What to do with the bike bag once I have landed?
suffolk rider
Posts: 103
This may sound a daft question, but I am thinking of buying a bike bag with a view to taking my bike away by air, but am not sure what to do with the bike bag once I have landed and unloaded it?
Is the answer just to leave it at a "base" (like a B&B) and collect at the end of a tour, or are there places one can leave it at an airport?
Is the answer just to leave it at a "base" (like a B&B) and collect at the end of a tour, or are there places one can leave it at an airport?
0
Comments
-
Depends on the airport but it can be very expensive if you use the standard 'left luggage' place. Particularly as bike bags - even empty ones - are pretty bulky.
Two options that have worked for me...
1. Book into the on-site airport at the hotel and see if they'll keep the bag for a fortnight.
2. Use a really cheap cardboard box (normally free from any bike shop), bin it on arrival - or give it to another cyclist - and try and cadge/find/buy one on the return.0 -
My top tip is a Ground Effect Tardis bike bag. When you get to the other end you just fold it up, put it in a plastic bag and post it to yourself at your final destination.
PS. It's also a perfect size for taking on trains.
0 -
Sounds a great idea! Thanks0
-
I normally leave it at left luggage - yes it is expensive (however I just budget it in, peace of mind is a wonderful thing)- can be up to 50euro for two weeks - but I normally manage to negotiate a discount due to it being nominally empty - other alternative is to contact place you are going to stay at begining and end ie. for this years trip to sicilly the campsite is going to keep it for me for 20euro
or go by bike bus or ferry0 -
thanks for that. 50 euros doesn't sound bad at all.0
-
suffolk rider - try and make sure in advance what you are going to pay - if you can produce something that either says that it exists or how much you are going to pay- LL full in olbia sardinia but when I produced web page (and whined a lot - my italian is not really up to whining but they got the message) they/he relented, copenhagen wanted a fortune but relented when i pointed out that the bag was empty (it wasnt - tools for reconstruction (I find an electric screwdriver - with allen bits and a 8mm hex takes about 30 -45 minutes off putting the bike together in travelling order) and my other travelling bags and bits - stockholm were magnificant - offered special bike tourist deal without prompting - Auckland was very cool (even have bikle stand for putting back together (and relatively cheap) - others Athens OK - Venice OK one way trips find out if they have one of those wrapping services - malaga carboard from a skip and then whole bike in cling style wrap plus pannier as a single unit
checking in to airport make sure that you are first or nearly first - I got bumped at Venice because I was there or therabouts at check in time (overseas handlers could not be bothered to process the bike quickly - their excuse was that my eticket was the worse for wear after a thunderstorm even though i was on the schedule, had proof of address and passport -so laminate the eticket print out) also if you are very early they are less likely to think about any excess charges - again only time I have had to pay any was when I was last in check in at stanstead0 -
Erm I don't want to pour too much cold water on the left luggage idea but -
- a lot of places are now going over to automatic lockers with a max of 24 hours - if they have a consigne at all;
- don't assume the airport has one (Alghero in Sardinia, for one, doesn't as I learnt to my cost).0 -
andymiller-I concur- its about the only piece of planning I do is to check the options - back up is to find some accommodation with a cupboard0
-
How small does the Ground Effect bag fold up to? Can stick it in a pannier, strap it to the top rack?
Someone does supply disposable/foldable bike bags made of plastic sheeting with no padding. Forget who, will rummage around in my email when I get home. Only reason I didn't get some myself is the company will only take cheques (in this day and age finding your dusty chequebook - last used to pay rent in the early 90s - requires some rummaging).0 -
0
-
How small does the Ground Effect bag fold up to? Can stick it in a pannier, strap it to the top rack?
