A new way to fly with your bike...

Duffer

...saw it in half.

RealMan

Great engineering from someone who's job probably doesn't involve much. Wonder how quick it is compared to a brompton?

abarth_1200

I wonder if its stronger than a stock uncut one

P-Jay

Good work that man..

Christ, even the pilots have to pay excess baggage!

bike-a-swan

Reckon it'd be easier than a Tranny to break down? There's a market here though- modular on-one. Fancy a nice slack front end on an inbred rear? Sorted! You could tandemise it too...

RealMan

P-Jay wrote:

Christ, even the pilots have to pay excess baggage!

Its worse then that, they get searched for weapons as well. Being searched for drugs and other smuggling type items I can understand, but weapons? Are they planning on hijacking themselves?

Heard of one pilot who had a pair of scissors taken off him before he got on the plane. It was then handed back to him by a different person as well as a bunch of chefs knives for him to store in the cabin and give back to the chef (who was a passenger) when they had landed. I assume he was meant to give the scissors back to himself only once he had landed as well.

So he took the scissors and the knives, and stored them on board in the cockpit by the fire axe.

alfablue

S&S couplings, been around for quite a while. Thorn and some others sell bikes with them and they can be fitted to many bikes (Ti or Steel - not sure about Alu, def nt carbon )

http://www.kinetics.org.uk/html/s_s.shtml

http://www.bikyle.com/s_&_s_couplers.htm

It usually adds about £300

Ritchey sell bikes with something similar - the Breakaway frames.

Duffer

P-Jay wrote:

Christ, even the pilots have to pay excess baggage!

No they don't. But aircrew baggage goes in the same holds as passenger baggage - albeit segregated - so space is usually a premium.

As for the crew going through Air Transport Security, it would depend where they are. Somewhere like Heathrow they won't. In a country who get excited about the British (Qatar is a prime example) they'll have to go through the same scanners as the passengers before being allowed airside - even when they subsequently climb aboard an aircraft that belongs to the company they work for.

hoochylala

Thats an absolutely fantastic idea. Props to him for having the balls to do it in the first place. I would worry about the integrity of it, but for commuting its a sort of tried and tested method.

Now wheres that old frame I have......

butcher of bakersfield

Duffer wrote:

In a country who get excited about the British (Qatar is a prime example) they'll have to go through the same scanners as the passengers before being allowed airside - even when they subsequently climb aboard an aircraft that belongs to the company they work for.

I once changed flights in Qatar. It was my first time out of the UK and I was on my own. The fact that the majority of planes there were military didn't do anything for my confidence as I squeezed through the doors to the airport between two M16s pointing at my feet..

biff55

awesome piece of engineering.
very clever.
that is all

cee

Duffer wrote:

As for the crew going through Air Transport Security, it would depend where they are. Somewhere like Heathrow they won't. In a country who get excited about the British (Qatar is a prime example) they'll have to go through the same scanners as the passengers before being allowed airside - even when they subsequently climb aboard an aircraft that belongs to the company they work for.

yip...

i bought a swiss army knife in Geneva and brought it back on the flight. Just had to declare it before the flight, hand it to the pilot (personally, with some form signing and customs officer present) before the flight, where he kept it locked up in the cockpit.

He then handed it back to me personally (with some more form signing and with a customs officer present) in edinburgh and robert was your fathers brother.

dan shard

I thought that was gaffa tape at first glance, I almost burst out laughing!

Nice idea, variations of that that type of coupling isn't too uncommon in engineering, and is extremely strong. I really like the castleations on it to locate and mesh the two parts though.

joshtp

thats awsome! very clever!
might do it myslef!

wonder if it would work on a 9 inch DH HT.....?!

for those alps trips....

Forbsey

Glad to see there is quite a positive response to my bike. It has been an idea for a while and the hassle of traveling with a large bike is too much. As airline staff we don't have to pay excess on bags when we are working but we do have to check the bags in at oversized and at the other end the space on the crew transport is quite limited.

In the past I have had problems with all this so the idea of a full sized bike that fits in a normal suitcase was the only answer.

I have put a bit more of an explanation about the bike on the this other tread.

Any other travel ideas are very welcome.

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12704868
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I have done a video from my last trip to New York on the new bike:

.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9jE1ZZbVUQ
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dodgy

RealMan wrote:

Great engineering from someone who's job probably doesn't involve much.

