Conference noted::bicycle

    
    Try a NOTES>DIR/TITLE="AIRLINE" or something like that.
    
    Where are you flying from (the Greater Maynard Area?)?
    
    USAir is up to $30 each way for bikes.  They provide boxes, but
    call ahead.  This is pretty typical of airlines.  Again, check with
    yours.  Other notes have given lots of hints - if you don't find any,
    just yell.  One hint: pack the bike yourself, and pad everything
    against everything else (especially loose bits).
    
    My experiences with the airlines over the last few years have been
    pretty positive in terms of bike-care and absence of damage (alas,
    not in terms of price...).
    
    -john

    	Note:
    	United is up to $45 bucks now...
    
    	Several carriers upped their fee just this past summer.
    	Citing increased expenses, of course. Most likely, they've
    	realized the replacement cost of a bike is skyrocketing.
    	They're probably scared of replacing Merlin or Litespeed
    	titanium framesets, loaded with 50th anniversary campy gruppos...
    	(Not to mention sentimental value)
    
    	Also, try to obtain the latest issue of Bicycle Guide magazine.
    	The recent issue contains 50% off coupons for Air travel. (Again)
    	I think the coupons were valid for USair domestic flights.
    
    	Pack your bike well, the baggage handlers do NOT pay any attention
    	to ANY fragile stickers, or handling directions on your bike box.
    	I flew to Iowa this year, the box specifically stated "Fragile -
    	store upright, do not lay flat!".
    
    	When I got to Des Moines, the handlers unloaded the bike boxes,
    	in one big pile. There were six bikes stacked on top of eachother,
    	all laying flat. Gee, t'anks guys...
    
    	My front wheel was a little warped, but the bike was o.k.
    
    	The airlines raised their fee through the roof, and then the @#$%*!
    	baggage handlers ignored any warning signs placed on the box itself.
    
    	Be forewarned...

    
    
    The last reply reminds me of when I worked for UPS in my college
    days... just about EVERY box that comes through is marked "FRAGILE". 
    Shippers would mark 70lb. boxes of nails "FRAGILE". I handled about
    6000 boxes every night labeled "FRAGILE"! The average package
    handler (and presumably baggage handler) pretty much becomes
    desensitized to the word FRAGILE. That's no excuse for not obeying the 
    "Do not lay flat" and "This end up" directions on the box, but I can 
    assure you that they pay no attention to "FRAGILE". I have never
    shipped a bicycle, but I can only hope that the fee for shipping a bike
    covers insurance on the bike.  
    
    Doug
    

    
    The fee for the airline's checking the bike as baggage includes
    replacement value up to a limit if the bike is lost or completely
    destroyed - nothing in case of damage.  Beware.
    
    The $45 United charges is at the high end of current fees; USAir's
    $30 is moderate for the times (though both are really unconscionable,
    given space available).
    
    I've had more luck against bike damage since adopting a soft-shelled
    bike bag (my brand is Rhode Gear) - a hard shell would work, too,
    of course - the contents are padded; the frame is bolted down; and
    parts do not sling around against each other, as can happen with
    airline bike boxes.  Also... rain won't disintegrate the bag, as
    it can a box (and does - this has happened to me, and happened
    to my friend Pat's box going to Paris - the plane may be watertight,
    but the baggage-loading conveyor belt is not).
    
    -john

	When Mark and I brought our bikes to Germany in '88 there was no
	extra charge for our bikes.  The airline allowed 2 pieces of check
	in luggage and one piece of carry on per person.  For one of our 
	check in pieces we each crammed three panniers into *huge* LL Bean 
	duffle bags.  For the second piece of check in luggage we had our
	bikes which we packed into bike boxes ourselves.

	Mark got the cardboard bike boxes from his local bike shop.  We 
	took off the pedals and front wheels, turned the handlebars, and
	stuffed the bikes into the boxes.  Actually, my bike was too long to
	fit into one box so we fashioned a longer box out of two.  We also
	put our helmets, shoes, sleeping bags, tent, and Therma Rests into
	the bike boxes to privide some padding.  Taped it all up, dragged
	it into the airport, and checked it in, no problem.  No extra fees
	which was amazing, especially considering how humungous our duffle
	bags were.  You should have seen us at Logan with duffle bags slung
	over our shoulders, dragging to the ground, another pannier on a
	strap over the other shoulder, and carrying huge bike boxes.

	Everything made it to Germany fine.  We were able to store our boxes
	over there to repack for the return flight.  Again, the bikes arrived
	fine.  Certainly, cardboard boxes aren't the most *sturdy* containers
	for your bike, but you can't beat the price (free).

