Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

There's three sizes, normal fits a standard basket quite nicely. Bit smaller than the supermarket bags I'd say, assuming they're the same size in the UK. If I remember I'll take a pic tomorrow.

podsacs roll top waterproof dry bag (different sizes)
https://planetx.co.uk/products/podsacs-roll-top-waterproof-dry-bag
rok straps for strapping
https://www.rokstraps.co.uk/products/commuter-stretch-strap

These are nice and I have some similar ones for when I go camping but they don't function well as shopping bags that I can use well off the bike too.

Anyone want some Klickflix adapter strap thingies? 31.8mm

They're unused. I bought them to convert my front bag from the skinny bars I toured on in 2005 to normal 31.8 bars but never used them.

any advice for getting a boxed bike from new cross to stansted airport on fri sep 13th?
uber xl is eye wateringly expensive, and there's no coach that goes from down this way (that i can see)
this is the part i hate most about bikepacking trips!

I dunno about Stanstead but when I travelled with three bike boxes overseas one for two events I used a pickup service from Heathrow. Basically a courier comes and grabs your shit and they check it in for you the day before your flight.

https://www.transferbags.com/booking/book-now.php

Or find a friend with a van/taxi

Wait, can't you just get trains to/from Liverpool Street?

How about take the train? I realise it can be a PITA particularly getting it from your front door to the station but could do the trick. I know I've done that as well as buses but if it's boxed up, you should be fine

Almost every trip I've taken, I've taken a bus to a train station with my bike box and got the train. I live easy access to Heathrow, true, but I've also flown from shitty airports like Gatwick and Luton.

Just think about how pumped your biceps will be after your trip.

I've not travelled with a bike for years, but I've ridden to the airport before and handed the bike over as is.

I think there are two schools of thought to flying with a bike:

1. Protect it with a bike box and hope nothing gets damaged in transit, or;
   
2. Keep it as bike like as possible and hope the baggage handlers treat it with a modicum of respect
   

handed the bike over as is.

I've heard of that method but no fucking way.

You still need to take off pedals and flip bars and shit, right?

Just removed pedals when I did it. This was pre-9.11 though.

I've seen people cling film stuff for trains but I've never actually seen anyone put a non-boxed bike on a flight. Heard about it, but sounds like it went the way of the dinosaurs. Maybe if you're running super late and can't find a cardboard box before the flight I could understand it.
I normally use my hardcase and a cardboard box for my partner's bike. Depends who has the most fragile/expensive one.

I've done it. Huge clear plastic bag, cycled to airport, cycled away. Just removed pedals and deflated tyres I think. So easy.

yeah i didn't think most airlines accepted no packaging/a clear plastic bag these days! i don't think i'm willing to risk it though

i'm flying into lisbon, cycling north to fly back from porto where i've found a bike shop that will give you (or sell you) a cardboard box and arrange it to be taken to the airport for you - was hoping something similar existed! will check that transferbags site

i'm not a massively light packer, and it's not a massively light bike, so a big ~25kg cardboard box is going to be a bit unwieldy for me even if they let me get it on a bus

just had an idea though - apologies in adv to my pal with an omnom in case you're reading this - dm incoming

also if anyone has cycling lisbon -> porto and has any tips on decent places to wild/camp etc lemme know :)

The last time I took a cardboard bike box on public transport to the airport I cut an old kids skateboard in half and duct taped it to the bottom of the the box at one end. With a handle at the end other end it was pretty simple to pull around. When I got to the airport I cut it off and binned it.

errrrr that is a great shout - still got the other half?

otherwise, WTB half an old kids skateboard

Viz top tip 🤣

Afraid this was a couple years ago so the other half is long gone

Have done this kind of thing a quite few times using one of these. packs small enough to take in panniers on the tour, and then at each airport just ask around for old cardboard boxes out the recycling at coffee shops etc, and then stuff that in for padding, tape some around the more delicate bits, and pack the bike there. One good thing is you can shove loads of your kit and bags in there too, so less checked luggage

Have cycled the other way from Lisbon, heading down south to Faro, but all the municipal campsites we found in Portugal were always great!

I had an L-shaped metal plate that I screwed two caster wheels into and taped it to one corner. Uncrew the wheels when checking it in. Worked really well until my last flight they ripped off the metal plate, the knob heads.

So, we bought some massive straps and strap little Bike Box Allen spare wheels I'd got off ebay years ago in a 10 pack or something.

I used to use an EVA pod style box for most of my travels, but most recently I used a B&W soft bag and just lined the sides and bottom with cardboard, in combination with two padded wheel bags on the inside and the drailleur removed from the hanger and wrapped in bubble wrap.

This proved much more practical. Lighter for starters, which enabled me to carry it with the shoulder strap for short stints if needed.

Once I was at my destination I folded up the cardboard sides to a third of their size (I could have just ditched them as well, but decided to keep them for the return leg), and was able to get the box into the rental car much much easier by removing the wheel bags and placing them elsewhere.

Of course the Soma is what I call agricultural equipment, and I probably wouldn't do that with a CRUX or similar, but I think this will be my travel approach from now on.

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I used to fly with an unboxed bike. Once in Barcelona I had the perfect integrated travel experience: an airport shuttle train to avoid cycling on the motorway, no booking necessary, the bike in the (empty) carriage next to me. Then cycled through the station, along a pedestrian walkway and into the (empty) terminal, all the way to the check-in desk. I let a bit of air out of the tyres and a baggage handler wheeled the bike away.

Another time at Stansted I arrived early, checked in and went to the bar with my travelling companion. We were sat overlooking the planes. Had a couple of beers, lost track of time, then saw my bike just a few yards away being thrown in the air by an irate baggage handler. Our luggage had to be unloaded from the Easyjet plane in a big hurry because we'd failed to show up for boarding. One of my carbon saddle rails broke so I taped it up and got my brother to post my old saddle to Norway. We had to wait a day for the next flight, so we drank a lot more and stayed in an airport hotel.

what are those giant bags that squash down tiny and that can take a bike, seems like there’s a few brands, any names/recs?
recently I have had to argue, then plead, my way onto a number 35 bus at 5 in the morning with a bike box. driver was not happy, so don’t, if bussing, expect it to be plain sailing.
what is confounding me atm is why ‘send my bag.com’, which should be an answer to all my bike-travel woes, stipulates only the most ridiculously small dimensions for their bike boxes, although they do allow them.

I have been using the Topeak Freeloader bag for a while now and it is a great update over the Decathlon one. The one handed opening and closing works, it's a bit deeper, has mesh pockets on the side, bright interior, drain hole and a third strap on the bottom to stabilize it.
I got it for £20 and think it's very much worth it.