^^^ What does that statement mean?

Bike looks great, the guy could have gone for off the peg, but this is a great alternative and would be my choice.

I wonder how much the modification cost!

Duffer

Forbsey wrote:

I have done a video from my last trip to New York on the new bike

Should you not have been in crew rest?

Forbsey

My next trip is off to Las Vegas on Tuesday and the bike will be coming with me again. There is an area called Red Rock Canyon where the roads are really quiet and at a couple of thousand feet above sea level the training is tough.

Our crew hotel is Planet Hollywood and is very central, just the ride out of town past all the casino's should be good by itself but up in the mountains surrounding the city the view should be amazing. I'll try and get some pictures but if anyone knows any decent rides out that way then just let me know.

RealMan

dodgy wrote:

RealMan wrote:

Great engineering from someone who's job probably doesn't involve much.

^^^ What does that statement mean?

As in, if I heard an engineer had done it to his bike, then yeah, that's almost to be expected. But a bit surprising that an airline pilot can not only fly a plane, and ride a mountain bike, but be able to saw one in half and stick it back together (the bike, not the plane..)


Forbsey your bike looks awesome. Bet it rides well. I've got that stand too lol. I can see other advantages with the whole breaking frame design, cause it makes it much easier to drain the frame of any water that gets in there. And also, if you have to lock your bike up anywhere, you can just break it in half. No one is going to nick a bike that looks like its been sawed in half.

However, saying that, you don't want to put your lock through the front triangle..

dodgy

I don't think Forbsey did any of the work, perhaps making the padding but not the actualy cutting and shutting the bike back together.

Duffer

Forbsey wrote:

I got a new On-One inbred frame, sent it off to Argos Cycles who cut it up and put S&S couples in the frame

Forbsey

You are right, I got Argos cycles to do the frame work but the research into it was extensive. I asked them to re-route all the cables on the top tube and put them on raised lugs as the S&S couple sit a bit proud of the frame and I didn't want the cables to rub.

I also went for the Hope 3 bolt wheels as I knew I wanted to remove the discs when packing to stop them getting bent and need a quick and easy way to get them off without carry around too many tools.

I also use a SRAM powerlink to break the chain quickly to remove it. The cables are left a little bit long so then don't get too bent when folding the bike down. I also chose the shimano XT brakes as the rear calliper can be simply unbolted on and off without having to re-align the brakes again. I used the Bontrager XRO tyres as they are tubeless so come on and off the rim easily for packing but run with innertubes so as don't have to put sealant in them each time. The hydraulic brake line to the rear brake is clipped to the frame to be removed quickly for packing as it is important not to bend or crimp a hydraulic line.

All of this only requires one multi-tool and even then only the 8, 5 and 4 mm allen keys along with one S&S couple tool the weight to travel with is really kept down.

So yes Argos cycles did the actual frame cutting but that is what they do best but the planning and thought into every detail was mine.

The result is that I have a full size mountain bike that packs into a standard size suitcase and weights 20kg at the checkin desk. This morning I am in Las Vegas with work and managed a 3 hour ride up around Red Rock canyon. Some of the most amazing scenery in the world and all on my little On-One inbred travel bike.

bike-a-swan

Where does the bike go in the aircraft? Are there any problems relating to the pressure in the forks at altitude?

Forbsey

bike-a-swan. The bike goes in the hold with the rest of the bags and as it all fits in a normal suitcase it doesn't even have to go through the oversize bags area.

The hold on the aircraft is pressurised the same as the passenger cabin and on the aircraft I fly, the Boeing 777, the cabin pressure stays around 6000-7000ft altitude. That means if you were to start running around you would really feel the effects but it is no different to a mountain ski resort in the Alps.

So, at that sort of pressure there are no real issues for the forks and I let the tyres down but that cabin pressure wouldn't affect them even if they were left inflated.

The only thing is, if there is a sudden cabin depressurisation and the whole cabin went up to 40'000ft altitude then yes the fork seals might blow out but if that happened I think my bum seal would have gone first and the forks on my bike would be the least of my worries.

bike-a-swan

Hmmm, I'd assumed the hold was pressurised to about that- benchmark figure I was always told was 8000 feet, give or take. Good to know that it doesn't kill the bikes, although now I think about it a quick check of the old ISA would've done. Just under 4psi difference by my reckoning.