Bike as airfreight

"Joop" wrote in message ...
I want to take my bike to Europe as unaccompanied airfreight, so I need to
pack it properly.
Any suggestion for the best way to package it?

Thanks

Joop

Joop,

It seems you are flying SIA??

I am now in Singapore and got here via SIA (who I regularly fly with,
along with my bike.)

Check in in Australia tends to let you on with 30kg, without charging
you.. you can then carry something like 7kg in hand luggage.
Total 37KG.

I have never been charged excess baggage outbound from Australia, but
flying in from Singapore they charge me for every kg over 20kg.
Excatly. No room to move.. Singaporeans are sticklers for rules.

So pack your bike in a box, as suggested, weigh it.
Pack a bag of clothes and bulky stuff.
Pack a third bag of heavy stuff as carry on. Usually the densest stuff
you have and compress it in. Keep it to 7kg.

If you need a book for the flight, carry it in your hand on the way
onto the plane, along with your ticket and passport.

It works for me every time, and thats about 5 times a year... (yeah I
like to ride my own bike, not a hired one or some Dahon cheapy


Tom.

What about domestic fights within Australia (specifically from Tassie
to Bris) with Virgin? Does anyone know how they treat bikes as
luggage? I have a recumbent bike that is quite long so my guess I will
have to pull the front forks off and the head will stick out the box a
little. Am I asking for problems with them?

On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 11:19:20 +0800, "Joop"
wrote:
I want to take my bike to Europe as unaccompanied airfreight, so I need to
pack it properly.
Any suggestion for the best way to package it?

T Smith Wrote:
What about domestic fights within Australia (specifically from Tassie
to Bris) with Virgin? Does anyone know how they treat bikes as
luggage? I have a recumbent bike that is quite long so my guess I will
have to pull the front forks off and the head will stick out the box a
little. Am I asking for problems with them?

On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 11:19:20 +0800, "Joop"
wrote:
I want to take my bike to Europe as unaccompanied airfreight, so
need to
pack it properly.
Any suggestion for the best way to package it?

I flew Virgin earlier this year with my bike packed in a soft-padde
bag (Scicon aero bag). Arrive at the airport a little earlier tha
normal and check the bike into Oversized Luggage. They didn't charg
any excess baggage - weight was ok, though dimension _could_ hav
attracted a fee (I think).

You may have problems if you have bits protruding from your packaging
Even if they let you get away with it, the baggage handlers will appl
their own "rough justice" (believe me - use as much padding a
possible!)

Ritc

--
ritcho

T Smith wrote in message . ..
What about domestic fights within Australia (specifically from Tassie
to Bris) with Virgin? Does anyone know how they treat bikes as
luggage? I have a recumbent bike that is quite long so my guess I will
have to pull the front forks off and the head will stick out the box a
little. Am I asking for problems with them?


Well T Smith, In january I flew Virgin to tasie and back from Sydney,
with my recumbent. I used an old Qantas box and packed it within..
No bits sticking out.

I had the pleasure of watching the fully manual baggage handlers at
sydney actually loading my bike.... Thrown onto top of cart - placed
into hold, on bottom of box - pushed over (ker-thump) then slid into
place at the bottome of the load.. bags then packed on top..

No damage to the bike.

Returning I checked it in very last - last in first out, and also is a
nice way to get loaded on top of everything else. I didn't see how it
was handled but it was OK when I picked it up.

No extra charges, no hassles, even got to the front of the Q for
having a big box on my trolley.

My best advice is go buy a Qantas box. $10 and they are really good.
Good for a few uses if you are returning to the same place.. (My last
one did 4 return flights, then a final flight into Launceston where I
left it.) They are also substantially longer than any bike box from a
shop and also wider and higher too. And they are thick cardboard.

Pack well, wrap the gearry bits, and cover in clothes/sleeping bag ect
gaffa taped to the frame.

tom

Tom Nicholson wrote:

T Smith wrote in message . ..


What about domestic fights within Australia (specifically from Tassie
to Bris) with Virgin? Does anyone know how they treat bikes as
luggage? I have a recumbent bike that is quite long so my guess I will
have to pull the front forks off and the head will stick out the box a
little. Am I asking for problems with them?




Well T Smith, In january I flew Virgin to tasie and back from Sydney,
with my recumbent. I used an old Qantas box and packed it within..
No bits sticking out.

