Last winters fly by guide published in What Mountain Bike.
The days are darkening, the trails are drenched, and the cost of travelling is at an all time low. What better excuse to pack up your bike and head for a pastures new? Steve Thomas gives us the insiders perspective on travelling with your bike.
Okay, so maybe its kinda becoming a clich, but its true; there really never has been a better time to travel! The September 11th situation along with the on-going crisis have clubbed together to scare the hell out of the worlds not so seasoned travellers, thus hurling the travel industry in to financial chaos. Now for sure this is sad, but for you and I, Joe public, the ticket buyers and potential travellers this is like the greatest clearance sale theres ever been. Ticket prices, rental costs, hotel rates, they're all crumbling. Crazy, this really is the time to take advantage of things and to get yourself and your bike out there and see the World, or simply grab a few well earned rays of easy trails and sunshine. Then again, it doesnt even need to go that far; maybe you just have a couple of days to spare and fancy a budget weekend away in the Highlands? Once again, what better time to do it? Foot and mouth has given the whole British tourism industry an unsightly kick in the teeth this year, which combined with the afore mentioned situation is working well towards keeping foreign visitors and their dollars way from providers bank accounts. So go forth and take advantage of these bargain deals while theyre there, because its pretty damn certain that once all this lots cleared up everyone will be wanting to make up for lost time. Inevitably this will mean increasing prices.
Speaking as a well-seasoned traveller, it always amazes me at peoples pre-conceptions and fears when it comes to travelling with their bikes. Some of the rumours that must get around, and the odd horror story, which gets blown out of all proportion, seem to have an incredible deterrent effect on people. Yet, with some 30 odd flights, numerous train journeys, a couple of coach trips, and two million (seemingly) trans-Europe car miles beneath me already this year I really can tell you that travelling with your bike is simply not a problem. The world is out there, and its finest trails are just begging to be ridden, be they the Dales or Moabs Slickrock Trail theyre waiting for you, so please read on and go for it!
Official
policy
Easyjet www.easyjet.com Bikes are included within the 20kg baggage allowance. Excess charges @ B#2.90 per Kilo. Must be bagged/boxed, or simply have pedals removed and tyres deflated. Ryanair; www.ryanair.com A charge of B#15 per one way flight will be levied. Must be bagged/boxed, or have pedals removed and tyres deflated. GO; www.go-fly.com Return charge of B#20 per bike is made. Must be bagged/boxed, or simply have pedals removed and tyres deflated. Monarch Crown; www.fly-crown.com - No charge within 20kg weight limit. Excess weight charged at B#2 per kilo. Must be bagged/boxed, or have pedals removed and tyres deflated. British Airways; 0845 7733377 Complicated! Dependent on how long the journey is determines the excess. This ranges from B#7 per kilo in Europe to B#45 per excess kilo to the Far East. Baggage allowances also differ with destinations. To the US bikes come within 2 x 32kg baggage allowance. If extra to this a B#50 each way charge is made. Bikes to be bagged/boxed. Delta Airlines; 0800 414767 - $75 per round trip bike charge. Bikes to be bagged or boxed. Northwest/KLM Airlines; 0870 5561000 Transatlantic bike charge $80 each way. Costs vary dependent on destination. Must be boxed/bagged. Boxed available for $50 plus tax from Gatwick Airport. Emirates; www.emirates.com Bikes charged as excess baggage, most destinations charged at B#35 per kilo excess! Must be bagged/boxed, or cheaper still forget the bike! Eurostar; www.eaurstar.com b Bikes must be disassembled and bagged, in which case they can be carried free of charge as hand luggage. Otherwise must be shipped separately as freight at B#25 each way. National Express; 0870 5808080 Only carried if disassembled and bagged, in which case they go free. Virgin Trains; 0854 7484950 3/6 bikes allowed per train. A charge of B#3 per ticket is made, advance booking advised. ** There are some 27 different train companies, all have different policies, check with the number above before travelling. ** Only certain London Underground lines permit bikes on board. Leaflets available from rail and tube stations.
