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Flying with your bike
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Typical bike case
It’s a fantasy entertained by many of us – wherever we go, let’s try to get in a bike ride to enjoy the area’s splendor at the perfect splendor-absorbing rate: the pace of a leisurely bicycle ride. Riding in new areas will definitely take you outside your comfort zone. You don’t know the roads or profiles, you aren’t used to the driving styles and you certainly don’t know any of the local tricks. But it’s a great adventure, even if not completely comparable to discovering the Nile or riding the unexplored rapids of the Colorado River in a wooden rowboat with only one arm.
The big problem with riding anywhere you happen to be is, of course, how do you bring your bike along? You could rent a bike wherever you happen to be, and for a short ride or a strictly leisurely outing that can work just fine. If you want to ride hard, long or often, renting a bike is not such a good plan. Getting a fit that is close enough to the one to which your body has become accustomed is not necessarily that easy. Add in a different saddle, different shoes and different cleats, and any attempt at serious cycling on a rented bike offers bounteous opportunities for stress injuries.
If you’re driving to your destination, the problem is solved (if you don’t have a bike rack on your car, then you need to re-evaluate your commitment to this sport). Flying is a different story. Flying with a bicycle has always been a hassle, but it’s getting worse…or better, depending on just what type of bike you have. Years ago bikes in cases or boxes were just counted as one piece of luggage. The only real problems were getting a case or box and disassembling your bike sufficiently to fit in said case. Actually, back in the good old days if you flew European airlines, you didn’t even need a box. They requested that you bring your bike in fully assembled except for pedals and they loaded it that way. Although I recoiled in horror the first time I went through this exercise, I came to realize that European baggage handlers back then took pride in caring for your bicycle as though it were their own.
Times have changed. Now a bicycle will cost you a lot (maybe more than your own ticket) if you want it to accompany you. On United domestic routes, a bike costs $175.00 each way while on International routes it will be $175-$250 each way. One handy (but expensive in its own right) way around this is to procure a bike that can be taken apart and put into a standard looking suitcase. Now your bike is treated as just another piece of luggage (as long as the case weighs less than 50 pounds). EXCEPT that some airlines are so eager to collect bike fees that they may ask you what’s in the case and then charge you the bike fee if you make the mistake of answering “bicycle”. (One experienced traveler-with-bike, Bill McCready, founder of Santana Tandems, recommends answering “bike parts” if asked such a question.)
One such airline used to be JetBlue. A rider named Carl went through the pre-described scenario and was socked with a $50 bike fee (very reasonable as bike luggage fees go) even though his portable bike was completely stowed in a suitcase that otherwise would not have been subject to any tariff. Proving the power of blogging, Carl went viral with his story and after a number of sites picked it up, JetBlue changed its policies to reaffirm the right of cyclists to schlep portable bikes without being subjected to bike-fees.
If you’re planning to fly with your bike, Bill McCready has written a great article packed with successful tips for flying with a tandem(?!) Note that “Don’t phone the airline” is mentioned four times. A single bike will not be subjected to as much scrutiny, obfuscation or recalcitrance, but the article will help you get into the right mood to make a potentially unpleasant encounter with seemingly uncaring airline employees much more tolerable.
Another approach is to have your bike shipped by a shipping company like UPS or Fedex. You will have to ship 3-5 days in advance so your bike is in the same city at the same time as you, plus you’ll have to figure out how to reconnoiter with it. If you have it shipped to your hotel, UPS rates from here to New York City are going to be in the range of $170 each way. To San Diego, closer to $150 each way. Lots of variables to consider, so your shipping costs will vary. Trucking firms are generally cheaper than UPS or Fedex, so I would try them if you really want to consider this option. One warning, based on horrible shipping experiences in the past: I would NOT entrust the company known as Motor Cargo with my precious bike.
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