Flying with bikes

Flying to Oz and max bag dimensions with Emirates are total 157cm (h+w+l). That seems very small as most suitcases are bigger than that surely?! Will a frame, forks and wheels fit under that?

hmm the problem with hard cases is that you can't take them touring with you...

Could be helpful.

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread1068.html

hmm the problem with hard cases is that you can't take them touring with you...

you can't really take a softcase touring with you either. leave them at the airport.

I fly to Germany at the end of every term with Lufthansa and I take various bikes with me at cost of 20£ per bike. They take them on complete with no disasembly. I havent had a problem and ive been doing it for 3 years ! Hope this helps?

I took mine a couple times over to Switzerland. Not a big deal - I got a cardboard box (for new bikes) from any bike store, took off the front wheel, fit the bike in the box, and then taped it shut. Wrote fragile all over though! (I would advise you to do that, seeing how they throw lugage around).

Good luck!

I ain't gettin on no plane!

I wish this was slightly bigger and cheaper than it is...

http://freightbaggage.org/?page_id=118

load of hipster shit

You are.

are you sure its h+w+l? That sound a bit smallish, my bikebag is 130cm x 90cm x 20cm and its a very tight fit.

A guy at work says you can just show up with a bike (ie no box at all) and they stick it in the hold no problem. In fact they may be more inclined to handle it carefully.

We have been travelling around the world on bikes for many years and sometimes needed to fly here and there with them. Find a bicycle shop, get a bicycle box and go...no problem. Well, the weight maybe. But next year we are going to cycle from Singapore to Shanghai on a fixed and for once will not be worrying about weight. A bike to check in and the luggage as hand luggage. Great!

www.osmosno.com

Some serious adventures there osmosno! I cant see any images other than the blog though.

A guy at work says you can just show up with a bike (ie no box at all) and they stick it in the hold no problem. In fact they may be more inclined to handle it carefully.

this is a bad bad bad idea.

www.osmosno.com

Really inspirational website, looks like you've had a lot of fun! Really going to have to do some touring in the next few years.

I've pretty much taken bikes on planes everyway you can! I've had really good results with just taking the bike along and turning the handlebars round and taking off the pedals, it then gets treated as a bike and wheeled on, although doubt many airlines will let you do that now. I've taken the wheels off and wrapped the whole lot in bubble wrap, this caused alot of scratches but no real damage. Old bike boxes are good but don't last that long so if you are taking a lot of connecting flights they can be wrecked by the time you get there. I finally got a bike bag last year or the year before from on one, I think 2 for £50. The bags are not great quality, zips are tempremental. They are alot handier but still pack your bike well inside then, my road bike has had the mech hanger bent while using one so take it off if you can.

I have a Condor branded Neil Pryde bag for sale if anyone is interested. I used it once in 2007, it's been in dry storage since. The baggage handlers for a well known budget airline managed to put a tear in it which needs repairing otherwise the bag is like new and includes 2 wheel bags and a bag for your skewers.I've also lined the bag with a box for added protection. £70 ono. Bag is in Herts approx 40 mins out of Kings Cross. Images follow:

Flying soon with WizzAir. Im gonna use a cardboard bike box from halfords, and going to wrap it in bubble wrap completely disassembled. Also gonna size the box down a bit so its compact.

The question is, does anybody know of any good insurance? All insurance companies I've checked can insure the belongings even up to 2k but single item 150 - 200 quid max? what to do if my bike (single item in the luggage) is 1000 quid?

Look in the travel subforum

..aaaAAA! I didn't know there was such a thing :D cheers alot!

Anyone got a bike box to borrow in April for a couple of weeks?

A cardboard one or a proper one?

proper one would be proper.

Some interesting reading on here.

I've travelled to France a couple of times using http://www.bike-express.co.uk

They used to make you leave your luggage with your bike in the trailer (don't know if they still do) but I take mine on board the coach with me when travelling with them because I know of stories of people getting off the coach in the middle of France at 4am after dreary eyed picking up the wrong pannier and not being able to contact the coach because they had their phone switched off!

They only pick up cyclists from certain stop-off/collection points across Britain. If you live in Scotland or the West it's a bit of a bummer as you will have to travel to a pick-up point. Hope you're reading this EBE?

EasyJet are renowned for "losing" ski stuff, bikes, cases etc. and you won't be insured for their "misplacement" of your goods, so take note. I wouldn't travel with them with my bike.

When visiting foreign countries, don't use the turn the bars and take the pedals off routine. Malaysia airlines drop bicycles from the plane to the tarmac (20+ ft) and only the "skill" of the baggage chuckers will determine if your bike lands on its wheels or not.

One guy I know, saw his Mercian bounce off the ground with two buckled wheels as a result.

I don't recommend the padded bag routine either. My Paginini had the rear mech holder bent at right angles and the bike was bubble-wrapped and pipe clad with plumbers insulated m'larky. I even saw the French "handlers" pick it up by the chainset! The Feckers!!!

It's a hard case which is left at the airport every time for me now. In fact, I'll probably be hiring a bike when I travel abroad, as it's just getting too expensive to take your bike, with an added risk of damaged goods on arrival attached.