You know what’s great? Spring bike trips. You know what’s not? Excess baggage charges or a damaged bike. MEC Envoy Paul Stevens travels a lot with his bike, and has some great tips for travelling or flying with your bike.
Spring’s the perfect time to get in a bit of pre-season training and escape the cold for a fix of Vitamin D. If you’re flying somewhere for a bike trip, excess baggage charges and damage in transit can put a real damper on your journey. Here’s how to keep your bike safe and make your trip as simple as possible.
1. Be prepared
If you’re planning on travelling often with your bike, buy a bike travel bag. I like the EVOC bike bags – they’re incredibly well thought out, you can transport your bike with one hand, and they’ll protect your bike better than anything else I’ve used (see the video below showing how to pack a mountain bike into an EVOC bike bag). Alternatively, get the biggest bike box your local bike shop will give you, and tape it securely. Call your airline to check their luggage restrictions before you book your flight. Flying with a bike can change the price of your ticket.
2. Clean your bike
Scrub it good. I’ve had to pull out and clean the entire contents of my bike bag at an airport because my tires were too muddy when I packed it up.
3. Break down your bike
Take off your pedals, handlebars and both wheels. You can also take off your brake rotors to prevent them from getting bent in transit. If you leave your brake rotors on, pack your wheels rotor side in to prevent them from getting damaged in transit. If they’re off, pack them in a pocket that’s separate from your pedals.
4. Let the air out of your tires and suspension
Any physicist will tell you that your bike won’t explode if you don’t do this, but most airlines still insist on it.
5. Remove your derailleur
Take off your rear derailleur and secure it between your chainstays to keep it out of harm’s way. If it’s still bolted to your hanger, then it’ll be the first thing to hit the ground if your bag or box gets dropped on its side.
6. Wrap your bike for extra protection
Use pipe lagging, bubble wrap or bike gear to pad your frame, forks and anything else you want to protect. It’s worth being overcautious. You never know what goes on after your bike disappears down the conveyor belt.
7. Take advantage of extra space in your bag
Use the extra space in your bag or box for helmets, shoes, tools and extra gear that won’t fit in your other bags. Be careful not to exceed your weight allowance. You can usually find info about weight restrictions on airlines’ websites, but if you’re unsure, it’s always a good idea to call the airline. A typical maximum weight restriction is 32kg (more than enough for a bike, some tools and a bunch of bike gear) but some airlines start to charge excess if it’s above 23kg. Weight restrictions vary a lot between companies, so I’d recommend making the call.
8. Arrive early and be friendly
It pays to arrive at the airport early (or at least on time) and to be super friendly to the check-in staff. If you arrive at the last minute with all that excess baggage and act like a jerk, you’ll have a much higher chance of getting stung.
9. Be prepared for inspection
There’s a good chance your bike will get inspected at customs, so pack with that in mind. You should be able to pull out your bike and repack it easily. If you take a bike box, remember to pack tape inside your box in case you need to reseal it.
10. Rip it up!
Once you get your bike to its destination in tip top condition, you can begin the best riding trip ever.
