The contents of my 4 panniers go into the yellow light weight duffle bag, which goes a checked baggage. My rack pack, the yellow bag in the upper left usually goes as carry-on along with my bar bag. In this case the plane was crowded and airline offered to check my rack pack for free. The 4 empty panniers go in the bike box, along with water bottles, frame pump, and tools. The duffle weighs about 4-6 ounces, and goes in the bottom of a pannier while on tour. My duffle (homemade)and my wife's light weight duffle (REI) have been used in this way many times on buses, trains and planes. They are still in good shape. We carry full camping and cooking gear.

I would leave the floor pump home and just use a frame pump. You can always stop at a bike shop and use their floor pump. On longer tours we stop in bike shops occasionally to check tire pressure. I check the tires every morning with the squeeze test, and pump them up if they feel soft. Any good frame pump will pump up to 120 psi.


My Topeak frame pump will inflate my tire at the rate of 1 psi per stroke. What pump do you carry while you are riding?


My wife with 2 bikes, 2 duffles, 2 rack pack, and 2 bar bags at the Lisbon Airport. All our empty panniers are in the bike boxes.