The idea of traveling with a bike can be daunting for those seeking to jet off and discover foreign lands. There's a complex decision making tree to navigate before you land on the final decision of flying with your bike, shipping it or renting one at your destination.
Below are some of the considerations you should weigh up before making your decision.
Flying With Your Bike
There's nothing like riding a bike that you're familiar with, particularly in unknown territory. You'll also have your bike from the moment you arrive at your destination and can hit the road and explore straight away, which is a huge advantage.
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But taking your bike on the airplane with you does have some drawbacks. Here are other things to consider:
- Cost: Airline fees vary dramatically from one airline to another from $50 to $200 per flight. This link is a useful as a starting point, but make sure you check with the airline small print too as baggage policies do change.
- Hassle: Packing up your bike can be an unwanted hassle (see part 2 coming soon on tips for packing a bike for transportation). You'll also have to reassemble your bike at the other end (this isn't actually as hard as many people imagine), which will require the tools to do so along with a decent hand pump to get enough air in your tires to get to the nearest bike shop.
- Travel to the Airport: You'll have to get a cab to the airport, and when you do make sure you tell them you have a large baggage item. Having a cab driver turn up, take one look at your luggage and drive away when you're already late for you flight is a bad way to start a vacation. There may be extra charges for large baggage items due to the need for a larger cab.
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- Travel From the Airport: Most airports have a variety of cab options, so getting a cab from the airport is probably less of an issue. The option of getting on buses or trains at either end of your journey pretty much disappears with a bike, particularly if you're traveling alone. Remember, even if you've rented a car there is usually a shuttle to get to the car rental location. You may have to lug a bike box on and off the shuttle bus too.
- Possible Bike Damage: In my experience, this is actually less of a risk than many people imagine. I've traveled all over the USA and Europe with bikes in cardboard boxes, hard boxes, soft bags etc. and never had any damage to my bikes. Others, however, may have a different story. How you pack your bike can have a major influence on limiting the risk of damage.
- You'll Need a Bike Bag or Box: If you don't already have one you'll need to acquire a bag or box to transport your bike. Prices range from $200 to $1200. Remember there is the option of borrowing or renting a bag or box if you're not going to travel that often.
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Shipping Your Bike
There are two options when it comes to bike shipping. Either ship it yourself using FedEx, or use a specialty bike shipping company. As with the flying option above, you'll have the luxury of having your own bike right from the moment you arrive.
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Here are the difficulties you may encounter by choosing this option:
- Cost: The cost to ship your bike usually depend on the size and weight packaged bike, the distance you're shipping it and the declared value. I find this website very useful to estimate shipping costs (and compare to airline fees).
- Hassle: Finding a box to ship it in will be one of your largest obstacles. Usually a local bike store is your best bet as they have lots of cardboard boxes that new bikes are delivered in. Providing you pack the bike carefully this is a very safe way to transport a bike. Disassembling and reassembling multiple times will likely cause you stress as well, but probably isn't as difficult as you might think. The larger challenges are finding a reliable address to ship it to and a drop off location to send it back home.
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- Shipping Time: Although you'll have your bike the moment you arrive you may be without your bike for up to a week before you travel while it is being transported. You may also have this problem at the end of your trip too while it is being returned to you.
- International Shipping: International shipping is possible, but it can be expensive and there is a risk that your bike may be held up at customs.
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Renting a Bike
The upside to this option is that there won't be any of the hassles with travel that you'll have with the other two choices. So depending on what kind of bike you are able to get and at what price, this could be a very good or a very bad option.
- Cost: The cost of renting a bike depends on the quality of bike you're looking at. Average costs are around $300/week or $60/day.
- Hassle on Arrival: Unless you're having the bike delivered to your hotel, you'll need to find a way to get to the bike store to collect it.
- Using a Different Bike: Sometimes renting a different bike can be an upgrade to your own bike. More often than not it's not as nice as your bike at home, it may have a different gear set up, an uncomfortable saddle and could be heavier than you are used to (particularly important if you're riding up some big hills). However, you can do a lot to avoid such surprises. Speak with the rental company in advance and tell them what gears your bike has at home so they can provide the right bike for you. Take your own saddle and pedals with you and remember to always use your own helmet.
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Cost Comparison
Below is a cost comparison based on shipping a bike package weighing 50 pounds when packed in a cardboard box measuring 50 x 7 x 30 inches versus flying with the bike versus renting for a week. A journey from West Coast to East Coast has been used. Bike values of $3000 and $8000 have been compared.
Next: In Part 2 of this series, we will discuss how to correctly pack your bike for shipping and transportation.
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