Touring - How to travel (by plane!) with a bike

Hi! So clueless nicole is back to ask some more questions that may seem extremely obvious to all you experienced bikers :)
What is the best way to travel, by plane, with a bike!?
I know you can get bike boxes, but I'll be flying into one airport, riding, and then flying out of another. So the bike box will not be able to come along with me, therefore I don't want to spend a bunch of money on one just to ditch in at the airport.
I talked to one guy at a bike shop who said he can package it all up for us in a cardboard box (like the ones bikes are delivered in to stores) and show us how to do this. Then once we arrive at our final destination, we can find a bikeshop in the city and do the same thing for returning home.
I trust this guy, but I would like your opinions and any personal experience of good ways to fly with a bike!
Thanks :)

http://backroadsandbeachesohio.com/uploaded_images/bike.plane-761742.jpg

Maybe you could loose the middle man :)

On a more serious note. Could you ship it to a local bike shop in the town you are going? The do the same thing when you return? When I shipped my bike back last summer from the East Coast I just stopped into the first bike shop I came to and had them box it and ship it for me. Worked pretty well.

Airlines are charging stupid money these days depending on the carrier to bring your bike.

This is just one idea and I'm sure others will chime in.

thats a good idea! The thing is, we have a pretty exact schedule, so I dont want to risk the bike arriving late to our starting point. But that is a great idea for the way home! We end in NYC, so we won't be using our bikes while touring the city the week that we will be there. To get it off our hands that would probably be the best option!

Also... nice picture haha, that could work as well

if you have a minor amount of do-it-yourselfness any decent local bike shop can give you a used bike box for free. you'll need to do a few things like take the pedals off, loosen the headset and turn the handlebars sideways, take the front wheel off, ect.....there are guides to doing this if you use the old google.

i had never done it before and we got 3 bikes to europe and back, plus one intercontinental flight where we bought bike boxes at the airport, no problem.

For the last 15 years I've been using my Bike Friday when going by air. If the start and end points on the tour are different then I'll take the trailer/suitcase; otherwise I use panniers for carrying stuff.

But given the current anti-bike airline policies for regular bikes I second the idea of shipping it - at least for the homeward trip. Contact some bike shops in your destination city (NYC) and see if they're amenable to using one of their boxes for shipping your bike. That way they can be sure to save a box for you.

For the last 15 years I've been using my Bike Friday when going by air. If the start and end points on the tour are different then I'll take the trailer/suitcase; otherwise I use panniers for carrying stuff.

But given the current anti-bike airline policies for regular bikes I second the idea of shipping it - at least for the homeward trip. Contact some bike shops in your destination city (NYC) and see if they're amenable to using one of their boxes for shipping your bike. That way they can be sure to save a box for you.

By "anti-bike airline policies" do you mean they charge more? or...
Also, I am taking ONLY panniers (with minimal clothing/equiptment in it) a sleeping bag, and tent (we'll be able to carry it all on)... couldn't I just count my bike as my one peice of check on, and possibly pay an extra $50 if it is over wieght... or should I expect some insane fee when I arrive on departure day?

I've lost track of exactly where on the East Coast you're riding....

But next time, consider taking Amtrak. All told, it could be the easiest/cheapest way on the continent for long-distance travel with your bike. $15 for a one-way transport (with passenger ticket), which includes the box -- and the box is so big you just roll your bike in, no major disassembly required, just turn the handlebars and take off the pedals. (Some routes even have roll-on bike racks, no charge for the bike.) With a couple of wrenches, in 20 minutes you can be rolling out of the station.

I don't think any airline can come close to that, for cost and convenience. Of course, some people just hate the train..... can't help there.

