Bike to fly with?

Josey said:

Any other suggestions on models, any tips from anyone else who regularly
fly/bike?

If you can get yourself down to Avon Valley Cycles behind the station at
Bath Spa which has the best range of folding bikes on display and in the
country.
http://www.foldingbikes.co.uk/index.html

The two you might look at in particular which are specifically designed
to go in their suitcases for flights are the Bike Friday range and the
Airnimal. Both ride like normal road bikes and quite a few professionals
and Phil Ligget ride Bike Fridays.

I have a Bike Friday Pocket Rocket and have been round the world with it
in its suitcase. If you get the trailer kit you can even take the bike
out the suitcase, convert the suitcase to a trailer and cycle away from
the airport although I usually take a cab to my hotel and leave the
suitcase there.

--
Tony

" I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
Bertrand Russell

In message <[email hidden]>, Josey
<nospam@josey.?.invalid> writes

Quoted message said:

Alas I fly a lot.

I'd like to buy a bike to take with me. It has to be a folder, light, small.
I don't always fly the same places, so it has to go with me. It will have to
stand up to being in the hold on low cost airlines.

It'll normally only be used for 10-15 mile hops, but I like to cycle
reasonably fast, and I like good brakes. I'm a 6' bloke.

I like the look of the Dahon Speed P8, saw someone riding one in London last
week, and he was pleased with his.

Any other suggestions on models, any tips from anyone else who regularly
fly/bike?

Jc.

I tried this once with my Brompton which despite folding into probably
the smallest space of all the folders, is easily good for 15mile rides.
Reasonably fast too on its 6 gears as long as you keep the tyres pumped
up. I'm also 6' so no worries on the size but you have to opt for the
extended seat-post.

That's the good bit.

My experience of flying with it, however, was not good. I packed the
bike into a Brompton-sized heavy-duty bag and on the out leg all was
well. On the return, despite taking it to the baggage check dealing with
fragile items, it appeared at the other end slightly bent. Not
irredeemably so but enough to require a fair bit of work.

This is the problem. To protect your bike against the baggage handlers
you really need a hard case. Problem is, how do you cycle carrying this
case to and from the airport?

Anyone know of a folding case for a folding bike?

Anyone had better experience flying with a folder?
--
geomannie

bob said:

Anyone know of a folding case for a folding bike?

Anyone had better experience flying with a folder?

Yes, my Bike Friday has travelled a lot with me by plane and has been
just fine in its hard case. Survived multiple administrations by the TSA
gorillas.

--
Tony

" I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
Bertrand Russell

In message <[email hidden]>, Tony Raven
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

bob said:

Anyone know of a folding case for a folding bike?

Anyone had better experience flying with a folder?

Yes, my Bike Friday has travelled a lot with me by plane and has been
just fine in its hard case. Survived multiple administrations by the TSA
gorillas.

Hard case good
Soft case bad
--
bob

in message <gEMgHmCXV2yGFw2y@downie#n0sapm#.co.uk>, bob

('downiegeon0spam.co.uk@downie#n0sapm#.co.uk') said:

This is the problem. To protect your bike against the baggage handlers
you really need a hard case. Problem is, how do you cycle carrying this
case to and from the airport?

Anyone know of a folding case for a folding bike?

Somebody at one stage was doing a hard case for a folding bike which
converted into a bike trailer when you got to your destination. Anyone
else remember this, and if so any pointers?

If it isn't still being made, perhaps some enterprising person would like
to step into the market - there has to be some profit in it!

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

'Victories are not solutions.'
;; John Hume, Northern Irish politician, on Radio Scotland 1/2/95
;; Nobel Peace Prize laureate 1998; few have deserved it so much

bob said:

In message <[email hidden]>, Tony Raven
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Yes, my Bike Friday has travelled a lot with me by plane and has been
just fine in its hard case. Survived multiple administrations by the
TSA gorillas.

Hard case good
Soft case bad

Its more than that. Bike Friday supply fairly simple but effective
braces between the front and back of their suitcase (a standard Carlton
model) with spreaders to stop any load applied to the flat flexible sides
of the case being born by the bike frame inside. It also comes with
loads of simple protective bags and tubes for the bike and eg has bottle
bosses into which screw rods that protect the derailleur mechanisms from
being damaged if the bike moves within the case (e.g if the case is
dropped). All built up over years of having their bikes flown as checked
baggage and fixing the common sources of damage by experience. Still
nothing will protect it from one flight I was on where the plane ran over
somebodies suitcase!

--
Tony

" I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
Bertrand Russell

On Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:07:05 -0500, Tony Raven
<[email hidden]> said in
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

The two you might look at in particular which are specifically designed
to go in their suitcases for flights are the Bike Friday range and the
Airnimal.

Seconded - both "proper" bikes, and amazingly easy to pack and
transport.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound