BIKE GEAR TOURING BAGS FOR AIRPLANE TRAVEL and S&S COUPLERS ON SURLY LONG HAUL TRUCKER DELUXE

[donna mcintyre]

Hey All!
I recently bought a new Surly Long Haul Trucker Deluxe with the S&S
Couplers, theoretically to make traveling with my bicycle "cheaper and
easier". Both ideas may nor may not pan out. Looking for some
advice/help for two things.

First, I have two duffle gear bags that I bought from REI that hold my
Arkel Panniers (4) and other gear. When I am not doing a loop I fly
with my gear, have my bike shipped (at a ridiculous cost) and fold the
bags up on my bike. This has worked okay so far, but I am looking for
a lighter, sturdier option, possibly one with the ability to put it on
backpack style since I will now hopefully be rolling my Co-Pilot bike
suitcase along with me. Any suggestions regarding good bags for travel
purposes on airlines and trains?

Also, I just purchased the Co-Pilot bike suitcase for my Surly. I have
yet to undertake what looks like a daunting task to take it apart and
put it in the suitcase, but I am about to. Any advice about packing,
protecting with packing materials (or should I just buy Co-Motions
protection straps...?), and ideas on how to get the actually bike
suitcase from point A motel to point B motel. Will UPS take it from a
motel or bike shop without being wrapped, and/or does anyone know of
some sort of plastic type bag that I can put the suitcase into to have
UPS or FedEx pick up at one location and deliver it forward to my
ending point?

Whew....my brain is working overtime. I think I just have the "I gotta
get on the road" itch!
Thanks for your help.
Donna

[donna mcintyre]

[kennet...@gmail.com]

I have a quote for a custom BFriday, with Rohloff, dynamo, discs, racks, drops, fenders, lites... Before I pull the trigger, looking to dialogue with those on the list who have one and have toured with it. I am wanting to use this as a serious long distance, multiple week bike with panniers, self contained. Here is what I want to know...

Is there any real difference in comfort when touring on this bike?

How does it handle on fast descents?

How does the bike hold up to that kind of hard use...over time?

What kind of travel case do you use?

What tires do you recommend?

Thx if you can help

Ken
>

[Bryan Lorber]

I've never cycled on a BFriday so I'm sorry i can't answer those questions but I can assure you that you will not regret the Rohloff. There is nothing better and I won't buy another bike without one. The dynamo is also well worth the price.

Good luck. I'm looking forward to reading replys from experienced users. The portability of this bike is very appealing.

Bryan

Barrington, RI where it has been snowing alllllll day!

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[Jim Foreman]

Sorry to tell you but there is no way around the airline charges any
more, they are going to lace you as much as $200 on some trips, depending
mostly on who you run up against at check-in. It's getting to the point
where it's less expensive to just leave one bike in the area where you want
to tour and have another one for riding at home.

http://www.jimforeman.com/Stories/boxbike/shipbike.htm

Jim Foreman

----- Original Message -----
From: "donna mcintyre" <cancu...@gmail.com>
To: "bicycletouring" <bicycle...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2012 12:10 PM
Subject: [touring] BIKE GEAR TOURING BAGS FOR AIRPLANE TRAVEL and S&S
COUPLERS ON SURLY LONG HAUL TRUCKER DELUXE

[Mark Boyd]

On Sat, Jan 21, 2012 at 4:22 PM, Jim Foreman <jimf...@att.net> wrote:
>   Sorry to tell you but there is no way around the airline charges any more,
> they are going to lace you as much as $200 on some trips, depending mostly
> on who you run up against at check-in. It's getting to the point where it's
> less expensive to just leave one bike in the area where you want to tour and
> have another one for riding at home.

That is why I've had an LHT in Europe for the last four years. It has
already paid for itself and it has saved me a lot of hassle. I left
another 30" wheeled duffel in California last fall. I checked it and
my bicycle on Southwest, which charged me $50 for the bike, for the
flight out. I plan to use it on my return flight from California after
my next transam ride. I'm assuming Southwest will continue to have a
reasonable bike charge. If not, I'll leave a bike, or at least a bike
frame and fork ;-}, in California too.

I have a 30" wheeled duffel which I use, along with a backpack, to
transport my stuff when I fly. I carry one pannier as my 'hand bag'
and
the backpack onto the plane. The other two or three panniers, empty,
and the most of the contents of that go in my panniers are in the
wheeled duffel.

For my fall tour, I took more clothes, more camping stuff, and a
bigger tent than I usually take on my summer tours, so I used a large
dry bag with backpack straps as my backpack when flying and then as a
dry bag holding my camping equipment while I toured. For my summer
tours I have been using a backpack/pannier so I only have three other
other panniers to carry, one in the backpack pannier and the other two
in the duffel. I carry my handlebar bag as a my hand bag.

If I had LHT with couplers, and it fit in a wheeled, airline approved,
suit case, I might be able to manage all that stuff in the airports.
I'd check the duffle and the suitcase. If asked what was in the
suitcase, I'd say bike parts.

