Bikes on a plane?

outcastjack

Hey
My girlfriend is doing a research project at a university in Toulouse at the moment and i am going down to visit her soon. She is in the lab from 8am for about 9-12 hours each day so i will have loads of time on my hands.

this got me thinking about taking my bike and pootling around the area and hopefully spending some time in the Pyrenees.

which leads me to ask...
Has anyone on here ever taken a bike on a plane?
where can I get a bike box?
am i better off trying to hire a bike once i get there?
and does anyone have any other advice?

cheers!

GyatsoLa

Any bike shop should give you an old box to stuff it in. But check first the airline and see what their baggage regulations are, every one has a different set of rules on bikes, packing, bag size, type of packing, etc.

crumbschief

I tried taking a snake once but that turned out bad.
I would just hire once i was over there but it depends on money really,if you have plenty then you have nothing Toulouse by just giving the airlines a call to check prices.

finchy

I thought that this was going to be a proposal for the world's crappiest action film.

cornerblock

johnfinch wrote:

I thought that this was going to be a proposal for the world's crappiest action film.

"Hey can you hear a hissing sound?"

"Yes I may have a puncture"

JamesB

Has anyone on here ever taken a bike on a plane?
where can I get a bike box?
am i better off trying to hire a bike once i get there?
and does anyone have any other advice?

1. yes, some airlines charge eg E-jet BRS >TLS
2. Buy a good solid reinforced one, try Wiggle but IMO teh DHB box is a very tight fit for road bikes
3. Maybe, depends on cost v airline charges and how much you love your own bike
4. Don`t watch how baggage handlers chuck your bike onto plane :x :x

Pokerface

I travel a lot with my bikes (2 of them usually). Pretty much every airline will take your bike.

Cost is usually around £30-40 per bike each way (and needs to be under 23kg in most cases).


As others say - get a bike box from a bike shop if you can as it will be free. I paid around £150 each for my bike cases off ebay and they have lasted all year nicely. But not worth it for a one-off trip!

Depending on the value of your bike - and how much you'll ride it - it may be worth hiring a bike at your destination instead.

If you pack your bike, pad it well. I use bubble wrap and my clothing!

sheffsimon

http://bikeboxalan.co.uk/ sale or hire

anto164

I've got one of these..



Fantastic pieces of kit.

cornerblock

As well as bubble wrap, get some foam pipe lagging from B&Q or Homebase, cheap as chips and really gives an added layer of protection. It can be cut to any size, to fit every part of the frame and mechs.

MattC59

Also, go to a carpet shop and get hold of one of the heavy duty cardboard tubes that carpets come on. Cut it into short lengths that are the length of the thickness of your bike box or bag. (If that makes sense). Then, when the bike is in the bag, use them to fill all the areas between frame tubes, so that you end up with a sort of, honeycomb effect between the frame tubes. This gives your bike a lot of crush protection.

outcastjack

cheers for all the replys.

I love the bike box linked to above, especially in team sky livery.

I think I will try to blag a cardboard box from my LBS and use the Carpet tube honeycomb idea and lots of bubble wrap!

I was tempted by the idea of renting but the prices seem extortionate and I cant find anywhere offering road bikes (my lack of french isn't really helping with the search though)
I expect to be out on the bike most days as my lovely lady will be out 9 till 5 and french tv would be utterly frustating whilst knowing I am only 50 odd km from some of the best cycling roads around.

RichN95.

johnfinch wrote:

I thought that this was going to be a proposal for the world's crappiest action film.

Don't worry. I've re-mortgaged by house and spent my savings to present 'Stoats on a Tram'. It will terrify you.

There are Stoats.

And they are on a tram.

How do you escape?

(Apart from jumping off at a tight corner, smart-ass).

outcastjack

RichN95 wrote:

johnfinch wrote:

I thought that this was going to be a proposal for the world's crappiest action film.

Don't worry. I've re-mortgaged by house and spent my savings to present 'Stoats on a Tram'. It will terrify you.

There are Stoats.

And they are on a tram.

How do you escape?

(Apart from jumping off at a tight corner, smart-ass).

was that on ITV this morning?

Yossie

crumbschief wrote:

I tried taking a snake once but that turned out bad.

I hide mine down my trousers whenever I travel as it means that I don't have to pay for an extra seat.

It also means that Little Yossie (as I call him) feels safe and warm.

Gets a tad weird feeding him the in flight snacks and drink though......

cougie

Top tip on the carpet roll reinforcement.

I've flown many times with my bike - easyjet are good value - Swiss air aren't - so check before you book. I just use a soft shell bag but with shed loads of pipe lagging and bubble wrap.

Take saddle and pedals off. Take rear mech off and tape inside rear triangle. Rotate bars. Fit spacers in fork and frame to stop crushing. Put chain on bigring and ziptie it on as teeth are sharp. Pad pad and pad again. If you're fine to lob the bike bag down the stairs then you are ready to fly.

UncleFred

BA fly to Toulouse, last time I did that route, I didn't get charged for the bike as It came within my baggage allowance.

Worked out cheaper than Sleazy Jet or Ryanair (can't remember which)

MountainMonster

I recommend searching "bike plane" on bike radar, and you will find everything you need rather than starting a new thread up.

jc4lab

Rules seem to change by the day but each airline will have a bike policy..Two aspects of this.1.Will the staff take it at check in2 .Is the packing good enough to prevent damage from handling even id f allowed on 1. Boxing and purpose made padded bags guarantee it gets on..Its the inprovised packing methods they question.The CTC plastic bag was once ok now it aint..Then theres costs..These can be based on luggage size as well as weight.Bugdet airlines have standrad charges for a bike ,Schedule airklines tend not tot if within weight allowance and size

Mendip rouleur

I just got back from Toulouse and took my bike with Easy Jet (from/to Bristol). They charge £18 each way, and I hired a bikeboxalan box from bikebox online based in Portishead, £45 for the week. Box was sturdy, easy to pack/unpack, takes about 10 minutes at either end, and I got to ride on my own bike

http://www.bikeboxonline.co.uk/Store/ta ... fault.aspx

This was cheaper than hiring out there, and for the infrequent flyer is imo a better option. Last year I hired a bike for a week in the Pyrenees, cost about £80, and although marginally less hassle, it had a dodgy headset and stem, that rather spoilt my enjoyment coming down the Tourmalet, a bit of anxiety about making the corners or some such wussiness.[/url]

cedargreen

You could check out the train; usually more expensive than flying but not necessarily much more once you've paid charges, taxes, travel to/ from airports etc.

I've seen bikes on Eurostar in bags, and you should be able to take a bike in a bag on French high speed trains (TGV).

seat61.com ('the man in seat 61') has loads of information, including a page on taking bikes.