- If you've never flown away with your bike before,
you might be slightly worried about
packing up your valuable bike
and handing it over to someone else.
But I want to reassure you
that if you pack your bike in the right way
and sort out your travel arrangements
it can be pretty much worry free
and nowhere near as hard as you might imagine.
Obviously you could just fly somewhere and hire a bike.
Now there are places like Whistler or the Alps
where you're going to big bike parks.
They're going to have more facility to do that.
So proper bike shops with proper bikes.
Although it can be quite expensive,
and I've never done that.
I've always taken my bike
'cause I want to ride my bike.
But my first piece of advice
for flying with a bike
is try and prebook it.
So, go online.
Most airlines now you can do it on the website.
It'd be a good chance to read the Ts and Cs as well
and check out weight limits,
anything like that.
Because there's a risk of you showing up at the airport
and actually if it's on a popular route
with sporting equipment or bikes,
the plane cargo hold could be full already,
and it's almost certainly going to cost you more
doin' it at the airport.
You really want to check the airline's weight restrictions.
And for any airline,
the maximum they'll take in one bag is 32kg.
Just to do with health and safety
of someone liftin' that bag.
So if it's over 32 they literally won't take it.
So in that case you'd have to start
taking bits out of your bag or your box.
You don't really want to be doing that either.
Obviously it's going to cost you more money.
But 32kg is pretty heavy, to be fair.
Back in my days of racing,
World Cup Downhill,
you know big heavy downhill bike
with a spare wheel, spare tires,
bit of kit and that's probably getting close.
But nowadays with a trail bike
I haven't been that high for quite a while.
But you do obviously want to check
how much it's going to cost you.
Just for example,
easyJet is 35 pounds each way
if you prebook it,
but if you show up to the airport it's then 45 pounds.
And most airlines will do the same,
charge you more for doing it there.
With easyJet you do get 32kg allowance.
Some flights, some airlines
will limit it to about 23, 25.
And that's where you definitely
have to be a bit more careful.
I'll go into how to pack your bike
to make sure it doesn't get damaged as much as possible.
But when you've got your bag or your box ready,
a good way of checkin' the weight
is just using a set of bathroom scales.
Not going to be super accurate,
but hopefully you'll have a good idea-ish
of how much it weighs.
In my days of being a professional racer,
obviously it's a traveling circus
sort of hundreds of riders going round the world,
so you do hear stories of things happening to bikes.
And if bikes get lost,
more often than not it's because of connecting flights.
So if you're flying somewhere,
maybe to a bigger airport,
a big hub airport and then going onwards.
That is normally where bikes get lost
and then they don't show up at the other end.
So if possible,
I mean you might not be able to avoid this,
but if you can get direct flights
I would think that takes away most of the risk
of losing your bike on that flight.
When it comes to actually packing your bike,
you've got two options here.
You've got a dedicated bike bag
or you've got a bike box.
I'll start with this one first.
It's obviously the cheapest way
and I guess the most simple.
And there's different tips for each way
to be fair.
So this is a bike box
that you might find your bike shows up in
if you've ordered from a direct brand like Canyon, YT,
all those brands where it gets sent straight to you.
So try and keep ahold of that if you can.
Or the other option is to go to a bike shop.
Normally they've got hundreds of these
'cause all their bikes show up in these as well.
And in my experience
they've always been happy to give me one.
I've never had to pay for one.
Maybe it's because my friend owns a bike shop
and so I go there for them.
But what I will say is that
beers and biscuits go a long way in bike shops.
So if you feel like you need one
and maybe they want to charge you,
take some biscuits.
You'll probably get one.
Before you start taking your bike apart,
it's definitely worth giving it a really good clean.
This is Blake's bike.
It is sort of semi-clean.
In fact, if I was traveling with it
I would probably make sure it was as spotless as possible.
Basically because once you start putting it inside your box,
all that mud and any dirt is going to fall off inside
and it can start scratching bits of your bike.
Also it's going to get the inside of your bag or box
sort of irreparably dirty.
You're never going to be able to get in there
and clean it all out.
But another big reason is because of cross-contamination.
Now I've had this in Australia.
They are super hot on this.
If you show up with a really muddy bike,
you can actually get a fine for it.
You're going to want to take some tools with you obviously
to put your bike together on the other side.
So what I'll do is take a mini set of tools for doing that.
