Touring - Pre and post ride bike transport

So far I've done short trips, out and back, or trips where I either started or ended at home, so I haven't had to wrestle with this.

This spring I'm thinking of flying up to Ohio, probably Columbus, biking around for a week or so, and then flying home out of Cleveland. Seems like whatever I do to get my bike to Columbus, it'll result an any packing materials being left there, leaving me high and dry when I get to Cleveland. How do people deal with this?

Thoughts:

Get a box from the bike shop for the plane, ditch it in Columbus, and just hope I can do the same in Cleveland.
Get some kind of container that I can ship from Columbus to Cleveland.
Find some way to carry my container with me (probably only for a day or so)
Forget it. Add an extra two days on to my trip to travel back to my starting point.


I have an old Raleigh Twenty that I got specifically in hopes that I could get it into a suitcase that meets the baggage requirements, but 1) I haven't actually tried to do this, and 2) It occurred to me that if it only cost $100 ($50 each way) more for my full size bike, I'd rather have that. But the more I think about it, the more it seems that the $100 is just the minimum, and dealing with a shipping container and different starting and ending points could drive the cost up. Of course even the Raleigh Twenty option leaves me with a hard-sided suitcase that I have to travel with for at least a day.

Any advice?

Make arrangements with a bike shop in Cleveland either for a bike box or to have them box your bike for you. Better yet, ride the extra days.

$50 each way for a bike? You must be flying Southwest or Frontier.

I usually fly to my tour with the bike in a cardboard box and my gear either in a collapsible duffel or a thrift store suitcase ($7 or so). I discard the box and suitcase at the airport. If using the duffel I might carry it or mail it home.

For coming home I usually just pay a bike shop to pack my bike and ship it. It is nice to not have to deal with packing a bike in a strange city. The shop usually charges $40-60 and the UPS is usually $40-60. It has always come out pretty close to $100. It is worth the extra $50 to me.

For the airline part... Pick your carrier carefully, Southwest or Frontier are reasonable others can be as much as $200 each way. I generally have used Southwest and paid $50 for the bike with no other baggage charge.

Rob E,
If you are looking for a place to overnight we are in Chardon which is eat of Cleveland. We are also on WarmShoweers.
Tom

As you've got a folder and a suitcase, just use the system you bought. Ship the suitcase ahead to Cleveland right from the Columbus airport. Or do an out and back to cut cost and hassle factor.

Rob E,
If you are looking for a place to overnight we are in Chardon which is eat of Cleveland. We are also on WarmShoweers.
Tom

Thanks, Tom, that's very kind of you. I will be in Chardon, but it's because I have lots of family in the area: Chardon, East Clairdon, Thompson, Madison, Mentor, Windsor. I expect housing will not be a problem, but thanks for offering.

As you've got a folder and a suitcase, just use the system you bought. Ship the suitcase ahead to Cleveland right from the Columbus airport. Or do an out and back to cut cost and hassle factor.

Yeah, the folder and the suitcase is an untested situation. I definitely want to try it, but what I had in mind for it was more local transport with a fixed destination. Using the Raleigh for touring requires some rethinking of some issues. For instance, even if I can get the bike in a suitcase, now I have to make sure it can hold rack(s) as well. Some issues I've been putting off dealing with, mainly the dreaded Raleigh bottom bracket, I would probably want to tackle before trusting the bike to take me across the state.

So it's not like I have a "ready to roll" situation with the folder. It's more like the folder is a potential solution. I just have to figure out if it makes more sense to make the folding bike touring-friendly or make the touring bike travel-friendly.

For coming home I usually just pay a bike shop to pack my bike and ship it. It is nice to not have to deal with packing a bike in a strange city. The shop usually charges $40-60 and the UPS is usually $40-60. It has always come out pretty close to $100. It is worth the extra $50 to me.

This is a good thought, and it encouraged me to look up some info in the area. The bike shop in Chardon charges $40 to box a bike, and they will also ship it. That might be worthwhile. Even if shipping is more than I want to pay, I can still box it up and get a lift for me and the bike to the airport.

