1) Read this article regarding flying with your bicycle: https://www.ibike.org/encouragement/travel/bagregs.htm

2) Go to your airline and look up their baggage policy with regard to bicycles.

3) If you have a place to put your hardshell case when you arrive, rent one from your LBS. If you don't have a place to store a case when you get there, use a cardboard box. I recommend the Madone.

You can rent a case from Strictly Bicycles in NJ for $50.

When you go to check in, go to the counter and speak with someone. Sometimes they charge you full price and sometimes they screw up. It cost me $100 to fly from NJ->AZ, but $30 to fly back.

Thanks all. I'm looking to buy/rent/trade for a case now. Strictly Bikes is a long way from Brooklyn to go to rent a case so I'll check out the closer shops. Nice shop though right along the bikeway from the bridge. The Colorado Cyclist case seems like a good inexpensive one, except that the shipping cost of the case is too high, more than it would cost me to ship the bike in it. I'll keep checking craigslist.

I wasn't sure what you meant until I looked at the Colorado page. I think the problem is that the Colorado box does not break down flat. The Corplast joints look like they are either riveted or heat welded. CrateWorks uses big Velcro pads at each corner (maybe 9" x 10"?) on both the bottom and the lid. I've never had them even look like they might open up. When you aren't using the box, it folds down to something that is maybe 2"-3" thick. Obviously it wouldn't take $42 to get the CrateWorks box shipped to your house. CrateWorks also sells spare parts and rollers. I'm not trying to be a shill for CrateWorks here, but I do think it is superior to the Colorado box. Basically you get what you pay for...

Check the CrateWorks model here...

...and here...

I have a pika packworks case. Works great. No damage. No additional fees

One important thing to consider if you're flying with a case -- what are you going to do when you land? Fortunately the Pika is narrow enough to fit in the backseat of a cab. Anything larger and you'll need a van to carry. Also, where are you going to store your case? If you live in a big house with a basement, probably not an issue. But for smaller homes, a big old case that doesn't fold flat is a storage pain.

Another word of advice -- whatever case you choose, make sure that no loose parts are in the bag. Easy way to damage a bike is to have a loose piece -- say a pump -- function as a wrecking ball when your bag gets tossed around.

When I land in Seattle I plan on taking the new light rail from the airport to downtown. What I'll do from there depends on where I end up staying. There are a lot of hotels near the end of the line. As for storage at home, I happen to own a big house with a basement, but that doesn't mean it isn't already packed tight with crap (and a collection of 6 bikes!).

I'll make sure there are no loose parts.

My bike is currently in transit from Los Angeles, where I live, to Brooklyn, where I'll spend a few days visiting my daughter, and riding around NYC.

I elected to use a regular bike box, which my LBS was happy to give me. I called the bike shop nearest my daughter's home, and arranged for them to hold my bike until I arrive. I'll reverse the process and send the bike back either from the shop, or a Fed Ex office if one is nearby (which i what I did last year).

If you choose to use a regular bike box, pick the smallest one that will fit your bike, as Fed Ex and UPS will charge by the size of the container, as well as the weight.

Thanks. I was starting to get a complex. Do you do anything with it but just stick the bike in the bag? Extra padding, extra reinforcements? I'm going to use it for my cervelo. Do you use it for yours?

Out of curiousity, what did FedEX or UPS charge you?

Out of curiousity, what did FedEX or UPS charge you?

I got so fed up with the way my road bike was being treated every time I traveled, I ended up buying a bike friday which folds into a normal size suitcase.

One problem I foresee having when trying to bring a boxed bike (especially a cardboard box without wheels) is how do you possibly carry that plus all your other gear when taking the train or any other means of public transportation (or even if a cab drops you off at the curb)?

any particular reason why you felt the need to resurrect a dead thread?

seemed like a better idea than starting a new one on the same topic.

Dead thread? Are there expirations dates on BF threads?

Since I'm the OP, and I did my trip, let me explain all the details. I borrowed a wheeled case, and I forget which brand it is now but it was a decent one, packed the bike and all the other bike related hardware into the box. I put all my bike clothes in my wheeled suitcase. I was dropped off at Newark, so that was easy, and the checkin took my bag and case (which they only charged me $40 for both). In Seattle, I picked up my stuff and started looking for the light rail. That was problem #1 because it isn't near the terminal but at the very far end of the parking. Nothing like walking past an entire garage to make you think it isn't worth the hassle to take the train.

Walking with the case and the suitcase being dragged behind me was actually difficult. The case weighed 50 pounds altogether. I took the rail to downtown Seattle and got off. Now I was in the streets of Seattle, at about 11am on a weekday, and had a case that wouldn't fit in most taxis. My hotel was up the hill from downtown and I would never be able to walk it with the luggage (even though I walked it many times once I unloaded.) I remembered at one point that the suitcase was convertible to a backpack and I did that, but it was still awkward. I called the hotel and they sent their shuttle van to get me, but I had to meet it at a point about 10 blocks from where I was. I walked that. The case barely fit in the shuttle van because it was set up for maximum # of passengers.

It is possible to do the box and one suitcase, but I'm glad I didn't have any more. If I do it again I'll ship the bike in advance. I doubt I'll get so lucky next time with the checked bag fee too, the guy at the counter was being really nice about not charging the extra fee. On the way back they charged more, but still not the full published amount. And come to think of it, I had another small box to carry on the was back. I think I tied it to the suitcase.

I have traveled many times with my trico case and have experienced this same problem. Even if you rent a car with a small trunk you'll have this same problem. What I do is I travel with a small bungee cord. I throw the trico case into the trunk of the taxi, and then close the trunk, as much as possible, with my bungee cord.

The other hassle with the bike case is that it is too wide to fit through most doors, and on this particular case the wheels only worked one way. At every single door I'd have to drag it sideways, and again this with my other suitcase as well. I remember having a problem getting in and out of the elevator at the downtown rail station, and of course the elevator from the platform didn't go to the street, but to the mezzanine, then another to the street.

On the bright side, once I was at the hotel I had the bike assembled in half an hour and I was riding down Lake Washington Blvd, always my favorite spot when I lived there.

Folding bike.

x 2

I loled.

its late but i figured i would post what i figured out too in case anyone is doing searches for info.
I bought a nashbar bike bag, I don't really like nashbar stuff but couldn't turn down the $50 price tag. it doesn't give any padding but my bike made it both ways with the only problem being a bent skewer for the front wheel which in hindsight i should have taken out when packing. it was alright to carry a short distance with the shoulder strap but more than a 1/4 mile becomes a real pain. what helped a lot was having a backpack arkel pannier and putting most of my other stuff with the bike, so i only had the bike bag, 1 pannier to carry and the backpack. this was for a light tour in SE Asia, if i was doing fully loaded with camping gear i still don't know how i would be able to carry everything. also second having a bungee handy is always a good idea for stuffing the bag in the trunk - although the bag also fits in the backseat of most cars pretty easy.

It's not what it's cracked up to be..

One of the downsides to a bike box in Asia, and probably a number of other places, is that taxis are often compact to subcompact cars. Makes if VERY difficult to carry a bike box...