The unofficial word
Know exactly where you stand before you travel. At the airport watch passengers in front of you, and look for sympathetic check in clerks. Ultimately the decision on whether or not to charge you for your bike will rest with the clerk, so dependent on what kind of a day theyre having you will often not be charged. If extortionate amounts are mentioned do at all cos ts argue, and seek higher intervention!
Fly drive?
Okay, its springtime and those alpine trails are just yelling out for you to go ride. So, what should you do? Fly and hire a car for the week; Cost approximately B#100 for the flight and B#180 for a weeks car hire. For a group of 3 thats around B#160 pp transport cost. + Easy, fast and painless. - Restrictive on baggage and gear. Take the train or a coach maybe; this should cost around B#125 return to Geneva. + Flexible and economic for the solo traveller. - Could be a long trek, unless you Eurostar and the TGV. Drive there; From London to Chamonix will cost you around B#330 for a car and 3 passengers, or B#110 pp each for the journey. + Can take all your gear, and be more flexible. Works out economical for a group. - Its a long and tiring trip, and will leave you knackered for a day either side not ideal for a short trip.
Budget bike packing
For most European flights you really do not need to shell out on expensive packing options, especially if you have nowhere to store bags/boxes at the other end. Simply remove your pedals, bottle, pump etc, turn the bars sideways, drop your saddle, slightly deflate your tyres then bubble wrap your bars, saddle and main frame tubes. This way the bike can be wheeled, which makes it less prone to the handlers hurl. For long haul flights you can scrounge a box from your friendly local bike shop. Most will be glad to get ride of them, though some may charge you a B#5 for the privilege of carting away their rubbish.
Bike travel horror stories
Steve T, Wales; I couldnt believe it, after not being charged a bean on the outbound trip to KL, Emirates then stung me for around B#350 in excess baggage for my bike. I negotiated this down to around B#250, then was charged again on the connecting flight. To add insult to injury I could have upgraded to business class for less, and got double the baggage allowance but there were no seats available. Miguel M, France; Olympic Champ Mig turned up at the last world championships in search of yet another rainbow jersey. Unfortunately his bike and gear didnt show, and he was forced to ride in to the lower rankings on a borrowed bike. GB MTB team; a few years back the GB mountain bike team manger took advantage of the unlimited baggage allowance allotted to first class passengers to take the teams 46 bikes along to the US with him. Mario, Germany; Leaving Berlin airport for a cycling holiday in Britain Mario sprung from the airport lift with just his hand luggage. Turning around for his bike and bags the doors promptly closed. His bike and gear did not re-appear for 2 weeks, by which time he had returned from the tour, on a borrowed bike. Steve, Shropshire; Crossing from France to Spain by means of a dilapidated steam train Steve lost his bike. Leaving the train the following morning he sited it tied to the front of the engine, thus they were re-united.
Top tips
Be sure your baby is well insured before you go. Many household policies have excellent options. Check out your personal accident insurance before travelling. Some exclude mountain biking, and most exclude any form of competition. Scour your bike for damage before clearing customs. If it is damaged you must get this acknowledged by ground staff in order to lodge a claim. When packing avoid completely deflating tyres. This can lead to rim, tube and tyre damage. To keep your frame and forks from getting squashed get hold of some plastic fork spacers from your local shop. These come as standard packaging for most new bikes. Keep it simple as far as your bike goes. Technical spares are not commonplace in the depths of the Amazon, and fixing hydraulic brakes is not easy in a hotel room in Bangkok. When packing your bike try to avoid over doing things. If you damage something or strip a thread your whole trip could be ruined. A small stash of zip ties and a couple of toe straps can fix most things in an emergency, so be sure to travel with some. Bright and flashy bikes are magnets to thieves, especially those who dont normally see such beauties. If you have a flashy bike leave it dirty while travelling, itll help keep it safe. Never travel without back up in the essential department; cleats, cables, chain and pump are all things that if broken will write off an entire trip.
