+1 on the ship it to your hotel in SD (if you know where you're staying). As a hotelier, I always accept delivery of packages sent ahead of guests. Call ahead to verify they'll do that too. We like to do nice things for our guests that that don't cost us anything

And can't argue with bikeflights; as a former airline employee I do NOT recommend checking your bike as baggage. Expensive and risky. The $90 upgrade to 1st Class (with free bike shipping as a perk) in that linked article is a great deal, but nothing I've ever seen in real life. Maybe it's something you see when your frequent flyer plan is linked to a corporate entity that does a ton of flying. But I was in the biz long enough to know that airlines change their perks and promos and discounts like most people change their underwear, so who knows what deals are available and when?

I like the Miyata for this one, too. What a great trip