-- Mark

By "anti-bike airline policies" do you mean they charge more? or...
Also, I am taking ONLY panniers (with minimal clothing/equiptment in it) a sleeping bag, and tent (we'll be able to carry it all on)... couldn't I just count my bike as my one peice of check on, and possibly pay an extra $50 if it is over wieght... or should I expect some insane fee when I arrive on departure day?
Yes, many airlines have special extra charges for bicycles that are well above reasonable oversize/weight rates. Check with the airline in advance and carry a copy of their rules along in case the person at the counter tries to charge even more.

I've lost track of exactly where on the East Coast you're riding....

But next time, consider taking Amtrak. All told, it could be the easiest/cheapest way on the continent for long-distance travel with your bike. $15 for a one-way transport (with passenger ticket), which includes the box -- and the box is so big you just roll your bike in, no major disassembly required, just turn the handlebars and take off the pedals. (Some routes even have roll-on bike racks, no charge for the bike.) With a couple of wrenches, in 20 minutes you can be rolling out of the station.

I don't think any airline can come close to that, for cost and convenience. Of course, some people just hate the train..... can't help there.

-- Mark

This may be true for some routes but not all. I couldn't get my bike on the Train from Maine going West. From Chicago West you can. Getting to Chicago was another story all together. Something about the smaller trains because of the older tunnels or some such. Don't know for sure.

Rode with a few guys who did as you mention from MN to ND and it cost them like you said $15 for the box and the bike was free. All they had to do was take off the pedals if I remember correct and the whole bike fit inside.

I'm sure someone has more information about the trains/routes that will allow a bike to come along.

kyakdiver

I grappled with this problem on a recent trip to the UK. My solution was to buy a simple bike bag called the Tardis from Groundeffect, cost about $90

http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/product-detail-TAR-BAG.htm

You have to take the wheels, pedals etc off the bike, but it only takes 30 mins to do this. The bag is unpadded, but I used my gear to pad the sides of the bag and it worked really well. The great thing about the Tardis is that you can fit it in a taxi which makes it far easier to get to the airport than a cardboard bike box. Once at your destination the Tardis folds down to the size of a phone book and weighs about 2lbs so you can carry it, although it's easier just to post it to your final destination. Here's a bit about flying with the Tardis, I didn't use cardboard padding on the return trip and it worked fine.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=3Tzut&page_id=97931&v=Ck

Package it in a cardboard box yourself. Don't let the LBS do it or you won't know how it's done. If it is the first time in your life you've ever taken your bicycle apart, you might want to take it to the LBS in question and do the job with them standing over you telling you what to do next.

If you can, get a Madone box - they're great! Oh, and cardboard boxes, like the Madone, are free ... especially if you do the packaging work yourself.

Then when it is time to return, you can just breeze into any LBS, ask for a free cardboard box, package your bicycle, and do whatever it is you want to do with it.

As for fees ... if you're flying with a US airline, expect fees. Some airlines (United) have started telling passengers that items like bicycles may not be allowed on the plane at all, depending on the capacity of the plane, and may be sent on another flight. And some airlines (United Express) are also really restricting carry-on luggage too.

yikes... i should probably call. I feel like that is dumb, since I have some insane suitcases that wieght and are about the same size as my bike when its packed down small haha. Would it exceed $100? I hope not... I'm poor :p!

Okay so here is my next question! haha... sorry i'm freaking out while on hold with the airlines to ask them the costs.
Question 1: I'm flying from Seattle to Wilmington, but have about 3 switches of airplanes/airlines on the way there. Do you know if they send your stuff to your final destination, or do I need to switch it (and pay the extra fee) for each airplane and airline switch I make
Question 2: What if I sell my bike I'm using now (its not great anyways) and just buy a better bike the day I get to Wilmington. Or would this be a bad idea because I wouldnt be used to the bike.
Question 3: How much would shipping it cost. So when I send it back to seattle at the end of the trip, how much will I be expecting to pay?

