Subject: RE: Flying with a bike The tri club in Peoria had a couple of boxes members could borrow (for free). I borrowed one when we drove to Idaho and again when we flew to California. Pay attention to weight. You'll already be paying an oversize item fee, but most airlines will charge additionally if the item is over 50#. (As I recall in 2011, Southwest charged $50 or $75 for the oversize item and it would have been $200 if it exceeded 50#.) My tri-bike clocked in around 21# and it plus the box, padding, and a couple tools brought the total up to 48#. Hard cases are heavier and offer more protection (and are more expensive). Soft cases are lighter and cheaper, but your race-day plans will change rapidly if your bike is damaged during transit. In addition to the case, you'll want fork spacers (bike shops might have a surplus of these) and we used some of the grey foam pipe insulators to wrap around the various elements. |