Yes - small phone book size. But why lug it around with you when you can put it in the post - either to a hotel/hostel etc or poste restante?
http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/product-d ... AR-BAG.htm
0 -
I will be using the CTC Plastic Bag, which is apparently approved by airlines and should be carryable on tour.0
-
I've used on of the CTC plastice bags twice now and it has worked well. The bag also doubles as a ground sheet for tents. I've always managed to beg/borrow/steal some cardboard and wrap all the important bits up. I take the rear deraileur off and cable tie it to the chainstay, take both wheels off and fix them either side of the frame, take the bars off and cable tie them to the frame.... lots of cardboard, tape and cable ties later and the bike is pretty well protected. Then I just wrap the leftover tape round the bag.More problems but still living....0
-
I've heard of the cardboard box idea, but is the plastic bag really strong enough to withstand the hold of an aircraft?0
-
I think its fine in the hold, its the handling that is risky, but the thinking is that bikes wrapped this way are given more respect as their content is obvious. There are many accounts of successful flights with these, and also many accounts of bikes being damaged in sturdier bags and boxes - I'm going to risk it as the storage issue seems insurmountable, well at least, I don't like to travel with the uncertainty that I won't be able to store the bag. / box somewhere. Whilst I love my bikes, the one I will be taking is a 12 year old steel audax bike, so not really precious, and quite robust.suffolk rider wrote:I've heard of the cardboard box idea, but is the plastic bag really strong enough to withstand the hold of an aircraft?0 -
I see: maybe I should try it with one of my older bikes. And from the picture, it looks as though you don't have to disassemble the bike at all?0
-
The airlines usually ask that you remove the pedals and turn the handlebars. Some (for absolutely no good reason) ask for tyres to be deflated! It does make sense, though, to remove the rear mech and zip tie it on as others suggest.0
-
IMO removing wheels and bars and cable tying them to the frame is a good idea (as long as you pack it with plenty of cardboard). This makes the bike much more manageable to handle and less likely to get caught on things as its being moved around.
The plastic bag method has worked for me as I've always taken care to pack the bike properly. If you just turn the bars, take the pedals off and chuck it in a bag then it wouldn't afford much protection and the bag will get holed by any sticky-out bit on the bike (e.g. qr skewers).More problems but still living....0 -
Geneva Airport has left luggage (and I don't remember it being very expensive).
When we cycled in Spain, we posted our bags on to our destination and picked them up ten days later.
I am sure a hostel would keep them for you, though (providing you book to stay, of course!).
Before we had bags, we negotiated some cardboard from a station bookstall/paper shop and trussed up the bikes to meet the requirements of the transport company. At the other end we dumped the cardboard (responsibly, of course!)
One thing to do before you leave is to take your pedals off, grease them and put them back on again. From experience, I can tell you that a multi-tool aint much help with a seized up pedal.0 -
I've used a bike bag twice when touring:
First time, I looked for a rural spot I could dump the bag off close to the beginning of my trip that I'd definitely pass back thru (or could detour to) at the end. Obviously this works better with some trips than others. You just have to memorise your spot well (and try not to choose what turns out to be a favoured fly-tipping spot ).
Second time, a variation on amaferanga's, I left my ThermaRest at home and used the bike bag (stuffed with clothes) as a sleeping-mat for camping. From the perspective of saving sleeping-mat space in the panniers (for reasons too long to explain, I had hideously restricted scope for luggage) it was a good move. From the perspective of actually getting a good night's sleep, less so.
I've also done the 'get-a-cardboardbox, dispose, get another box' move. Again, the workability of this depends on where you're coming back from. You're obviously better off if it's a largeish city ie with bike shops you can raid/ask, although even that could be a bit of a bind (especially as you have to factor in early closing days etc.). But do also bear in mind you don't HAVE to use actual bike boxes: in Madrid when I was there a couple of years ago, they had on-street recycling where it was quite easy to find big sheets of cardboard.0 -
alfablue wrote:
I think its fine in the hold, its the handling that is risky, but the thinking is that bikes wrapped this way are given more respect as their content is obvious. There are many accounts of successful flights with these, and also many accounts of bikes being damaged in sturdier bags and boxes - I'm going to risk it as the storage issue seems insurmountable, well at least, I don't like to travel with the uncertainty that I won't be able to store the bag. / box somewhere. Whilst I love my bikes, the one I will be taking is a 12 year old steel audax bike, so not really precious, and quite robust.suffolk rider wrote:I've heard of the cardboard box idea, but is the plastic bag really strong enough to withstand the hold of an aircraft?
