Getting bikes to Banff

[kwvp]

Looking to do a portion of the GDMBR from Banff to Whitefish and was looking for the best way to get the bikes to Banff from Minnesota. Most likely flying Delta to Calgary. Planning on taking Amtrak back home so that half is covered. Thanks for any info.

[RonK]

My friend is there now - he flew into Calgary and took a bus from Calgary to Banff.

[zzzz]

I’m from the US and I’ve started 2 rides in Banff and 1 in Jasper. Each time i’ve shipped my bike out ahead of time (using BikeFlights) to a local bike shop who assembled it for me and it was ready to go when I got there.
The reason why I would not use this method again is the black hole that is customs. If you take the bike on your flight w you I don’t believe any customs duties are assessed. But if you ship it in it could be a $130 or $190 or whatever they feel like charging you. And how long it takes to clear customs is also pretty iffy.
I believe it’s at least a theoretical option to get your customs money back when you take your bike back into the US but I never saw a way to do it that was worth my time and effort.

pm

[Iowagriz]

Fly with it, take the shuttle from the Calgary airport to Banff. The shuttle is used to taking bike boxes to Banff.

I stayed at the Y, then left the box with them for a northbound rider to use for packing their bike. I also found that using a fatbike box from the local bike shop allowed for less disassembly and still fit most of my bags and gear. You are already paying for oversized, I don't think they look are weight at that point. You do need to be aware of what you can't pack (ex: propane)

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[kwvp]

Thanks everybody. This is really the only part of the trip that had me stressed out. On the plane it is.