'Tis The Season ... To Travel With Your Bike
The holidays upon us and annual family pilgrimages are inked in calendars. Whether you’re traveling by car or by plane, if your destination’s weather permits, there’s really no reason to leave your bike at home. Here are some or our tried and true travel tips & solutions to best bring your bike bestie along.
First, get yourself an Orucase Airport Ninja case. This amazing case is compact and can be worn as a backpack. It's hard to look 'cool' fumbling with a monster bike case...ninja'ing with it on your back is so much stealthier. While it’s design makes it much easier to carry around, it falls under the airline oversized luggage limit, which means ‘free of extra charges’ (just don’t tell them it’s a bike, say, in total seriousness, ‘pilates equipment’ for example and your GTG).
Second, use Send My Bag to ship your gear. Reliable, fast, and convenient. It’s no joke that airlines are charging for every. little. thing. so sending your gear, even a bike, from your door to your in-laws/family reunion/beach resort holiday festivities is a great way to streamline your travels. Sending your gear is also an excellent way to save space in the car and avert the ‘it doesn’t fit, it stays’ directives that may come your way. Use our link for a discount on your shipment. Go ahead and bookmark it so you have for future use. This option is fantastic for travel - of any kind.
Lastly, some quick packing hacks we use to minimize space and secure ‘all the things’. May not be revolutionary, but while we are on the topic, we thought we’d share.
Allow plenty of time to pack; a rushed packing job means items get left behind or worse, lost.
When disassembling your bike, keep track of what tools you use. Leave them off to the side, don’t put back in your toolbox.
Place all small parts into a clear ziplock bag and zip-tie to your frame or wheel. This makes it each and convenient and ensure it won’t get lost when TSA opens and searches your bag.
For soft cases, it’s a good idea to zip-tie pipe insulation foam on frame.
Let air out of tires…but you know this already.
Shoes, pedals, helmet and a kit should be packed in your carry on. This way you will be able to jump on a substitute bike should your bike or luggage be delayed.
For more tips and ideas on savvy travel with a bike, see our BLOG and BICI ITALIA RECOMMENDS page. For travel assistance, contact ROAM VOYAGE.
Have your own tips to share? Put them in the comments!