, while I personally never had an issue with this bike case - it's like a tank (but also weighs like one...).

You'd think that after several United Passengers were assaulted for being in a seat they purchased that people would stop flying United. It's the Airline with the worst customer service in the US.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Mentioned on your first post, but haven't seen any discussion about bike racks in recent times.

In the past I have always kept the steed in the car, but that's not an option occasionally (in this case for me will have two racers/bikes+2 SO's carpooling to a race in a semi-compact).

Any year 2019 recommendations for 1'1/4'' receiver rear hitch rack that are rock solid? Do we like "top tube clamp" style or "wheel hoop" style?

Certainly "wheel hoop" style - no frame contact. Most are just tire contact.
1UpUsa is on of the most recommended and has a 1 1/4" version.
Kuat seems to be a good second.

Good ones are not cheap.

Thanks, as it turns out with some additional searching I settled on a 1Up Quick Rack. Turns out bike carriers is something that is discussed here from time to time in independent threads, so more in-depth use of the search function here, weightweenies and the gravel forums was helpful.


Arrived and test-fit yesterday actually. For people considering it - Add another to the list of people who like it. Best part is it is legit solid. I have no heartburn driving with my race bike on it on the highway.

For others who may be in a similar boat or searching this in the future - before purchasing a rack I recommend you double-check what hitch tongue length you need for your hitch/vehicle. If your hitch is more than an inch or two behind the terminal edge of the the bumper you may be limited on what you can use. 1up seems to also be one of the longer options that is also well regarded. Depending on the situation the the Equip-D might be a better fit. The Quick Rack has a slightly shorter length (hitch opening needs to be further arrears) but the main body also angles up a bit more gradually. I think it would depend on what height the interference would be at which one would work better. Good installation drawings on the 1Up site. Particularly if doing 1 and 1/4 I'd recommend doing everything to avoid an extension. This adds an unacceptable amount of wobble, in my opinion.

If can’t avoid, like on a Jeep Wrangler with rear mounted spare, be sure to use a locking anti-rattle pin from the vehicle to extension. Definitely reduces wobble and rattle. Also, your rack (eg Thule, Kuat, etc) will have a threaded, locking pin so using this on extension tightens things up. Also, lock it. Locking your rack to the extension and bikes to the rack is not useful if the extension has an unlocked hitch pin.

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I miss you "Sports Night"

it feels like i'm responding to the sufferlandria mot

do you know of a database/app that advertises p2p rentals (bikes or other tri gear) geographically? for example, if i am traveling to new zealand, and i don't want to take my bike, i can check out the city i'm visiting and choose a bike that fits my needs?

thanks!

i do not know of such a dbase. we could host it. but we don't at the moment.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

spinlister

I will be shipping my bike via bikeflights with my Ruster Henhouse and wheelbag. I've only ever flown with my bike. Any tips on shipping it to the destination a week prior?

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

who are you shipping it to? where are you shipping it to? Not something I have done. I would confirm with either the shipping company and/or the hotel (and I am not sure I would do this if not staying at a hotel) - that the hotel would be OK with receiving the package. And give them notice for when you expect it to arrive, etc. I have sent and received bikes and parts using bikeflights, but only when buying and selling.

If using a ruster hen house to do this - I would also put it into a bike box if using this method. and likely put the wheels in a separate box. One frame I bought - the box had some fairly significant tears and dents in it. Not something I would want to do, with just the hen house, and I have a hen house that I have used a few times for travel.

Damn, that's causing me a bit of concern.

I've already bought the bike flights shipping for $70... It would cost me double to fly with the bikes.

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Does anyone have any thoughts on either the Armored Hen House ($200) or the Speed Hound Bike Case ($299)? At that price the Hen House makes some sense despite having to pay for two bags. I figure there must be less chance of TSA repacking incorrectly (because the gear is spread over two bags). The Speed Hound appears to be a cheaper version of the popular Evoc bag. I don't fly with my bike often so I am not ready to throw down the big bucks on a bag or box but I do need my bike to arrive safely when I fly to Ironman Texas in April. Thanks

i can't help you with this question. what i can help you with is working thru the question of what case to buy. to me, one question critical to this is: what airline will you fly most of the time? because, for me it's american. this means my bike case goes for $30, or for free. and that's a full sized bike case, taking the entire bike. however, the specs of the case are important, mostly weight. the whole shebang can't weigh more than either 50lb or 70lb depending on the cabin in which you're flying. this means the case can't weigh more than, say, 24lb to 27lb, or the case when packed will outweigh the requirements for same-as-checked-baggage treatment.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

If you fly with southwest frequently, the hen house is a no brainer. I've only been charged one time for "a bike" in over a dozen flights.

