How I pack my Brompton for air travel

[@MoonlightSonata214]

Putting a sock over the folding pedal and padding the bike in the DIMPA bag with that air mattress are brilliant ideas - thanks for those!! BUT... PLEASE give information about the black pouch AND the air mattress you used so we know exactly what to buy!! I don't think I would give it to the airline as checked luggage, though, because it would be too easy for someone cut the bag and steal the bike, or the bag could simply get ripped open if it gets caught on something after you hand it in. If I was staying at a location to use as my base and using the bike for day or short trips, I might check it using a locked hard case with trackers inside both the bike and the case (keep a tracker hidden somewhere inside the bike at all times anyway). But your packing method here is perfect for carrying the bike on the plane and placing it in the overhead bin, which makes it theft-proof, plus you won't have to deal with having an extra piece of hard luggage if you're going to be taking off on a bike tour at the other end of your flight.

[@CforCoffee-vv9fj]

Great video! how do you carry the air mattress and dimpa bag when cycling with your brompton? do you bind it with your luggage? And do you remove the air from your bike before checking it in?

[@RideTHISbike]

I have never let the air out of my tires when I fly. The Dempa and air mattress take up minimal space and are easy to store my luggage.

[@JapanHiroshima]

very good one

[@laurasykes7373]

Folding bike make life so much easier it’s not impossible to take a full size mountain bike with you but it’s a hassle there huge can’t fit most cars and you have to have a mechanic assemble your bike back tigeather folding bikes are the best way to go if you are cycling in different country’s or states

[@flpirate45]

What size IKEA bag did you get? Would love to know. Love the video. Thanks

[@RideTHISbike]

It's called a Dimpa.

[@Researcher303]

@@RideTHISbike Can I use it for 26" Bike?

[@RideTHISbike]

Researcher303 A Dimpa bag is big enough to fit a Brompton but certainly not a bike with 26” tires.

[@supracurious]

Post amazon links for the air bag ya use.

[@RideTHISbike]

You don’t need this exact air mattress. Just find something that works well.

[@tandago7281]

Thanks for this:) I have one final question :) once you're in the plane and they tell you it is too busy and there is no space în the overhead bin, how do you magically make the dimpa bag and the air mattress appear? :)

[@RideTHISbike]

That falls under a gate check which is fine because its the last item in the hold so your Brompton is on top of all the other luggage. By the way, your point is very timely because it seems like almost every flight these days is packed.

[@koshobai]

@@RideTHISbike Does this mean that you don't worry about wrapping it up once you're asked to check it at the gate?

[@RideTHISbike]

@@koshobai correct

[@bisikletci5413]

Hi, is it possible to carry the bropmton in the cabin or do you have to give up as luggage?

[@RideTHISbike]

Bisiklet Ci I fly with my Brompton in the cabin. Normally, it is in the overhead but sometimes it is in the coat closet at the front of the plane. It is only when flying home that I sometimes check the bike because if the airline damages it, I can make repairs in my shop.

[@bisikletci5413]

@@RideTHISbike Thanks for quick response, I'll buy a brompton for my travels, the possibility to carry in the cabin makes everything easier.

[@RideTHISbike]

If you are in the USA, I will be happy to handle your order, prep your bike to your specs and ship it to you. As long as we are shipping to a destination in the USA (lower 48 states), shipping is free. We have many bikes in stock and our location is central to the entire country.

[@bisikletci5413]

@@RideTHISbike Thanks, I'm not in the usa

[@ottoman8308]

Does it fit to every aircraft’s cabin luggage compartments? Especially to B737 and A320s’?

[@RideTHISbike]

Given that the typical carryon bag won’t even fit within the overhead bins on turboprop planes and many commuter jets (like Canadair 300’s), neither will Bromptons. Nevertheless, everytime I’ve flown on a 737, 747, 757, Airbus 300, or other standard commercial aircraft, the bike easily fit in the overhead bin.

[@GlobalAdventurer]

What's the name of that black bag you're using to cover the Brompton? I need something like that. Thank you 👍

[@RideTHISbike]

It’s the Brompton bike cover with integrated pouch. They’re $50.

