Flying with a road bike comes with a lot of things to think about, and there are so many ways that you can get it wrong. The last thing we want to happen is to have harm come to our beloved road bikes.
In this video, Sam Gupta runs through tips to consider if you plan to fly abroad with your road bike.
In this video, Sam Gupta runs through tips to consider if you plan to fly abroad with your road bike.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Flying with a road bike can be quite nerve-wracking. I'm sure the biggest concern that we all have
00:05is ensuring that it makes it to the destination unscathed and in one piece. Baggage handlers,
00:12conveyor belts, and internal airport luggage systems all provide for the opportunity for
00:17your pride and joy to come to unwanted harm. So here are nine things that I wish I knew
00:22before I put my bike on a plane. The first hurdle to navigate is choosing the vessel to put your
00:32bike in and happily you do have a few different options. First is a hard case. Benefits are that
00:39they are the strongest and they generally provide the most amounts of protection. The downside is
00:45is that they do tend to be heavy and rather expensive. There are soft bags which come in a
00:50little bit cheaper but in some cases might not offer the same level of protection.
00:56Lastly there's the trusty cardboard box but this one does come with a couple of caveats. While they
01:02are by far and away the cheapest option, most likely free from a friendly bike shop, they do have
01:07inherent weaknesses to impacts and water damage. Also some airlines do stipulate that bikes need to
01:14be packaged in a recognized bike bag. If you're heading off on a bikepacking adventure then perhaps
01:20the cardboard box route could be a really good way to go because you'll be able to recycle it upon
01:26arrival and then hopefully track down a new one when you finish your adventure. Just be sure you have
01:32good access to plenty of tape, scissors and bike protection. Soft bags alike, the prep is absolutely
01:38key to making sure your bike has the best chance of a safe journey. Another top tip to ensure the airport
01:45process is as smooth as possible is to print out and highlight your airline's bike transport T's and C's.
01:51This will mean that if you're challenged on anything you can ensure that you are in the right. Also I would
01:57suggest that you get measurements of your bike bag or box and have those on hand in case they are called
02:03into question. If you do want to fly with a hard case but you don't want to invest in one then hiring is a really
02:10good option. Again, just be sure that it fits within the allowed measurements of your airline
02:15because not all bike boxes work with all airlines. If you do want to see a list of all of our favorite
02:21bags and boxes then I've left a link to our buyer's guide in the description.
02:29If you're looking to fly for the least amount of money then you may be making a beeline for a budget
02:34airline but before you do be sure to check out their policy on bike transport and more importantly
02:41the associated fees. It's not uncommon for more premium airlines to have more of a generous baggage
02:47allowance and in some cases not charge you to fly with your bike at all meaning that a more expensive
02:52ticket up front could actually be cheaper than a more seemingly budget option.
02:57As I mentioned earlier prep is the absolute key to giving your bike the best chance of survival.
03:07We do have a guide on how best to pack a bike which I've linked below but the key takeaways are
03:12to remove your brake rotors, your rear mech, handlebars and seat posts. Then cover everything in bubble wrap
03:19or foam pipe lagging making sure to cable tie all the loose parts to the inside area of the frame
03:25essentially so no vulnerable parts are left as an extremity. Also be sure to drop the pressure out
03:32of your tyres so that they aren't rock solid. You want them to be squishy enough to be able to adjust
03:37to pressure changes and take an impact but not so soft that you risk the seal of the tyre braking.
03:43Especially important if you're running a tubeless setup.
03:50When you have packed your bike you may be left noticing a bit of spare space
03:54inside the box or the bag and there are a couple of things to consider here.
03:59First how much does the entire thing weigh? If it's under 23 kilos then it could be worth grabbing
04:05some dry bags popping some of your clothes in there and then filling up some of that space.
04:10Again be sure to check in with your airline because some will only want the bike in there. Alternatively
04:15you could fill it out with more bike protection in the form of big air bubbles or bubble wrap.
04:20If you do decide to fill it up with any of your clothing just be sure that you have all of your
04:25essentials in your carry-on and in this I would include your shoes your helmet your pedals and a
04:31change of kit because that means if anything goes wrong with your bike and you're left without it for
04:36a day you can still go riding and also whatever you do do not put co2 canisters in your hand luggage
04:43or in your bike box because it will only end badly.
04:51If you're hopping to the other side of the world and you're taking a couple of flights to get to
04:54your end destination using an apple air tag or other tracking devices can be a really useful way
05:01of keeping an eye on where your possessions are. Hopefully they'll always be in the same airport as you
05:07however if you get off your flight and you see your bike is still in the airport you took off from
05:12then you will know to get in contact with your airline pretty quickly or if your bike has ended
05:17up in a completely different part of the world then again it's great to have that knowledge of where
05:22your stuff is so you can help the airline quickly track down and get you your stuff.
05:27It goes without saying but if you're really concerned about what might happen to your bike
05:37then getting yourself some insurance does mean that if the worst does happen you'll hopefully
05:42not be too out of pocket. Of course there are plenty of cycle insurance companies out there
05:47like Yellow Jersey Insurance so if you do want to get some for yourself be sure to do all of the research
05:53and make sure you get something that's right for you. Something that I always tend to forget when I
06:03go away is to bring all of the right tools and spares. Everything that you use to pack your bike
06:10you'll need to bring with you but also it's all the things that would be near impossible to get hold of
06:15when you're away from home so things like spare mech hangers, brake pads and spokes come in really handy
06:22should any of those things need replacing. A multi-tool with a chain breaker and a widespread
06:27of allen key sizes will also keep you pretty covered but if you're left wondering whether
06:32you should or shouldn't bring something just bring it to be safe. Extra cable ties, scissors, tape and
06:39plastic bags are also really good to bring especially when it comes to packing your bike up again.
06:44There's a bit of a hidden headache that comes along with flying with your bike and it's one that
06:52doesn't even involve a plane or an airport. It's just about getting there in the first place. Bike
06:59bags and boxes take up a lot of space and they are really cumbersome and quite tricky to maneuver in and
07:06out of cars. You'll then obviously have that same problem when you arrive at your destination so if you're
07:11hiring a car or getting a taxi just be sure that it's of an adequate size.
07:21The last thing that I wish I knew before I flew with my bike was to do my research on local bike
07:27shops and mechanics. Going somewhere new armed with this knowledge if things were to go wrong
07:33is really valuable and also it's not just useful for if things go wrong but as we all know local bike
07:40shops are a hub of knowledge for the best local riding spots and the staff might be able to share
07:46with you some absolutely beautiful hidden gems that otherwise you may never have known about.
07:52Clearly flying with your bike comes along with a lot of things to think about and there's a lot of
07:57opportunity for things to go wrong so consider this if it all gets a bit too much then perhaps hiring a bike
08:04at your destination is a better route to go down. If you're heading somewhere with a good cycling
08:09culture then you'll likely have some pretty good options available to you. I understand that going
08:15bike packing in remote places demands that you bring all of your own gear but if you're heading away
08:21for a week of riding with friends or just on a solo trip hiring a bike really will make life a whole lot
08:28easier. Consider this how much extra value and enjoyment are you going to get just from being
08:35on your own bike? Let me know down below is there anything you wish you knew before you flew with
08:40your bike? If you enjoyed the video then please do drop it a like subscribe to the channel for more
08:45content and I will see you again very soon!