What I will start with is takin' the pedals off
'cause it's easier when you've got your wheels on.
And I will take a big size 8mm Allen key for that
because sometimes the multi-tool
you can't quite get enough purchase on that
to take pedals off.
So I'll make sure I take that.
I'll take a multi-tool.
I will take a mini ratchet set,
just 'cause they're really nice to work with,
especially when you're doing something quite repetitive
like taking your disc rotors,
your brake rotors off
where you've got to spin 12 bolts out.
It's much easier with one of those.
Plus a pump.
This is a great travel pump.
This is the Turbo Morph G by Topeak.
Just a quite small but super powerful pump.
And then I'll talk about the spares in a bit,
I think later on.
But I'll take the pedals off first.
You can get different size boxes from shops.
Some of 'em are pretty big actually.
You might find those ones
you can just get away with taking your front wheel out.
And that's quite nice
because if you leave your rear wheel in,
it sort of just protects the back end a little bit more.
It's not going to get squashed.
Also your mech is sort of just not going to hit the floor.
So hopefully you can do that.
What you have to be careful though again is with box size.
If they're really big,
some of them are really long,
check with the airline that they're going to take that size.
This one is a bit smaller
where we'll have to take out both wheels
and various other things.
But this bike box,
I'm almost certain most airlines will take this.
I've never had a problem with one of these.
Now I've taken the pedals off.
Next thing to do is to drop your saddle.
So with a dropper post super easy obviously.
Push down.
It's just going to make it a bit smaller.
Wheels out on the Strive,
where this fork's wide,
you've got bolt through axles
so that case I'll definitely put them back in.
Obviously it's going to stop me from losing them,
but also if you sort of put them there,
hopefully it will stop any chance
of anything gettin' squashed.
So obviously same on the rear.
And because I'm taking wheels out,
this is where you're going to have to do something
about the rear mech as well
'cause if you leave it on the bike,
it's going to be obviously the lowest thing
so in the box it's almost certainly going to bend
or break your hanger or mech.
So if the back one's comin' out,
it's definitely time to take the rear mech off as well.
When you start taking things off the bike
that are still attached,
like the rear mech,
obviously you still want the chain on there.
It's really important to then start packaging it properly.
This is where you see a lot of damage
getting done to bikes
is 'cause they haven't done this bit quite right.
So obviously I've still got the gear cable
and the chain on there.
So I just want to try and tuck that somewhere nice.
It might be a case of just actually backing the axle off.
And then wrapping the mech into something soft.
I've used a rag before, something like that.
But bubble wrap's obviously a really good option.
Try and wrap it there
and then sort of tuck it inside your chain save if you can.
Then get your axle back through.
It's going to hold that a little bit.
And then wrap this around.
Make sure that this isn't going to bang into things.
I quite often take some of this electrical tape with me.
Try and wrap it as well as you can.
And make sure stuff isn't movin' around.
So if you now pick the bike up and drop it
into an empty box,
it's still going to rattle around.
And you've got to think about the sort of the extreme points
or the lowest points
and the furthest front point.
They're the places that are probably going to
get smacked into things.
So in this case there's a bash guard on Blake's bike
so that's pretty good.
But I'll also try and pack it round.
So hopefully you'll have some of these
sort of cardboardy bits that have come with your bike box.
I was thinking about maybe
sticking an old rag underneath there
so the bike's going to sit on it and not damage anything,
but I'll use this in this case.
Also, some of this stuff.
So like plumbers pipe lagging is great
for starting to stick around your fork extensions,
basically anywhere you might think
is going to get damaged a little bit
with things banging around inside.
At this point I'll actually pick the bike up
and start to fit it into the bag.
You'll notice that I will still need to take the bars off,
but it always feels to me like it's now easier
if it's starting to sit in the box.
Okay, obviously too wide.
So what I'm going to do
normally I like to try and just
take the bars off and leave the stem on
'cause if you take the stem off,
the fork can then rattle around.
There's nothing holding that in.
So it's usually better just to do the bar.
And then a bit like the mech,
you're going to have to tuck the bars in somewhere nicely.
And then it's a case of tucking everything else in.
Obviously with your pedals,
again I would wrap them in something
'cause I don't want them rattling around.
If the bike gets turned over upside down
it can start scratching things.
I'd wrap your bike with as much things as possible.
