There’s no denying that heading to a far-flung destination with your bike can be a logistical nightmare. Whether it’s for your ritualistic annual cycling holiday or training camp, or you’re looking at your first time cycling on foreign soil, the job of getting yourself, your kit, your bike and everything else you may need from point A to a very distant point B can be challenging and expensive.
For some, that means flying with your bike and the ensuing difficulty of dismantling it and packing it into a bike box. For others the difficulty lays in getting everything loaded onto – or into – your car for a road trip. Whatever you’re facing, there are ways to make it work, of course, but then there are ways to make it easier.
Here at Cyclingnews we’ve travelled with a bike many times and there are many things we’ve learned along the way; pointers that can make things as straightforward as possible.
It’s Travel Week here at Cyclingnews. It also happens to be Monday while I’m writing this, so-called Blue Monday in fact, it’s raining outside and the forecast is for a temperature plummet that will leave us all riding indoors for another week. That all adds up to a perfect recipe for daydreaming of warmer weather, of sunshine, of wearing shorts and drinking café bombons in Mallorcan cafés.
If you’re planning your next big trip to sunnier climates and you’re wondering how to make the process as simple as possible, here are our top tips.
If you’re flying, but not regularly, hire a bike box
If your upcoming trip is a one-off or a rare occurrence, then spending hundreds on one of the best bike travel cases won’t represent good value for money. You may be able to buy second-hand and save some cash, but this comes with risks, and you might not want risk when it comes to packing up your pride and joy.
Luckily, many local bike shops and cycling clubs – as well as clubmates if you ask nicely – will let you borrow a bike box for a small fee. And if you can’t get one there, Bike Box Alan will let you hire theirs.
Sure, if you fly regularly, buying one of the best bike travel cases will work out better value in the long run, but for infrequent flyers, this is a no-brainer.
If you’re taking your bike in a bike box, you’ll need to disassemble it somewhat. Some simply require the removal of wheels and pedals, while others need a lot more. Whatever the extent, make a note of the tools you use when disassembling…
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