Bikes / Planes / Boxes and Bags.

JamesB

Any thoughts on packing road bikes on planes? Currently have a DHB padded bike bag, should this suffice? , should I remove chainset or just pad it out (bubble wrap and jiffy bags with lodsa gaffer tape)? (and rear mech , put brace across front carbon forks?)
I `ve successfully used the bag for an MTB but also recall from years ago a large airline managing to bend my outer chainring on a trans-Atlantic flight!! :x
Are the bike boxes (as sold metal / armoured) worth looking at? Any recommendations then??

tvm

James

Barbes

I used a B+W touring box from Roofbox.co.uk (cost about £175) this year and judging by the bruises on it after I got back (Easyjet - EDI-CDG), it was a good investment. Others who i've travelled with in the past have used bags and experience now tells me that we won't get going til after a visit to an LBS to replace a part of the drivetrain.

mrushton

I normally use a SciCon and never have any problems. my partner currently uses a bag but we line the bag with cardboard from a bike shipping box, some foam and a LOT of bubble wrap goes around the bike. Never took the rear mech off but have a block of polystyrene that goes over it and the front fork also rests in a block. Of course it's still luck of the draw.

ddraver

ask you re LBS kindly if they can give you a spare cardboardbox (they ll have huindreds left over so they ll fall over themselves to be rid of it)

They ll no doubt have a load of padding and bubble wrap left in there too....

then at least you can just bin it at the other end should you not need it agsain (say if you re touring or whathaveyou, or keep it

cougie

My bike has flown in a soft bag 8 times now and always been fine.

Pipe lagging round all the tubes. Take the rear mech off and tape inside the rear triangle.
Turn the forks sideways. Put a brace at the dropouts on the rear triangle and take the saddle out after taping the height on. Use as much sponge as you can on the outside of your bag - my bag has pockets and I put the empty water bottles in there as another layer. Put the chain on the big ring and tape it on to stop the teeth jabbing into wheels and things. Then put your bike clothes inside a plastic bag or two and put them in the frame space - you cant have too much extra padding. Oh and take a tiny bit of air out of the tyres - dont flatten them.

cookiemonster

wot cougie said

except... I put a cardboard box from my LBS inside my bike bag (just a standard evans jobbie). never had a problem, though the bag is getting a bit trashed

virgin (and some indian domestic airlines) have stopped me to check that tiers are fully deflated. no idea why....

Bengdogg

The deflation of tyres is cos of at altitude the air pressure is lower so the tubesx expand more, i took some crisps on holiday and got them out on the plane the bags were like ballona about to burts

stu99

Barbes wrote:

I used a B+W touring box from Roofbox.co.uk (cost about £175) this year and judging by the bruises on it after I got back (Easyjet - EDI-CDG), it was a good investment. Others who i've travelled with in the past have used bags and experience now tells me that we won't get going til after a visit to an LBS to replace a part of the drivetrain.

Second that - I've now used mine on three trips (one to Europe) and it's holding up well. I invested in this after my bike sustained a buckled wheel when transported in a cardboard box.

I suppose it's all down to risk assessment and mine is informed by observations of baggage handlers at various UK airports (Gatwick rates about the worst).

nickwill

IMHO a well padded soft bag (mine is a Neil Pryde), lined with a cardboard bike box, and stuffed with bubble wrap gives nearly as much protection as a hard case. The fact that it has some give, means that it absorbs impacts more. As has been said above, pipe lagging on the frame. rear mech undone, and anything vulnerable protected with card or more bubble wrap, and you should have a package that could probably be thrown from the top of the stairs without too much harm ensuing.

cougie

Bengg - most airlines seem to think that tyres automatically explode at high altitudes. If you look at the science - the increase in pressure isnt much. Your tyres could only explode if you had pumped them up too high in the first place. I let only the teeniest bit of air out and then the rims and the tyres are protected better too.

aracer

If you're flying to go and take part in the Etape, or some other such event, do you also let the air out for when you do the event? The air pressure in an airline hold is no lower than at the top of an alpine pass. I always just say "yes of course" if I get asked whether I've let the tyres down.

bigmat

I'd recommend taping your brake levers down - I forgot on return from etape and my left hand ergo got trashed (heavy knock on the lever caused the actual body to crack, lever itself was fine so don't knock the Mirage plastic!)