yeah they stopped because they never asked TBIAPB for permission nor gave them any profit so they were forced to stop.

there were three chicago kids who just tooko the train last month for monstertrack, maybe one of them will share their story here, i remember quite clearly something about bringing lots of alcohol for long distance trains...

Would the same problem occur with a lock? I've got a large Krypto. chain. should I wear it as jewelry? Seriously though, what do you guys do?

In the past I had a bunch of stuff in my bike box (shoes, tools...etc) sometimes that stuff can get pretty heavy.. you may have to move it to another of your checked bags which isn't quite as heavy. I kinda doubt you can carry a chain on a plane these days.

well, i have to share. thanks to S&S Machine Works and Jonny Cycles, i fulfilled a long-time goal of mine this weekend...
biking to and from the airport.

friday, i left my house pre-dawn to make an early flight. strapped my collapsed S&S backpack under the flap of the bumblebee bag and rode to the airport. pulled out my tools and disassembled and packed the bike in the parking ramp. checked, flew. (bike time: under 30 min. disassemble and pack time: 15 min.)

carried my clothes and helmet in the bumblebee, which i carried-on. lock, bike, and tools in the backpack, checked.

coming home, i hadn't expected to ride home from the airport, but a delay meant my flight arrived after Metro closed. So... i built the bike on the sidewalk in front of the airport and rode home! (build time: 20 min, ride time: about 30 min)

i was really surprised that nobody even gave me a second glance - security included- for tinkering and tooling right next to the airport. and in both directions, including pack/assemble time, it was faster than taking Metro. finally, janie has fulfilled her destiny.

oh, but the one bad thing... again, i hadn't anticipated the scary dark secluded mt vernon trail. especially creepy under the potomac bridges. i rode *so* fast through that nonsense. scary.

Good job, Chimbly. I wish I'd known about it... I would have brought out one of my spare cygolites and at least gotten you from Mt. Vernon back to DC. I don't know how many times I got caught on Mt. Vernon without lights. Luckily, I know that trail so well that I can pretty much navigate through it, though the animals that dart out in the middle of nowhere are no fun at all.



Koffee

Can't wait to get a Waterford with S&S...

I think I'm going to order some of the SS couplings and install them on an old random 531 frame for traveling purposes. I really like the idea, don't mind the aesthetics for a traveling bike, and I don't think it will be too difficult to install them (brazing, and measuring correctly?). Hopefully they're not very expensive (under $50?). Just need to find a retailer online... I'll probably make this a project in the summer. I'll be sure to do an exstensive write up should I actually follow through : )

Also: I was considering buying the Ritchey breakaway for traveling purposes, but at $900 (at cost, with carbon fork) it's just a bit overpriced (by about $300). Though, it certainly is pretty : )

S&S requires you to have liability insurance to order them, and i think they are more like $100 each. you're best bet would be to get friendly with a frame builder and maybe he'll order them for you.

S&S is still kind of a *****, since you have to take the cranks off in order to get it into any of their cases. and the travel case that freight bags makes is only 5 inches bigger, but you have to take the fork off. so it's kind of a tradeoff.

um, that's not true. my cranks stay on, my fork stays on too.

and i'd say the S&S cases are far more protective.

cool, my impression from the site was that you had to take the cranks off. i know you keep the fork on for S&S, but you have to take it off for the freight travel casen for non S&S bikes. i should be getting my S&S bike any day now. it's still at the builders, he's waiting for the case and he's going to ship it all together.

I want passengers charged by the pound. Little people, jockeys, adn cyclist should get some leeway man!

Unfortunately for me I am 200 pounds ...

bounce.

flying to chicago from tucson at the end of august. the plan thus far is:

- borrow my friends 52 cannondale, or 54 fixie and do intervals in a ****ing parking garrage (when living in Chicago, I didn't seem to recall any decent hills). Why is my friend getting married the week before the state championship hill climb? Oh, at 6'1" I ride a 58' so i don't know if these bikes are even worth the hassle.

- attempt to fly with bike, not having the extra $160 to spare - I think the best idea is to to try for curb side check - it seems the most likely to work... and with a $10 tip hopefully things will work out. In case they still try to charge me the $80 fee I'll have to have a friend in car waiting to take my poor little bike home : (

Another consideration for all you out there is to buy a USA Cycling licsense if you race AT ALL. I think they're $50 and you get two bike vouchers (through UNITED), and adding the $14 MBAA licsense got me an additional 2 vouchers. Plus I get to call the Olympic booking desk, and I actually feel like a world class athlete, even though I'm a lowely cat 5 fatty. Sadly, I didn't book soon enough, and my lowest fair would be $300, vs $200 through another airline.

(not really galen typing) so spud had a little trouble getting his bike cross-country through amtrak this weekend for the fool's gold SF MnG, he now advises shipping your bikes ahead of time (and insuring) if its possible and it seems like a delay (non-direct flights, code red security alerts, etc.) or mishap is possible...