Cycling UK Forum

I am currently studying at Swansea in Wales and I am planning to bring my bike back to my country after graduation,any suggestions for me to bring it to Heathrow?

Or is there any service which I can send it by shipping or air rather than bring it alone with me on plane?

Pack it in a box, National Express Coaches will take it fine if pre-booked.

Stagecoach and Megabus will also take bikes for free, they'll even take unboxed bikes but I would recommend a heavy plastic sheet over the bike. They don't require bookings, but if you get on the bus and there's no space in the hold obviously they can't take it. Probably better to try and book it before you travel though.

hamster wrote:Pack it in a box, National Express Coaches will take it fine if pre-booked.

Are u 100% sure? I could only see options for overweight or extra luggage when I tried to book a ticket on national express web.

pyman25 wrote:

hamster wrote:Pack it in a box, National Express Coaches will take it fine if pre-booked.

Are u 100% sure? I could only see options for overweight or extra luggage when I tried to book a ticket on national express web.

Nothing's ever 100% certain but http://www.atob.org.uk/bikecoach-tram-2 ... trictions/ says they're OK packed flat.

There are lots of options in terms of couriers, prices vary wildly and also compensation can bump up the price significantly, base prices are generally based on volume rather than outright weight, so it might work out cheaper overall to send by international courier but depends on your destination. Sending wheels and frame+components seperately works out a lot cheaper than one big box

It'll also save you a heck of a lot less hassle than getting it to Heathrow and then on to your home country and from airport to home. it'll also avoid the 'chuckers' at the airport - my mate works at Heathrow as one so I know exactly how bikes are handled!

if you

The utility cyclist wrote:There are lots of options in terms of couriers, prices vary wildly and also compensation can bump up the price significantly, base prices are generally based on volume rather than outright weight, so it might work out cheaper overall to send by international courier but depends on your destination. Sending wheels and frame+components seperately works out a lot cheaper than one big box

It'll also save you a heck of a lot less hassle than getting it to Heathrow and then on to your home country and from airport to home. it'll also avoid the 'chuckers' at the airport - my mate works at Heathrow as one so I know exactly how bikes are handled!

if you

Any recommendations for courier shipping to asia? I try to quote online,many of them dont accept such large bike box

pyman25 wrote:

The utility cyclist wrote:There are lots of options in terms of couriers, prices vary wildly and also compensation can bump up the price significantly, base prices are generally based on volume rather than outright weight, so it might work out cheaper overall to send by international courier but depends on your destination. Sending wheels and frame+components seperately works out a lot cheaper than one big box

It'll also save you a heck of a lot less hassle than getting it to Heathrow and then on to your home country and from airport to home. it'll also avoid the 'chuckers' at the airport - my mate works at Heathrow as one so I know exactly how bikes are handled!

if you

Any recommendations for courier shipping to asia? I try to quote online,many of them dont accept such large bike box

As I said, you need to send in two packages, wheels and frame separate. This is ALWAYS the cheapest way as oversized packages cost a fortune.
I've used lots of different companies but Asia is a big continent so some couriers give better quotes depending on the country and the contracts they have with those couriers.
I've used Transglobal express before to send golf clubs and a large golf bag to Queensland https://www.transglobalexpress.co.uk/ I used 105x20x60 + 8kg and 68x20x68 + 5kg as example parcel sizes (I've sent bikes and frames abroad but not outside of Europe) and entered India and Tiawan as destinations. This came up as £144 for either, however there is a £34 charge to collect with transglobal, so you might actually be better off sending them the parcel using parcelforce as this would work out cheaper to get the parcel to their Wirral or london depot. In any case even with the uplift charge this is still cheaper than all the other couriers I've just checked whom I've used before.

You could also try parcelboker https://parcelbroker.co.uk/quote/service.php you need to fill out at request form to get a solid quote on their best prices.

Hope that helps

Fly it in by drone

Sorry that wasn’t helpful.

NX Coaches take bikes if there is space and the bike is covered or boxed. I think the needing to cover the bike is to stop the oily chain getting other passengers luggage dirty. I can remember a few years ago a guy wanting to get his bike on the coach out of Victoria fully assembled but the driver said no cause it wasn't covered and mentioned the chain, the passenger said if he secured it in the baggage hold chainside in would that be OK and the driver relented.

Where are you flying to and with which airline? What other luggage do you have?

If your airline allows bikes, it is always cheaper to take bike on the plane with you (checked luggage).

I regularly fly my bike to Asia, so happy to advise.

simonhill wrote:Where are you flying to and with which airline? What other luggage do you have?

If your airline allows bikes, it is always cheaper to take bike on the plane with you (checked luggage).

I regularly fly my bike to Asia, so happy to advise.

HK,China and British Airways. I think it's one of the option if I take the bike along with me,just wondering how u take your bike to airport mate

I always get a lift to (UK) airports. This means I can properly pack my bike in a cardboard bike box at home. Abroad, I have cycled to airport with folded box, but not easy for my home trip from Essex to Gatwick on train and tube.

I asked about your flight because you were asking about international couriers ("Any recommendations for courier shipping to asia? "). Also, I asked about other luggage because I was under the impression that BA are a one piece of luggage only carrier.

For advice on buses etc to Heathrow, it seems you have plenty of replies.

Unfortunately my experience of taking my bike anywhere is that you cannot always rely on anything. Airline, bus and train staff have been known to say NO, even if their websites say yes, by quoting some spurious local rules, etc. If it was me, I'd give myself a good time buffer.

Good luck.

pyman25 wrote:

hamster wrote:Pack it in a box, National Express Coaches will take it fine if pre-booked.

Are u 100% sure? I could only see options for overweight or extra luggage when I tried to book a ticket on national express web.

Here it is:
https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/help ... t-property
And it does mention bikes, deeply hidden. I have used them several times on the 205 service to Heathrow, never a problem in a padded bike bag.

pyman25 wrote:

simonhill wrote:Where are you flying to and with which airline? What other luggage do you have?

If your airline allows bikes, it is always cheaper to take bike on the plane with you (checked luggage).

I regularly fly my bike to Asia, so happy to advise.

HK,China and British Airways. I think it's one of the option if I take the bike along with me,just wondering how u take your bike to airport mate

With BA, you have the option of just putting a Wiggle/CTC/builders plastic bag over the bike. Which means you can ride to the airport and/or put it on trains (get a reservation on the Swansea-London services!).

If you don't have very much luggage, and can ride the bike a few miles with it, I can recommend getting off at Slough station and riding to Heathrow - it's a flat route, lots of cycle-path, and you feel like you're sneaking in undercover of "normal" people