I had the pleasure of watching the fully manual baggage handlers at
sydney actually loading my bike.... Thrown onto top of cart - placed
into hold, on bottom of box - pushed over (ker-thump) then slid into
place at the bottome of the load.. bags then packed on top..

No damage to the bike.

Returning I checked it in very last - last in first out, and also is a
nice way to get loaded on top of everything else. I didn't see how it
was handled but it was OK when I picked it up.

No extra charges, no hassles, even got to the front of the Q for
having a big box on my trolley.

My best advice is go buy a Qantas box. $10 and they are really good.
Good for a few uses if you are returning to the same place.. (My last
one did 4 return flights, then a final flight into Launceston where I
left it.) They are also substantially longer than any bike box from a
shop and also wider and higher too. And they are thick cardboard.

Pack well, wrap the gearry bits, and cover in clothes/sleeping bag ect
gaffa taped to the frame.

tom


I think you can get pretty much the same box from Vicbike if that is easier.



--
Remove norubbish to reply direct

Jack Russell

"Jack Russell" wrote in message
...
If it is for the company for an extended period surely they will pay for
the cost of baggage.
You might also think about buying a bike over there, I suspect you are
not interested in touring bikes but in my humble the best come from the
UK. I suspect there a lots of nice road bikes made in Italy and France.
If you have not done it riding in France is fantastic!

I know! It's absolutley great. And I will be close to Corsica, also a
stunning place to cycle (at least it was 20 years ago!)

"DRS" wrote in message
...

http://www.deanwoods.com.au/store/prod175.htm

http://www.deanwoods.com.au/store/prod555.htm

Yes, $699 and 9 kg!

"CH" wrote in message
...
Make sure that the chainring doesn't cut through the bottom of the box.
Put
something sturdy like masonite board on the bottom of the bike box and
tape it
in place. Also a good idea to unscrew the rear derailleur and attach it to
the
chain stay with some tie-wraps (and plenty of old clothes to stop
scratches
and things).

It's also not a good idea to fit lots of other things into the bike box -
makes it hellish to carry. Nearly tore my arms off when I brought mine
over to
the UK.

Which company are you using to send it over? I got whacked by some
handling
fees and things when I did Brisbane - Heathrow. Going to try door-to-door
for
the return leg (in a month! woo!).



I will be using Exportair in Perth. The bike is part of a 60+kg assignment,
and
i will have it delivered to my door in France.

"Tom Nicholson" wrote in message
om...

It seems you are flying SIA??

I am now in Singapore and got here via SIA (who I regularly fly with,
along with my bike.)

Check in in Australia tends to let you on with 30kg, without charging
you.. you can then carry something like 7kg in hand luggage.
Total 37KG.

I have never been charged excess baggage outbound from Australia, but
flying in from Singapore they charge me for every kg over 20kg.
Excatly. No room to move.. Singaporeans are sticklers for rules.

So pack your bike in a box, as suggested, weigh it.
Pack a bag of clothes and bulky stuff.
Pack a third bag of heavy stuff as carry on. Usually the densest stuff
you have and compress it in. Keep it to 7kg.

If you need a book for the flight, carry it in your hand on the way
onto the plane, along with your ticket and passport.

It works for me every time, and thats about 5 times a year... (yeah I
like to ride my own bike, not a hired one or some Dahon cheapy




The problem is that if you are moving house you have enough stuff to carry
anyway. We will live for 2 months out of suitcases before the seafreight
arrives, so we need all the weight we can get. Clothing and some office
materials in the accompanied, other things like bike, PC, office materials
etc in the unaccompanied.

Joop

We're travelling to Europe next year and want to send our bikes ahead of us.
So I'm interested in how you go with door-to-door delivery, who did you use
for this service ?

Thanks,
Phil

"CH" wrote in message
...
Joop wrote:
I want to take my bike to Europe as unaccompanied airfreight, so I need
to
pack it properly.
Any suggestion for the best way to package it?

Make sure that the chainring doesn't cut through the bottom of the box.
Put something sturdy like masonite board on the bottom of the bike box and
tape it in place. Also a good idea to unscrew the rear derailleur and
attach it to the chain stay with some tie-wraps (and plenty of old clothes
to stop scratches and things).

It's also not a good idea to fit lots of other things into the bike box -
makes it hellish to carry. Nearly tore my arms off when I brought mine
over to the UK.

Which company are you using to send it over? I got whacked by some
handling fees and things when I did Brisbane - Heathrow. Going to try
door-to-door for the return leg (in a month! woo!).

-- CH