Flying down to race FL70.3 and will be packing and traveling with my own bike for the first time. Any tips/suggestions?
I will throw out a couple of softballs which may or may not be obvious:
-Air out of the tires? Do you bring a pump or just hit up the onsite mechanics?
-Tune up before I pack it or wait and have on site mechanics give it the once over?
-What else do you can you, should you throw in the bike box?
-Flying Southwest so I think as long as I keep it under 50lbs I will just be charged $75 each way
Thanks in advance
Just my experience, not necessarily the best recommendations.
- FYI - CO2 cartridges aren’t allowed on planes, so just be aware
- I let air out of tires and take a small pump (bigger than a micro but not full size)
- I would rather have it tuned and checked ahead of time in case something big is found (crack, etc.)
- If you are close on weight in the bike box, put small stuff in your checked or carryon luggage (tool, shoes, etc.)
- Not sure about the flight. Southwest is easier to deal with than most. Dimension of your box may play more of a role than weight.
- Use a towel or padding and tape up the chain so it doesn’t bang against the frame
- Use tape or marker to note things like saddle height, bar position, etc.
- Bring real hex/allen wrenches since using all-in-one toolkits can be frustrating
I’m sure there are more tips. Hope any of these help.
I travel a lot with my bike(s) and will be heading to St. Croix in 4 weeks. Here’s a few tips:
buy some pipe insulation at Lowe’s/Home Depot, the black foam stuff about 6 feet long. Also buy 2-3 rolls of cheap black electrical tape. Cut the pipe insulation into lengths and cover/wrap your bike tubes with it. Secure with electrical tape. Put spare roll in box for return packing.Use old socks to cover and wrap removed derailleurs, skewers, seat post, pedals, etc. Tape these loose items securely to the wrapped frame.Once your wheels are removed, use electrical tape to pull the brake levers to the bars. This not only protects the levers by securing them to the bars, it collapses the brake caliper a bit.Leave about 50 pounds in tires. This will keep the tires in place and not cause a tube to overexpand in the cargo hold (although pressurized, it’s not sea level pressure so there’s some reduced atmospheric pressure)Get torque values for every bolt on your bike. Write it down. Put it in your bike box. Take a length (about 3-4 feet) of stout nylon cord and make a measuring stick with it. Do this before disassembling your bike. Place one end at the front axle and measure to the shifters (I usually go to the bolt). Tie a knot at that point. Also put a know where your brake levers are. This will allow you to accurately place your aerobars when reassembling. If you disassemble anything on your bike, you should have a measurement knot to where it goes back. Wrap a piece of black electrical tape around your seat post before disassembly. This will allow you to accurately place it when reassembling.In the bike box, I carry torque wrench (must be less than 7" in length or TSA will confiscate), assembly compound, hex wrench set, pedal wrench (I carry the thin headset wrench in 15mm) and latex gloves. Several pairs of latex gloves.I use my shoes as a tool box. Shove your tools into your shoes and secure with a rubber band or electrical tape.I put a large sign inside my bike box that says, “FRAGILE, please repack this $10,000 bicycle carefully. If you need assistance, call Steve ******* on the airport PA and I will assist you.” I don’t know if this encourages TSA to be more careful or not, but I feel better knowing it’s in there. And once in St. Croix they called me back from the gate to help get the box repacked (they couldn’t figure out how to put the wheels in the box again).Put a sheet of paper in the box with your name and destination hotel address (along with the dates you will be there) where it can easily be seen. Also put your home address and phone number and the dates you will return home. The #1 reason luggage gets “lost” is because it somehow gets redirected and the airline can’t figure out who it belongs to. I used to work for Delta and the tags on the outside get ripped off easily and if your name is not on the inside, the bag/box goes to LOST.
For your first time I would recommend paying your LBS to pack it for you and be there to watch them do it. They can show you all the tips and tricks. One of the biggest things to make sure is that you insert fork and rear drop out protectors.
Thanks for the great advice. Just packed it up tonight and put the note you mentioned in there.
Good luck. You’ll never need the note until you need the note. When the TSA guys calls you over and you see your carbon wheels all jacked in the box, you’ll be glad…