Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.6.2.17 $; site uiucdcsb.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcsb!harris
From: harris@uiucdcsb.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: Bicycles as luggage on airplanes
Message-ID: <16200090@uiucdcsb.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 22-Feb-85 14:17:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcsb.16200090
Posted: Fri Feb 22 14:17:00 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 26-Feb-85 07:34:06 EST
References: <15597@mgweed.UUCP>
Lines: 91
Nf-ID: #R:mgweed:-1559700:uiucdcsb:16200090:000:5263
Nf-From: uiucdcsb!harris    Feb 22 13:17:00 1985


I have some limited experience shipping bikes by air and train; perhaps
you will find the following useful:

1. Q: Is one airline's container any better than another?
   A: Maybe.  Some airlines have bike boxes available for purchase
      (or free??), some only provide plastic bags and recommend that
      you not disassemble the bike at all (except turn the handlebars sideways
      and remove the pedals).  There seem to be two opposing camps on this
      idea, that is, whether it is better to partially disassemble and crate
      the bikes, or leave them whole and unboxed.  The 'craters' say there is
      a high risk of bike damage if you don't thoroughly protect it; that they
      have suffered bent derailleurs and scratched frames by not crating their
      bikes.  The 'baggers' say
      that luggage handlers treat an unprotected bike carefully, since they
      know its not protected; that they have had no problem shipping their
      bikes this way, and it saves dis/assembly time at both ends and the 
      trouble of finding bike boxes in remote places.

      There IS a difference in bike boxes.  Some are double-thickness
      corrugated boxes, some are single-thickness.  The single thickness
      boxes definately do not hold up as well.  The reason I said "maybe"
      above is that I don't know whether any airline bothers to provide the
      double-thickness boxes.

2. Q: How does one make sure container is at airport ready to go?
   A: I'm not sure I understand this question:  Are you asking about how
      to ensure that the airline will have an empty box waiting for you
      at the airport, or are you asking how to make sure your bike, once
      packed, arrives at the airport in time for the flight?

      If you've asked the first version, I don't know any other way than to
      call the airline and verify that they will have one waiting.

      If you've asked the second version: You just have to get it there with
      the rest of your stuff; take a cab, have a friend drive you, whatever.

3. Q: Does a small airport have containers?
   A: No idea.  Call the particular airport you will be going to and ask.
      If they don't, you can always go to a bike
      shop in the area and ask them for an empty bike box (that formerly held
      a new bike).  Most will be happy to give you a box; they just throw them
      away anyway.  Occasionally, they want to charge you for it.  Then, of
      course, you have the problem of how to get you, your bikes, and the
      bike boxes to the airport.  Since you can't really ride holding a bike
      box, you don't have much choice but to take a cab or whatever.

4. Q: How much disassembly?
   A: Some bike books will tell you how to do this.  Also, sometime in 1981,
      the Bicycling Magazine people published a separate one-issue magazine
      called "The Bicycling Magazine 1981 Complete Guide to Cycling, Touring,
      Camping, and Equipment" (perhaps they do this every year??) which
      contains, among other things, a 1/2 page explanation of how to box a
      bike.  I'll summarize here; if you can't find a full explanation
      anywhere, I'll type in the one that I have.

      Basically, you remove the front wheel, pedals, handlebars, seat, and
      depending on the size box you have (try to get a bigger box than your
      frame size would indicate) you may have to remove the fenders and front
      (and possibly rear) racks.  The front wheel gets tied to the left side
      of the main triangle, the handlebars (still attached via brake and
      possibly shift cables) get tied to the top tube so that the long
      dimension of the bars is parallel to the top tube, and one crank arm
      is tied to the chainstays to keep it from banging things.  Get a block of
      wood to fit in between the front fork dropouts to prevent damage to
      the fork if (when!) the bike is dropped on the fork.  Put the frame
      into the box and stuff the rest of the loose items wherever there is
      room.  Be sure to pad things so that parts don't rub against each other.

      Most explanations then instruct you to write FRAGILE all over the box;
      in my experience, this seems to be a written challenge to baggage
      handlers to try as hard as possible to mangle the box.  I have a picture
      of my boxed bike taken at the airport after I returned from a trip; the
      box looked like it had been run over by a truck--you could hardly make
      out the word "Fragile".  The bike, by the way, was fine, though I
      wouldn't have believed it at the time.  I credit lots of padding (in
      the form of ensolite sleeping pads) for the bike's survival.  However,
      it is a good idea to write your name and address on the box, just in
      case.  In case you still want to try, the article suggests putting
      "Fragile", "This End Up", and "Do Not Stack" at the appropriate places
      on the box.

5. Q: How much does it cost to send a bike as extra baggage on an airplane?
   A: It cost us $15/bike each way in the summer of 1983.  I haven't done it
      since, so I don't know what the current price is.  It seems to vary by
      airline, too.

I hope this has been of some help.


				Jon Harris