Back when my partner, Keith, and I were getting married, we were itching for an exotic honeymoon destination. Fiji. Turks & Caicos. Phuket.
But, we’re not a couple who can spend a week sunning ourselves on a sandy beach while sipping fruity alcoholic drinks. We’re more the athletic, outdoorsy types.
So our version of tropical paradise turned out to be a honeymoon in the U.S. Virgin Islands – where we would both compete in the St. Croix Half Ironman (ah, the magic of a 1.2-mile ocean swim, 56-mile bike ride, and 13.1-mile run on an island).
I still have some fond memories of that endurance race, but the one detail that nearly ruined it for me was the hassle of getting our triathlon bikes to this tiny Caribbean island. I swear it cost us and arm to get them to St. Croix.
But that was only the half the problem.
Our large, hard-shelled bike cases were exceptionally difficult to maneuver. Trying to cram, not one, but two bike cases into the back of our SUV before heading to the airport was like playing an expert-level game of Tetris.
And just to increase our stress level another notch, the bikes didn’t arrive on the same small airplane we flew in on. They got bumped to a later flight. So we spent our first night on the island making multiple phone calls to the airline trying to locate them. And stressing over whether we’d be able to compete in the race. Then we had to take an extra trip back out to the airport – the following day – to eventually get reunited with our delayed bicycles.
By the end of the ordeal, I was holding my head in my hands vowing, “Never again!” to bike travel.
Fast forward nearly two decades. And I now had my heart set on another bike-related trip — this time on the 335-mile C&O Canal Towpath and Great Allegheny Passage.
Could my desire for this bikepacking adventure override the miserable memories of the past? And would it be any easier to travel with my bike this time around?
Travel OPTIONS
Unfortunately, it didn’t take long to discover that traveling with a bike hadn’t evolved much. There were still just three ways to get my bike out to my destination:
- Option 1: Drive my bike out to the trail
- Option 2: Ship my bike using a commercial carrier (UPS, FedEx, etc)
- Option 3: Fly with my bike on the airline as checked baggage
Driving nearly 6,000 miles (roundtrip) for my bikepacking adventure wasn’t really an option though. Even before gas prices soared above $5.00 per gallon this summer. The length of time it would take me to drive to the East Coast and return to Oregon would turn my simple 10-day bike ride into a 3+ week travel odyssey. Nope. That plan was a non-starter.
Eliminating the first option meant resigning myself to the inevitable. I’d need to turn my bike over to strangers and let them get it there for me. But, what if my bike was delayed again? Or damaged in transit? Or lost entirely? And which travel option was cheaper, safer, or less stressful – shipping it or flying?
The more I debated over the merits of each path, the more indecisive I became. And so, just to see what would happen, I decided to try both alternatives out on this summer trip. I shipped my bike out to Washington, D.C. using a shipping service called Bikeflights, and then I flew home from Pittsburgh with my bike as checked baggage on Alaska Airlines.
If you’re trying to decide which travel option to choose for your own upcoming bikepacking trip, here’s an overview of the pros and cons of each method, along with the valuable lessons I learned from this unique travel experience.
Shipping your bike
PROS
- You don’t have to wait until the last minute. Getting the task done ahead of time is one of the biggest perks of shipping your bike to your destination. You have one less thing to worry about on your actual travel day. Plus, if you’ve ever mailed a package, then you’re already familiar with how the process works. I used a bike shipping service, so the only information I needed was: (a) my pick-up location, (b) my delivery location, and (c) the dimensions and weight of my shipping box. Then voilà – I knew I’d need five business days for my bike to get from the West Coast to the East Coast via ground shipping (which was the slowest, but cheapest option).
- More packing choices. When you ship your bike, you have several packing options. If you want something super durable, you can pack your bike into the same type of commercial hard- or soft-shell travel case you’d use for flying. But, you can also ship it like any other fragile package. Just disassemble your bike, wrap the parts in lots of bubble wrap, and slide it into a sturdy cardboard bike box (which you can often get for free from your local bike shop). Or, if you want a safe middle ground, there’s the option of purchasing a reusable cardboard packing box designed just for bike shipments.
- You can send it virtually anywhere. When you ship your bike, you have the luxury of deciding exactly where you want it to be picked up and and delivered (i.e., your home, a hotel at your destination, a bike shop, or with a trusted friend). However, you’ll definitely need to ensure someone is available to receive your bike if it arrives at your destination before you do. I had my bike delivered to a local bike shop and coordinated for them to unpack and reassemble my bike, and then give it a once over – just in case something was damaged or knocked loose in transit.
