Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

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MrsHJ
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Re: Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

Post by MrsHJ »

I’d be wary of assuming all my tools etc can go as hand baggage but if you’ve got 2 bags it’s fine or if you leave the tools in a seat pack that’ll probably be ok (not that you are supposed to leave stuff attached to the bike on the plane but I’ve not noticed that they care about stuff that is actually on the bike- I think they mean no panniers etc). I pay £65 for an extra bag each way which I think is very reasonable for a transatlantic flight.

Another thing to mention for BA (and no doubt some other carriers) is that if you have a flight that leaves before 1pm from Heathrow (other airports??) I think you can check your bags in the previous afternoon/evening which takes a bit of pressure off. I haven’t tried this with the bike yet but if I’d known before I flew to DC I definitely would have done it.
st599_uk
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Re: Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

Post by st599_uk »

MrsHJ wrote: 8 Jan 2022, 5:38pm I’d be wary of assuming all my tools etc can go as hand baggage but if you’ve got 2 bags it’s fine or if you leave the tools in a seat pack that’ll probably be ok (not that you are supposed to leave stuff attached to the bike on the plane but I’ve not noticed that they care about stuff that is actually on the bike- I think they mean no panniers etc). I pay £65 for an extra bag each way which I think is very reasonable for a transatlantic flight.

Another thing to mention for BA (and no doubt some other carriers) is that if you have a flight that leaves before 1pm from Heathrow (other airports??) I think you can check your bags in the previous afternoon/evening which takes a bit of pressure off. I haven’t tried this with the bike yet but if I’d known before I flew to DC I definitely would have done it.
Heathrow also has a bike shop that will box your bike up for you.
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MrsHJ
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Re: Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

Post by MrsHJ »


Heathrow also has a bike shop that will box your bike up for you.
Sounds perfect. These guys I assume. Looks pretty awesome, can’t believe I’ve never noticed it before.
http://runwaycycling.com/travelling-with-your-bike/
glucas
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Re: Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

Post by glucas »

Thanks for the info again Mrs HJ.

The bike shop sounds awesome. If I could see how to put the bike back together that may be well worth a visit.

I will also look in close detail at your train proposal again. I am erring on the side of flying basically because I am nervous about changing trains etc, but if there were regional routes where reservations were not heavily stipulated that may be useful.
bohrsatom
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Re: Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

Post by bohrsatom »

MrsHJ wrote: 8 Jan 2022, 5:38pm Another thing to mention for BA (and no doubt some other carriers) is that if you have a flight that leaves before 1pm from Heathrow (other airports??) I think you can check your bags in the previous afternoon/evening which takes a bit of pressure off. I haven’t tried this with the bike yet but if I’d known before I flew to DC I definitely would have done it.
I’ve done this when flying BA from Gatwick to Salzburg and can confirm it makes the morning of the flight a whole lot less stressful. Would recommend
nirakaro
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Re: Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

Post by nirakaro »

Tiggertoo wrote: 8 Jan 2022, 5:21pmIt's also a very simple procedure to remove the pedals using the Park tool designed for the purpose. I would caution anyone against using a regular spanner for the job.
Some pedals - mine for example - can be removed/refitted with a hex key, saves carrying a special tool. Worth checking.
Tiggertoo
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Re: Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

Post by Tiggertoo »

nirakaro wrote: 8 Jan 2022, 11:03pm
Tiggertoo wrote: 8 Jan 2022, 5:21pmIt's also a very simple procedure to remove the pedals using the Park tool designed for the purpose. I would caution anyone against using a regular spanner for the job.
Some pedals - mine for example - can be removed/refitted with a hex key, saves carrying a special tool. Worth checking.
Actually, now that you mention it, my Cannondale has this feature, not all bikes do though, all my other bikes have the pedals needing the Park tool to remove.
nirakaro
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Re: Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

Post by nirakaro »

Tiggertoo wrote: 8 Jan 2022, 5:21pm I would caution anyone against using a regular spanner for the job.
I wonder why? I've never had an issue with using a bog standard 15mm spanner.
simonhill
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Re: Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

Post by simonhill »

Pedals, albeit small things can be one of the biggest problems when packing a bike. They can be very tight for removal and a simple Allen (hex) key is often not enough. Even with a decent 15mm spanner it can be difficult if they are very tight. By their nature they self tighten.