Again, more bubble wrap, more rags.
And with wheels.
In the case of a box,
I would definitely think about taking off your rotors.
I have got away with it in the past,
if I'm being super lazy,
just by tucking them in
like putting the rotor into the box
rather than to the outside.
But I have bent them on certain occasions.
I've probably flown with a bike,
I dunno a couple hundred times
and they have been bent half a dozen times
if I've been lazy and put it into a box.
Right, with everything placed in,
so wheels aside your bike,
I would then just sort of look at it.
Try and squash it together.
Look to see if anything is touching anything.
Obviously everything wants to be wrapped
as well as possible.
Bubble wrap is the thing 'cause it doesn't weigh anything.
If you start chucking too much other stuff in there,
then it's going to start weighing too much.
And really look for anything rattling or moving around.
And then you're about done.
It's time to sort of close it up,
get your brown parcel tape out
and make sure you wrap it nicely.
You may have noticed I didn't let my tires down.
Now some airlines will ask you to do it.
In the last 15 years
I've been asked probably only a couple of times.
So most of the time you don't need to do it.
Just leave them as they are.
I know it maybe slightly controversial.
But I've never had a problem with it,
and obviously it saves me then
from pumping them up at the other side.
Once you've got your bike in,
then it's time to make sure your tools are in.
I've got a bag that I like sticking them in,
again so it can't rattle around.
I've also got my spares.
So in here I normally carry,
what've I got?
I've forgotten.
Tire levers, a spare gear cable,
a spare mech hanger, spoke key,
just a few bits and bobs I might need
whilst I'm on my trip.
So again, make sure that's in.
Then, it's time to
tape the box up
and you're pretty much ready.
It's just really important to make sure
that you don't put things like multi-tools
in your hand luggage
because you will get pulled up on those.
I guess they could be used as a weapon,
so make sure they're in your box.
Tape it up,
and then it's also a thing to remember is
to take some more tape with you
'cause at the other end
you're going to have to cut your bike box open
and you have to tape it back up to come home.
Right, onto the bag option.
I'll go through the pros and cons
of the box and the bag at the end.
But what you'll probably see when I do this
is basically you don't have to take your bike apart as much.
And they are just sort of designed obviously
to fly with bikes.
There's lots of wealthaway features,
which means your bike's going to be protected
and it's easier to pack.
So I'm using the Douchebags the Savage
to show you basically all the features of this bike bag.
There are other bike bags available of course,
which are going to give you unique features
but are all designed to really be protective of your bike
but also be easy to transport with.
So most bike bags with come with wheels as well
for dragging them through the airport
is going to be much easier once it's loaded up.
Got instructions here as well
if you ever forget how to do it.
So prepping the bike,
number one wheels out, seat down, bars off.
You can see a big difference to just the box is
you've got some metal framework in here as well.
So again super protective.
So I'll start piecing this together.
Right, in this bag you've got this sort of
nice fork compartment.
See that really thick padding
that you sort of slide your fork into.
I'll just pop that mech like that.
And then there's also that pad on the bottom.
So you sit the bottom of your frame.
You can adjust this.
Slide it along.
Then your frame sits really nicely on that,
so start strapping bits in.
You can see how well this is going to protect your fork lowers.
Your bike is actually strapped down into it
so it almost becomes part of the bag.
Whereas in the cardboard box
there's always a risk
that your bike's going to move around inside.
And that's why I really try and pack 'em
as tight as you can if it's a bike box.
This you don't have to.
You can also see it's a bit of a big time saver,
but with this bag especially
you don't necessarily have to take the rear mech off.
It's within this framework
so all I do is I sort of slide the bike
as far forward as I can get it in the bag
so the mech is inside that framework.
Now shift it up to a low gear
and if you look,
it's really hard for that to get whacked by anything.
If you are going to err on the side of caution,
you can still take it off,
but to be honest when you take it off
then you've got to a chance of it rattling around again.
So I'd rather leave it on so it stays attached to my bike.
And just make double sure that it's
within the framework of this bag
so it's not going to get whacked by anything.
At this point I'd actually probably stuff my riding shoes,
maybe a bit of riding kit in here,
like shorts, trousers.
Just to put them somewhere safe
where I don't particularly want them in my other main bag
'cause they might be a little bit dirty.
So stuff them down where they're not going to move around.