- Multiple carrier options. If you opt to ship your bike, you can select a company who’s sole purpose is arranging bike transportation (like Bikeflights or ShipBikes), or you can go directly to carriers (UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.) to price out the options in your area. I opted to use Bikeflights for the outbound leg of my trip. Their webpage was user-friendly and it included an online tool to find local bike shops who participate in their bike shipping program. Once I paid for the shipping service, I just selected the date when my bike box would be picked up and printed out my UPS shipping labels. It was super easy and hassle-free.
- Travel light through the airport (and beyond). Shipping your bike ahead of time also means you won’t have to worry about transporting an unwieldy bike box to/from the airport. This was really important to me, because – in my quest to find a reasonably priced ticket to the East Coast – I chose to a red-eye flight into Philadelphia that was $180 cheaper than flying into Washington, D.C. But using an alternate airport also meant taking three extra layers of ground travel upon my arrival, including a 20-minute ride on the SEPTA (subway) into downtown Philadelphia, a 2-hour train ride on Amtrak between Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and then another short trip on the DC Metro (subway) to my final destination in our nation’s capital. It would have been impossibly difficult to navigate that same gauntlet with a bike box in tow.
- Insurance on your bike. Replacing a lost or damaged bike can be incredibly expensive. But the airlines don’t really care about that fact. They primarily focus on reimbursing passengers for the costs of mishandled suitcases, and the Department of Transportation caps the airlines’ liability at a maximum of $3,800. Conversely, when you shipping your bike, you can purchase the exact amount of protection needed to offset the potential risks. This premium is added directly to your shipping cost, and your insurance options range from $0 to $20,000 in coverage when using BikeFlights, and up to $50,000 in coverage if you book directly with one of the carriers.
- Tracking your bike. When you check your luggage with the airline, most of us have no clue when we’ll see it again until that exact moment when it comes down the conveyor belt at the airport’s baggage claim. However, shipping your bike eliminates some of that stress. You receive a dedicated tracking number, and it will get scanned by the carrier at different stations along the way. You can check on its status throughout the shipping process, and you’ll have confirmation when it is ultimately delivered to its destination. Plus, this tracking won’t cost you a dime out-of-pocket.
- You can pack some extras. Most airlines categorize anything over 50 pounds as “overweight baggage” and they charge a hefty premium to ensure you stay under that weight limit. But, your weight isn’t nearly as significant of an issue if you’re shipping your bike. Thus, you can pack your helmet, tools, CO2 cartridges, or other extra items you might need at your destination inside the bike box rather than trying to figure out how cram it into your luggage.
CONS
- It might impact your lifestyle. Shipping your bike in advance of your travel may cause some collateral problems. This is especially true if you use you bike commute or as use your bike as your primary form of transportation. Before deciding whether to ship your bike, you’ll need to determine whether you can comfortably survive without your bike for days (or even weeks). If not, you might want to fly with your bike instead.
- Not always great option for overseas travel. Shipping your bike internationally can be a major headache when compared to flying with it overseas. You may end up paying exorbitant shipping fees or have to worry about the foreign government attempting to levy import taxes on your bike. To alleviate some of this headache, it’s best to include additional documentation inside your shipping box – including a copy of your passport and visa (showing you’re not a resident), your flight itinerary, an itemized list and description of all the disassembled bike parts, and your race registration – if you’re traveling for an event.
FlyING with your bike
PROS
- Same day delivery. Checking your bike as baggage on your flight is usually the fastest way to get it between locations. If all goes well, your bike will be waiting for you when you arrive at your destination airport. However, it’s important to note that the airline may still involuntarily separate you from your bike during the travel process, especially when your air travel includes small aircraft with limited cargo space or weight capacity. This means you make be taking a second trip to the airport if your bike arrives on a later flight.
- It’s logistically easy. Flying with your bike streamlines the overall process. You check your bike in for your flight at the airport, and then you retrieve it from the baggage claim once you arrive at your destination. Overall, the simplicity of the process can eliminate a ton of stress (if everything goes as planned).
- Best overseas option. If you’re heading overseas, flying with your bike with it makes the most sense in terms of time, money, and logistics. Foreign airports are already accustomed to cyclists flying their bikes in for racing events and bike touring. And, if you have a tourist visa and return ticket, there’s rarely any confusion over what to you’re doing. Just tell the customs officials your bike is a “temporary import for personal use,” and then you’ll be on your way.