[@GlobalAdventurer]

@@RideTHISbike Thank you 👍 I just found one on Amazon. Last question....how have you picked up the bike while it's in the pouch, like if you need to just lift it over a curb? Do you just grab any part of the bike along with the fabric and lift it up? Or do you use the seat to lift. I don't have a Brompton yet but trying to make a list of all the accessories no know I will need. I plan on covering the bike with this thin bag just to avoid unnecessary looks from people when I transport it on the Metro trains. There might be a time I may have to lift it over an obstacle a few steps where I can't roll it. Thank you for all your assistance.

[@RideTHISbike]

@@GlobalAdventurer There are 2 zipper pulls on the bag so you can zip open a hole on the top of the bag to grab the bike.

[@GlobalAdventurer]

@@RideTHISbike Thank you 👍

[@philipmemm]

take normal road bike take both wheels off and position them on either side of the frame bubble and wrap tightly. tell flight attendant it is a wheel chair. 👍 boom!

[@alexmorgan3435]

A few things. First how do you get it on as hand luggage as I am sure it would be considered a dangerous item and secondly it weighs a lot more than 10kgs which is the most generous hand luggage allowance I know but also there are lower hand luggage allowances of only 7kg with other air lines. The Brompton weighs maybe 11-12kgs? Thirdly why use a perfectly good inflatable mattress to protect it which itself might become damaged and punctured, unless it already is? Why not use a sold foam Karrimat or such similar, or indeed a specific hard case to protect the Brompton? But there is no way I would even attempt to take it into the plane cabin. And do you deflate the tyres? It's a nice Brompton anyway, I am guessing titanium main frame with just lacquer finish?

[@RideTHISbike]

Alex, here in the USA, there is a statute that allows a passenger to travel with their personal mobility device (PMD) in the cabin of the commercial airliner. The PMD does not take the place of a carry-on. If circumstances so dictate, I will either check the bike or valet check it, in which case I use the inflatable air mattress. When not in use, the air mattress compresses more than a standard foam mattress, making it a smaller package to mount on the bike while I tour.

[@RideTHISbike]

This is how I travel with my Brompton. How you travel is up to you. And no, I don’t deflate the tires as this has been proven unnecessary. Bike details: Raw Lacquer Brompton 6 speed fitted with medium height handlebars and mudguards.

[@Simonsvids]

In Europe as well a PMD is allowed free in the cabin on a plane, but that law is designed for wheelchair users. How do you get away with calling a bicycle a PMD?

[@RideTHISbike]

Simon Jones I am not a lawyer nor am I familiar with European laws pertaining to disabilities. What I can share is that the American Disabilities Act (ADA) stipulates that a flyer may declare a PMD without explanation or a doctor’s note. If I am told that my bike puts me over the carryon limit, I explain that the bag contains my PMD and they allow me to proceed. Only when the flight is full do I gate check my bike. Also, when flying home, I will frequently check my bike to reduce the hassles with changing planes, etc. If the bike is damaged st that stage, I can easily have it repaired at home.

[@tandago7281]

@@RideTHISbike Interesting concept of declaring this as PMD. LOVE IT. Has your PMD argument been accepted anywhere else other than the USA?

[@capeman10]

Wow, good job. Now if I only had the Brompton. I have an old dahon 16in folder.

[@optomediainc]

capeman10, this couple travels with a 20" Tern folder using basically the same method: Tern Stow bag + stuffed clothes + camping mattress: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGKkl3pqfsmqhbc

[@optomediainc]

Ride THISbike Well the Terns can have racks and front mounted blocks too. I think that couple just chose the Travoy trailer for other reasons. Yes, a 20" inch folder can never be carry-on. Also, depending on the airline, it is usually charged extra as oversized luggage, but the benefit of that is that oversized luggage and sports equipment is usually handled a little better than standard luggage: hence, the applied handling charge. On the other hand, some airlines allow sports equipment for free so you can declare a 20" as sports equipment (gentler handling) and not get charge extra either. Just have to know which airlines those are.