Okay so here is my next question! haha... sorry i'm freaking out while on hold with the airlines to ask them the costs.
Question 1: I'm flying from Seattle to Wilmington, but have about 3 switches of airplanes/airlines on the way there. Do you know if they send your stuff to your final destination, or do I need to switch it (and pay the extra fee) for each airplane and airline switch I make
Question 2: What if I sell my bike I'm using now (its not great anyways) and just buy a better bike the day I get to Wilmington. Or would this be a bad idea because I wouldnt be used to the bike.

You can look this information up on the airline's website. It depends on the airline. If you're on hold with your airline, when you get to a person, ask them question 1. The answer we can give you is ... "It depends." ... but they can give you a more detailed answer.

As for question 2 ... if you had a week or two in Wilmington before you started the event, buying a new bicycle might be an option. How much time do you have?

yikes... i should probably call. I feel like that is dumb, since I have some insane suitcases that wieght and are about the same size as my bike when its packed down small haha. Would it exceed $100? I hope not... I'm poor :p!

If I had opted to fly from Calgary to Denver, and Denver to LA ... on my way to Australia a couple weeks ago, I would have started with Air Canada, but Air Canada would have handed me over to United in Denver, and I would have been charged $175 for my bicycle.

Fortunately I had the option of flying Calgary to Vancouver, and Vancouver to LA, so because both flights started in Canada, they remained under Air Canada's fee system, and I only paid $50 for my bicycle.

So ... anywhere between $50 (although I'm not sure any US airlines charge that little) and $175 is probably a good guess. When you booked your ticket, it should have told you ... or you could look it up.

I only have 2 days unfortunatly. But I'll be there early morning and have 2 full days alone until my trip partners arrive (they are flying seperatly because we booked tickets at different times)... anyway, what if I contacted a bike shop before, gave them my information, and they gave me a list of bikes or something that I could look up/ check out in my own city. Or would this be a bad idea because I would have a feel of the bike before I started riding? For me I don't think it would be an issue, but then again I've never done a bike trip, so maybe my bum may be aching after a few days on a bike I'm not used to.

If I had opted to fly from Calgary to Denver, and Denver to LA ... on my way to Australia a couple weeks ago, I would have started with Air Canada, but Air Canada would have handed me over to United in Denver, and I would have been charged $175 for my bicycle.

Fortunately I had the option of flying Calgary to Vancouver, and Vancouver to LA, so because both flights started in Canada, they remained under Air Canada's fee system, and I only paid $50 for my bicycle.

So ... anywhere between $50 (although I'm not sure any US airlines charge that little) and $175 is probably a good guess. When you booked your ticket, it should have told you ... or you could look it up.

I actually haven't book my ticket there yet. I'm going through United for some of according to the ticket I'm looking at buying. YIKES. So I'm thinking I should sell my bike.

Now for another question (sorry for being annoying guys, its what I do best)... whats the best/fastest way to sell a bike??

Edit: I just phoned United and they said they don't charge you if you start with another airline. They said they only charge you the initial rate from the first airline. Machka, was this not the case for you? I don't know how much I trust the lady I was talking to hah

whats the best/fastest way to sell a bike??

If you're in a city with an active Craigslist bicycle section, and if you're comfortable dealing with strangers, Craigslist.

I've sold 2 bikes on Seattle CL in the past year, each in a day. I sold a rooftop bike carrier the other day in 30 minutes. All were priced right, well described, with good photos. By "priced right," I mean - fair price to the buyer, fair price to me.

There are fakes and goofballs trolling Craigslist, but plenty of real buyers and sellers as well.

If you've got a valuable or unusual bike that's worth exposing to a national audience, try eBay.

I only have 2 days unfortunatly. But I'll be there early morning and have 2 full days alone until my trip partners arrive (they are flying seperatly because we booked tickets at different times)... anyway, what if I contacted a bike shop before, gave them my information, and they gave me a list of bikes or something that I could look up/ check out in my own city.
I'd consider that to be workable. I'd bring along a seat that I knew was comfortable - hard to know in advance how well a different one will fit. And maybe a pair of pedals if using clip-in cleats so you'll be sure they're compatible with your shoes. With a couple days you should be able to deal with final adjustments to the bike and any rack/pannier issues (like mounting hardware, heel strikes, etc.). Make sure the bike shop is aware of your time constraints so they don't later tell you that they can't get to any adjustments until after a week or two.

