Shipping Bike to Virginia

[wpotts]

I am doing the Trans America starting in Virginia, does anyone have a recommendation where to ship my bike to? Starting May 2012.

Thanks!

Bill in California

[indyfabz]

http://www.adventurecycling.org/forums/index.php?topic=7004.msg34404#msg34404

Also, a web search shows Bike Alley Bickes, Inc. in Yorktown, VA:

http://local.yahoo.com/info-33825053-back-alley-bikes-incorporated-yorktown

There is a recent review, suggesting that the shop is still in business.

[staehpj1]

I have found that most bike shops will accept your bike if you arrange ahead of time.  Ditto for boxing and shipping a bike home at the end.  You might also ask Warmshowers.org hosts in the area or if you plan to get a room you might ask the motel/hotel.

I usually like to ride out of the airport so I typically fly with my bike as checked baggage.  If you do that, fly with a bike friendly airline.  Southwest is usually my choice ($50 for the bike and no other baggage charge if you keep it to the bike and one checked bag with each being under 50 pounds), some other airlines charge as much as $200.  I typically like to have a bike shop ship the bike home for me to avoid having to deal with that in a strange city.

[raybo]

I've ridden through Yorktown.  Be aware that it is a small tourist town with few non-tourist services. It might be better to find a bike shop near Yorktown and then ride from there to Yorktown to start your TransAm.

I live in California, so have no local experience.  But, you might consider Newport News, which is a bigger town and appears to have several bike shops. The ride from there to Yorktown isn't far and you should be able to spend most of it in the Colonial National Historic Park.

Here is my journal entry for the day I visited Yorktown.

Ray

[DU]

If you aren't looking for a bike shop, I shipped mine to the Duke of York Motel in Yorktown. They held it for me and then I assembled it myself. This was in 2006.

[John Nelson]

The Duke of York is only a few blocks from the Victory Monument, so it's well located for a TransAm cyclist. I had dinner at their restaurant the night before I started.

[wpotts]

Thank You for all of the replies! Great ideas.

Bill Potts    Trans Am 2012