Tips For Flying With Your Road Bike

Cycling Weekly

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.

Transcript

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.

00:11Baggage handlers, conveyor belts and internal airport luggage systems all provide for the

00:16opportunity for your pride and joy to come to unwanted harm. So here are nine things

00:21that I wish I knew before I put my bike on a plane. The first hurdle to navigate is choosing

00:31the vessel to put your bike in and happily you do have a few different options. First is a hard

00:37case. Benefits are that they are the strongest and they generally provide the most amounts of

00:43protection. The downside is is that they do tend to be heavy and rather expensive. There are soft bags

00:49which come in a little 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,

01:19then perhaps the cardboard box route could be a really good way to go because you'll be able

01:25to recycle it upon arrival and then hopefully track down a new one when you've finished your

01:29adventure. Just be sure you have good access to plenty of tape, scissors and bike protection.

01:36Soft bags alike, the prep is absolutely key to making sure your bike has the best chance

01:41of a safe journey. Another top tip to ensure the airport process is as smooth as possible is to

01:47print out and highlight your airline's bike transport T's and C's. This will mean that if

01:52you're challenged on anything, you can ensure that you are in the right. Also, I would suggest that you

01:58get measurements of your bike bag or box and have those on hand in case they are called into question.

02:04If 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.

02:25If you're looking to fly for the least amount of money, then you may be making a beeline for a

02:34budget airline. But before you do, be sure to check out their policy on bike transport and more

02:40importantly, the associated fees. It's not uncommon for more premium airlines to have more of a generous

02:46baggage allowance and in some cases not charge you to fly with your bike at all, meaning that a more

02:52expensive ticket up front could actually be cheaper than a more seemingly budget option.

03:01As 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 of

03:32your tires so that they aren't rock solid. You want them to be squishy enough to be able to adjust to

03:37pressure changes and take an impact, but not so soft that you risk the seal of the tire breaking,

03:43especially important if you're running a tubeless setup. When you have packed your bike, you may be

03:52left noticing a bit of spare space inside the box or the bag. And there are a couple of things to

03:58consider here. First, how much does the entire thing weigh? If it's under 23 kilos, then it could be

04:04worth grabbing some dry bags, popping some of your clothes in there and then filling up some of that

04:09space. Again, be sure to check in with your airline because some will only want the bike in there.

04:14Alternatively, you could fill it out with more bike protection in the form of big air bubbles or bubble

04:20wrap. If 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

04:42luggage or in your bike box because it will only end badly.

04:50If you're hopping to the other side of the world and you're taking a couple of flights to get to your

04:55end destination, using an Apple AirTag or other tracking devices can be a really useful way of keeping

05:02an 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

05:22where your stuff is so you can help the airline quickly track down and get you your stuff.

05:32It 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,

05:41you'll hopefully not be too out of pocket. Of course, there are plenty of cycle insurance

05:46companies out there like Yellow Jersey Insurance. So if you do want to get some for yourself,

05:51be sure to do all of the research and make sure you get something that's right for you.

06:01Something that I always tend to forget when I go away is to bring all of the right tools and spares.

06:07Everything that you use to pack your bike, you'll need to bring with you. But also,

06:12it's all the things that would be near impossible to get hold of when you're away from home. So,

06:17things like spare mech hangers, brake pads and spokes come in really handy should any of those

06:23things need replacing. A multi-tool with a chain breaker and a widespread of allen key sizes will

06:29also keep you pretty covered. But if you're left wondering whether you should or shouldn't bring

06:34something, just bring it to be safe. Extra cable ties, scissors, tape and plastic bags are also really

06:41good to bring especially when it comes to packing your bike up again.

06:48There's a bit of a hidden headache that comes along with flying with your bike and it's one

06:52that doesn't even involve a plane or an airport. It's just about getting there in the first place.

06:58Bike bags and boxes take up a lot of space and they are really cumbersome and quite tricky to maneuver in

07:06and out of cars. You will then obviously have that same problem when you arrive at your destination.

07:11So, if you're hiring 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 shops

07:27and mechanics. Going somewhere new armed with this knowledge, if things were to go wrong, is really

07:34valuable. 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

07:57of opportunity for things to go wrong. So, consider this. If it all gets a bit too much, then perhaps

08:03hiring a bike at your destination is a better route to go down. If you're heading somewhere with a good

08:09cycling culture, then you'll likely have some pretty good options available to you. I understand that

08:15going bikepacking in remote places demands that you bring all of your own gear, but if you're heading

08:21away for a week of riding with friends or just on a solo trip, hiring a bike really will make life

08:27a whole lot easier. Consider this. How much extra value and enjoyment are you going to get just from

08:34being on your own bike? Let me know down below. Is there anything you wish you knew before you flew

08:40with your bike? If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like, subscribe to the channel

08:44for more content and I will see you again very soon.

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