General Cycling Discussion - I'm leaving on a jet plane...................

Hello everyone! well i never broke 100 posts. guess i was in the saddle too much. Anyway. I am off to scotland and was wondering if anyone had any advice for someone who has never done anything like this before. I am 21 and want to take my bike with me. Most people say leave it. But i have arranged for free shipping with the airline. The reason i want it to come is because it is comfortable. Also i don't know how long i am going for and rental for any period of time beyond a week is a waste and i am thinking of at least four months. So who can tell... where in canada( southeastern ontario) i can find a box for my bike and what other precautions should i take on improving the odds of my bike getting to Scotland. Thanks alot for taking to the time to reply and this forum has taught me alot. When i get set up in scotland ill send another post. My email sean_r7@hotmail.com if anyone has anytihng they want to email me in terms of responses and i am on msn too. Keep it real:beer:

Sean, have a great time in Scotland! Have your LBS pack the bike for you, they should do it for $15 - $25.

The last time I took my bike to Europe it went via Jamaica and arrived several days late. But it got there in good shape. You will enjoy Scotland. Mke sure that you take plenty of foul weather gear (both for riding and not) as it is wet and cold until June, when it becomes merely wet. Have fun.

Originally posted by ParamountScapin
You will enjoy Scotland. Mke sure that you take plenty of foul weather gear (both for riding and not) as it is wet and cold until June, when it becomes merely wet. Have fun.

Hey, yesterday in Aboyne the temp hit 17 degrees c (of course today it may snow there) :)

You can probably get a bike box from a bike shop (the ones they are delivered in.

Try to get one big enough that you don't have to take the front wheel off.

Take the pedals off, turn the bars round and maybe wrap the rear mech in bubble wrap (or detach it)

Where are you planning to visit.?

The weather here is a bit windy at present (disrupts my commute as the bridge I cross gets closed to bikes in high winds) but Scotland is not as wet as people think, just unpredictable. But hey, if you live in the most beautiful country in the world, there has to be some downside.


John

Joe is Right, the lbs packs them beautifully, if you plan on travelling a lot... you might invest in a hard case.. sometimes if you are buddies with your lbs.. they will sell you a used one for a better price..
good luck and have fun.. what part of scotland are you going to?
i was in Ayr for quite a while, nice rolling hills.. ppl are superb.
just watch out for runnaway sheep and their droppings.. they stick to your bike like cherries do here at niagara..lol and the grass on the sides of the roads grows so high.. feels kinda kinky when you are riding too close. ;)
bring lots of warm clothes.. brrr in the spring.

Originally I was giong to go fly into Edinburugh but I am taking a charted flight now and going straight to Glasgow. I have family scattered throughtout Scotland. I will most likely spend a night in Glasgow and then I will be on my way to Perth. I will set up in Perth for awhile and work a bit (3-4 months) then I will move to Edinburugh. This is my hypothetical game plan which I am sure will change as soon as I step of the plane. AS for the cold weather. Blah..... Its been approximately - 28 to -31 for the last week and a half where I am. thats degrees Celcius. So if it can manage to stay about -15 most of the time ill be happy. Thanks alot for the help i will contact my LBS TODAY!!!. Keep the post coming please with all the info or question about flaws in my plan( they also lead to me taking care of stuff) Keep it real. My email is posted in my original post if it is needed.

oh yeah.... Should insure my bike for replacement value( in europe) just in case it doesnt show up....

lol i am in Toronto and my mom lives in ottawa.. so i know about the cold..lol

its just that scotland has perpetual damp cold.. i found it worse than here.. jmo.
i was about a 3 hour train ride away from edinborough.. great place.. wonder if it still smells like malt?:beer:
cheers.

oh i forgot to mention...i was staying in a friends moms castle.. lucky me.. so maybe that is why i felt the cold so much.. its called Cloncairn.. by kirkmichael.
june is a splendid time to ride there..
again have a great time and let us know how much fun you are having!

Hello...... Scotland is always a lovely country to visit.
As mentioned the weather can be very upredictable, a good spell can happen in Feb`y but then it could be stormy and cold in June.
The temp very rarely gets any lower than maybe -6 possibly a bit lower overnight in the highland glens.
But again as has already been mentioned , there is an all pervading dampness present in the air probably due to the fact you are never very far distant from the Seas.
Perth is a very pleasent Town often refered to as the Garden City of Scotland with its Flower displays in the spring and early Summer.
Its also an exellent centre for its proximity to some great cycling areas off road or on.
The Lomond area to the South, Cairngorms to the North and the central Highlands virtually on your doorstep to the west.

if you can, make sure you are in Edinburgh in August (if you are staying that long) for the Festival.