I am planning to travel to New Zealand and want to take my bike with me. Just wondering if anybody had any experience of taking bikes on planes?
Is it best to get a bike bag so the bikes well protected, or just protect the frame with pipe lagging so it looks like a "bike" and hopefully the baggage handlers won't just chuck the bag in the hold?
any help would be great if you guys have done the planes thing before
Buy a descent bike bag, I've got Neil Prydes bag, padded, large, with wheels for easy wheeling, cost £100 but is way cheaper than replacing broken, spokes, mech hanger, frame dents etc etc.
Don't be cheap you're already coughing up to go to NZ so save your pride and joy some grief buy a good bag.
Both these guys are right: buy a bag. But don't skimp on the pipe lagging for your frame, either. And importantly, make sure you've got old hubs (or, like me, the correct length pice of broom handle) to put between your front and rear drop outs, other wise you might be left with a frame in which no wheels will fit... (Front dropout spacing is 100mm, by the way. Rear is 135mm, unless you have a new-fangled freeride bike with 150mm spacing). Also, it might be an idea to put a sheet of corrugated cardboard (like the sides of the carton bikes arrive in to the LBS) either side of your bike, inside the bag.
I recently relocated to California (from York) and flew with KLM. I got a large cardboard bike box free from the local bike shop (big up Cyclesense at Tadcaster) and packed my San Andreas with about four rolls of bubble-wrap (as pipe-lagging doesn't fit around monocoques) after removing wheels, (and tyres), seat tube and pedals and turning handlebars inwards. I also removed the rear mech, wrapped it in bubble-wrap and secured it to the frame. I then chucked loads of clothes, towels etc around the bits 'n bobs, put thick card sheets betwixt wheels and frames and stickered up the box to flag it up as being delicate (red rag to baggage handlers). Anyway, the bike arrived perfectly fine (I have air/oil shocks/forks as well). Just remember to deflate the tyres as well. KLM do bike boxes for about 20 euros. I also wasn't charged extra although the bike of course counted as one piece of baggage.
So, if you plan to fly a lot with the bike, a bike bag is probably a sensible option, if not then go with a box from your LBS... Swings and roundabouts. Enjoy New Zealand...
Lots of threads on this subject (see a recent one on travelling to NZ in Roads and Touring). A lot of people swear by just rolling the bike on. I've done it and it got through no problem.
I don't see the point of padded bags myself. Easier to get an unpadded one and use cardboard and bubble wrap - you can dump the stuffing at the other end and end up with a nice neat package. A NZ company, Groundeffect do two excellent bags, the Body Bag and the Tardis. (www.groundeffect.co.nz). The Tardis is very good at around £70. I've used the Body Bag for several trips with no major problems, apart from a slightly bent handlebar.
The bike box option is pretty good too, although I've heard several stories of bikes being thrashed in them - mainly through baggage handlers using the boxes as handy step ladders.
Basically, there is no 'correct' option. A lot depends on the type of bike, whether the flight involves lots of transfers, if you think a bag will be useful the other end (for bus/train trips) and whether you have somewhere to store it when you get there.
i have used an unpadded bike bag with lots of bubble wrap and padded out a bit more with all my clothes.
one tip when you are stood at check in and your mates climbing gear makes his luggage weigh twice as much as it should its not a good idea to let him put a load of quickdraws in your bag because all the paint will fall off your bike....
bike and aeroplanes are a lottery, i remember watching them throw my bike out of the plane as i was walking into the terminal. not nice. especially when it is a road bike...
I have decided to go for the bike in a box from the LBS. Use padding on the frame, strap the wheels to the frame, remove disks, space the dropouts. Basically turn the whole lot in to one structural member. I decided against the padded bike bag since it does not have any structural strength and the bike will be going on the baggage conveyors. I guess a purpose built hard case would be the best but is expensive. Direct flights are also easier on the bike since it minimises the handling.
bike boxes are an arse to carry through the airport and up the stairs in your hotel though. make sure you check with the airline as well as last time i was in luton airport they were making someone unpack their very carefully packed bike box before letting them check it in.
take phils advise, clean your bike. i've never had any problems but customs usually mka e you open it up so if it's a bike box wrapped in tons of tape this can be a problem. i've transported stuff in card bike boxes but bought a IRONCASE hard cycle box about 5 years ago, it's done tons of air miles, packs smaller than a cardboad box and you can get all you other kit in there too plus it's got wheels on the end.
i've seen people put their bikes on with NOTHING also and just get on them at the airport and ride off!!
I hve always used bike bags, and not boxes for carrying the bike. My bike bag is not padded BUT I add a wooden plate (plank) between the front forks and rear dropout - ttatching witht he quik release. This makes it one complete unit and a lot stronger. it also helps protact the chainset which is normally exposed.I take of the gear hanger and add lots of padding. I have never had any damage to the bikes, but be prepared for bags to take one hell of a pounding. One advantage of bags is they tend to be a bit more manouverable to and from the airport. This inludes 2 bikes (in bags) fitting in the boot of a Mercedes taxi in Iceland (Saved my skin!). One thing to consider with boxes is are there changovers and what sort of conditions are at airports. Flew to Morrocco and a few people had problems with boxes left out in heavy rain and just disintegrating. (Though I doubt if this is such aproblem in NZ)
I like to use a bag but have had a bent derailleur hanger and bent chainwheel so they both now get taken off and put in another bag. I'm sure it would be safer on the plane without bag or box but do you trust the handlers not to just ride off on it? Not me!
Bags make good "garages" for the bike when it's parked in the hotel room!
They check bikes for mud in the states as well - obviously it doesn't matter coming back...
I've carried my bike abroad regualrly 4 or 5 times a year for the last ten years. I never got round to getting a hard case which would be the ultimate. Bit heavy though. A cardboard bike box would be the next best but as others have mentioned, they can be a pain to carry and are big. However, you're only moving at either end of the journey so it's not much of a hassle really.
I originally took my bike uncovered and then with just a large clear plastic bag over it. The plastic bag is useful cos it stops airlines and taxis worrying about oil and dirt getting everywhere. This setup has a few advantages: it doesn't add much (or anything at all) to the overall weight, you don't have anything to carry or store whilst on your holiday (important if you are touring) and most importantly, the baggage handlers can see what it is and have no excuse for trying to destroy it. I use plastic replacement skewers or old steel skewers, take the rear mech off, strap the wheels to the frame with some padding and turn the handle bars round. This makes quite a compact bundle. I also usually loosen off the bars, seatpost, brake levers and shifters. Not super loose but enough to allow them to move if something hits it.
I only did this a few times to start with and never had any problems. I was worried about it though so invested in a non padded bike bag and later a padded bike bag. During that period I've had a saddle ripped off the rails, a carbon fibre bar snapped of at the end and the rear dropouts bent more times than I care to remember. Probably not bad considering the number of times it's been on a plane but still annoying. It doesn't matter how many fragile stickers are on the bike, to a baggage handler it's still a bag, a big awkward bag, that needs to be thrown into the plane as quickly as psossible.
As someone else said, if you're going to NZ make sure the bike is clean. They will want to look at it and they will want to disinfect it if it's dirty. Same with cycling / running / hiking shoes and any camping equipment you may have. Great riding out there though, just don't get stuck on the endless backcountry gravel roads that they have.