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Hi Dan. Thanks for researching and writing up all this great travel info. I think that I have read it all and it is a big help. I take your point about looking at who you fly with and making decisions based on their policy. I was tempted to buy the B&W Bike Box II following your article but I have since seen a few reviews where the boxes have arrived broken from not being closed properly after inspection.

Hi. Thanks for the reply. I think I may have seen you post about the bags in a different thread and that prompted me to google them. Seems like a good idea especially at their current price.

pardon for the very late reply on this. monty and i have acquired a LOT of bike cases. i'm driving down to pick up the rest of them this morning. it's this:



this was a special make-up for the performance bicycle chain. but then that chain went poof. we bought the whole inventory of these. we'll commence selling these next week. personally, i like the bike box ii a lot. but you bring up a good point about TSA not always putting it back together, hence our interview with TSA last fall about how and when to ask to be there in person during inspection. i think this particular case is a little easier for TSA. but i'll take a video if it.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

That case (and the million other versions of it) is nice if you want to fly with a hard case, as it's the smallest exterior out there and likely smallest fork-on case out there. On problem is that it is about 4" too tall and 3" too wide to mail. I'd also suggest getting an additional lock for it as you can pick the lock in 5 seconds with a blade.

Here's one next to a Post Carry 150L if anyone cares lined up for length / height comparison. The hard case tapers in quite a bit, so the tops are about equal in length.

 


Dan,

Re: B&W Case.

My wife bought a slightly used one in a bit of a fire-sale from a rider in our club who was quitting cycling. I think she paid $100 for it. We thought we would give it a go as an experiment.

We used it for the first time back in January for a quick trip to Florida for some cycling.

A few observations:

- Yes it may be one of the smallest "normal" cases out there, but this makes it tricky to fit the bike frame in there. Every bike will be a bit different. My wife rides a "51" and I found it challenging trying to get it and the other stuff in there. Not sure how I would my (or your) "58" frame in the case! How the bike and all the other stuff fits in is HIGHLY specific and propreitory (and takes some fiddling around to figure out on pack up). If TSA opens it up, which they almost always do, how do we know they will be able to pack it all back up properly?

- Speaking of other stuff - these cases are not light, which is good-news/bad-news scenario. Good news - probably very protective. Bad news - you'll be very limited in terms of packing extra stuff in the case, to keep it under 50lbs.

- Case does have wheels, but front wheels do not pivot at all, so fine walking along going in a straight line in the airport towing it behind, but a PIA, when you have to turn or move over while walking (which is frequently in airports). I'm comparing this to my Biknd Helium case, that does have a pivoting wheel on the front and is HIGHLY maneuverable.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Hi Dan. No worries. I haven't bitten the bullet yet so I look forward to your video and pricing on those cases. I did read all of your travel articles. I will certainly request to be present for the inspection when I fly out of Boston in April.

to me, one question critical to this is: what airline will you fly most of the time?


Dan,

This is a great and very important question and one that few seem to really think about. If traveling with a bike is a one-off for you, say ounce a year, then this may not concern you at all. But for those who travel frequently with their bikes, this is something that needs to be thought through.

- Who do you fly with the most?

- What airlines fly most frequently with the best connections from your local airport?

Start there. Most do this after-the-fact, after they have bought their tickets on say, Expedia, buying the LEAST expensive flight to their destination. They then find they have "expensive" bike fees, and ridiculous multiple connections - the latter is important, because you want the LEAST number of connections and best-case scenario as direct a flight or a absolute direct flight to your destination. This is all important because - loading on/off planes is where the greatest chance of damage to the bike is highest (so minimize that). Also tight, "optimal" connections, may mean your bike does not make it to your connecting flight - thus delays in getting it to you, or worse, going missing!

On connections, when traveling with a bike, when I do have connections, I try and make them at a minimums 90 minutes to 2 hours.