I only have 2 days unfortunatly. But I'll be there early morning and have 2 full days alone until my trip partners arrive (they are flying seperatly because we booked tickets at different times)... anyway, what if I contacted a bike shop before, gave them my information, and they gave me a list of bikes or something that I could look up/ check out in my own city. Or would this be a bad idea because I would have a feel of the bike before I started riding? For me I don't think it would be an issue, but then again I've never done a bike trip, so maybe my bum may be aching after a few days on a bike I'm not used to.

I wouldn't want to get a new bicycle a day before I set off on a tour. It usually takes me a few rides to get the set up of my bicycle just right, and I've found that quite often about a week after owning a new bicycle, I need to take it back to the shop to have something adjusted.

But how mechanically inclined are you? If you feel very comfortable pulling over and making adjustments to your saddle and handlebars as a part of the set up process. Then maybe a new bicycle isn't a terrible idea. Can you comfortably and confidently adjust your derailleur? It's usually something like that which needs a bit of adjustment after the first week or so.

As for airlines ... there are lots of airlines out there. Go to their websites, look up Baggage, look up Sports Equipment, look up Bicycles, and see what they say. They will tell you on the website.

This isn't necessarily up to date because airlines have been changing their policies every few days it seems, but it does provide you with links to the airline websites and an idea of how much airlines charge.

http://www.ibike.org/encouragement/travel/bagregs.htm

I think if I were flying in the US, I'd probably opt for one of the smaller airlines like Southwest if possible.

Edit: I just phoned United and they said they don't charge you if you start with another airline. They said they only charge you the initial rate from the first airline. Machka, was this not the case for you? I don't know how much I trust the lady I was talking to hah
That's generally the case for flights within the US. I suspect the problem in Machka's case was that there would be a need to go through customs with all baggage when entering the country. Then the baggage would be rechecked to the final destination and therefore subject to an additional bike charge.

But it's wise not to be too trusting of the information given by the airline customer service reps. Best to get (and carry) a written statement of the policies. If only phone information is available at least get a specific name and time of the call to cite to the person at the check-in counter if there's a discrepancy.

Hm. Well I'm not mechanically inclined, but one of the girls I'm biking with is. We are also taking ACA maps so we have the bike shop info along our routes incase I am extremely uncomfortable and can't fix it myself. I guess I'd have to bring my rack along, as well as all my other stuff but I could just throw that all into a duffle bag that I could ditch once we got there. Oy... I didn't think this was going to be something I was thinking about a month before I take off.

Hm. Well I'm not mechanically inclined, but one of the girls I'm biking with is. We are also taking ACA maps so we have the bike shop info along our routes incase I am extremely uncomfortable and can't fix it myself. I guess I'd have to bring my rack along, as well as all my other stuff but I could just throw that all into a duffle bag that I could ditch once we got there. Oy... I didn't think this was going to be something I was thinking about a month before I take off.

You haven't even booked your flight yet, why not check with all possible airlines (on their websites) to see how much a ticket would be, and how much they will charge for a bicycle. You might find one that isn't terribly expensive.

You see ... you say you're poor, and that your current bicycle isn't that great. And that you'd like to get a new bicycle from a bicycle shop. I have no idea what your current bicycle is, or how old it is, but if you can sell it for $200, for example, a new bicycle in a shop is not likely going to cost you less than $500. So you'll be paying $300 to get that new bicycle. Granted you will have a new bicycle (but a very cheap one), but if paying more than $100 to travel with your current bicycle is a financial stretch ... can you afford $300?

