Originally Posted by ak08820

I am seriously considering touring on a locally purchased dept store bicycle, e.g. under $300 instead of paying for the extra baggage charges on airlines. I am not proposing the $59 specials from KMart but there are usable bikes available in the $200-300 range in sporting goods stores and big box stores. What could go wrong if you know basic bike repairs. I have used such bikes locally for thousands of miles over a few years and have not had any serious issues. At the end of the trip, sell/donate/abandon the bike. Comparing to cars, it will not be a land rover for your expedition but you could still do that safari in a small SUV if you know the limitations.