Cleveland and Columbus are close enough together that I'd be tempted to fly in/out of the same airport and just get a rental car to drive at the end (or start) to the one airport.

I've also used airplane boxes I get at the airport, so that also is easier.

1) Buy a Tardis (http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/product-detail-TAR-BAG.htm) cycling bag.
2) Pack bike in bag and fly to Columus
3) Assemble bike
4) Fold Tardis bag up and post to your hotel in Cleveland or general delivery to a convenient Post Office.

The nearest one to Cleveland Hopkins Airport is in Puritas Park and the address would be

Your Name
GENERAL DELIVERY
US Post Office
PURITAS PARK
14039 PURITAS AVE
CLEVELAND OH 44135-9999

The 9999 zip extension indicates general delivery and they will hold it at the Post office for 30 days,

5) Pick up your bag from the post office and pack up you bike. Take a taxi or bus to the airport.

This is a good thought, and it encouraged me to look up some info in the area. The bike shop in Chardon charges $40 to box a bike, and they will also ship it. That might be worthwhile. Even if shipping is more than I want to pay, I can still box it up and get a lift for me and the bike to the airport.

Bike shops usually get a good rate on shipping, better than an individual gets. My shipping home has been from out west to Baltimore and has been $40-60. It sounds like you will be flying Cleveland to Raleigh. I could be wrong, but I would expect that your shipping would be $40 or less. So a total of about $80. Given that you will pay $50 or more to the airline that sounds really attractive to me.

Whatever way you go have a great trip.

I like the Tardis idea because it could be reused for future trips, but for a single trip, it seems like it could work out to be more expensive the just getting the bike shop to box my bike, plus it seems like it would offer less protection. Still, for ease of use, it has potential. I might even be able to avoid shipping it if I could carry it for about sixty to miles where I am meeting up with someone who I will see later at the end of my trip. Also it's called a Tardis.

But getting it boxed at the shop sounds like a winning idea, too, from a cost perspective and a protection perspective.

Also I decided to toy with the folder/suitcase idea. I wanted to swap some parts on it anyway, so I dismantled it and put it into my large suitcase. It fits, and, at 44 pounds, it should fly free. So that's still an option. However the extent to which I had to dismantle it was far more than what would be required if I just sucked up that oversize fee and brought my touring bike. And I didn't determine if the rear rack could go in, too. And the suitcase would still have to be shipped. And the bike is a three speed. None of which are deal breakers on there own, but they do add up to a series of inconveniences that I'd likely pay to avoid. I think I'll have take the little guy on some long rides and see how he does.

As for renting a car to get back to the beginning, I hadn't thought of that. But when I looked at ticket prices, it didn't seem like flying in and out of the same airport was going to be any cheaper, so the only advantage is being able to retrieve my original packing material. If I can have the bike repacked for $40, that's likely a better deal, will take less time away from family visits, and I won't have drive, which is always a bonus in my book. Still, there are other reasons that ending in Columbus would be nice, so I'll keep that in mind.

Thanks for all the ideas. This trip seemed kind of daunting when I first started to consider all the aspects that didn't involve the actual riding portion, but all your advice and tips make it seem much more possible.

This trip seemed kind of daunting when I first started to consider all the aspects that didn't involve the actual riding portion, but all your advice and tips make it seem much more possible.
I generally have found that this stuff is a worry up front, but just kind of works out once underway.

1) Buy a Tardis (http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/product-detail-TAR-BAG.htm) cycling bag.
I have toyed with getting the Transit Soft Bike Case (http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1023904_-1_1606008_20000_400174) and using it in a similar manner. Forwarding it via General Delivery worries me just a bit, but only because my trips are likely to be more than 30 days and I am often not sure exactly where they will end. I guess the 30 day holding limit can be extended by stopping at a post office and asking that it be forwarded (I am pretty sure that would reset the 30 day limit). I know that we forwarded items a couple times when we either were not ready for them or were not in the town they were mailed to at a time the post office was open. That or I could just mail it home and closer to the end of the trip have it mailed to me via general delivery.

