Traveling w/Bike

Baronman

Well-Known Member
Any road/mountain bikers here who occasionally travel with their cycle? I see there are some $3-400 hard cases that roll....Not sure about any other options...

Figure we have guys who kite-board and surf on layovers....wouldn't mind getting a ride in. Almost sure it would fit just fine in the Airbus cockpit behind my seat.
 
I had a sim partner that had a foldable bike he takes on over nights. It was the size of a 24-26” suitcase. Granted we work for a cargo company so storage space really isn’t a problem.

I have no idea what brand it is, but it looked like this Tern Link C8 Folding Bike | REI Co-op
 
Just put a roof rack on top. Or this

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I've only been playing the 121 game for a short time. In that time, I have not earned the money to A) build the ultimate travel bike and B) hold a line worth it to bring said bike. Now that I'm working at a major I'm hoping this will change in a few years.

Here is the best solution I have seen:

Folding Travel Bikes using S and S Machine Bicycle Torque Couplings™

Check out website for photos of said travel bikes.

I'd build up a hardtail mountain bike with the S&S fittings. I could geek out on geometry numbers all day but its really up to you. This is a pretty easy issue to solve as it is just throwing a bunch of money at a problem. Once the bike is built it fits into a pretty small case that would be relatively easy to get through KCM and hassle the gate agent about or just stash it in the cockpit. I fly a 737 so it wouldn't fit in there but something surely could be worked out. Airbus' are rad so it would likely fit in there.

The next part is bidding trips where you could actually go for a bike ride now and then. At my shop we have a lot of 24 hour layovers and I don't see how it wouldn't be possible to go for a ride. However, I don't know of many overnights or hotels that would be suitable for riding. I don't know our system well enough. So I'm just going to wait and see whats out there before getting a custom bike built up and possibly even delaying an upgrade just to ride bikes at work....
 
Some years back I recall reading about a C-208 pilot (135 day-freight operation - this was a while ago, like I said) who carried either a Dahon or Brompton folding bike in the plane. He'd land, take the bike, go explore wherever he was and come back. Flew in the SF bay area, as I recall, but memory is hazy. Seemed to work out for him, and struck me at the time as a neat way to live.
 
I’ve had good luck flying my mountain bike with an Airport Ninja case (The Airport Ninja Bike Travel Case). It’s about the smallest case you can reasonably get a full size mtb in (I pack my 27.5 Santa Cruz Nomad L, with much disassembly required), and offers some level of protection. You can also wear it as a backpack which helps lugging it around.
 
I’ve had good luck flying my mountain bike with an Airport Ninja case (The Airport Ninja Bike Travel Case). It’s about the smallest case you can reasonably get a full size mtb in (I pack my 27.5 Santa Cruz Nomad L, with much disassembly required), and offers some level of protection. You can also wear it as a backpack which helps lugging it around.

Cool thanks.....That's what I'm talking about. I'm not really looking to do a 40 mile ride on a fold up bike ;-) , I want to bring my own ride.
 
Not your own but...
I’ve had really good luck with bike rentals... it gets pretty pricey but if you are doing one ride a trip it can be mitigated by not spending money on airport food etc.

A few overnights I can recall for riding-

CHO- rented a 3k Full suspension and road the single track trail that circles the entire town- about 4 hours

TVC- rented a hybrid and biked 40 miles on the TART trail a local rail-trail that parallels the lake. Probably my favorite rail trail I’ve been on.


ROC- rented a ride share bike and rode to Lake Ontario on the Genesee Riverway Trail-the trail isn’t complete and easy to loose the trail. Rode some single track for a bit on the cruiser when I lost the path, bike survived.

Also there is an App called Traillink to find local riding trails, can download maps for $$ too.
 
I have a Rüster Hen House for my bike. It's two pieces: a rolling frame bag and a wheel bag. It requires removing the fork, front brake caliper, pedals, rear derailleur, and seat. It takes me about 30 minutes to break it down or build it back up. Each of the bags meet the standard luggage measurements, or at least did when I got the setup a year and a half ago. They've traveled on AA with no extra fees. Not being an airline pilot, I don't know how feasible it would be to take with to work, but I bring my road bike with me on corporate trips from time to time.

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In today’s Wall Street Journal is a story about JetBlue pilot James Chue who travels with one of his mountain bikes, a Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper 29 or a Specialized Fatboy Comp Carbon. He transports them in a $399 EVOC bike bag. A Pilot’s Best Job Perk: His Bike Flies Free

I was just gonna post about that! Saw it and thought he sounds like a total tool.

"I grunt through those last reps, I'm the guy in the gym that you glare at thinking, 'Can't you please be quiet?'"
"I sound like a bike snob, but I like fancy gear"
"...I put on techno and go into beast mode on the trails"

Must be a real joy to fly with :rolleyes:

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Brompton is a quick fold and super compact design good for touring and on road travel.

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Bike Friday has on road and off road models. It's a breakaway fold so it takes longer to pack and unpack. It has more variety on the models and materials.


Dahon is cheaper. Doesn't fold as compact, lesser components.

Hope it helps
Good luck!
 
I just can't wrap my head around dropping $9-10K on a bicycle. That's nuts. For that kind of money into a set of knobbies it'd better have a ripping 2T and electric start.
 
I just can't wrap my head around dropping $9-10K on a bicycle. That's nuts. For that kind of money into a set of knobbies it'd better have a ripping 2T and electric start.
Our 3 year old Nissan Leaf electric car was $8200 out the door. Now a bike costing more than a car is just cray cray
 
Not that it matters on something that slow, but there's gotta be some influence on the characteristics of the air entering the pitot tube.

Yes, but the kit manufacturer designed it to carry bicycles in that manner so whatever influence there is has been planned. My wife saw a MR at AirVenture last week and asked if we could build one.
 
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