What to do with the bike bag once I have landed?

GyatsoLa

I've used a Tardis lots of times (but touring mtb and light road bike) and it works very well. On two tours I just strapped it to the rear rack and more or less forgot about it until I got to my destination. On another I mailed it ahead - in this case it didn't work out perfectly as I hadn't realised that with Nepalese customs it takes about half a day to persuade them to let you pick it up from poste restante.

But if you are doing a circular trip, then simplest of all is to just ask your guesthouse or hotel, I've never been refused. After all, it guarantees them your custom on your return.

BTW, I used to use pipe lagging, but on my last trip I bought 2 metres of bubblewrap from my local hardware. It was great, everything seemed much more secure and scratchproof (I've had minor problems in the past when other items went loose in my Tardis and scratched the frame).

if using the Tardis I'd recommend carrying the rear rack separately. I use my panniers as additional packing, along with clothes in stuff bags, it makes everything more secure.

One other point about the Tardis - it can be invaluable when travelling if you are likely to use buses and trains. Some railways now limit the dimensions of packages. In Taiwan, the high speed train company theoretically allows bikes, but their rules only allow packages that are smaller than a regular bike box or bag. But the Tardis is small enough to sneak in under the limit.

nun

The Tardis really wins out in transporting the bike to and from the airport. It's easy to carry and fits in a taxi or on public transport. The big issue I have with cardboard boxes is getting them to the airport, I wouldn't count on being able to get a bike box from an airline anymore. With the Tardis you have lots of options when you arrive, carry it on the bike, post it or just get a taxi with it to your hotel and leave the Tardis there.

I like to travel light so I get rid of the Tardis asap, but I carry a 6mil thick plastic bag with me in case I have to pack my bike up to travel by bus, train or taxi.

heron8888

We always do a circular route, and book in at hotel near the airport for the last night , and leave bags there, have never been charged.
On one occasion, we walked into a hotel near the airport, and asked for the key to the store room, without booking there, bit of a cheek but have you ever been refused the key for the store room when on holiday?

exmoor explorer

I wouldn't recommend a bike bag ... get a cardboard bike box from a cycle shop. In my opinion it offers better protection, you can leave the rear wheel on with derailleurs, rear rack etc and you either dispose of the box at the other end or, ideally, put it in recycling. For your return leg just get another from a cycle shop or some airlines provide them. I cycled across Australia last year (flying out from the UK) and the bike was booked in easily with no fuss on the outward and return legs and was undamaged. I saw a couple of bike bags under a pile of luggage and would have been concerned as they are less rigid than a box.

jay_clock

I have used Ryanair/EasyJet/Flybe several times. TURN UP EARLY if only to stop any arguments. To pack it I use the http://www.bikeadventures.co.uk/shop.html bag - have just binned one after about 5 uses. They weigh 550g and will fit in a pannier or on the rack. I take tons of cables ties (fix pedals to rack etc, and I also unscrew the rear mech (leave all cables on) and cable tie it to the frame to prevent the hanger being bent. To tape up the bag I use heavy duty clear tape from B&Q - has a checkered pattern, and tears easily, does not unstick in use, but can be peeled off afterwards.

With Flybe because they use smallish planes you have to remove the front wheel as well as the usual pedal/handlebar stuff. If you do not have front pannier frames, you can just turn the handlebars and forks sideways, rather than undo the bolts to twist it. I strap the wheel to the RIGHT hand side of the bike as on the first occasion I ended up with a slightly bent outer chain ring (Stronglight softish alloy) which I bent back with pliers.

TOP TIP, if leaving from smaller airports they may well not have a baggage Xray large enough for bikes, so do not seal the bag till they tell you they are happy, as they may do a manual explosives swab.

With new rules on carry on bags (max 1 and rigidly enforced), I will be checking in the panniers, but plan to put these inside a £shop duffel bag I got to avoid being charged on a per-piece basis!

Bon voyage