One other thing... How about Amtrak? I am curious whether they would allow you to carry a bag like the Tardis or the Transit on in stations with no baggage service. That would make rail travel much easier.

I have toyed with getting the Transit Soft Bike Case (http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1023904_-1_1606008_20000_400174) and using it in a similar manner. Forwarding it via General Delivery worries me just a bit, but only because my trips are likely to be more than 30 days and I am often not sure exactly where they will end. I guess the 30 day holding limit can be extended by stopping at a post office and asking that it be forwarded (I am pretty sure that would reset the 30 day limit). I know that we forwarded items a couple times when we either were not ready for them or were not in the town they were mailed to at a time the post office was open. That or I could just mail it home and closer to the end of the trip have it mailed to me via general delivery.

One other thing... How about Amtrak? I am curious whether they would allow you to carry a bag like the Tardis or the Transit on in stations with no baggage service. That would make rail travel much easier.

The Tardis is bigger than the Amtrak rules for carry on bags allow, but if you use some straps to pull the fabric tight you might be able to do it. I bet you can check it as regular baggage though as I've never had it identified as holding a bike in all the time I've flown with it.

The General Delivery tactic on trips longer than 30 days needs some planning as you have to take delivery and then mail it to your next destination.

I like the idea of just getting a bike shop to pack and ship the bike for you, but that might be expensive. My LBS charges $55 to pack the bike and shipping is extra.
Of course all this would not be an issue if we could rely on airlines to provide bike shipping boxes at the airports.

The Tardis is bigger than the Amtrak rules for carry on bags allow, but if you use some straps to pull the fabric tight you might be able to do it. I bet you can check it as regular baggage though as I've never had it identified as holding a bike in all the time I've flown with it.

The Transit is a bit bigger than the Tardis and both are a good bit larger than the Amtrak allowed size for carry on. My hope was that the carry on rules were not very well enforced. Things seemed pretty relaxed last time I used Amtrak, but I guess counting on that is probably a bad idea.


The General Delivery tactic on trips longer than 30 days needs some planning as you have to take delivery and then mail it to your next destination.

FWIW, several times we just stopped at another post office and asked that our package be forwarded further down the road. We didn't need to take delivery, pay another charge, or even be at the post office it was delivered to. Some packages we even did this more than once. My assumption was that each post office would hold it for up to 30 days, but I would verify that before counting on it. We generally found the postal clerks very helpful, they generally seemed willing to bend over backwards to help us.


Of course all this would not be an issue if we could rely on airlines to provide bike shipping boxes at the airports.

Yea it was nice when airlines would sell you a box. I don't know if any do that anymore or not, but the ones I asked definitely said no.

United Airlines has boxes, at least at PDX. Each airline has different size requirements, which is usually a sum of the L+W+H. It also depends on the size of plane. the smaller regional planes may not take a large bike box.

Icelandair= 87x40x22, Alaska Air= 115 linear inches. Amtrak=$15/box. Boxes are 69 x 41 x 8.5 inches,................

Does Amtrak have a route from Cleveland to your town? UPS will also pack and ship bikes. I also find it is better to go to the airport or train station and talk to someone in person. They will often call the other station or airport and get good information. We rode through Cleveland a few years ago, and stopped a a diner for dinner. The waitress insisted we bring our bike inside, "or they won't be there when you go out".:( On a positive note. We were invited to a fellow's house for lunch earlier in the day. It took a long time getting through town!

Also think about how you are going to carry the rest of your gear. Empty panniers, tools and helmet can go in the box; and the rest divided up between carry-on and checked baggage.

Don't let the logistics intimidate you. It seems a lot more complex than it really is. Good luck on your ride.

Amtrak, United Airlines and other carrier's boxes are about the same size. No real disassembly required.