I'm just throwing these numbers out there as possible examples. While you're looking up airlines, look up bicycles like yours on Craigslist and see what they are going for.

You haven't even booked your flight yet, why not check with all possible airlines (on their websites) to see how much a ticket would be, and how much they will charge for a bicycle. You might find one that isn't terribly expensive.

You see ... you say you're poor, and that your current bicycle isn't that great. And that you'd like to get a new bicycle from a bicycle shop. I have no idea what your current bicycle is, or how old it is, but if you can sell it for $200, for example, a new bicycle in a shop is not likely going to cost you less than $500. So you'll be paying $300 to get that new bicycle. Granted you will have a new bicycle (but a very cheap one), but if paying more than $100 to travel with your current bicycle is a financial stretch ... can you afford $300?

I'm just throwing these numbers out there as possible examples. While you're looking up airlines, look up bicycles like yours on Craigslist and see what they are going for.


Yeah I see what you mean. The bike I haven isn't very old and I bought it for about $700. Still in good condition. Hmm. I'll check our craigs list.

I think this is getting unnecessarily complicated.

1) Buy a Tardis bike bag.....failing that a large 6mil "Contractor Bag"
2) Learn how to take your bike apart
3) Pack up your bike and pad with your gear
4) Put it on the plane. Any charge will be less than shipping.

...Question 1: I'm flying from Seattle to Wilmington, but have about 3 switches of airplanes/airlines on the way there...

I only have 2 days [in Wilmington] unfortunatly. But I'll be there early morning and have 2 full days alone until my trip partners arrive

yikes [...] Would it exceed $100? I hope not... I'm poor :p!
Nicole! I don't know anything about your schedule except what you wrote above.... And Amtrak sounds perfect.

Direct connection from Seattle to Wilmington DE (two stops), takes 2 1/2 days. Pretty cheap -- just like the airlines, the earlier you buy your ticket, the cheaper it is. (By now, you've missed the cheapest fares, but still under $250 one-way). And remember, $15 to take your bike. Where ya gonna beat that?

My wife and I took Amtrak cross-country last summer, Portland to DC, for the start of our tour. Fantastic, relaxing, scenic trip, and we met countless interesting people on the train. You don't even have to sit still, like on an airplane.

For someone who says "I'm poor", it's at least worth a look.

-- Mark

haha I know I think it is getting too complicated. I tend to do that sometimes. I think what I am going to do is fly it over, use it for the trip, and then try to sell it in NY. I already have another bike back home, and charges on the flight over I found out are minimal, but on the way back will be pretty insane. I'd rather set up a place that I could sell it as soon as I arrive to NYC and then not have to worry about it afterwards.

Nicole! I don't know anything about your schedule except what you wrote above.... And Amtrak sounds perfect.

Direct connection from Seattle to Wilmington DE (two stops), takes 1 1/2 days. Pretty cheap -- just like the airlines, the earlier you buy your ticket, the cheaper it is. (By now, you've missed the cheapest fares, but still under $250 one-way). And remember, $15 to take your bike. Where ya gonna beat that?

My wife and I took Amtrak cross-country last summer, Portland to DC, for the start of our tour. Fantastic, relaxing, scenic trip, and we met countless interesting people on the train. You don't even have to sit still, like on an airplane.

For someone who says "I'm poor", it's at least worth a look.

-- Mark

wow you posted that at pretty much the same time as I wrote mine. Thats amazing! That would be so cool too to see all the places along the way. Wow, I'm definatly going to look into this! Plus, I would much rather not have to take my bike apart for the plane ride, risking it get tossed around while on the flight!

edit: Just realized you said Wilmington DE... I need Wilmington NC!

wow you posted that at pretty much the same time as I wrote mine. Thats amazing! That would be so cool too to see all the places along the way. Wow, I'm definatly going to look into this! Plus, I would much rather not have to take my bike apart for the plane ride, risking it get tossed around while on the flight!

edit: Just realized you said Wilmington DE... I need Wilmington NC!