[@optomediainc]

Ride THISbike True on all fronts. Yeah, no doubt Brompton is better and more developed on front mounted bags, though I have to say that it seems quite easy to convert most bags to be compatible with the Tern luggage front block. ("Truss" I think they call it.) Also true with the 16" folders. You can get dinged with them no matter what you do. Air Canada, for example, shamelessly makes no distinctions for a folding bike. They charge you a bike handling charge, even though it requires no extra handling if it fits within dimensions. So you can try to take your Brompton as a carry-on, but if they ask you to take a look at it and find out it's a bike, you're forced to pay some kind of (bogus) bike handling fee, even for a Brompton. It's frustrating because you pay the extra money and compromise a little on 16" ride stability by getting Brompton, only to have the airline treat it as any other bike.

[@RideTHISbike]

@@optomediainc Obviously, some airlines have ridiculous bicycle policies and charges. While I can't speak for experiences on Air Canada (haven't flown them), I can speak for my many experiences flying. First, I have NEVER been asked by an airline to show what's in my bag - EVER. And why should they? The TSA (or whatever the airport security is called) inspects baggage, x-raying it, checking for explosives, etc. I can also speak for the ride quality of the Brompton, which is so good that the bike features high-pressure tires (lowering rolling resistance). If you tour on a Brompton, you will discover that using the front carrier block to carry your luggage enhances the ride quality. In fact, it works so well that I don't have a rear rack on my Bromptons.

[@optomediainc]

@@RideTHISbike Perhaps U.S. airlines are different. With a only a few exceptions/options, Air Canada has quite a monopoly on airline travel in Canada, so they can pretty much do as they choose when it comes to policies like this. After having ridden the Brompton and 20" folders, I personally prefer a 20" wheel in terms of ride comfort and less "twitchiness"; however, I prefer the Brompton for many different, other aspects.

[@elkellenhabla]

Which saddle bag cover do you use? I bought the one Brompton makes and I couldn't get it to fit. Maybe because I use a rack?

[@RideTHISbike]

I use the 2 piece bag/cover that Brompton recently discontinued. According to Brompton, the dimensions of both covers are identical; however, I have not tried the new one. With the previous design the cover was separate from the bag that it is stored in, allowing the user to take out the cover when it is not needed and use the saddle bag to hold a water bottle (Brompton does not offer brazes for a water bottle cage).

[@optomediainc]

Is your second method usually done for a gate check or for a check-in at the counter?

[@optomediainc]

This was a useful video by the way. Well, the reason I asked about gate check is that sometimes you get right up to the plane and the crew requests that you gate check it like a stroller due to an over-packed flight and lack of storage space in the cabin. At that point, would you whip out the camping mattress and prepare it in the Dimpa bag right in the ramp? Also, another question, for counter check, is the camping mattress and the sock/card board alone enough, or would you have to use any further bubble wrap or cloth stuffing around fragile areas--and *then* wrap the camping mattress around?

[@optomediainc]

Ride THISbike Yeah, the valet check is pretty much the safest handling. Even if they ever obligate you too, a gate check is not all that different from a valet check I suppose, other than it's probably a bigger jet and there's more chance of the bag dropping from a higher distance. The most chance of damage usually comes from a standard counter check in, namely the series of automated conveyor belts that chuck the luggage around.

[@optomediainc]

Ride THISbike Oh yeah, the damage could come from a number of factors. An interesting one I read about was that occasionally hard case bags can drop off of very higher loading conveyor belts on a rainy day outside, because hard case bags have very little natural grip.

[@sseb007]

Thank you for sharing.

[@RideTHISbike]

I'm glad you liked it.

[@RideTHISbike]

Htebazile Arm Thanks for watching.

[@erickevinz7369]

What kind of air mattress are you using?

[@RideTHISbike]

"Lightspeed Sleep Pad With Flexform" item #1650068

[@spadeofspades]

Here is 3 best ways IMHO to travel with Brompton. The last one for checking luggage: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3-lYpt6r9FngbM

[@willswomble7274]

15-20 Kg steel item in overhead luggage - on which airline is that allowed? Bet that isn't allowed anywhere outside USA - you would be sued to hell! Do you only fly on 737 Max's?

[@snipsdraper7537]

I have used mine several times Hawain, Delta and Aligent yes all in USA

[@RideTHISbike]

I have flown to Europe multiple times this way as well as between London-Venice and other cities.