How to (not) FLY with YOUR BIKE! Packing a bike for air travel to check your bike as normal baggage

This video will show you how to pack up your bike and check it as regular baggage on just about any major airline.
I had a long weekend of cycling around San Francisco planned this weekend, but a major winter storm blizzard thwarted my plans. I made it home, but my bike stayed on the plane! I got the bike back, with TSA tags all over it! How did it fare? You'll have to watch to find out!
My Wife's AWARD WINNING DEBUT NOVEL! (print, kindle and audiobook!)
STILL TRUE by Maggie Ginsberg - amzn.to/3uSBGbn
Park Tool AK-5 Advanced Mechanic Tool Kit - amzn.to/3S0oeLZ
My favorite TOOLS and JUICES and stuff!
Hozan JIS Drivers - amzn.to/3TqIqYj
Hozan BB Pliers - amzn.to/3REHMFb
Hozan Cable Cutter - amzn.to/3tc2zH1
Pledge Polish - amzn.to/3TiI0TV
Dawn PowerWash - amzn.to/4ak8KJS
Tri Flow Bottle - amzn.to/41lHxST
Tri Flow Can - amzn.to/3REsJvc
Finish Line One-Step - amzn.to/3uWkWjH
Finish Line Speed Degreaser - amzn.to/3GDNxga
Bondhus Allen Keys - amzn.to/41jd9Zo
Park Tool Grease - amzn.to/4afWbz7
Hozan Spoke Threader - amzn.to/3TF3s5R

[@MumfordJim]

We ride a lot in Europe and people ask us “do we take our bike”. Never! If on a tour they supply the bikes, when in a city we just rent. This has always been easy in Europe. Plus this way we can hop on a train and not worry about a special car for the bike. One time we did hop a train with our rental bike, you need to get on the correct car. Europe is wonderful it bicycle in. In the US I think I would call a local bike shop and see what I could arrange ahead of time. The only problem with that is getting to and from the place you’re renting the bike. Sure you won’t have a bike you’re familiar with, but at least you will not need to pack and ship your bike. In Santa Barbara they have Ebikes all over town you can Rent ($35 a month, 30 minutes free and $2.75 for each additional 1/2 hour). If you turn in the bike every 1/2 hour you only pay the monthly fee. Not a bad deal if you stay around the area you can rent the bikes. Nice job getting your bike in the box.

[@vhs10907]

How disappointing for you that you missed your trip. I have long wanted to know how to pack a bicycle for travel, and here is the video that I needed. Thank you!

[@RatikusuCh]

Helpful info for taking my bike for abroad adventures. Thanks for sharing your experience, as well.

[@nicolarusso]

Very informative! Always great videos. Keep them coming. I was told by an airline employee that tires have to be deflated because the change in air pressure may rupture the tube.

[@morg52]