	Sue

    
       What are the options of renting bikes in Santa Clara area? as .0 
       indicated they are going for only 10 days. Isn't all this too much
       work for ten days?                    

    re .5,
    
    	When I flew (United, I think) from Chicago to Burlington VT, the bike
    box was not free... it was $30 each way (at the time) for shipping plus
    $10 for the box, which I re-used for the return trip.
    
    larry

    
    We took a tandem on several trips with no problems.  I armored the
    inside of the box with thin pegboard, and taped pipe insulation (the
    dark gray stuff, semi-rigid, with a split to get it on) on each tube.
    Wrote "Racing Bicycle" on the side of the box.  The box got dinged, but
    the bike was fine.
    
    The biggest problem we had was storing the box and all that packing
    material on the other end each time.
    
    Will Monin
    Seattle

    The absolute best way is to get a bike bag.  If two of you are going,
    rent a double.  You can put in two bikes and a lot of junk and only pay
    for one airline fee.  Several shops west of Boston will rent you a
    double - I know that Wheels of Wellesley and Frank's (Framingham) have
    them.  The money you save on the second airline fee will probably pay
    the rental charge.  
    
    One caution on taking bikes with you.  If you are taking a bus from the
    airport you may have a problem.  They want to pack passengers and may
    only take "large luggage" at a fee or may want a "special" van.  We ran
    into this problem in Seattle last year at the Track Nationals.  If you
    rent a car, sub-compacts will not hold a double bike bag.
    
    The domestic airlines all charge a fee each way.  United is the highest
    at $45 and American is lowest at $25.  When they take a bike you sign a
    damage waiver that relieves them of liability for handlers kicking the 
    XXXX out of the box.  DON'T go to the airport and have them pack it! 
    You can get boxes from a shop.  Generally remove pedals, seat, bars and
    front wheel.  Ask the shop for a spacer for the forks since they are
    most frequently damaged.  Pack it and put your name everywhere.  Most
    shops will pack bikes for you for about $15 each.
    
    Most international airlines go by the two bag rule and do not charge
    for a bike as a second piece of luggage.  Many do, however, check the
    total weight which used to be around 50kg.  Every country and airline
    is different depending on the carrier agreements.  You can take a bike
    free to Barbados but not Trinidad.  Best thing to do is call and ask
    lots of questions.
    
    SOME DIFFERENT OPTIONS.  If you are visiting someone with an address,
    give the bike to a local shop and have them ship it UPS.  This is by
    far the easiest and not any more expensive.  Anyone going to the OTC in
    Colorado Springs should ALWAYS use this option. 
    
    If you take two bikes, pack them, tape both boxes together and mark one
    BIKE and the other BIKE PARTS.  When you get to the airport, try to
    think of the rudest, most unreasonable person you know. Use them as a role
    model.  Then tell the person at the counter that it is only one bike and
    spare parts -  be rude or it won't work.  Remember intellegence
    and logic are not requirements for flying.  The best part of this
    option is that it takes two handlers to damage your bikes rather than
    one.
    
    The best one I've heard of is what Paul Curley and the IME Bolla team
    claim they get away with.  They get boxes which aren't marked with bike
    logos.   They mark "WHEELCHAIR PARTS" on the outside of the box and
    claim that they are not bicycles when they get to the airport. Airlines
    don't charge for ski bags, snowboards, surfboards and lots more big stuff.
    I've  never tried this but, it is soo far out that it may work.
    
    Good Luck,
    
    Mark
    

Flying London-Geneva in February, I took my bike no charge (but wait...).
I packed it in a bike box I got from a cycle shop, and it made the trip no
problem. Apart from a swingeing excess weight charge! The bike box plus my
other luggage came to about 35-40 Kg, well above the nominal limit of 20Kg.
In fact I was only charged for Kilos in excess of 30Kg, but it still cost 
quite a bit, about �40.


Rod

    I flew Sydney, San Francisco, London this year. I stripped the bike,
    put all the heavy bits in my hand luggage and the rest in a big
    cardboard box. But was still way overweight. They didn't charge extra
    in Aus but did in SF (I bought about 40 CDs there which didn't help too
    much!), but it wasn't too expensive. No damage to the bike and
    great fun watching all your Shimano go through the x-ray machine.

    Phil
    
    (who is not looking forward to May when I've got to take two bikes,
    various personal belongings and a pregnant wife to Brazil)
    
                                                              

    Especially, be ready with quick answers, you know the kind you get
    in a notes file.  Things like "20 pounds" and "He said he wasn't
    sure you had to charge me"  have saved me a lot of money.
    
    ed
    

    I have done a few things when I travelled with my bike.
    