I hold with the theory that bike handlers treat padded, non-transparent bike bags as they do other luggage - that is they chuck it around with little care. At least with the CTC bags, their is the subliminal notion that there's a bike inside and it's best treated gently.
I've seen baggage-handlers lift my bike off the trolley and literally drop it like a sack of spuds by the luggage hold. Maybe if he'd known it was a bike (and if there weren't those convenient handles to hurl it around with) he would have been a bit more careful.
Then again, if he's a cyclist-hater, maybe he'll treat it even worse if he sees it's a bike...
One thing, though, most bikes are pretty sturdy and can take it. I heard one old hand tell me he'd flown for twenty years or so with his bike, and save for a few scratches, the only real damage he'd seen was a mangled wheel, and that was when the bike fell off the top of the trolley and was run over by the truck behind.0 -
I think relying on luggage handler pyschology is recipe for disaster - so pipe lagging and bag - worked for me 20 odd times now0
-
I agree that the Ground Effect Tardis is the way to go. I'd also take a thick plastic bag for emergency use. The strategy is to pack your bike into the Tardis and use cardboard and your gear as padding.
Here is some practical info
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page ... 97930&v=6f
Here are my thoughts
1) Carry a large 4 or 6 mil thick clear plastic bag with you. These are often called contractor or demo bags This does double duty as an emergency tarp and can be used to put the bag in if necessary on trains and buses. A strap attached to the bike will let you carry it easily. In an emergency you can use it to put the bike on a plane too.
2) If you feel safer with a proper bike bag I'd go with a soft bag or as light a hard case as you can find as the baggage weight limits keep coming down. On international flights it seems to be 23kg and many hard cases weigh over half that allowance themselves. Soft bags range from 2kgs up to 8kg. You can also use a bike box that you discard when you arrive, but they can be cumbersome and then you have to get another one on the way back
3) Now that you've decided on your bike bag (I like the Tardis as it packs small) what do you do when you get to your destination? Well there are some options.
If you use the Tardis it's small enough to carry, but will take up most of a small pannier.
a) If you stay in a hotel on the first night they'll probably keep it safe for you until you get back. If you are leaving form another airport you can post it to your final hotel.
b) Most airports have left luggage so you can just stash the bag there if you'll be leaving from the same airport. However, this can get expensive. at London Heathrow it'ss about $10 a day.
c) Finally here's the best option. Use General Delivery or Poste Restante in Europe. Simply mail the bag to yourself at a post office on your route. They will hold it for you for between 2 and 4 weeks. If you have a longer trip planned just do this multiple times to post offices along your route.
At Heathrow this would be
"my real name"
Poste Restante
Post Office
Terminal Two
Heathrow Airport(London)
Hounslow
Middlesex
TW6 1EX
They will hold the bag for 2 weeks and it will cost $20. If I was going on a longer trip, say a month, I'd post the bag to myself at a post office half way along my route, collect it and immediately post it back to Heathrow. Total cost $40. The cost of left luggage for a month would be $160.
The large plastic bag will be used if I have to use a train of to protect the inside of a car etc.0 -
Don't rule out the possibility of folding it in your rear pocket....
left the forum March 20230 -
They will hold the bag for 2 weeks and it will cost $20.
I've used post restante a number of times in France and never been charged anything on top of normal postage. I also don't think there's a charge in the UK.
In Spain it's known as 'listas de correos'.0 -
nun wrote:They will hold the bag for 2 weeks and it will cost $20. If I was going on a longer trip, say a month, I'd post the bag to myself at a post office half way along my route, collect it and immediately post it back to Heathrow. Total cost $40. .
The problem is that even this is a fair proportion of the cost of the bag (did you mean £ or $??--I don't think the UK has joined the US currency zone yet!) compared with just buying a new one, especially taking into account the cost of postage (and also the uncertainty of whether it'll get lost in the post). My (pretty decent) bag from Decathlon was a half-price offer and cost £25--admittedly I've not seen anything for a similar price in the UK since though. I suppose the cost-effectiveness of poste restante improves the more expensive the bag and if you travel often with it rather than a one-off trip.0 -
unCivilServant wrote:nun wrote:They will hold the bag for 2 weeks and it will cost $20. If I was going on a longer trip, say a month, I'd post the bag to myself at a post office half way along my route, collect it and immediately post it back to Heathrow. Total cost $40. .
