cycling Tips

How to Fly with your Bike the Cheap and Easy Method

When flying, getting along with your bike can be a hassle and probably even a nightmare. The internet is loaded with horror stories of damaged and lost bikes or malicious or uncaring luggage handlers. The truth is you can move with your bike to whatever location around the globe so easily that you will wonder what makes people both professional cyclists and common individuals find it so hard to move with their bikes. That is why this article will show you exactly how to fly with your bike the cheap and easy method.

When you look at or hear stories of professional bike riders, you may think they live the dream because they travel all over the world for cycling in amazing locations. However, it's not all sunshine. If you have ever flown with your bike for a holiday, you have no doubt had firsthand experience of the nightmare that at times transpires at the checking desk. Perhaps you even saw dollar signs appearing in the eyes of the clerks even before it was your turn to have your baggage checked. So you may be asking yourself, "isn't there a cheap and easy method of flying with my bike?" The answer is yes. That is what I'm going to show you right now.

Have your bike packed in a plastic bag

How and this seems to offer very little to no protection to your bike? Why not use a bike bag or more preferably a cardboard box and it's so inexpensive? At first, you can be skeptical and honestly you may not use that at all because it feels like you are stepping off a cliff. The truth is when your bike is packed in a clear plastic bag, it will be handled much more carefully than when it's packed in a bike bag or cardboard box. Why this method cheap and easy?

  1. Plastic bags are simple. Packing your bike in a plastic bag doesn't require you to go for training. If you don't know any plastic bag you can use to pack your bike; you can check out the CTC plastic Bike Bags. These are particularly designed for bikes, and are reusable which an added advantage is. Instead of purchasing the plastic bike bag, you can also opt to make yours and use it. Whatever option you go for, you will still have used a plastic bag at the end. When packing, you only need to slide your bike into the plastic bag, hold the top, fold it down and tap it and you are done.
  2. A plastic bag doesn't consume a lot of time. If you want to fly with a bike the cheap and easy method, then you wouldn’t want a bike bag that will consume a lot of time and actually if a bag does consume a lot of time to pack your bike, then it's not a cheap and easy method of flying with your bike. The plastic bike bag will take at most 15 minutes when packing and unpacking.
  3. They are cheap. If it's flying with your bike the cheap and easy way, your bike bag shouldn't be expensive. A CTC plastic bike bag retails for about $13.50.If you make your own, the amount will be less. When you have spent time looking for the Best budget mountain bike to travel with, you need a bike bag that is not so costly to pack your bike.
  4. More care to your bike. First, when baggage handlers see it's a bike, they are likely to handle the luggage with much care. Second, the shape of the bike when it's in a plastic bag makes it hard to be stacked underneath other baggage in the storage area.

Packing your bike

When you use plastic bike bags to pack your bike, it only requires basic disassembling. First, make sure to check with your airline because different carriers have different regulations. The majority of the airlines accepts plastic bike bags and only requiresthe pedals to be removed, tires to be deflated partially and the handle bar to be turned parallel. In addition to that add extra padding to the bikes front derailleur, remove the back derailleur from the bike's frame, lower the saddle and make sure the front wheel is secured from flopping about.

Will your Bike reach the other end safely?

The baggage handlers at the airport are human after all. If they see it a bike in the bag, they have a likelihood of treating it with respect. Instead of dropping and tossing unknown cardboard box and placing hundreds of pounds of luggage on top of it, they will handle the plastic bag with care.

To fly with a bike the cheap and easy method will also mean you don't have to spend huge amounts on a bike. You can check out one great bike here , and you will be ready to go and explore the world just like those professional cyclists without any hassle.