One thing you do have to be careful of is
I know one airline easyJet again
actually specify that you should only have
your bike in the bag, no other kit.
And I have been pulled up on that once.
But that is once in sort of 20 years
of traveling with bikes.
Most airlines don't care that you've got
a bit other kit in there.
Just be careful again of your weight limit.
This is where some of those
really well thought out features of these bags
start to really pay dividends.
So your handlebars come off just like the box,
but now they tuck into a protective pouch there.
And this one you can tuck your bar in.
Goes up and over top.
And it's sort of strapped in nice and safe.
So this is sort of universal,
you can go either side of the bike.
So depending on your sort of cable orientation,
strap that there.
Also strap it down this side.
Again, nothing's going to move around
and it's already really padded
so that can't damage your frame or your fork.
So wheels go in the side of these bags,
again in their own sort of pouch,
nice and protected.
What you'll see as well is
this sort of framework around the outside.
And I don't actually take my rotors off
when it comes to using this bag particularly
because if I slide my wheel in there,
strap it up,
what you see is if I actually sort of got my rotor
facing into the bike.
If I actually push on this,
simulating that bike box being squashed,
that rotor isn't actually going to touch anything
'cause my tire, my rim,
actually touches the bike
and at the side of the frame and the saddle
before the rotor even gets near to touching anything.
So in my experience it's always been fine with this bag.
I've never actually bent any rotors.
It does sort of save me a fair bit of time
than to undo those 12 bolts each time I want to fly.
(zippering bag)
There you go.
Bike bag is packed.
Got wheels, ready to roll.
Now two things to remember.
Don't stick any co2 cartridges in there.
They'll probably get picked up on the X-ray
when you take it to oversize luggage anyway
and they'll ask you to take them out.
Also at the moment, flying with ebikes is a real conundrum.
Basically the batteries are too big.
So can't do it at the moment.
Okay, two different options,
but what are the pros and cons of each?
(air whooshing)
Bike boxes are normally free.
They're the lightest option
so if you've got a heavy bike,
downhill bike or taking loads of spares,
these might be the best option.
Also they're easy to dump,
or should I say recycle,
at destination airports.
So maybe if you're going on a bike packing trip,
where you want to get to the airport,
build your bike,
dump this.
Then you can do that.
Obviously you're then going to have to find a box
for the way back.
They are just boxes.
They're not designed like bike bags
with compartments in there for putting your pedals in,
things like that.
So you've got to pack these really carefully.
And make sure things can't move around.
Plus, if they get wet
they're likely to be damaged and fall apart.
I've seen that from getting off the aircraft
into the baggage claim.
Things start falling out of bags.
So if you do get one damaged on the way,
you're going to have to go to a bike shop again
to get a new one to fly home with.
(air whooshing)
with bags, if you read the instructions carefully,
and follow the processes,
it should be really unlikely that your bike gets damaged.
Unlike bike boxes where,
hopefully this video's going to help you out,
but for me a bit of trial and error
to learn to stop your bike from getting damaged.
Bags, much more simple.
They're durable,
they're likely to last you years and years.
Also they're likely to be branded,
so the baggage handlers are more likely to realize
there's a bike in there
so hopefully they'll treat it with a bit of respect.
There's less disassembly with this.
I didn't take my mech off.
I didn't take my rotors off.
So, quicker to pack.
Also, easier to move around.
With a bike box,
you've got to use handles and lift it.
If you've got other bags that can be really difficult.
Although you can use trollies at most airports.
With this it's much easier just to pick it up at one end
and pull it with the wheels on the back.
Lastly it's got that protective cage inside
to stop things from getting squashed.
Undoubtedly they are more expensive than just getting a box,
but they are designed to last you years.
They can be bulky if you've got to store it
somewhere in your garage after.
Although this one does sort of go down,
you can strap it.
So it's nice and low.
You can chuck it up in your loft hopefully.
They can be heavy if they're overbuilt.
So bear in mind how much your bike weighs
and how much the bag weighs.
All right, there's some tips on how to fly with your bike.
It's all actually pretty easy as hopefully I've showed.
And hopefully you shouldn't be too worried
about getting your bike damaged.
Touch wood I've never had my bike damaged
other than a slight bend in the rotors
in all this traveling I've done.
And it's got me excited about going somewhere,
although that's Blake's bike I've just packed.