You'll still have to box your bicycle for an Amtrak trip. But I don't think there's a charge for it.

haha I know I think it is getting too complicated. I tend to do that sometimes. I think what I am going to do is fly it over, use it for the trip, and then try to sell it in NY. I already have another bike back home, and charges on the flight over I found out are minimal, but on the way back will be pretty insane. I'd rather set up a place that I could sell it as soon as I arrive to NYC and then not have to worry about it afterwards.

How long are you planning to be in New York? To whom were you planning to sell the bicycle?

Any time I've tried to sell anything through the newspaper or kijiji or whatever, it moves S-L-O-W-L-Y. I've got stuff posted on kijiji that has been there a month already, and I've reduced the price. I suspect stuff moved faster pre-recession.

You might be able to set up a consignment thing with a bicycle shop, but if you're going that route you'd want to arrange that now.

You'll still have to box your bicycle for an Amtrak trip. But I don't think there's a charge for it.
Some routes let you wheel the bike aboard and store it on hooks made for that purpose. But in general you need to box the bike and they'll sell you a giant box for $15 so the packing is really easy. Note that this requires that both your departure and destination stations have baggage car service - many smaller stops do not.

And, besides the destination being in NC instead of DE, I don't think Amtrak will get you from Seattle to anywhere on the Atlantic coast in under 3 days. I went from the SF Bay Area to Milwaukee and it was scheduled for 2.5 days but took a little longer. Wonderful when our rail service for the 21st century requires that the train frequently come to a prolonged stop so the conductor can walk out ahead and throw the next switch manually.

Some routes let you wheel the bike aboard and store it on hooks made for that purpose. But in general you need to box the bike and they'll sell you a giant box for $15 so the packing is really easy. Note that this requires that both your departure and destination stations have baggage car service - many smaller stops do not.

And, besides the destination being in NC instead of DE, I don't think Amtrak will get you from Seattle to anywhere on the Atlantic coast in under 3 days. I went from the SF Bay Area to Milwaukee and it was scheduled for 2.5 days but took a little longer. Wonderful when our rail service for the 21st century requires that the train frequently come to a prolonged stop so the conductor can walk out ahead and throw the next switch manually.

Portland Maine to Seattle last summer took me 4 days and I couldn't put my bike on the train from the East Coast. So I had to ship it back. I think your good to Chicago and then it all goes down hill in regards to bringing a bike.

Oy... well I think I'm going to contact some bike shops and hopefully set something up ahead of time, even if I can just get $100 for it. Maybe even if I post it on craigslist now (of course telling the buyer that I will put another 1000+km on it before they see it next).

My final bit of proseltizing

http://maxp.net/bike/packing.php

edit: Just realized you said Wilmington DE... I need Wilmington NC!
Ah. Important detail. Sorry I couldn't read your mind :)

(I corrected a typo in my earlier post; it's "2 1/2 days" to the East Coast from Seattle.)

-- Mark

Remarkably, United Airlines, Northwest and Delta all have tickets between Seattle & Wilmington, NC for just a smidgen over $100. That is incredibly cheap.

Also remarkably, each one has a bicycle fee ranging from $100-175 per flight. Unbelievable. It will cost you more to send your bicycle than to send yourself on the plane.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wqo9IVCWV5E/SiP8Lvs6x6I/AAAAAAAACeI/J_RzclihkYs/s320/Bz+AIRLINE+05-25-09WB.jpg

okay... I saw the $175 thing for the bike. I'm seriously having a bit of a AGGGG omg moment. I wish I'd looked into this, errr, 5 months ago!? haha... I just assumed that I could pack it down and I wouldnt be paying more than $75. How much would it cost to ship my bike? I'm freaking out right now haha, deep breathing...

