transplant

yes, another travel post, i apologize in advance.

so i'm going to be flying home on delta in a couple weeks, and naturally i want to bring the bike... i was thinking of investing in one of those spiffy trico cases but it looks like this would put me over the size limit (62–80 inches:total of length plus width plus height), which would be $100 each way.

that said:
a) any tricks i'm not thinking of to avoid this?
b) any smaller cases which provide good protection? (must be able to fit a 60cm frame + wheelset)

thanks!

Hipcycler

I've thought about this in the past and for my situation, I came up with this idea....may or may not work for you but here goes....

Since I don't trust myself to put it together or break it down properly....

I've got my LBS on standby to take my bike, break it down, pack it in a bike box and ship it to an LBS in the area I will vacation in. That LBS receives the box, puts the bike together....I show up and ride, then leave it there for them to ship it back to my local LBS to put it back together for me there.

I get the bike to ride.
I never lift a wrench.
I pay basic shipping rate for it to get done, plus small fee at the LBS for doing it for me.

transplant

that sounds like a good solution, but not the right fit for my situation. i'm only going to be home for a few days, and would be without the bike for a while shipping it back and forth...

merlinextraligh

only other answer is a bike that folds. Either S&S couplers, Ritchey breakaway, or a folder like a Bike Friday. However you got to fly a lot to recoup the cost of any of these at $100 a shot.

Eriol

Thats a really good solution, My job is sending me on a 5-week long business trip to montgomery alabama. Will most LBS provide this, just the thought of handing my bike over to the airlines has been keeping me up at night.

BTW if anyone here is from montgomery how is the cycling around the area?

BLUR

Recently there was a post about an airline "losing" someone's bike. i would not want to fly it...delta: Don't Expect Luggage To Arrive ...I'd rather ship it insured like what Hipcycler suggested.

Flywolf

Did you ever think of shipping it Fedex or UPS ground? I am sure it will be cheaper than $100 each way, but then the transit time is 5 to 7 days.

Also how about renting a bike from a LBS while visiting? We rented mtn bikes when we visited the Moab, it worked great.

DrWJODonnell

+1 on the rental. If not, pony up the cash each way. I hate it, but I get charged 80 or more every time I fly. When I fly united I do get the USA cyling airline vouchers though...

transplant

i thought of renting, but am going to pass on that because i'd be taking the bike primarily for a race, and i love my own bike (=

and shipping it is an option, but then i'd be without it 5-7 days on either side of my flight date.. booo

H1449-6

USCF members used to be able to take a bike on certain airlines without a fee. Not sure if this is still available; perhaps you could call or hit the website.

H1449-6

This is why having two (or ten) bikes is a good thing.

transplant

i actually have three, but one is temporarily non-functional and the other...isn't as nice

ElJamoquio

UPS... I always have trouble with. I'd recommend the OP use Fedex or DHL.

oboeguy

UPS dinged my bro's bike when he shipped it from Spain. Stay away.

One "trick" I learned today from a pro BMXer I met on the subway (I love NYC) is when they ask if it's a bike, tell 'em it's "bike parts" and sometimes they're nice at the airport and let it slide.

botto 

I flew back to Old Europe on Delta out of JFK last week with a trico.

While they could have hit me with the 80-100$ bike charge, they didn't.

What was my 'trick'? When they asked what was inside i told them it was 'Sports Equipment'.

Have been using that line since shortly after I got back into cycling 3 years ago and discovered that international flights were charging. Works every time.

frenk

I flew to Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago and used the 'Sports Equipment' line as well when asked what was in my oversized cardboard box. Worked like a charm.

rjtokyo

Hey transplant. I fly with my race bike about 4 times a year in a Trico Iron Case and highly recommend it. The cases are excellent and I've never had any damage to my 7.0kg full carbon bike. When you say you're going to be "flying home" are you talking about an international flight? Have you actually called the airlines and told them you want to ship a bike in a bike box? I do the bulk of my flying on domestic flights within Japan but I have flown twice between Japan and the U.S. and have never been charged extra for my bike. Flying domestic within the U.S. I've been charged but not international.

Cheers! - RJ

gurana

OK, here's my .02 worth of FUD:

I've stated this concern before, and nobody has really ever argued the contrary, so I'll assume it's valid to the degree that it's possible, but not necessarily that it's ever happened to anybody. I've never had to take my bike anywhere I've flown to. Either my vacations/business trips are too short, or I've got other things planned that would not permit me to ride. But, in the event that I did do this, I would box it myself and ship it (FedEx or whatever your preference) or I might even give Hip's idea a try. The reason? I've seen how the TSA treats my normal luggage after they've 'randomly' checked it. Nothing is ever in the same place when I get my luggage back. When you ship your bike, from the pictures I've seen, there is a very specific place for all your components and it looks like they only fit in those boxes one way. Once they open it and move anything, they'd have to be careful in closing it back up. I'm not sure they're inclined to be careful with anything, as they've got no reason to be because they've really got no liability if anything gets damaged. I don't think they'd do anything on purpose, but you'd kind of have to know what you're doing to do this successfully. And it doesn't really matter which airline you fly, because TSA checks for all airlines. When you ship it, you can lock it up and nobody has to open it.

Also, it would probably be easier and cheaper to find a place you can rent a nice bike for the time you are away.

botto 

i've flown countless of times with a bike, although the majority of those times was pre 9-11.

alternatively you could get there a little earlier, and ask the TSA guys if it was a problem if you waited until they check the box. that's what it did last week, and they didn't have a problem, and there was no need to open the case.

KirkeIsWaiting

I borrowed a case from my LBS for the first trip with the bike.
Worked out well for me, and I realized that case was NOT the one I wanted to buy.

Fox Farm

Most LBS will ship a complete bike for $25 one way. Much less than paying the airline shipping fee, worrying about TSA opening up your Trico case and screwing up things getting it closed again, or having it lost. Ship it with full insurance coverage. It gets lost or damaged, you get the insured value. Of course, there would be the pain and anoyance of dealing with the claims, etc.

timmhaan

it cost $125 bucks to ship my bike from new york to arizona via fed ex. UPS would have been more. check out shipping costs before you do anything...it can add up quickly.