Mark

[Bryan Lorber]

I mentioned before on this list that my biggest stressor is getting my bike from home to tour-start. That's why mine so far have been from home or taking the car (yuk!) One day I'm going Trans Am and I have every intention of leaving by bike from my home in The Ocean State.  I'll dip the tire in Narragansett Bay It's salt and tidal, after all, and a lot further east than Virginia ;-)

In July will be joining ACA in Whitefish, MT and I am genuinely concerned about the safety of my bike in getting there. ACA site has some recommendations on shipping rather than taking it on the plane. Pay a "professional" to pack and ship. That's my plan.

Jim's thought about leaving a bike where you tour is a good idea if you tour there regularly. Mark, don't you keep a bike in Europe for when you cross the pond?

Bryan

Barrington, RI

On Sat, Jan 21, 2012 at 4:22 PM, Jim Foreman <jimf...@att.net> wrote:

  Sorry to tell you but there is no way around the airline charges any more, they are going to lace you as much as $200 on some trips, depending mostly on who you run up against at check-in. It's getting to the point where it's less expensive to just leave one bike in the area where you want to tour and have another one for riding at home.

http://www.jimforeman.com/Stories/boxbike/shipbike.htm

Jim Foreman

----- Original Message ----- From: "donna mcintyre" <cancu...@gmail.com>

To: "bicycletouring" <bicycletouring@googlegroups.com>

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[Andrejs Ozolins]

On 1/21/12 5:18 PM, Bryan Lorber wrote:
> In July will be joining ACA in Whitefish, MT and I am genuinely
> concerned about the safety of my bike in getting there. ACA site has
> some recommendations on shipping rather than taking it on the plane.
> Pay a "professional" to pack and ship. That's my plan.

Three summers ago, I took an ACA tour from Whitefish. I went by Amtrak
to Whitefish and brought my Atlantis touring setup. There is no worry
about it getting there safely and very little hassle in boxing it up in
the Amtrak-provided cardboard boxes. I've used Amtrak several times and
about half the time haven't had to pay for the box; a used one was
available free. As it happens Whitefish is a station with baggage
handling facilities. That's the main problem in taking bikes places --
lots of stations don't have baggage handling and, therefore, you can't
get your bike off/or on a train there.

If I can't take a train (or leave from home), I take my Bike Friday
packed into its suitcase. I still haven't had any airline question
what's inside the case or suggest that I'd have to pay more if it's a
bicycle. My Bike Friday has certainly paid for itself several times over
if I consider what it would have cost to check a bike as such on air
journeys. It's wonderful to have a good rationalization for owning such
a lovely bike. And it's wonderful to have my own bike wherever I wind up.

Andrejs
Ithaca, NY

[Brian Edwards]

Hi Ken,

The best objective review of a Rohloff  equipped  BF  which I have seen is given at :

http://gbleakney.blogspot.com/2009/12/bike-friday-pocket-llama-review-with.html

I have nowhere near the experience the author, Greg Bleakney, but am now riding a Bike Friday Pocket Expedition, a ready made Llama, which I have fitted with a Shimano Alfine 11 gears internally geared hub.

The BF itself, under normal road conditions, handles just like my previous "normal' bicycles.  The small wheels do however make the ride a little harsher over rough roads.

I think that the Rohloff IGH is the pick of the bunch for touring but could not justify it's cost for my limited usage so settled on  the Alfine  which meets my requirements.

I have travelled, by air, using the Samsomite case recommended by BF and it is very convenient.

My BF came equipped with 20 x 1.95 Kenda Contacts which I have swapped out for BMX racing tires, Maxxis DTH (Drop the Hammer!!) 20 x 1.5  which have 2000Km of use and are showing no significant wear.  I f I was going on a tour I would probably fit Scwhalbe Marathons.

I am very satisfied with my Bike Friday.  I ride it on shopping trips, club rides and short tours. 

Brian

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Brian Edwards

Tewantin
Queensland Australia

[doug peterson]

I travel a few times a year for tours. Within Fed Ex / UPS ground
shipping range, I ship my bike ahead (58 cm touring bike with racks,
etc) and allow a day on each end of a tour to assemble / dis-assemble
the bike. The size of box needed to handle a large frame is such that
I cram as much other junk in as possible, since the charge is based on
dimensions rather than weight (note the 130" girth plus length is
UPS / Fed Ex cut-off for oversize). Typical shipping each way is $80-
$90 depending on distance.

Out of the lower 48 it's just easier to rent a bike where I'm going.
This always involves some homework and sometimes the bike is a major
disappointment. However, the object of the trip is the experience of
a foreign country so the bike part is secondary. Had a few really
interesting rides, BTW.

One of my touring buds visits my area several times a year so he
leaves an old touring bike here. Nothing special or costly, just
basic wheels. Another of my buds has abandoned bikes (with people he
knows) in Mexico, Guatemala and Croatia. He has returned to re-use
the bikes a few times.