Okay... so I have a couple options, and It would be great to hear what you guys have to say

I can shorten my route up a few hundred miles, beginning in Richmond, VA. If I do this, there are two upsides:
1. the airlines that fly into Richmond don't charge as high bike rate, and the flights are cheaper by about $100. I would save about $250 in total, and could instead donate this money to the charity I'm doing my trip for.
2. Amtrak has a route there from my hometown. I can put my bike on board, only having to remove the pedals, everything else can stay as is. I know it will be a long ride, but I'm up for it. It actually excites me to see remote areas of the country I never have been too (and likely wouldn't visit in other situations)

Problem: As I said, I am doing this for a charity. Originally it was planned as a vacation and then we thought, hey, people seem really encouraging and we could probably raise a few thousand for a good cause. So we put in quite a bit of work and did this, majority of our funds came from bake sales, nightclub parties, etc. We have a few people who made full on donations (about 10-15 total). Would shortening my trip up by 200 - 300 miles be kind of, backstabbing? haha... maybe not the best word, but untrustworthy might be a better one. Would those who pledged be angry? I'm still going to be biking aprox 1,000 km, which is the number I gave everyone from the start when asking for donations/telling them about my trip. In all honesty, if I said "oh we switched our stat point from NC to VA" would people go..."gasp give me my money back!"?

edit: 100% of all donations went towards the charity, nothing towards me. This is probably obvious but I just wanted to put it out there. All travel expenses are covered independently by me and my travel buddies, so cost is an issue to us in regards to flights/travel/etc.

Would shortening my trip up by 200 - 300 miles be kind of, backstabbing? haha... maybe not the best word, but untrustworthy might be a better one. Would those who pledged be angry? I'm still going to be biking aprox 1,000 km, which is the number I gave everyone from the start when asking for donations/telling them about my trip. In all honesty, if I said "oh we switched our stat point from NC to VA" would people go..."gasp give me my money back!"?if I were a donor, my thoughts would be: If you promised to ride 1000 km and you ride 1000 km, nobody can fault you. In fact if you cancel the trip altogether and give people a choice of having their money back or still donating it, nobody can fault you. As long as you live up to your basic promise, there is no reason not to change some of the details for practical purposes.

If you do change to starting point nearer NYC and the route drops to less than 1000 km, you can simply add a side trip along the way.

Cool, thanks. Yeah I would make the switch no second thought if I didn't have people who were generous enough to donate to what I'm doing. I just don't want to look slimy by taking their money under one agreement, and then changing it afterwards. I guess in the end, we are raising money and thats the main reason they pledged. Not because I'm biking an exact distance down to the last meter.

Nicole999, I haven't been able to track all the twists and turns of your logistics, but you can ship a bike cross-country for a lot less than $175. Less than $100.

There's a website called sportsexpress that ships bikes, and will quote you a price up front. Or just get a bike box from a bike shop, go to a UPS store, and pack it/ship it yourself.

Nicole999, I haven't been able to track all the twists and turns of your logistics, but you can ship a bike cross-country for a lot less than $175. Less than $100.

There's a website called sportsexpress that ships bikes, and will quote you a price up front. Or just get a bike box from a bike shop, go to a UPS store, and pack it/ship it yourself.

haha yes, my mind races when things like this come up. I may try that too, I'll check it out. Thanks :)
Train only comes to about $200 though, including bike. And they carry bike the whole way too (I called in). It seems like this would be an affordable way to do it.

Cool, thanks. Yeah I would make the switch no second thought if I didn't have people who were generous enough to donate to what I'm doing. I just don't want to look slimy by taking their money under one agreement, and then changing it afterwards.
I don't think the donors will give it a second thought either. If it were to really bother you or any of the other participants you could always start the trip by riding down to the NC border from Richmond and then heading north (preferably by a somewhat different route). That would add back a couple hundred miles to about what you were planning before.

BTW, if you go the Amtrak route I'd recommend taking along lots of beverages, snacks, and other food. It's a long ride and the snack bars and dining car selections tend to be a bit overpriced. And of course bring some entertainment (books, MP3 player, etc.).

