FIRST BIKE TO IRELAND

[dudley123]

TextTextTextHi  to all
 
We are planing a trip to southwest Ireland this  july for 3 weeks of biking . We are not young but we ain't old in mind or body 60 and 63, that'S the way we think.  Ok enought B S  First Question do we take our bike with us and reassemble it in the airport or have it ship to a bike store in the town we will be in the first day (ENNIS)  and what do i do with the bike box. Any and all help is welcome.  Please help me if I screw this up she will shoot me  LOL   OH WE ARE FROM   N.Y. USA

[1cycleguy]

Assemble your own bike, or have a shop do it? I think it depends on your own comfort level with doing the assembly at an airport with tools you have on hand. I've done the assembly of my bike at start of a trip in ariports, bus stations, train stations, and motel/hotel rooms. The important thing for me was to do a few dry runs of packing and unpacking the bike at home (with the bike shop phone number close at hand) before I tried it the first time on a trip.

As for the bike packing case; the answer depends on if I use a airline bike box or reuseable shipping case. The reuseable case can be mailed or shipped to your final destination depending on how soon you need it; I've shipped to bike shops, hotels/motels or friends homes . When I use a standard ailine bike box I check with the airlines about availability of the boxes and if the used box can be recycled or discarded.

1cycleguy

Michael Hanson
To will is to select a goal, determine a course of action that will bring one to that goal, and then hold to that action till the goal is reached. The key is action.

[ptaylor]

I have taken two trips where I flew to a distant city to start the tour, rode to another distant city and then flew back home. Only having done it twice, I'm no expert, but you may benefit from my experience. I have a hard fiberglass bicycle case you can buy for about $200.

In both cases, I shipped my bike ahead of time via UPS to a either hotel or friend where my tour was to start. I assembled my bike and shipped the empty bike case (again via UPS) to a friend at my final destination. At the final destination, I packed my bike in the case, and shipped it back home via UPS.

This summer I will be taking a 3 month tour without the luxury of a friend at either the start or end, so I will make one change to my routine. After I unpack my bike at my beginning hotel, I will ship the empty case home. My wife at home will then hold it for 3 months and ship the empty case to the hotel at my final destination.

If you do this, pick at least a mid level hotel that will be willing to hold the case in their 'baggage room' for a few days prior to your arrival, and then hold it for a day or so until UPS picks it up after you leave. Tip generously because this case isn't their normal baggage.

To me, the hotel night is important. I try to arrive early, spend the afternoon assembling the bike and taking it for a short road test, then making arrangements for UPS pickup. I get a good nights rest and an early start on my tour the next morning.

It costs about $50 to UPS the case (full or empty) within the US. I'm sure FedEx is about the same. I have no idea what international charges would be. Be sure that, after you box your bike, you don't leave one of the required tools behind.


Gramps

[ecole]

Don't count on there being a bike store in Ennis.  You will probably have to assemble the bikes at the airport (I'm assuming you'll have a rental car) or if you get a large enough car you might be able to keep the bikes in the boxes until you get to where you're going.  You should be able to store the boxes with someone in Ennis.  If you think you'll do this again, you might think about investing in some re-usable boxes.  Have fun, Ireland is grand.

[Beep!Beep!]

Hello and welcome! I live in Stranraer so if you are near the port will be glad to help. My address is 2B McCormack Gardens and my e-mail is tyredocter@hotmail.co.uk

[RussellSeaton]

I've always used cardboard boxes for airplane trips to Europe.  Picked up at the local bike shop before I started and discarded when I assembled the bike at the other end.  Check with airlines so you know they will have them in stock when you ride/hauled back to the airport at the end of the trip.

In Rome I took the bike in its box on the train into town from the airport and assembled it at the train station right on the main floor.  Then rode it out into the Rome night looking for a place to stay.  At the end of the trip in Brussels I planned my route to the airport the day before and made sure where to get a box.  Next day I rode the bike to the airport and boxed it up at the airport.

On another trip my bike came a day after I arrived in Lisbon due to TWA leaving my bike in NY.  So they hauled my bike to my motel in downtown Lisbon when it arrived the next day.  Otherwise I would have assembled it at the airport and ridden it out.  On the return I again rode my route to the airport the day before departure and picked a motel that was close to the airport and made sure they had bike boxes.  Next day I rode the bike and baggage to the airport and boxed it up right on the floor of the airport.

Make sure to have plenty of tape for the box.  Its also nice to have a bike that is not too fancy because TWA dumped my bike out of the box on the return trip from Lisbon.  Obvious when it arrived at the final airport.  Nothing hurt on the bike though.

For traveling in cardboard bike boxes, about the only thing to disassemble is the seatpost must be taken out, front wheel maybe removed, handlebars turned or removed, pedals removed, and for extra protection it would be a good idea to undo the rear derailleur from its hanger.  Not too much and not too many tools required.  If you do not know how to do this now, a biking friend can probably teach you well enough before you go.  And practice.

[DaveB]

One more thing if you are using cardboard boxes.  

New bikes come packed with mushroom shaped plastic caps that cover the axle ends of the front wheel (it's removed for packing) to keep them from poking through the cardboard, a spacer that protects the fork dropouts from crushing and plugs for the top of the seat tube and fork steerer or head tube.  

Any LBS will have tons of these and should be willing to give you one or several sets at no charge.  They are very worthwhile protection for your bike and are light and small enough to take with you on tour for use when packing for the return shipment.

You should be able to buy a roll of tape and some packing material very near the Airport for your return trip so you don't have to carry these with you.  Wal-Marts are nearly everywhere these days.