I've packed up my bikes lots of times for travel on AMTRAK. Using that huge , long box they sell you. It's nice now that they don't make you do that. I think you just need to take the pedals off and lift it up to the baggage car attendant. I took my TREK 620 touring bike with me to Hawaii's Big Island back in 86. The box could be no bigger than 80 inches total, so I made a box that was 10x30x40.. Pretty much had to take the bike totally apart, including the fork out of the head tube to get it in that box. When I got to the Kona airport, it took me so long to put the bike back together again, that by the time I did the airport was shut down for the day and everyone had left. I had intended to spend three months there, so what do I do with that box? My first idea was to set it up on the roof of one of the gift shops in the airport. I thought carefully about that and realized that was a rather foolish plan. What I ended up doing was carry the box out onto the Kona Highway and finding the first road speed limit sign as a marker, walked out on the lava fields and placed it in a small divot, out of sight from the road. I covered it with a garbage bag split in half, and some lava rocks to hold the plastic in place. It almost never rains in Kona, so I felt that it should be safe until I needed it again and it was. A couple years later, when I went to New Zealand and Australia, I was flying out of San Fransisco after taking the train from Washinton DC, via New Orleans. The Amtrak box would be too big, so I got a bike box from a bike shop in the Marina District and rode to the airport with the box tucked under an arm. Yeah, I was a cheap bastard. Anyway after getting delayed out of S.F. and a stopover in Honolulu, I made it to Auckland N.Z. Again, what to do with the bike box? could I get another one in N.Z. for my trip to OZ. The baggage guys said I didn't need one at all. Just take off the pedals and turn the handle bars in line with the frame and "No Worries, Mate". After biking to Wellinton, the ferry over to Picton and around the south island, back to Auckland on the "Silver Fern", and on to Sydney. After a few weeks in Sydney, checking out the Shiela's on the topless beaches the Tomcat and I flew home to S.F. with no box. Like they said, "No Worries Mate". One time I got side tracked in a big way was when I was going to ride the Katy trail from near Kansas City MO to Saint Louis MO. I was taking the Empire Builder from Saint Paul MN to Chicago IL then the Southwest Chief to K.C. The Amtrak ticket agent in St. Paul said he could get me a lower fare to K.C. from Chicago. He didn't tell me or I totally missed the boat on what was happening. He put me on the Ann Rutledge instead of the Southwest Chief. The Ann Rutledge leaves Chicago early in the morning and stops at every little podunk town along the way. The Southwest Chief leaves around noon and takes a more direct route and arrives in KC in the evening. When I got to Chicago, I rented a car and drove down to a park called Channahon on the I&M canal trail. I spent the night and went back to Chicago to discover that I had missed the train I was ticketed for but they could still get me a seat on the Southwest Chief. I had taken part of my baggage off the train at Chicago to go camping at Channahon. This baggage included a BoB trailer that I had in a big duffle bag, a work around that I came up with to satisfy the baggage folks at Amtrak. So off I go to KC and when I arrived there near midnight, my bike was not on the train. It had been held up in Chicago because I was not present as a traveler on the Ann Rutledge. This was on the weekend of Easter Sunday and the crew was short handed so My bike sat there in the freight room in Chicago for three more days. Well, I got know KC A little bit better that I probably would have chosen to. I toured the sunken paddlewheel steamboat and the world war one memorial but every evening I was at the Amtrak station in eager anticipation of reconnecting with my bike, only to be told maybe it'll be on tomorrows train. Going to bed every night mad as hell and couldn't sleep worth a damn. Until I rented a car, I was hauling my gear around in my BoB, well at least it had one wheel on it. When the bike finally turns up I stuffed it into a taxi that was more like an suv and went out to Blue Springs, at an IHOP and put it all together and rode all night and into the next evening on the Katy Trail, trying to catch up a little of my schedule for the ride. That bike is a 98 Trek 7200 that I call "Bandit". The frame of Bandit has carried me for, conservatively, 40000 miles. Oh, and Amtrak gave me a voucher for twenty five bucks.

[@littlesnarf]

Well now you can fly to Jacksonville, FL so you can be in Deland on the 29th. Ride with me on the Coast to Coast trail to St. Pete. I've never packed a bike on a plane before because it's way too intimidating. I'm slowly becoming less afraid. Amtrak lets me take my bike on the train from NJ to FL fully assembled, even with the center frame bag and racks on.

[@Spanderson99]

All my Canadian bike tours end with a ride back across the mountains on Via Rail for the very same reason!

[@mattgies]

I always put some kraft paper or thin cardboard around the greasy bits, so it can be handled without making a mess of everything. Also zip tie, masking tape, or velcro strap onto the frame, anything loose in the box (in your case, the handlebars and the saddle/seatpost), so they can't clatter around and chip the paint.

