Looking for Anchorage travel tips
I'm travelling to Anchorage from Seattle for two months this summer for an internship. I'd like to have my bike up there for my daily work commute, the occasional weekend trip, exercise and my own mental wellbeing. I'd planned on driving up with someone, but as things turned out I'm going to have to fly instead.
If I can't find a fellow student in my program who's driving up and has space on a bike rack, what's the best way to get my wheels up there? Budget is absolutely a concern, but not as important as making sure my bike makes the trip without serious damage. UPS and FedEx want to charge me the price of the bike or more to ship it fully insured.
Can anyone recommend a more affordable option besides getting an AirCaddy and taking it as my second checked bag (not all that cheap itself)? I'd thought about just looking for a used bike when I get there, but since I need a 24" frame it's not easy to buy used.
Also, I'd really like recommendations as far as light trail riding and good bike shops in the Anchorage area if anyone has 'em!