Traveling with a bike can be quite an issue. Most people would rather rent them at their travel destination. Unlike certain items, you can still carry your bike while traveling.
Most people often leave their bikes at home while traveling because they don’t know how to travel with it. Here are some tips on how to pack your bike for air travel.
Ensure Your Bike Is Within the Weight Limit
This is the deciding factor as regards carrying your bike on a plane. Airlines often have a weight limit for luggage. There are certain levels your items will weigh, you may have to pay through your nose.
You can easily check the weight of your bike using a homemade hand scale. Just ensure your bike is totally suspended in the air while measuring the weight. You should also subtract 2-5 kg from the weight you get, considering human error.
Pack Your Bike in Bag or a Box
You are definitely not taking the bike on an airplane just like that. You have to properly package it. There are two ways to pack your bike. You can either put it in a bag or a box.
Before choosing a bag or a box, you should consider the weight of your bike. Bike boxes add to the weight of the bike already. However, they are firmer and hold your bike more securely than a bag.
How to Pack Your Bike in a Bag or a Box
You have to first take your bike apart before putting them in a bag. You can easily do that by following these steps below:
- Remove the seat;
- Take off the pedals;
- Remove the wheels;
- Detach the quick releases;
- Remove the stemstem
With the bike now separated into its different parts, you can now pack it into a bag or box.
Ensure Your Bike Fits Well into the Bag or Box
Another feature to consider is the size of your bag or box. Ensure you buy a box or bag that fits your bike well. Putting your bike in an oversized box or bag makes it easy for parts to fly about.
You can fill the empty spaces with your gears like riding shoes, helmets and the likes. Also, ensure that there are no loose parts like bolts or nuts hanging around.
Inform the Airline That You Will Be Carrying a Bike
This will be of great help to you. Most persons think it is a smart decision to just show up at the airport without informing their airline of their luggage. This act may even cause more problems than you think. Not informing the airline that you are carrying a bike will not make your traveling cheaper.
If you genuinely forget to inform the airline that you are traveling with your bike, you can still make arrangements at the airport. However, do not try to act unnecessarily smart by trying to cut corners.
Consider Your Trip to the Airport
Talking about not being unnecessarily smart, this is also another consideration. It is not a wise decision to plan for your air travel without thinking about your trip to the airport. You should answer the question of “how will I get to the airport?”
If you are using a car, you should opt for one that has enough space to carry your bike box or bag. If you are using a train, you should also make necessary arrangements.