Taking my bike on a plane

[beanbag]

I'm bringing my bike home this Christmas when I come back to blighty from Austria. I'm going Austrian Airlines so all good there but I'm a little worried about how my bike will be handled.

I know I need to buy a bike bag, so I was hoping I could get some recommendations of something very light but strong enough to protect the bag. I was also maybe wondering if I could get some hints on lightening the bike. I've only got a 20kg allowance on main baggage, but I've also got an unchecked 8kg allowance on hand-luggage.

So I figured, remove the seat, pedals, and tyres and that should save about 2.5kg meaning the bike weighing in at about 8-9kg. (It's a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp). Also, do you all reckon I should take out insurance?

So....to summarise all that confusion:

- How to strip down the bike a little to save weight?
- Good but very light bike carry bag....
- Insurance. Yay or nay?

Ta!

BB

[pdV6]

How much do they charge for excess baggage? If the cost per kg is more than the cost of the components you'd have to strip to get it into the weight limit, just bin the components and buy new ones once you get home?

[Parrot of Doom]

Make sure you remove anything that can be used as a lever when weight is pressed down upon the bag - cranks, spacer in the forks, deraelliers, handlebar - the last thing you want is a bent or cracked frame because something heavy was pressing down in the right place.

A little tip is when weighing on the scale, try and hold it up with your foot

[beanbag]

Parrot of Doom said:

Make sure you remove anything that can be used as a lever when weight is pressed down upon the bag - cranks, spacer in the forks, deraelliers, handlebar - the last thing you want is a bent or cracked frame because something heavy was pressing down in the right place.

A little tip is when weighing on the scale, try and hold it up with your foot

OK....removed the seat, pedals and tyres (what a bitch!). Anyhow...I've got the rest of the bike down to just 9kg! (Weighed it on the scales). Wahey! So, that gives me 11kg for clothes, and another 2.5kg less on my 8kg hand baggage.

Now I just need a good bike bag (this is essential so I'm told). Anyone had experiences with any?

Cheers,

BB

[The Londoner]

Never done this myself, but I have read various articles over the years about protecting bikes when travelling like this; get hold of some of that foam stuff plumbers use to lag pipes and wrap that around the frame to protect it. If you can get hold of a couple of old hubs, put those in when you remove the wheels to stop the forks from being pushed together. Pad the bag out with clothes or bubble wrap to protect the bike further. Remember the baggage handlers won't give a monkeys what's in the bag and it will be thrown all over the place. HTH

[Justin S]

as per above with the pipe lagging and bubble wrap,but I tried a bike bag,once until it was destroyed and eventually got £500 compensation for damage too.I since have successfully used a bike box from your local bike shop.Cost is nothing and you rummage around for plastic inserts to protect the forks from being crushed and other items.Remove quick release skewers and tape them to the spokes.If you have disc brakes,put an insert where the discs go,as the pistons might pop out if knocked in the box and put plenty of tape round the box.

[Graham@Reading]

Probably stating the bleedin' obvious, but loosen the handlebars and turn them in line with the bike.

[beanbag]

Graham@Reading said:

Probably stating the bleedin' obvious, but loosen the handlebars and turn them in line with the bike.

Yup. I might even take the bars off. It's only a couple of bolts.....

[gbbird]

how much would it cost to have it professionally couriered over here? Then you wouldn't have to worry about any of this hassle?

[beanbag]

gbbird said:

how much would it cost to have it professionally couriered over here? Then you wouldn't have to worry about any of this hassle?

Way too much I expect. The bike would need to be insured up to €2500 and it's bulky and needs to be brought back again.

I'm even having second thoughts on going ahead with this. I found out the ruddy bags weigh in at 6.5kg. So that's just 7kg for all my clothes and personal belongings....

[JPJ]

I've travelled with kayaks a couple of times, and the best approach is to call the airline and tell them you're checking in a bit of sproting equipment. You pay £15-20 each way for the privilege, but this is separate to your luggage limits, so as long as the item doesn't weight over about 20kg (maximum handling weight by the baggage chuckers) it will go by itself and you can collect from oversize luggage.

[d1bble]

how long are you coming over for Beany? Is it worth all this hassle (with the baggage handlers not giving a toss an all)?

[beanbag]

d1bble said:

how long are you coming over for Beany? Is it worth all this hassle (with the baggage handlers not giving a toss an all)?

I'm back for 2 weeks, but my bro-in-law is taking me up to Wales which I've been dying to do for ages!!!

On top of that, I want to try my new bike out in my old MTB'ing areas. (The Look Out in Bracknell).

I too am beginning to think if this is worth all the hassle

[White_van_man]

If you dont want to pay out for a bag get yourself an old bike box from your local bikeshop. which ever way you do it get as much padding as you can and make sure you warn the airline taht you are bringing it

[Jubal]

I've travelled with my bike a few times in my keener days and I've decided it's not worth the hassle unless you use a hard case. Every trip bar one something broke in transit despite my very best efforts at packing. Watching handlers at Manchester literally throw my bike into the hold the last time I travelled was the last straw.

I just take my spare pedals, shoes and rent a bike wherever I go now. With quality full sussers available in most places for the same price as your excess baggage it makes sense.

[orgasmicliving!!]

baggage handlers won't give a toss if they don't know it's a bike. if it's recognizable as a bike, they will treat it nicely, unless you are transitting through africa.

here's my advice--i have travelled 10+ times now with an expensive bike, with zero damage:

forget the bag. do not disassemble bike too much. leave the wheels on. do remove protruding objects like pedals. slide the seat down as much as possible. wrap all tubing in bubble wrap, but make sure it can be identified as a bike, and it can be wheeled around. put your name and destination address inside the bubble wrap (just as a precaution, it has never been needed in my case) as well as outside. write PLEASE DO NOT CRUSH on each side in big, bold letters. take the chain off the front rings. do not loosen the stem and turn the handlebar--the handlers need it to wheel the bike around. do wrap the ends in bubblewrap and tape it up securely.

at check-in, ask for FRAGILE stickers to be put on. and make sure the baggage tag is attached securely. that's it.

if you are nice and polite at check-in, they may waive the extra charges. it all depends on the person checking you in, and what you pay will never determine how your bike is treated.

Edited by orgasmicliving!! on Sunday 15th October 08:25

[Trooper2]

Taking it to a trusted bike shop in Austria and having it professionally re-packaged in an original cardboard bike box and then shipping it UPS would be less expensive than buying a bike bag and it will be better protected.

Or you can still take it on the plane with you if you so desire.

I used to re-package bikes all the time for customers and it works great. When the shop is building a new bike to sell, thats the same size as yours, they take all of the protective packaging from the new bike and put it on yours so it gets put back in the box just as the factory did when they originally shipped it to a store..

A good bike bag cost $250 and a good hard case costs $300 plus.