[@emilycs8823]

I have airtags on all my bikes. Keeping a bike in hotel room is smart. Hotel parking lots, garages, and bike storage are often targeted. The only bike locks that will stand a chance against theft are U locks, or heavy chains but proliferation of cordless angle grinders that are often obtained by shoplifting is becoming a problem. I live in a high theft area (major college town) and most bikes that get stolen were locked with some kind of cable lock, that was cut with pliers, wire cutter, maybe bolt cutters, or from a broken porch railing. Less commonly cordless angle grinders. Its the same story I have heard hundreds of times. I tend to ride cheap bikes if I am leaving out of sight, and my defense against angle grinders is 2 U locks + an armored cable on my wheels so they at least have to make 4 cuts then deal with the cable, and hopefully wear down their cutting wheel.

[@brrrt6666]

Last summer, I did this to a Gary Fisher that I rebuild went on a bus from Germany to Spain. Good times!

[@raoulzaragoza4112]

Fun video! One word: Ritchey Breakaway, lol! Love my steel ride, flies free on Southwest, regular baggage charge on other airlines (some have lowered their fee.) I have taken to Europe several times, going to Lisbon in Feb. TSA sometimes opens to check…I print photos of contents and a nice note thanking them for being careful, place it in the case. My helmet, shoes and clothes plus bike weigh fifty pounds. Never had any problems. Have never used AirTag tho…

[@sklegg]

Seeing all of those bikes in the carport got me pumped.

[@tonybelhumer115]

Watching this makes me very glad we rented rather than try to ship our bike to Portugal last spring!🙃

[@robertlewis3712]

That was a really informative video. I wondered what was necessary to fly your bike to a location. I’m not sure I want to do it now.

[@reehren]

I feel your pain; the opposite thing happened to me last summer: I boarded a plane to Europe last summer (with the intention of cycling in the Basque Country), but United failed to load my bike into the aircraft. They managed to put it onto a later flight and I eventually was reunited with it, but my bike tour never happened.

[@patrickblaney8220]

Fun video! Sorry the trip didnt work out

[@elishmittywerminghanjensen1264]

No kidding, that snow this weekend was crazy

[@skaman1013]

we did have 4 inches in chicago by 9am on that day!

[@bkefrmr]

Yeah. My flight was just on the very edge of what was possible. I think I was about an hour off of being just fine. Such is life at ORD in Jan!

[@rug212]

Bummer you didn’t make it to your destination. Would’ve been a great video of your rides there. Hopefully you can try again soon.

[@enriquevillasenor9386]

AirTag!! Smart man.

[@redrep13]

Bummer that you missed your trip! I hope you get a chance to go in the future. I was supposed to fly from Denver to O’Hare for work Tuesday and come back Thursday. I canceled, but felt guilty. Now I don’t 😂.

[@davidmurphy9151]

This is the kind of cranky that only comes from living in a place where nothing other than bad weather ever happens.

[@danletia1]

I've flown quite a few times with my bike, an XL gravel bike or an XL full suspension mtn bike. I was like you for a while, trying to cram everything safely into a bike box. Last year I finally bought the Dakine travel bike bag and it was soooooo much easier to pack and protect! It even has convenient wheels for dragging it around! Do it, buy a travel bike bag, it's so worth it! I can pack up my bike in about 10-15 minutes now and it feels more protected. Also, it is much easier for TSA to inspect and zip it right back up.

[@Kelekona_808]

Glad the bike survived being opened up and "inspected". Would love a follow up on any rectification for the hassle of missing a flight and having your bike flown off before you could request to have it taken off the plane.

[@bkefrmr]

I’m getting a refund. I think thats pretty good considering I probably shouldn’t have bailed on the delayed flight. Of course, nobody knew what was going on so everyone had a unique experience. I was just happy to not get stuck in ORD all day.

[@Joe_from_iowa]

Smart move with the Airtag!

[@bkefrmr]

It was cool to finally get a United baggage rep on the phone and say I could see it in SFO Terminal 3 and have him say, YUP! That’s what I see too!

[@garyseckel295]

Excellent video! Wondered about not seeing any included water bottles.