CONS
- Purchasing an expensive bike travel case. When flying, your bike will have to work its way through the inner bowels of the airport baggage system on conveyor belts or carts, where it will get undoubtedly bumped, shoved, and treated like every other suitcase that the baggage handlers are tossing around. A cardboard box may not be sufficient to cushion those blows, and you’ll likely want to purchase a hard- or soft-shelled case for your bike. Most decent bike cases will cost you between $500-$800, and will take some lead time to order. But, this may be a good investment if you travel with you bike frequently.
- Travel cases are unwieldy. Most durable, hard-sided cases are the size of a big screen TV box and they’re pretty heavy when fully loaded. And even if you have the ability maneuver it without an a second person assisting, you’ll still need to figure out how you’re going to get this behemoth to and from the airport. Bike cases often require use of a pickup truck or a SUV with large cargo area. Forget about trying to travel with it on the subway, bus, or in a small rental car.
- Baggage fees. Flying with your bike might be the faster solution, but it’s rarely the cheapest one. Most airlines also have policies that exclude bikes from their normal checked baggage fees (Alaska Airlines is a notable exception to this rule). There’s also no common airline industry standard either, which results in highly variable fees. You could end up paying a regular baggage charge, an oversized (and/or overweight) charge, and sometimes even a special bike fee. These additional costs can range from $30 up to $400, depending on the airline and destination. Check out this table to see the various airline baggage fees.
- Storing your travel case If you are traveling with your bike for a single event and staying in the single hotel (like we did with our race in St. Croix), then storing your bike travel case during your trip probably isn’t an issue. However, if you are planning to do an extended bike tour, then you’ll need to figure out how you are going to store your travel case (or ship it to your final destination) so you’ll have it on hand to fly your bike back home again. Unfortunately, this solution will probably cost extra money too.
- Your travel itinerary may need to expand. Many of us pick our flights based on their duration. I prefer non-stop flights or short layovers because I want to minimize my travel time and maximize my time at my destination. However, short layovers (<1 hour) are a recipe for disaster when it comes to oversized baggage like a bike. And there’s a good chance your bike might not make the connection and end up on a later flight that you. If that situation occurs, it can be incredibly frustrating – especially if you’re headed to a destination that only gets 1-2 flights a day. A travel mishap can delay your entire cycling adventure, so it’s wise to consider flights with ample layover time or to build in extra days into your travel plan.
Lessons Learned
As I mentioned above, I ultimately decided to ship my bike out to the East Coast with BikeFlights. And then I flew back home with my bike is as checked baggage on Alaska Airlines. So what did I learn from this recent bike travel experience?
- Bike shipping services are great. The various bike shipping services don’t actually transport your bike to and from your destination. They’re a travel tool similar to the one many of us already use (think: Travelocity, Priceline, Booking). Their job it to do the legwork of coordinating with the carrier (UPS, FedEx, etc.) to get your price quote, shipping labels, insurance, etc. They can also get you a better rate over booking directly though the carrier yourself because of the sheer volume of business they bring to the carriers. If you’re curious about how much money you’ll potentially save by using a bike shipping service, I suggest reading this article from TreadBikely.
- Shipping to/from a business (bike shop) is easier than a residence. I received a great tip from one of the bike mechanics at my local bike shop. He suggested I ship my bike from their business address instead shipping it from my home address. This way, I didn’t have to worry about transporting the box to a UPS store or sit around at home all day waiting for the UPS driver to show up at my house. The carrier simply collected my box from the shop during their normal business hours, and it couldn’t have been easier.
- Size matters. The cost to ship a bike can vary greatly depending on the size of your box. For example, ground shipping to the East Coast for a standard cardboard bike box (with the dimensions of 45″ x 12″ x 30″) should have cost me $85. However, when I went down to my local bike ship to acquire a cardboard box, the only thing they had on-hand that particular week were some slightly larger e-bike boxes (60″ x 13″ x 33″). I didn’t have extra time to wait for the shop to get their next shipment of bikes, so I had to just use that box. In the end, this relatively minor change in size increased my shipping price from $85 to $175. That’s more than double the price I planned to pay! So my best advice is to use the smallest box available and remember to coordinate for your box well in advance of your shipping dates.