Remarkably, United Airlines, Northwest and Delta all have tickets between Seattle & Wilmington, NC for just a smidgen over $100. That is incredibly cheap.

Also remarkably, each one has a bicycle fee ranging from $100-175 per flight. Unbelievable. It will cost you more to send your bicycle than to send yourself on the plane.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wqo9IVCWV5E/SiP8Lvs6x6I/AAAAAAAACeI/J_RzclihkYs/s320/Bz+AIRLINE+05-25-09WB.jpg


Actually, I heard ... and I don't know if it is true or not ... that United has started charging overweight people the price of two seats.

Ah ... here's the news article (one of many actually):
http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/04/15/2009-04-15_united_airlines_to_charge_overweight_passenger_for_two_seats.html


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And nicole ... before you entertain the idea of flying somewhere, you've got to check the airline websites. They've been charging for bicycles on domestic flights for a long time, and on international flights since 2007. They've also been changing the rules regarding the size and weight of your checked luggage. To avoid being charged an oversize or bicycle fee, you've got to get the size of box down under 62 inches (length + width + height) ... and average bicycle box is bigger than that. And many airlines have dropped the weight limit from up around 65 lbs down to 50 lbs just recently. These things change all the time without warning ... but they do update their websites regularly.

Have you checked all possible airlines? Can you fly with an airline that doesn't charge as much for the bicycle?

Actually, I heard ... and I don't know if it is true or not ... that United has started charging overweight people the price of two seats.

Ah ... here's the news article (one of many actually):
http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/04/15/2009-04-15_united_airlines_to_charge_overweight_passenger_for_two_seats.html


--------------------------------

And nicole ... before you entertain the idea of flying somewhere, you've got to check the airline websites. They've been charging for bicycles on domestic flights for a long time, and on international flights since 2007. They've also been changing the rules regarding the size and weight of your checked luggage. To avoid being charged an oversize or bicycle fee, you've got to get the size of box down under 62 inches (length + width + height) ... and average bicycle box is bigger than that. And many airlines have dropped the weight limit from up around 65 lbs down to 50 lbs just recently. These things change all the time without warning ... but they do update their websites regularly.

Have you checked all possible airlines? Can you fly with an airline that doesn't charge as much for the bicycle?

First of all I just have to say how nice all of you are. Your not only put up with my dramatic ranting, but you respond with really helpful comments!
And yes, I have checked out some of the rates (OUCH) and that is another reason why Richmond seems like a good idea. The only flights that go into Wilmington from where I'm coming from charge $175 for bikes :S ... However, Richmond has some airlines that go into it that only charge about $75. Still not great, but its nice to save the $100. So if my friends did that and met me there, and I took amtrak, it seems that all together we would save over about $500 or so. I'd be willing to give the money I saved too to charity, so to me this just seems like a good idea. There is one girl on our trip though who is working away from home up into a couple weeks before we leave. I talked to one of the girls from the trip who thinks Richmond sounds good, but the only thing is we don't know if the third girl has booked her ticket yet :S hopefully not, because its pretty dependent on that. I guess she can always change her ticket, but that will cost.

Actually, I heard ... and I don't know if it is true or not ... that United has started charging overweight people the price of two seats.

Ah ... here's the news article (one of many actually):
http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/04/15/2009-04-15_united_airlines_to_charge_overweight_passenger_for_two_seats.html


Not to derail or anything...
I'm one of those overweight people who pay for the two seats.
I don't feel bad about it since it will help to not encroach on another's space.
Of course by buying the 2 seats, I get to have 2 passengers worth of luggage.
hmmm...I may try taking the bike next trip, broken down into multiple bags......:)

I just shipped a bike cross-country yesterday with FedEx for $65 (insured) to save the $175 Delta wanted to take it on the plane (not insured). It will take six days to arrive.