[@bkefrmr]

I remembered them last minute and threw them in my carryon

[@Noah_McAlister]

Having shipped many items via airline for myself and others, best advice I can give is to disguise whatever you're checking as a firearm no matter the size of the item. The last thing any airline or shipping service wants is to lose a gun, so if you just slap a ruger, winchester, or any other well-known manufacturer sticker on the box that will almost guarantee it arrives unscathed. If its for myself, ill slap an empty magazine or a bare upper in there and secure with a TSA lock so i can officially declare it as firearm parts at the ticket counter. If the item fits, I use a pelican gun case. I feel your pain, hopefully this never happens again. Love your content man, keep it coming!

[@nbartlett6538]

This advice might not work well outside America 😱

[@FuchsHorst]

That's why cool kids fly to Watopia for cycling. ;)

[@bkefrmr]

God help us all

[@tonyalewis9053]

Keep up the adventure…but I prefer to rent at my destination. It allows me to check out other bikes, best wishes!

[@bkefrmr]

Ew…riding someone else’s bike!? Grossssss! 😉

[@tonyalewis9053]

@@bkefrmr I put my butt on the seat, not my face! 😂

[@aq7705]

17:32 "It can't be THAT bad, right?" 🙂

[@nuw5396]

I never traveled by plane with my bike but what about using a bigger box? Or use that big as heck bike bag and carry it around.

[@peterago1082]

Winter Yikes!!!

[@calebjackson2631]

I’ve heard a couple KZbin biking experts say to deflate tires before flying with your bike because at elevation they could potentially burst.

[@bkefrmr]

I let some air out. Tire wasn’t blown off the rim, so..

[@bkefrmr]

😂🤣😂”KZbin Bike Experts!”🤣😂🤣

[@Bikepacking]

What it is airlines ask to deflate tires .. the fact is it dont matter if inflate or not the cargo pressurized..

[@bkefrmr]

@@Bikepacking that’s what I’ve always thought, but I figure if my ears pop, things are changing, so I always let some air out. But my water bottles are always sucked in and never explode, so that’s probably stupid too.

[@Bikepacking]

@@bkefrmr remember cats dogs travel in the cargo hold

[@dblissmn]

that bike is so old school no SF miscreant is going to try to nick it, unless you're talking a late night encounter with a drunk yuppie who happens to be retro-obsessed. The thieves want shiny objects like high-end e-bikes with non-recyclable frames.

[@onestep4me]

Yikes! In July I'm flying from El Paso, Texas to Calgary, Alberta, Canada with my bike to ride the GDMBR. I've never flown with a bike. Now. I'm really nervous.

[@flyingchic3n]

Bummer dude!

[@RobBastien]

Such a pain....Come to terms with riding a Brompton and you should be all set, for your next trip.

[@Bikepacking]

I stop using box’s a few years back i just plastic wrap it with a clear bag

[@bkefrmr]

Why?

[@Bikepacking]

@@bkefrmr because they treat the bike better and saves on weight at check in .. there some international airlines you dont even need a box or bag they just wheel it on the plane lol .. the main thing. Is to put air tag in the bike when traveling by plane

[@jonmeek3879]

Do you think you would have had the same inspection issues if you had used a Bikeflights box ?? Just curious

[@bkefrmr]

Yes

[@williamkerry2626]

What bag is that?

[@craigsmith5134]

Sorry you missed your trip, huge bummer. Glad the bike made it in one piece though. I'll be flying with my bike for the first time in February to Spain. After renting in Greece last year for a mediocre bike, I figured the cost of a good bike box and the extra ticket will pay for itself in rental fees pretty quick. My box is bigger than yours but it's virtually impossible for them to put stuff back in there incorrectly. Wheels attached to the top lid and straps to hold the frame in place. Hopefully it all works out.

[@user-tr8ry1sp4l]

Hoodie is cool -- I want one -- How do we groupies order?