TSA inspecting a bike in a suitcase (coupled, BF, etc.) is a real crap
shoot. If they just open the lid and don't root around, it's OK.
OTH, if they start stirring up a perfectly packed bike, don't expect
them to spend much time trying to get it right again. A friend had to
spend a day getting some repair parts for her bike after TSA
inspected. Another friend has a coupled bike he's travelded with for
years and never had an issue. YMMV.

dougP

> > Donna- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Frank Mattheus]

Is there any real difference in comfort when touring on this bike?

The smaller wheels are harsher on rougher terrain.  Therefore I recommend getting the fattest tires that will fit your frame.

How does it handle on fast descents?

No worries at all in terms of performance.  Keep on mind, however, that the rims heat up quicker when braking.

How does the bike hold up to that kind of hard use...over time?

Very well.

What kind of travel case do you use?

I'm a cheapskate, so have just used cardboard boxes.  It means I don't have to bother shipping suitcases to the destination, but I do have to spend time at the destination find/making a box to fit.

What tires do you recommend?

See first question.

[M-gineering]

A comments which might be totally of base, but the first idea which
struck me that this could well be the bike of an inexperienced cyclist,
who just ticked all the must have boxes. In that case don't spend so
much money yet, buy something cheap and ride it untill you really know
what you want.

This configuration will be fairly heavy, so do the math whether it will
save you money or whether you will still be hit with excessive weight fees

Rohloffs are great, but more so for people who just want to ride without
worrying about their bicycle than for people who are deeply into
bicycles and biketech

Small wheels follow the road faithfully, so you'll know everyhing about
surface irregularities. If you plan on riding rough roads a full sized
bike with S&S couplers will be much better
--
mvg

Marten Gerritsen
Kiel Windeweer
Netherlands

[coy harvel]

Hey Donna

How have you been?  All is well here for now.  I'd be glad to lug you gear thru the airport. 

[Kelly Iniguez]

Donna,

As a side note, I found www.bikeflights.com to be cheaper than either UPS or FedEX for bike shipping.

I just received in the mail yesterday a floor mat to my Bikemobile (van). The dealer rolled it up, taped it, and mailed USPS. I’m rather surprised the PO took it - but it might be worth asking your local office if they will ship a suitcase as is.

Otherwise I’d say look for a big cardboard box. Perhaps at the local big box store? You could even fashion your own with lots of tape. Since you know the articles inside the box are sturdy, that could work.

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[Bryan Lorber]

My Dad use to UPS a full suitcase without boxing. That was a few years back so I don't know if that policy is still ok. A quick call to UPS will clarify . I second Kelly in saying Bikeflights.com ships at reasonable cost. I've used their services 3 times with good results. They contract with Fedx.

Packing a bike is a hassle so I'm having a travel bike built and will also buy the comotion travel suitcase. Like you, I'm believing / hoping that the ease of packing and transporting with SS couplings will  make the expense worth it. I plan on getting the full package with the protecting wraps. I've read they take up much less room vs. less expensive plumbing / pipe insulation. Consequently, easier to pack.

 Look forward to hearing of your experience once you try breakdown, packing and reassembly . I think practice and repetition will make it easier each time. Keep us posted!

Bryan

Barrington, RI

[Jon Meinecke]

Shipping advise is good.  Shipbikes.com and bikeflights.com both seem to offer lower rates shipping via Fedex or UPS than you can get by shipping yourself.

But "Donna" posted her question in January of 2012...  Not sure resurrecting a three-year old thread was intentional.  Seems like Coy replied to an old thread.  Not the best way to get back in touch one-to-one with someone, me thinks.

Jon

[Jim Foreman]

I set out one time to have a website with the answers to most of the questions concerning travel with a bicycle but the whole situation turned into such a dog's breakfast that it was impossible to keep it up to date or cover all the different situations. At one time the airlines seemed to be in step with one another when it came to special baggage rules but then they all went in different directions. Ask the same question of three people at any one airline and you are likely to get four different answers with most of the based on opinion, rumor or simply shooting from the hip. Most airlines have special rules covering things like surf boards, bicycles and animal heads but one must do a lot of digging to find them.

I still have several chapters about preparing a bike for shipment and a few tricks of the trade in my website that might be useful to you. JimForeman.com and click on Cycling.

				JimForeman.com Jim Foreman stories about cycling, flying gliders, building airplanes, remembering the past.
				View on www.jimforeman.com	Preview by Yahoo

[rlti...@gmail.com]

‎I shipped a Bike Friday tandem via UPS in suitcases without boxes a few years ago. UPS accepted them fine but later charged me a fee for having no boxes for the cases. At that time boxes were required I guess.

Robert Tilley

San Diego, CA

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network.

From: Bryan Lorber Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2015 10:20 AM To: Kelly Iniguez Cc: coy harvel; bicycle...@googlegroups.com Subject: Re: [touring] BIKE GEAR TOURING BAGS FOR AIRPLANE TRAVEL and S&S COUPLERS ON SURLY LONG HAUL TRUCKER DELUXE

[Bryan Lorber]

Good catch, Jon! I don't notice the date. Wouldn't have bothered to reply had I read more carefully. You must be in publishing or perhaps and editor :-))

Bryan