Touring - Flying to Vancouver - Best Way to get Bike with me

So I plan to leave for Vancouver on June 12th. I'm going to fly SFO to YVR one-way and bike back down to Berkeley.

So far, my best bet would be to ship my bike and Bob trailer to either the motel or bike shop. I've shipped bikes by UPS before and it has worked fine.

Using the UPS calculator to ship it UPS standard it would cost about $80 for a bike (10x30x48" box at 35 lbs), and $75 for the trailer (15x15x48 box).

What bike shops are recommended in Vancouver? Is there a different way of doing things that would be better?

Hi,

the Bob trailer you can transport a one piece. The bike costs normally about 100 USD for a flight trip.

Just call your airline, ask for the conditions and if it suitable reserve it (that's real necessary)

The big advantage is that you have directly your bike when you arrive in Vancouver.

If you need a route from the airport to downtown please let me know

Thomas

Here is a major problem with the airlines in N/A right now- because of "fuel" (the trendy "lets profit more" excuse), airlines are now only allowing you one checked bag. So if you have any other equipment going in the belly of the plane, you'll be paying an additional $25-$100 per extra bag, each way.

There are a couple of less expensive options- both Alaska air and Canada air only charge $50 each way per bike, + $25 for an extra bag. So round trip your bike would cost $150.00 (if you had one extra bag). Delta on the other hand, the most cyclist un-friendly carrier, charges $150 each way just for the bike, and $25 per extra bag (so $350 round trip just for your bike + 1 bag). Kind of ironic that they cite the extra weight/size of a bicycle, when me + my bike + all of my gear usually weigh less than the obese guy sitting next to me :/ .

One other thing to consider- the airlines WILL NOT take any responsibility for bikes. If they lose it, you're out your bike. If they destroy it, you're out your bike. Shipping the bike from CA up to Vancouver via FedEx ground, fully insured, will probably be less than $75.00, and if something happens to your bike, you have recourse. My wife and I are flying to Kalispell MT, then cycling up to Jasper, taking a shuttle to Calgary, then flying back home (this will be in a couple months). We found it to be much less expensive to ship our bikes to a bike shop in Whitefish MT, then ship them home from Banff on our way back to Calgary. We know the bikes will be insured, and it is a couple hundred dollars less to do it this way for us (1 bike + 1 bag each). YMMV.

Edit: I just saw you are going one way, and need to bring a trailer. The trailer will be an excess size bag, this can be anywhere from $50, on up. Measure the box, and if the length + width + height (linear dimension) exceeds 62", you'll be paying an excess size bag fee. I'd say, if you are on any kind of a budget, your best bet is to ship to a reputable bike shop in Vancouver. They are used to cyclists coming through, and I'm sure you'll find plenty of shops willing to help. Also, I noticed you were looking at UPS. I'd also look at FedEx. I have found them to be ~10-15% cheaper for shipping bikes. A bike ends up taking lots of space, but not a lot of weight. Thus, they use a dimensional weight calculation to determine shipping. The smaller you can cut that box down to, the better.

It is a shame the airlines are getting so bike unfriendly. Being able to ride out of the airport is a big plus.

Recommend you ship to www.simonsbikeshop.com. It's right downtown where bus and rail access is best for you to connect with your bike. Also, their head mechanic is one of the best in the city. Call ahead to ensure they know what to expect.

Thanks for the replies, I'm going to call a number of shops, first simon's bikes.

There are two Vancouvers. One is in Canada and the other is in Washington state. Does that affect your plans? I could not tell which Vancouver you have in mind.

I am flying to Vancouver, Canada.

I called Simon's Bike Shop and the man answering the phone says that they would charge duty fees for shipping the bike to their commercial location, then said I should ship it to my hotel. Is this true? Either way, I take it as a sign they don't want to deal with it.

I'm still calling other bike shops and am currently setting up a Couchsurfing.com stay. I'd rather not ship it to the CS place since that is a pain in the ass for them.

Does anyone know what other places I could potentially ship it to? Do places like Mailbox, etc hold packages?

I am flying to Vancouver, Canada.

I called Simon's Bike Shop and the man answering the phone says that they would charge duty fees for shipping the bike to their commercial location, then said I should ship it to my hotel. Is this true? Either way, I take it as a sign they don't want to deal with it.

I'm still calling other bike shops and am currently setting up a Couchsurfing.com stay. I'd rather not ship it to the CS place since that is a pain in the ass for them.

Does anyone know what other places I could potentially ship it to? Do places like Mailbox, etc hold packages?


If you use UPS or FedEx, you can ship the bike to one of the "store" locations (UPS Store or FedEx/Kinko's) - they'll hold packages. Not sure what's in the area; I'd check the websites.

One other thing to consider- the airlines WILL NOT take any responsibility for bikes. If they lose it, you're out your bike.
That is not correct. I had a bike stolen after I handed it over to an airline. While it's true that it was my responsibility to come up with another bike for my tour I was about to begin, I did eventually receive some compensation from both the airline and my homeowner's insurance policy (many homeowner's insurance policies in the US cover lost luggage).

I called Simon's Bike Shop and the man answering the phone says that they would charge duty fees for shipping the bike to their commercial location, then said I should ship it to my hotel. Is this true?

Call FedEx/UPS and ask about that, I can't imagine they would charge duties of your bike. They wouldn't if you took the bike on the plane.

i'm also flying one way to vancouver, bc with bike and trailer in a few weeks. my bob will fit in a box (disassembled) that is within alaska airline's size limits (according to their website). i expect to have to pay to bring the bike and according to alaska's site it is $50. i will overpack it with protective material and then open and assemble everything at the vancouver airport. my host in vancouver is giving me a route to take from the airport.


i've traveled on the plane with bikes before and it is always best to be very nice to the check in staff. if you tell them your plans and sweet talk them a bit they may not even charge you. it's not like they get the money for your bag. i've also used curb side check in to avoid paying the bike fee but would not feel comfortable doing it these days.