I've put the bike back together in the Paris subway and in the Amtrak station in Portland. It really isn't that bad as long as you have a 4, 5 and 6mm allen wrenches handy. It's more of a hassle to drag the bike box around than it is to just put the bike back together. (IMO).
I agree with you on the need for a disposable box for point-to-point trips. When I rode the Portland-Glacier 1000K brevet I left the car in Whitefish and took the train overnight to Portland. I wasn't confident that Amtrak would have a big enough box for my bike so I had it packed by the LBS in a makeshift box before I left home, which I then threw in the back of the car for the trip from Austin to Whitefish. I have friends in Portland and I could have probably stored a box no problem but having a disposable box was nice. Once I put the bike back together, I left the remnants of the box by the recycle bin. As for the bike trip being only part of the vacation, I arranged for the hotel at CDG we were staying the last night in France to store my bike box after PBP until it was time to leave for home. I can't guarantee that every hotel will offer this kind of service but it's worth asking about. Storing the bike there lightened the load considerably for our tour of Normandy and Brittany after PBP. Jim On Thu, Jan 2, 2014 at 3:12 PM, dougP <dougpn...@cox.net> wrote: > You've thought of a couple of the unintended consequences of traveling > with a bike. Remember you need the box for the return trip. > > While it seems quite practical, putting together a bike at the airport > after a long distance flight is nothing I would ever attempt. I'm too > dingy at that point to have much chance of doing it right, plus all the > other assorted hassles of the airport. > > If you are doing a loop ride and flying back out of the same airport, use > a cab or shuttle to get you & your bike to lodging. They usually have > large enough vehicles to carry the bike. If you arrange it in advance, you > can find a place to store the box while you are on your trip. > > If you are doing a point-to-point, it gets a bit tricky. Here you'll want > a disposable box (scrounged from your LBS) for the outbound leg and arrange > with a bike shop at the end of your trip for a box for the return. > Hopefully since your flying some distance it will be a big airport in a > major city with bike shops. > > If you are flying in someplace, then renting a car to get out to the start > of the bike portion, the parts of the bike (frame, wheels, etc) are easier > to get in a rental car than the boxed bike. Cars with conventional trunks > don't hold much & are awkwardly shaped for large objects like bikes. Vans > are the answer but also expensive and in high demand during vacation season. > > "What if the bike is only part of the trip?" Now you're in a pickle. As > agile as a bike may be when ridden, it's a huge anchor to drag around if > you're not using it. Solutions are renting a bike for the portion you need > it (say, 1 week out of a 2-3 week vacation) or arranging to store your own > bike some place convenient (and safe!). > > It's stuff like this that made S&S couplers business. I don't have one > but have packed an S&S equipped bike. It's amazing but that 62" suitcase > fills up fast. > > dougP > > > On Thursday, January 2, 2014 10:29:44 AM UTC-8, Minh wrote: >> >> Just to tack onto this discussion, what do people do when they get to >> their destination? Perfect world, unpack the bike and ride from the >> airport, or taxi to hotel then ride, but what if bike is only part of the >> trip? How do you manage transporting by rental car? >> >> Would like to hear how people manage this in practical terms, i've always >> wanted to bring a bike but it seems like too much of a hassle. >> >> On Thursday, January 2, 2014 1:26:18 PM UTC-5, Kieran J wrote: >>> >>> I can certainly see how it would be more convenient to schlep around. >>> But I am a little concerned about this size frame fitting into the S&S box. >>> I haven't done any extensive reading or first hand trying, but it looks >>> like it might be a no-go. >>> >>> KJ >>> >>> >>> On Thursday, January 2, 2014 1:10:02 PM UTC-5, dailyrandonneur wrote: >>> >>>> I've traveled with singles and tandems, both full size and S&S. Every >>>> airline is different as another responder mentioned, and they change their >>>> policies from time to time, so nothing is completely static. >>>> >>>> One relative constant has been allowable size for checked luggage, 62 >>>> linear inches. Outside that dimension you typically pay oversize fees even >>>> if you don't exceed the maxiumum weight limit. >>>> >>>> For the occasional trip, there is no doubt that paying the oversize fee >>>> and dragging around a full-size bike box is cheaper. I liked the Crateworks >>>> corrugated plastic box, it is lighter than a hard case but tougher than >>>> cardboard, folds up for storage and can be re-used. >>>> >>>> After a few trips, however, you could end up pay as much in fees as >>>> buying couplers and the S&S case. The advantages of S&S, in terms of >>>> reduced packing hassle and ease of movement during your trip, are of value >>>> to me even if I never fully pay off through travel. This is especially true >>>> with a tandem, where the trouble of lugging a huge box and paying big fees >>>> at the counter isn't my idea of fun travel. >>>> >>>> If you know you are going to travel with a frameset and are getting it >>>> repainted anyway, it's the right time to consider couplers. I recommend >>>> them. >>>> >>>> Ed >>>> Washington, DC >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Thursday, January 2, 2014 11:16:04 AM UTC-5, Kieran J wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Hey Y'alls, >>>>> >>>>> I'm starting to think about air travel with a bike, with the first >>>>> possible destination of the Bay Area this upcoming summer (hoping to >>>>> repatriate the Ram Dawg, at least for a visit). >>>>> >>>>> Do any of you have experience with bike boxes or bike bags, on an >>>>> airline? TSC/ATA cases, fabric bags, cardboard bike boxes even? >>>>> >>>>> At first, I entertained the idea of installing S&S couplers on the Ram >>>>> (it needs new paint anyways) but together, the retrofit would cost large >>>>> $$. So now I'm thinking about just flying with it, as is. The Ram is a >>>>> 66cm, so finding a box that would accommodate its sprawl would be one of >>>>> the chief concerns. >>>>> >>>>> Any good experiences? Things to avoid? Anything to report with >>>>> various airlines' policies and costs, as well? >>>>> >>>>> Thanks! >>>>> >>>>> Kieran in Toronto >>>>> >>>> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > -- Keep the metal side up and the rubber side down! -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. 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