These are about the size of Amtrak/American Airline boxes. They are huge. Just remove pedals, loosen stem and bars and roll bike into box. About a 20 minute operation.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/Doug64_photos/Europe%202011/IMG_5680-1.jpg

Amtrak boxes
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/Doug64_photos/Bike%20Trips/Amtrak2-1-2.jpg

More disassembly required when using "regular" bike boxes. I try to do the best job of packing that I can when leaving from home. Coming back home, I just do the best I can with what I have to work with.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/Doug64_photos/Europe%202011/IMG_0570-2-1.jpg

Don't tape the top too tight. They need to go through security at the airport.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/Doug64_photos/Europe%202011/IMG_0626-5-1.jpg

Does Amtrak have a route from Cleveland to your town?

No direct routes. When I looked into using Amtrak to get to Ohio, I found I would have to transfer in DC or New York. Just using them to ship the bike hadn't occurred to me. I will have to look into that. Packing an Amtrak bike box does sound much simpler than what I had in mind.


Also think about how you are going to carry the rest of your gear. Empty panniers, tools and helmet can go in the box; and the rest divided up between carry-on and checked baggage.

I have been thinking about that. I have a soft duffle bag that should hold at least two of my panniers. I was thinking I might get away with two panniers and a handlebar bag. The handlebar bag can be my carry on. I figure if I carry as much stuff Pre-packed as possible, set up on the other end will be quicker, and I won't run the risk of realizing I put more into my airline luggage than actually fits into my bike luggage. Although if I end up using my full pannier set, I expect at least one of them will travel empty to be used for food and othe supplies I might want to pick up after the flight, like fuel for my stove.

I have a soft duffle bag that should hold at least two of my panniers. I was thinking I might get away with two panniers and a handlebar bag. The handlebar bag can be my carry on. I figure if I carry as much stuff Pre-packed as possible, set up on the other end will be quicker, and I won't run the risk of realizing I put more into my airline luggage than actually fits into my bike luggage. Although if I end up using my full pannier set, I expect at least one of them will travel empty to be used for food and othe supplies I might want to pick up after the flight, like fuel for my stove.

The nice thing about traveling lightly and using the Tardis is that you use your gear as packing around your bike inside the bag.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=217599&v=3C

Seems to me your timetable is flexible so why not avoid a lot of hassle and expense and drive to Columbus, park the car, do your tour to Cleveland and bus back to the car.

Seems to me your timetable is flexible so why not avoid a lot of hassle and expense and drive to Columbus, park the car, do your tour to Cleveland and bus back to the car.

Bussing back to Columbus would be problematic with the bike. I don't believe Greyhound is very accommodating in that regard. By leaving a car in Columbus, I change the problem from "How do I get my bike packed and sent home?" to "How do I get my bike back to the car?" The distances are shorter, but the problem is exactly the same. Plus the drive to and from Columbus would eat up two full days of my vacation, at least. Gas prices what they are and what they're likely to be by summer, the gas vs. airfare comparisons do not weigh so heavily on the driving side as you might think, especially if I stop for the night somewhere. Once you add in that I don't actually have a car, the whole drive-and-park idea becomes more of a hassle and expense than any other option. If I did have a car, there would be a temptation to do what you suggest, but I think the more likely scenario would be to drive to Columbus, drive to NE Ohio, and bike around there for a few days. The hassle of getting back to Columbus for my car would probably be great enough to warrant scrapping the actual touring aspect of the trip and turn it into a "pootling around north east Ohio" trip. Still enjoyable, but not the trip I'm wanting to take.

The nice thing about traveling lightly and using the Tardis is that you use your gear as packing around your bike inside the bag.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=217599&v=3C

You do make an excellent case for the Tardis. Are there racks in there as well? One thing with a boxed bike is that it seems like at least my rear rack would probably be allowed to stay attached. Still, a container I could fold up and take with me would basically solve all my problems and would make it possible to get to and from the airport unassisted, which probably won't be necessary, but would be a nice option.

I've both bought and abandoned Cartons in Shiphol AMS airport.

.. and made up a larger carton out of 2, I scored from a bike shop ,
to depart from smaller regional airports, like Aberdeen, Scotland ,
having a friend to drive me to that airport, with my packed carton was great.

panniers went in plastic bags, remaining, when the chickens had eaten the grains.


LBS for $50 + actual UPS charges does box and ship often.
In the Summer, being at the end of one of the ACA Trans Am routes.

May be you could rent a bike at your destination for what it would cost to pack and ship

May be you could rent a bike at your destination for what it would cost to pack and ship

True. But unless a bike shop had a branch in both Cleveland and Columbus, the issue would be the same. Right now it seems like bike transport would be around $100-$200. That may be a little low for a little more than a week's use of a decent rental. Around here a rental would run around $200-$250 for a week, and I don't know of anyone who rents touring bikes. Maybe it would be different in Columbus, but it seems likely that I'd still have to find a way to get the bike back to Columbus, and would still have to pay at least as much as what it would cost to bring my own. I will have to check that out, because if it was significantly cheaper, it could be an option. But if it wasn't significantly cheaper, I'd rather have a bike I know.

All 4 of my empty panniers go in the bike box. All the gear from the panniers go in the very lightweight duffle bag (foreground). The bag goes in the bottom of one of my panniers and is used for the return home. That only leaves the handlebar bag the rack pack and the duffle to manage. On planes, the bike and the duffle go as checked baggage; and the rack pack and bar bag as carry on. On trains it is not an issue. I am lucky because we live only 35 miles from an Amtrak station so we can get to the start of a lot of our trips just riding to the station.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/Doug64_photos/Bike%20Trips/Gear2009-3.jpg

If your not carrying camping gear, you probably will not have a rackpack. (tent, sleeping bag, thermarest, and ground cloth) That makes it even easier.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/Doug64_photos/Bike%20Trips/Tent-3.jpg

I will have camping equipment, but probably no rack pack. Last trip everything went in 4 panniers except a foam pad. The foam pad didn't get much use and will likely stay behind this time, but I do want to add a handlebar bag to my set up. I was thinking for my minimal gear needs this trip, I might be able to weed two panniers out. If I added a rack pack, I could almost certainly do that.

I have an Amtrak station nearby as well. It's been handy for some day trips, especially since I can go in state without boxing the bike, but I haven't been able to try a longer trip, yet.

The nice thing about traveling lightly and using the Tardis is that you use your gear as packing around your bike inside the bag.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=217599&v=3C

Well I am convinced to give the soft case a try. I bought a Transit Soft Case. It was cheap ($49.95 US) and appears to be well made. It is a bit bigger than the Tardis and rectangular, I am not sure if the increased size will prove to be a disadvantage or not. It might mean more room for stuff to shift around so things may not stay in place as well. It looks like it might allow the rack to stay on. I will have to evaluate whether that makes it unacceptably more vulnerable.

BTW, I read where some folks use cardboard to add further protection. It looks like you don't bother with that. Is that correct?

Have you had the TSA ransack your bag when using the Tardis? I know that my bike box seems to get inspected almost every time I fly out of my home airport. I wonder if the soft case is more or less likely to get the treatment.

The TSA has damaged my bike, apparently by just yanking either the frame or the wheels out without worrying about how much they catch on or bang into other stuff. I think maybe that will be minimized with the soft case since the wheels are in separate pockets.

I figure that my upcoming trip is a good one to try this since my daughter lives on the route about two days from the end. So I can mail the case from the start to her house and either have her mail it to the end or just carry it the last two days. It should be pretty flat there so I might just bite the bullet and carry the extra 3 or 4 pounds for those couple days.

I'm wondering if the Tardis bag could actually be placed inside a standard bike box. It seems like it might be too wide, with a wheel on either side of the frame, but I don't know. If so, that could be a way to get some extra protection when you have access to a bike box, but still have the benefit of the Tardis when you're off the plane. You wouldn't have to stress about finding a bike box or pay someone to box your bike, but you could still try to score a cheap/free box for a little extra protection on the flight. For my purposes, I could probably get a bike box easily for the trip out. It's the trip back that's iffy, and if I had the Tardis handy, I'd know that there was at least no chance I'd be left with no way to package my bike for the flight.

Maybe that's overkill, but one of my concerns with the Tardis would be that it seems less protective than a regular, cardboard box, but it seems far more portable when going beyond the airport.

I'm wondering if the Tardis bag could actually be placed inside a standard bike box. It seems like it might be too wide, with a wheel on either side of the frame, but I don't know. If so, that could be a way to get some extra protection when you have access to a bike box, but still have the benefit of the Tardis when you're off the plane. You wouldn't have to stress about finding a bike box or pay someone to box your bike, but you could still try to score a cheap/free box for a little extra protection on the flight. For my purposes, I could probably get a bike box easily for the trip out. It's the trip back that's iffy, and if I had the Tardis handy, I'd know that there was at least no chance I'd be left with no way to package my bike for the flight.

Maybe that's overkill, but one of my concerns with the Tardis would be that it seems less protective than a regular, cardboard box, but it seems far more portable when going beyond the airport.

I am sure it depends on the box, but I have had bikes in regular bike boxes with a wheel on each side. So I am guessing it is likely to fit.

The damage I have had to my bikes during shipping was all caused by the TSA clumsily yanking them out of boxes and banging the cluster or end of the axle against fragile parts or painted surfaces. I figure that is less likely to happen with the soft case than the box.

With the soft case inside a box I would think it is much more likely to attract the TSAs attention. For that reason, if using a cardboard box I typically don't put anything except the bike in it. I have even had then dump out my little seat wedge tool bag into the bottom of the box and rip the lining out of the bag.

To me the one of the main advantages of the soft case is the ability to ride into the airport and pack up. If I have to go to a bike shop to get a box, I'd just have them box and ship it home. If the airline had boxes then just maybe I'd put the soft case in one, but probably not for the price they would charge for a box.

With the soft case inside a box I would think it is much more likely to attract the TSAs attention. For that reason, if using a cardboard box I typically don't put anything except the bike in it. I have even had then dump out my little seat wedge tool bag into the bottom of the box and rip the lining out of the bag.

That sounds like a pain and a hassle, but then if TSA almost always checks your bike when it's in a box, then I guess they couldn't be much more likely to check it in a bag in a box. They were likely going to check it no matter what. It does seem like having components separated out in their own pockets would make damage less likely.


To me the one of the main advantages of the soft case is the ability to ride into the airport and pack up. If I have to go to a bike shop to get a box, I'd just have them box and ship it home. If the airline had boxes then just maybe I'd put the soft case in one, but probably not for the price they would charge for a box.

I agree that that's a substantial advantage, and it's what's attracting me to the bike bag route. But really I'm looking at it also as a way leave the bike packing in my hands rather than pay someone to do it. Partly because I'm cheap, and partly because I have a bike with some quirks. I'd rather deal with the quirks myself then drop it off somewhere and trust them to figure it out. I figure the big disadvantage of a cardboard bike box is getting it to the airport. I expect that in my particular case, that won't be too bad because I'll be surrounded by family, and likely someone can give me a lift, but a bike bag would still have some benefit for gear protection within a box or as a just-in-case option if getting a box is not easy.

I guess what I'm thinking is that the bag route sounds very good and solves my main problem, but if it turns out that getting a box to the airport is easy and cheap, there's no reason not to use one unless it's really going to encourage TSA to go through my stuff, which it sounds like they are likely to do under any circumstances.

I guess what I'm thinking is that the bag route sounds very good and solves my main problem, but if it turns out that getting a box to the airport is easy and cheap, there's no reason not to use one unless it's really going to encourage TSA to go through my stuff, which it sounds like they are likely to do under any circumstances.
FWIW I think my home airport is the worst for this. Security here seems to be a bigger hassle than other airports I fly from. You may well find it to be less of an issue where you are.