The problem is that even this is a fair proportion of the cost of the bag (did you mean £ or $??--I don't think the UK has joined the US currency zone yet!) compared with just buying a new one, especially taking into account the cost of postage (and also the uncertainty of whether it'll get lost in the post). My (pretty decent) bag from Decathlon was a half-price offer and cost £25--admittedly I've not seen anything for a similar price in the UK since though. I suppose the cost-effectiveness of poste restante improves the more expensive the bag and if you travel often with it rather than a one-off trip.
Which might be a fair point if it actually were the case that there is a charge for poste restante. I don't believe there is one. There's no mention of a charge on either the Royal Mail or USPS site, and my experience is there is no charge in France.0 -
andymiller wrote:unCivilServant wrote:nun wrote:They will hold the bag for 2 weeks and it will cost $20. If I was going on a longer trip, say a month, I'd post the bag to myself at a post office half way along my route, collect it and immediately post it back to Heathrow. Total cost $40. .
The problem is that even this is a fair proportion of the cost of the bag (did you mean £ or $??--I don't think the UK has joined the US currency zone yet!) compared with just buying a new one, especially taking into account the cost of postage (and also the uncertainty of whether it'll get lost in the post). My (pretty decent) bag from Decathlon was a half-price offer and cost £25--admittedly I've not seen anything for a similar price in the UK since though. I suppose the cost-effectiveness of poste restante improves the more expensive the bag and if you travel often with it rather than a one-off trip.
Which might be a fair point if it actually were the case that there is a charge for poste restante. I don't believe there is one. There's no mention of a charge on either the Royal Mail or USPS site, and my experience is there is no charge in France.
Yeah, I posted having not seen your post.:oops:
Still, it still means having to decide in advance where you're going to be by a certain date. Not a major issue for everyone, but I rarely plan for more than a couple of days in advance where I'm going to be. If someone's prepared to commit to being in a particular place on a particular date, it's as easy to make it a bit of countryside at the end of the trip that they passed at the start and go for the 'hide it in nettles next to the big log' method. (Obviously this assumes using the same airport for outward and return...and not travelling in somewhere like Holland where I'd imagine you're never out of sight of other people for the stealth drop-off.) Zero cost, zero time in post office queues or waiting for it to open, possibly slightly better chance of actually being able to get hold of the thing when needed (I'm perhaps rather unfairly basing this on Rough Guides from the early '90s, but I got the idea that--even assuming post arrives OK between post offices--sometimes there can be an issue with PO filing systems in some places).0 -
Zero cost, zero time in post office queues or waiting for it to open, possibly slightly better chance of actually being able to get hold of the thing when needed (I'm perhaps rather unfairly basing this on Rough Guides from the early '90s, but I got the idea that--even assuming post arrives OK between post offices--sometimes there can be an issue with PO filing systems in some places)
Yes but it's absolutely no use if you're not making a circular tour. It's an option. It works. But it's not necessarily the best choice for everyone.
You also need to remember that in France and some other countries the addressee's surname is usually put first.0 -
andymiller wrote:Zero cost, zero time in post office queues or waiting for it to open, possibly slightly better chance of actually being able to get hold of the thing when needed (I'm perhaps rather unfairly basing this on Rough Guides from the early '90s, but I got the idea that--even assuming post arrives OK between post offices--sometimes there can be an issue with PO filing systems in some places)
Yes but it's absolutely no use if you're not making a circular tour.
Which to be fair I did point out. From what the OP said about leaving the bag at a "base" B&B or airport, this IS what he/she is doing.andymiller wrote:You also need to remember that in France and some other countries the addressee's surname is usually put first.
Rough Guide general advice was/is to check under 1st name, surname, and any other names that might appear on the label (obviously this is more of an issue if Great Auntie Edith has sent something using every single one of your middle names, than a package you've addressed yourself).0