- Tracking codes area a blessing and a curse. When I selected my shipping option, I went with the cheapest option (ground transport). This meant my bike would take approximately five business days to get to its destination. So I scheduled my pick up on a Friday morning, and I had an estimated delivery date the following Friday. However, when I checked the UPS website on Wednesday to see my bike’s status, I discovered my bike was still sitting in the UPS warehouse in Portland, Oregon, due to some sort of “operational delay.” Five calendar days into the shipping process and my bike was barely 100 miles away from my home?!? Was my bike somehow damaged in transit? Was it lost? Would UPS get it out to the East Coast in time? Should I cancel the shipment and just rent a bike for this trip instead? I’ll admit I was mentally stressing out about the situation. But at some point on Thursday — as I hit refresh on my tracking number for what felt like the 50th time — my bike’s status was suddenly updated to Laurel, Maryland. And it arrived in Washington, D.C. on Friday in time just as planned. Nonetheless, I’m sure I earned a few more gray hairs that week.
- Using a bike shop to assemble your bike is costly. Having never shipped a bike before, I was a little concerned about how much my bike, components, and wheels might get knocked around in transit. So I paid a bike shop in Washington, D.C. to receive my shipment and assemble my bike. This was not cheap. It cost me $100 for something that would take me less than an hour’s time to do myself. However, I’d probably make this same decision if I was shipping my bike again, because: (a) it provided me an address to send my bike to at my destination; (b) I didn’t have to travel with any extra tools; (c) I had a bike mechanic on hand give it my bike a once over and fix anything before I arrived to pick it up.
- Bubble wrap and zip ties are invaluable. Whether you ship your bike or fly with it, you are going to need to cushion your frame, wheels, derailleurs, rear cassette, and other easily damaged parts. Most bike shops have extra packing material on hand if they are doing the packing for you. Otherwise, go ahead an invest in a roll of bubble wrap material to cushion the more delicate items. And as you disassemble your bike, you can also use zip ties to attach any loose items to your bike so they don’t fly around the box/bike case (e.g., attach the pedals to your water bottle holder, or your front wheel’s quick release skewer to your spokes). Packing your bike with enough material to survive a careless baggage handler will pay off in the long run.
- All airlines are not the same. When it comes to flying, my preferred airline is Alaska Airlines. That’s mostly because I live in the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska is the airline with the most options for my travel locations. And, as luck would have it, Alaska is also one of the more generous airlines when it comes to flying with a bike too. It cost me absolutely nothing extra to check my boxed-up bike as baggage from Pittsburgh to Oregon on my return flight!! But that’s not true of all airlines. Most of them will charge you an oversized baggage free for your bike. And if your bike (and any gear packed with it) exceeds 50 pounds, those airline will usually tack on a second overweight fee too. So, my advice here is to carefully research your airline’s baggage fees before booking your travel.
- TSA is not there to make your life easier. This probably goes without saying, but the Transportation Security Administration doesn’t care one bit if their screening process inconveniences you. They will have a knack for selecting the most remote corner of the airport for the oversized baggage drop-off –just to force you to lug your heavy bike box further than necessary. Then they will ask you a ton of ridiculous questions, like whether your bike box contains anything fragile or whether it’s left your sight since you packed it. A TSA agent will also almost certainly open your bike box up to poke around inside, thereby undoing all your careful work making sure everything inside was packed, balanced, and cushioned perfectly. Just take a deep breath and accept this is part of the painful process of flying with a bike.
Final Thoughts
So which of these bike travel methods worked best for me? And which one would I recommend to others travelers? It depends.
I’m glad I shipped my bike out to my Washington, D.C. on the front end of my trip, just to make the air travel easier. However, I definitely would have coordinated for my shipping box much further in advance so I could have paid the lowest shipping price possible.
If you decide to us a bike shipping service, consider talking to the local bike shops that participate in BikeFlights shipping program. The can tell you how the process works, and most of them will tell you exactly how to pack a bike so it’s well-cushioned for travel.
Shipping my bike to and from local bike shops is also something I’d do again. This eliminated the requirement for me to sit around waiting for the carrier to pick up my bike box. And I didn’t have to arrange for someone to accept delivery.
I also had a pretty good experience flying with my bike on my return flight home. But I realize this positive experience was mostly due to: (1) the fact that I flew on Alaska Airlines and I didn’t have to pay anything extra to travel with my bike as baggage; and (2) my bike arrived on the same flight as me.
My airport experience wasn’t the greatest. I still had to lug my bike all over the Pittsburgh airport (by myself) just to get it over to TSA’s oversized baggage area. Furthermore, if the outside of my cardboard box was any indicator, my bike was handled pretty roughly by the baggage handlers at the airports I went through. Luckily, my mantra is, “you can never have enough bubble wrap!”
INTERESTED IN READING MORE ABOUT MY BIKEPACKING TRIP ON THE C&O TOWPATH AND GREAT ALLEGHENY PASSAGE? CHECK OUT: