taking a mountain bike on a plane?

[205man]

has anyone taken a mountain bike on a plane before? if so is there anything i need to know or do beforehand

im flying upto the mountain bike world championships in fort william in september with a mate and have never taken my bike on a flight before,

how should we package them and will i get charged extra?

all the clothes etc i need should fit in my hand luggage and girlfriends luggage and the same goes for my mate

so the only hold backage will be our bike ..........i think

so any advice.

i was going to go by train and i dont want to drive either but train trip from worcester will take 14 hours .........it only took 11 fo rm e to fly to the maldives lol

 

[dsmclark40v]

I saw some people at gatwick once assembling bikes and they had just flown in from somewhere and they just seemed to have taken the wheels and saddle off turned the handle bars and wrapped it in cardboard and plastic. I think you would be better off sending it by TNT or someone though really and have a word with where you are staying and get it delivered there and then get it collected before you head back. also some airlines charge you for oversized baggage.

 

[mitch78]

:thumbsup:

 

[mitch78]

:thumbsup:

 

[205man]

mitch im going to be there from the thursday and coming back on the tuesday after, i was going to use my bike to get from fort william town to the course ont he new cycle route they built.

and as we are staying a few days extra we wanted to go out and have some fun in mountains for ourself.

ill see what my mate says but im not risking my bike ive only just had this a month and i wanted to see how i get on with it as it will be the first proper test since my knee op.

so either i get it delivered or i take car or train..........my what a choice lol

when are you going up mitch?

 

[icenutter]

The cheap way is to get one of those cardboard boxes bikes come from the manufacturers. Just ask in your local bike shop and they should give you one for free. Put the pedals on the other side of the cranks (so they point inwards), take the saddle off, and turn the handlebars round and you are good to go. Storing stuff at the other end can be a problem as a box just looks like junk to most people.

You can by bikes and boxes for travel. I'm not a fan of bags, as even if they are padded, the bike can still get bent. Bags are easier to store though.

Vis the airline; this depends on who you are going with, some ask you to book, but you might be able to blag it on for free if it fits under your luggage allowance. Look on the airlines website for more info.

 

[mitch78]

:thumbsup:

 

[ROBS3]

I would firstly check with who you are flying with first to make sure you can even take your bikes. I remember not too long ago that some airlines refused to take bikes that had hydraulic brakes - claiming that it was dangerous. Not sure if the ban is still in place, but would be worth checking first - you may have to bleed the brakes first (assuming you have disc brakes).

Have a great time...

 

[auditek]

my mate did exactly what ice nutter did. box from bike shop, v10. to australia. no problems. goin down ft will2. just under 2 hr drive 4 me, woo hoo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 was out on bike tonite, keeps me sane ...........

 

[bredhurststeve]

can you not just hire a bike out there for a few days?