    1. Removed the rear derailleur and tied it to the reard wheel.
    
    2. Put wood reinforcements at appropriate places in the box.
    
    3. Removed the front brake to turn the front fork around completely.
    
    4. I hand carried the front wheel, it is then hand placed as carry-on
    luggage.  
    
    5. Packed my panniers, on the way back only, in the box.  A great
    box reinforcer.
    
    steve

    The first  rule  is  that there are no rules. Each airline has its
    own  rules,  and  most employees don't know what the rules are, so
    don't expect consistency.

    On most overseas flights to or from the US, the bike travels free,
    and  counts  as  one  of your two pieces of luggage. A tandem will
    usually  count  as  two pieces of luggage, but that depends on the
    airline.

    On flights  within  the US, almost all carriers now charge for the
    bike. Charges range from $25 to $45 (American). Some airlines will
    provide  a  bag  or  a box, often at extra charge. American offers
    you  a  choice,  bag  for $10, box for $15. Incidentally, they now
    charge  for  any  oversize  luggage,  and  had  prices posted. The
    charges were for things which were heavy, large, or both.

    One way  to  avoid  this charge is to join US amateur. They charge
    $75/year  ($50/year  if  you join through LAW). They then give you
    discounts  on  airfare with some airlines, and free transportation
    for  the  bike.  I  know Delta honors this. I don't know much more
    about  them,  as I've never dealt with them, but one person I know
    says that it worked fine.

    If you   take   a   flight  within  the  US  to  connect  with  an
    international  flight,  and buy your ticket for the whole thing at
    once, the domestic carrier will follow the international carrier's
    rules.

    When we  took  our bike to New Zealand, it was handed to us upside
    down 3 out of 4 times. The fourth time it was on its side, despite
    labels  and  arrows asking that it be kept on its edge. One of the
    four  flights  banged  up  the box pretty badly, the others did no
    noticeable damage.

    One trick  for  reinforcing  a  bike  box  is  to  take  pieces of
    cardboard  and roll them so the corrugations go parrallel with the
    axis  of the cylinder. Use those as struts to prevent the box from
    compressing   at   delicate   points  of  the  bike  --  dropouts,
    derailleurs, etc.

--David

I saw the ad for US Amateur in Cycling madazine a few weeks before going to 
Oregon for the Duet Classic.  They were running some kind of introductory offer
for $19.95.  I asked them to rush the coupons (2 provided) and was able to use
them for shipping the tandem back and forth.  U.S. Amateur allows free bicycle 
transportation and discount fare on DELTA and CONTINENTAL flights ONLY.  PLUS 
you are restricted to use them only on certain flights where the destination
and time coincides with a USCF/NORBA sanctioned event.  So a holiday trip to 
California in December may not work.

The tandem was in a softshell tandem carrier (looks like a black single 
mattress on wheels).  The baggage handler was taken aback for a second but 
because it was properly packed and easy to handle, no fuss was generated.  You
sure get noticed moving it around an airport though.

To protect the tubes, I bought some cheap pipe insulation and cut them to fit.

Eric

    You must be able to find a USCF/NORBA event in Cal in December!
    Probably not a tandem event but how closely do they check?
    
    ed

    I think  the  ads say to any race or training event. All my riding
    is training.  I just haven't decided what I'm training for.

    Do they  actually check if there is an event that you're going to?

--David

I haven't read the fine print but I believe that some arm of the USCF/NORBA 
sends a list of events.  But when you think about it, there has to be a window
for travel so I'm sure that chances are good.  I have only used the bicycle
"luggage" feature so I don't know about the flight discount.  They may ask when 
you are making  reservations.  We already had bought our tickets and just showed
up at the airport.  

BTW The $19.95 investment saved us $70.00 in bike shipping charges.

Eric

    Since they  also  advertise  in Bicycle USA (LAW's publication), I
    would  assume  that  USAmateur is useful to non-racers, as Bicycle
    USA is mainly for non-racers.

--David

    
    It looks like nobody thought of the cheapest way to transport your
    bike by air - get elected to Congress!
    
    
    From TIME April 6, 1992 page 15.
    
    THEY RENT BICYCLES, DON'T THEY?
    
    There's something about tenure on Capitol Hill that seems to turn even
    simple recreational pursuits into tax-subsidized boondoggles.  When
    House Speaker TOM FOLEY attended a U.S.-British meeting last summer, he
    decided to take time for a bit of cycling in the English countryside. 
    Fine. But he wanted to ride his own bicycle, so the Air Force had to
    pick up Speaker and Mrs. Foley's cycles at their home and deliver them
    to Andrews Air Force Base for the flight.  Once in Britain, an Air
    Force van trundled the bikes to the chosen area and hung around while
    the Foleys biked.  Estimated cost to the taxpayers: at least $500.
    Grumps an Air Force source:"Doesn't he know they rent bikes in
    England?"

    yeah, and he coulda sliped that onto the expense account and we woulda
    still saved money....
    
    :-( today