Any tips for flying with bikes? Never done it before, do I leave the tyres pumped up or deflate? Any other advice most welcome!

Fans I reckon are the way forwards...wings require a certain velocity to work and the aerodynamics would get a bit complicated...

Fat bike with helium in the tyres

: ) That'd never fly with those lardy wheels ...

http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/ ... /bikes-air - sound advice here. Despite my bike having cable discs as I'm paranoid about baggage handlers wrecking a box and a hose getting pulled or other brake-related issues, in the last half-dozen trips none of us have had a bike damaged. I think the main thing is to protect the bike well as the CTC page suggests, but also protect the box - extra padding so the pointy bits like axles don't punch through the box. Keep the box intact and all should be OK. I write my name + contact details on the box as a precaution but I expect the airline details cover that anyway.

Cheers James, that's just the ticket

Used the good old cardboard bike box picked up from the LBS rather than any fancy specific bike box. Followed most of the tips on the CTC link but also used foam pipe lagging to protect various bits. Extra padding provided by some clothes.

If you do use the cardboard box keep a roll of gaffer tape outside it so that you can reseal it if security or customs decide to open it.

I've flown a couple of times. Evoc bike bag, tyres slightly deflated, seat down, bars removed, rotors removed, pads removed and transit blocks holding pistons apart or leave pads in and use an old, filed down and clean pad as a spacer, rear mech unbolted and in a bubble wrap bag zip tied to the rear triangle, spacers between the stays and forks. Nothing loose in the bag. Not had any issues

I have a beat up bike bag if you want to borrow it

Low pressure In tyres. Pedals off. Mech off and strapped din side the rear of the frame. Brace the dropouts and forks where the hub goes.

Pad spacers in the calipers. Brake levers loose on the bars.

I sometimes remove my rotors too protect both them and the frame. Cassette in bubble wrap.

Bike In the bike bag upside down to protect the chain ring.


Or just pipe lag and clear plastic bag the thing and wheel it in. Depends on the airline for that one though

Right on cue, there's an article on packing for travel over on bikerumour now by Dan Milner.

I've just had my bike flown out from the US...Mrs Scattamah did a good job of the packaging.

A very sturdy box sourced from REI (your local LBS will be glad to help here with any luck)...bars removed from stem and bound to top tube...plenty of bubble wrap around the frame/pointy bits/discs/deraileur and saran-wrapped up. When I say plenty, I mean she wrapped everything with at least 4 to 7 layers of bubble wrap before binding. It was a mission to unwrap.

Front wheel (in its own plastic bag) was slightly deflated but went up fine...rear wheel was on the bike (keeps deraileur/chainring away from bottom of box) but arrived with sealant in the box and not in the tyre. YMMV here. Maxle held the forks in place...but you could use a little plastic fork spacer - again your LBS might be able to help here. Pedals were out, bubble-wrapped and saran-wrapped to inside of triangle along with spare tube and Contour cam.

All arrived in good condition.

Greetz

S.

I also bring bigger tools than those for the bike packing race/happening to facilitate assembly, especially for the pedals. Those tools then stay with the bike bag.

FLV wrote:I have a beat up bike bag if you want to borrow it

Weirdly enough, I have a bike bag. Wasn't allowed a bike in uni halls, so stored it in the bag under my bed! The chicks digged it

Thanks for all the advice, plenty to go from to get it right. Be worried about the rear derailler as my mechanic skills are close to a chimp!

voodoo_simon wrote: Be worried about the rear derailler as my mechanic skills are close to a chimp!

Dont need to disconnect any cables or the chain. Just unscrew the sucker from the hanger and move it round to inside the frame somewhere and tape in place.

Always remember to put spacers in the F&R dropouts and tape / zap strap them in place.

I have an old Cannondale which a mate shipped over from HK without a rear spacer. It takes two strong men to flex open the rear swing arm to insert / remove the wheel

Your local bike shop should have a surplus of the plastic spacers, although they might not fit the funny spacing of a fat bike

whitestone wrote: If you do use the cardboard box keep a roll of gaffer tape outside it so that you can reseal it if security or customs decide to open it.

Don't put this in you hand luggage because you'll get it confiscated at the security check!

I've flown a few times with different airlines. I use a CTC bike bag (plastic bag) and have a few details in this article.
Plus 1 on what Alpinum says about the pedal spanner

Who are you flying with?
http://www.farawayvisions.com/flying-with-a-bicycle/

I've flown many many times, and I never let any air out of the tyres. That is some outdated advice I think. Maybe it's an issue with 100PSI road tyres, but MTB tyres have never been a problem for me. If they ask it you let some air out, say yes.

Also, if the bag is approacing the weight limit, takes some tools out to your hand luggage. Then on the way from check in to the 'oversized baggage' area, slip your tools, lock and other stuff back in the bag, they don't weigh it again.

If you're running about 8psi in a Fatty anyway I can't see that being too much of an issue!

Seems fairly straightforward, just hope I'll be able to set up my rest derailler after the flights, I'm a useless mechanic (hint hint Johnny/Ian )

Flying with Finair, if I remember correctly, serve good coffee

voodoo_simon wrote:Seems fairly straightforward, just hope I'll be able to set up my rest derailler after the flights, I'm a useless mechanic (hint hint Johnny/Ian )

Flying with Finair, if I remember correctly, serve good coffee

When are you flying Simon + where are you staying?

I'll be letting air out of my tyres or I can't get them in the wheel bags...

Thursday morning from Manchester, staying at the Scandic. Where are you staying?

Johnnystorm and I are flying from Heathrow Wedsnesday morning. Will be there for tea time. I'm staying in the Cumulus, not sure about JS...

voodoo_simon wrote:Seems fairly straightforward, just hope I'll be able to set up my rest derailler after the flights, I'm a useless mechanic (hint hint Johnny/Ian )

Flying with Finair, if I remember correctly, serve good coffee

I took a photo on my phone of mine before dismantling.

Farawayvisions wrote:

voodoo_simon wrote:Seems fairly straightforward, just hope I'll be able to set up my rest derailler after the flights, I'm a useless mechanic (hint hint Johnny/Ian )

Flying with Finair, if I remember correctly, serve good coffee

I took a photo on my phone of mine before dismantling.

Genius! . Cheers

At this rate, tyres might be coming off completely and going in my hold luggage. Bike weighs 14.7kg (I have optimistic bathroom scales...), and bike bag weighs 4kg, not allowing for extra tube protection etc. Luggage limit for bike: 20kg