[@bkefrmr]

I’ll be setting up a store soon

[@oOJayWeeOo]

Why wouldnt you air down/out your tires to create a slimmer box profile?

[@bkefrmr]

Probably because I’m really stupid

[@oOJayWeeOo]

@@bkefrmr 😄 no, of course you're not. Also didn't mean my comment so sound rude. Love your channel, got me interested in bikes again and I'm currently updating an old Giant Boulder shock a little bit, to ride starting in the spring time.

[@stevebarnes9345]

Not worth it---- rent - isn't rivendell headquarters in the Bay Area ?

[@bkefrmr]

Oh! Right! I’m so stupid!

[@RolandRides]

Have you considered Bike Friday or Brompton?

[@bkefrmr]

No

[@dsa5394]

We had a bike shop in Jackson, Wyoming, pack our bikes for a flight back to Cleveland. The airline website stated the combined linear length allowed for the bike, and the box had to stay under 50 lbs. Any loose items we put in a padded envelope, in case TSA opened the box, which they did. By the way, it was with United, we were very lucky, everything went super smooth

[@Jeromeeb]

Note to self: travel with a fixie

[@kevwalton272]

make a video of literally anything, an expert will show up!

[@davidhakes5141]

It's like you're trying work a deer carcass into a cooler after the hunting trip.

[@mang0men1]

well you asked for the comments...I've also flown with my bike and I think you've done it much more careful than I would. The more you dismantle, the more parts will fly around and may damage the bike and the reassembling takes longer and that's not always so much fun at the Airport. I always fly with an old bike box and only dismantle the front wheel, pedals and handlebars, which are taped to the frame. I always zip tie the front wheel to the frame as well, makes the package more stable Air out of the tires and a bit of foam and you're done :D the box was once pretty broken when I picked it up and there were a few (road) cyclists standing next to it whispering "this bike goes straight to the bin" haha... i dont think so... maybe these ultralight carbon bikes but not my steel touring throne. haha i love how the roadies always want to look tough but in reality a little gust of wind and the carbon dream bike is just carbon again.

[@martinpolach1330]

Looks like TSA did their job … not sure what the fiasco was ?

[@bkefrmr]

Hahaha ok buddy.

[@MS-un9zq]

Suggest topic...Zwift....

[@martinpolach1330]

Why did You bail ..? You and the bike were aboard…you did not indicate that the flight was cancelled…just delayed ?

[@bkefrmr]

The gate agent told us we could bail and get our bags from the ticket desk…so I did…and then the plane took off and nobody told us 😂🤣

[@bkefrmr]

Also, I wasn’t gonna spend my vacation sitting in O’Hare all day. When I bailed, 1000 flights were already cancelled.

[@kenlang6672]

Sorry you didn't get your flight. I for one, would have felt much better delivering hot chocolate to snowbound travelers, if I knew you we're jetsetting the left coast with silicone valley cycle enthusiasts. BTW, lose the Gerber Dime, the Leatherman Squirt is way better. I own a bike that folds into it's own oversized backpack for carry on ease. Still, packing the damned thing is a hairpulling experience. Thanks for a great, helpful, informative vid.

[@BangBang1967]

Yes you should ALWAYS deflate you tires... Due to airplanes pressurizing the cabins including the luggage compartment it will pop your tube... And yes this is why you can't travel with co2..

[@user-dy5gy2rp6h]

😒 good grief 😑 ...so glad i live several hours away from Frisco..🚴 ... just load it up in my Big SUV and away i go...⚡🤸 watching you tearing apart your ride just to fit it in some box was an excursion journey in itself...😒 ... couldn't watch the whole video... ...too much drama. 😐

[@user-gj6so7gi9i]

lol, at least you wont have to scrape the poop off your tires, TRUMP 2024 Make America Clean Again!

[@MrSamBowers]

I wouldn't went to the trouble. Wherever I was going. I would have bought a cheap bike. Toured with it. Donated it when I'm done.