I have status with Air Canada now, and have pretty much always flown with them for the past 10+ years. I may end up paying a bit more, but we have a great number of direct flights to destinations all over North America from Toronto. The bike fee is reasonable at $50 (waived for me now with my status). The only time that we occasionally have to deal with onerous bike fees is when we fly United, unfortunately AC's Star Alliance partner - trade off is that I get AC Status points when I fly UA. These days that is typically only ounce a year to Kona. So last year, we did pay $150 each (CAN$) when we flew to Kona from Toronto, but leaving Kona, they waived the fees for some reason and only charged us the $30 single checked bag fee - so we lucked out! :-)

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

- Speaking of other stuff - these cases are not light, which is good-news/bad-news scenario. Good news - probably very protective. Bad news - you'll be very limited in terms of packing extra stuff in the case, to keep it under 50lbs. //

I dont think you are talking about the same case as the one we have. It is 26 lbs, which seems to be on the lighter side for hard cases. And it looks like you will need a hard case for the free flying now with many airlines, and also for shipping with UPS and FedX bike ship companies. So you get the case, your bike at about 20lbs, helmet, shoes, maybe a wetsuit, and that will be it. No more packing cases like we used to, with all your food and other garbage until it was a 100 lbs. The site says up to 61 cm bikes, but we will test out some 58/59's to see if it will fit most people. Kind of the new game now, get the size, weight down and you can go free. The alternative is like buying another ticket, which really sucks..So folks are going to have to learn to take their bikes apart, like we all did back in the day it looks like, or pay the freight...

this case has almost the exact same inner dimensions as the bike box II. i pulled the trigger on this purchase because of this (i'm quite familiar with use of that case) and because of the weight. 26lb is the sweet spot. much lighter and the case is not protective. much heavier and you can't get it under 50lb ladened.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Hi Dan:

I lost the email about these bike cases you and Monty got. Do y'all still have any left?

I'm looking at either the II or this one.

Thanks,

Steve Mudgett

Yeah, I’d be interested too, jprice8888@gmail.com

Hi Dan. Apologies for re- starting an older thread but I see you did a review on the B&W Bike Box II. Wondering if this would suit a 2021 Cervelo S5 for shipping from the US to Australia? Or would you suggest something else? Thanks mate!

i don't know. i stuck a P Series in one, and it fit fine. but the S5 has that funny handlebar, and i wouldn't want to make any promises until i tried to pack that bike in that case.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

OMG. As typical, I do interneting to figure out what I want, think I know the answer, and then I come here to validate my answer, only to be sucked into hours of reading very informative threads that leave me doubting myself. So, here goes!

I think I want a Scion Aerocomfort 3.0 Triathlon bag.

What I actually need:

• Ability to transport Tri or Road bike. I don't want two cases, I want one that does both.
• I would love to do as little assembly/disassembly as possible. I'm usually going full tilt when on travel and have little patience for tinkering.
• I travel 4-5x/year to Germany from California and usually do a cheap-o flight within Europe for long weekends to go to other places (i.e., Eurowings) and I want to take my road bike (week of work, long weekend of exploring, week of work, long weekend of exploring, week of work, return to CA).
• I travel from California to Tennessee a few times a year and want to take my road bike.
• I air travel to ~2 triathlons per year with my tri bike. MOP! 100% kook.
• I have enough travel status with American and United/Luthfansa to get a free checked bag (among other perks), so I usually fly those airlines.

Do I really want the Scion Tri bag? Inquiring minds want to know....

For the curious:

• My existing ancient bag completely failed and I threw it away years ago.
• I bought a crap bike at the Tränke for €180 and use it to ride around Germany/Europe. It is truly terrible. It does have an awesome torch.
• I have a different crap bike in Tennessee that I might have bought from a drug dealer. It was sketch.
• I have good bikes in California, but I'm only in California maybe 7 - 9 out of 12 months.
• I'm tired of riding crap bikes in places where I spend months a year.
• I actually do need to drag my tri bike around for races.
• I'm tired of loosing fitness by putting around on crap bikes.

So... which bike case do I really want?

I super appreciate any wisdom any twitcher has to offer.... I'm trigger happy on this bike case, but only because I'm traveling in a couple of weeks and in a hurry..... Rock on.

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Hillary Trout
San Luis Obispo, CA

Your trip is short. Make the most of it.
https://www.slogoing.net/

You want the BikeBox Alan Triathlon EasiFit. Minimal disassembly, including not having to lower the seat even if you're ~190cm. There are enough stories of broken bikes in soft cases that you should go with a hard case.

Premier Bike would be my second choice. Requires seatpost removal and fits narrower bars, but takes up less space in a car.

ooooh! New rabbit hole to go down. Thank you for the recommendation! I wish this was in the US...

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Hillary Trout
San Luis Obispo, CA

Your trip is short. Make the most of it.
https://www.slogoing.net/

AGree... BBA Tri Easyfit is a game changer, just take off the wheels and drop the bike in. The only negatives: The latches could be a bit better. Not an issue for me, but always worried TSA will not get them lined up right. Also... I have had TSA take my frame out to inspect the wheel that is below it :-S.

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Team Zoot

I only know of one Ministry of Travel and she is currently having a nap on our couch. ;)
And what is with all the capitals?

I'm in the market for a new travel bag/case for a gravel bike (Allied Able w/SRAM Red). On my gravel bike, I have an integrated stem/bar. My wheels and tires are Enve G25s with Vittoria Terreno Dry 38s (but have a 43mm width when pumped up). I will be traveling with this bike both domestically and internationally (more infrequent) and need some advice on what bag or case would work for my use case.

I'm looking at the Scicon hard case, but because I have an integrated stem/bar means that I will have to affix the bar to the frame using my own velcro strips. Not against that, but the Scicon road bike softshell bag doesn't require me to remove either the bar or seatpost. But then there's the issue of a softshell bag versus a hard case.

What other bags or cases should I be looking at? Thanks in advance.

BTW, Scicon is having a sale right now where their bags and hardshell case are 40% off!!!

I’d recommend Bike Box Alan. I’ve used Scicon bags for years without incident, but recently bought a BBA to take any concerns about a soft bag off the table. They’re not cheap but are pretty indestructible.

I have the SciCon hard case, and used it for two longer trips. Went to IM Norway in 2019, then Kona later that same year. Worked fine, and protected the bike, wheels, and gear well. I debated using it for my three recent trips to St. George (from Boston), but went with TriBike Transport each time. Yes, TBT is more $$$ than flying with the bike, but it gives me more peace of mind.

If I travel to Europe again or back to Kona I'd use my hard case.

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Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

Every fellow mechanic I have talked to at the big races over the last several years has confirmed my own observation; there are an awful lot of bikes showing up at races with broken bars ever since the "bar on" soft and semi-soft cases started showing up. I wouldn't use one, and I try to talk athletes I work with out of using them. If you absolutely have to keep the bars on, something like the BBA is the way to go.
I'm definitely on team soft case; nearly 100% of the problems I have had with bike transit over the years have been clearly identifiable as TSA not being able to get everything back in the case correctly, and even TSA agents seem to be able to operate a zipper correctly most of the time.

Personally, I use a soft case from DaKine. After several years of traveling to races for work, and using a bunch of different cases/bags, this was the one that had the lowest failure rate, and It fits every bike I've had occasion to use it with (and I've had some oddball frames in it).
On my recent trip to Kona I was using this bag, and It came home carrying a road bike with an additional set of wheels, bike shoes and running shoes, helmet, my workstand, 4 spare tires, a tool roll, and two bottles of sealant. No problems at all, and it flew for free - thanks Alaska Air credit card :)

Just fwiw, on Alaska Air, once your bag is oversize, it's oversize, and the 50# weight limit doesn't matter anymore. Standard bike bags/boxes are automatically oversize, so when they weigh it they're just checking to see if it needs an overweight handling tag. IME, the bike actually seems to get better treatment with the overweight tag, so game on.

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Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
Coaching and bike fit - http://source-e.net/ Cyclocross blog - https://crosssports.net/ BJJ instruction - https://ballardbjj.com/

I registered for Ironman Florida a few days ago, and I’m looking into flights now. I’ll be flying with my bike from Ireland. The two best options seem to be either American Airlines or British Airways. KLM is also an option, but some of the flights are operated by Delta, and I don’t know if that will be an extra hassle I could do without.

Has anybody here flown to ECP from Europe and would be in position to advise?

Thanks

I know its been a while since this thread has made an appearance, but with all of the hubbub around TriBike Transport... traveling safely and securely with my bike for limited cost has become a more urgent question.

I've been interested in so many of the boxes that have been reviewed (B&W, BBA, etc.) but they're not available here in the US or shipping is prohibitively expensive. Are there any new options out there that people like?

Have the airlines all met a close-to-unified standard for boxes and fees? Is it still the total dimension, or weight, or...?

Replying to Dan because I feel like its safe to guess that the ST team is working on this already in the background, but also generally begging for guidance here :)

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KJ
Swim and Triathlon Coach
AllTerrainEndurance.com
KJ@allterrainendurance.com

Hard to go wrong with the classic Trico Ironcase. Heavy, bulky, and only has two wheels but lots of protection. I have traveled extensively for years with bikes built with S&S couplers and their small hard case. Much more effort to pack these bikes but the small size of the case is fantastic for traveling and never had an issue with damage to the bike even with carbon fiber coupled bikes. Obviously this requires a specially-made bike frame. Something like the BBA Easy Fit is great for tri bikes. My go to bike box for non-coupled bikes with removable handlebars is a BBA Plus which has room for gravel bikes with larger tires.