If riding to airport, then I loosen and lightly tighten before setting off. After a long tour, I often call in a bike shop and ask them to loosen for me with a proper pedal spanner.

See the last 2 posts here. Personally, I normally carry a 15mm spanner. viewtopic.php?t=81180&start=255
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Re: Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

Post by mjr »

MrsHJ wrote: 8 Jan 2022, 5:38pm I’d be wary of assuming all my tools etc can go as hand baggage but [...]

Another thing to mention for BA (and no doubt some other carriers) is that if you have a flight that leaves before 1pm from Heathrow (other airports??) [...]
I think the problem that is highlighted is that it’s inconsistent (eg BA included in allowance, Ryanair extra plus some uncertainty about plastic bags) and unpredictable ie someone will change the policy and a previously reliable route is now difficult. It all requires lots of careful planning which can be a PITA.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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MrsHJ
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Re: Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

Post by MrsHJ »

On pedals mine can, in theory, be removed with a spanner. I ended up getting the tool after I had to fly back from Amsterdam with the pedals left in situe with lots of bubble wrap to hide them. I couldn’t get them off, some other cyclists staying at the same place couldn’t and there was no bike shop in the small town we were in. After that I got the tool, it’s quick and reliable albeit it isn’t a super light item- other people may be fine-most of us figure out fixes when something is a problem- this was turning into a problem for me. I ended up watching a you tube video late last night in handlebar removal in case I need to do that one day!

Obviously all you technical types know this but for mechanically inept people like me be very careful putting pedals back on- mine have been on and off a lot and eventually I stripped the cranks which was very unfunny standing surrounded by metal shavings in central DC. I was at the start of a long tour and we managed to get new cranks overnighted. I’m now replacing my pedals too as I think the threads are also a bit worn on them.
Jamesh
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Re: Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

Post by Jamesh »

If you use SPD then the pedals are a little shorter..

Just a thought.

Cranks and pedals are items I remove only if I have too!

Cheers James
simonhill
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Re: Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

Post by simonhill »

If you leave the pedals on they are a high point that might take the load if bike is laid down, or dropped on its side. Also contravene almost every airline packing rules, if check-in want to get bolshy.

One great advantage of a cardboard box is that check-in can't see inside. This means you can put some stuff in there and leave tyres inflated. Don't overdo it as the boxes are x-rayed at the oversize drop.
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CJ
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Re: Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

Post by CJ »

MrsHJ wrote: 8 Jan 2022, 2:18pmThoughts about bikes and airports- if you’re driving there consider carefully where you’ll be leaving the car. I can’t manage a packed bike on an airport bus with my luggage
Even if you can physically manage to heft it onto the bus, beware that the shuttles at some airport car parks WILL NOT CARRY BIKES! This happened to a friend of mine prior to a CTC Tour... Actually, being a petite woman, she cannot heft the bike on her own and relies upon getting there early plus the kindness of strangers to help. But a shortage of kind strangers was not the problem. The bus was a bit full already and the driver simply would not let them put her bike on - even though she was a woman on her own and other passengers thought there was room! Same happened with the next bus: NO BIKES. Now desperately worried about missing her flight she had to phone for a big taxi to the terminal.

Mindful of her experience, if travelling solo I either pay the extra for valet parking, or park cheap off airport (using JustPark) having ordered a big taxi for the final mile, or get a friend to drive me, or big taxi the whole way - whatever. If there's two of us there's the option of my companion standing with the dropped-off bikes & luggage while I go park the car in long-stay.

I'd like still to be able to take the train or pedal to the airport like in the good old days, with a big plastic bag to pack my bike in when I get there, but since CTC/CUK does NOTHING nowadays to promote international cycle-touring, certainly doesn't talk to airlines or airports, that only works if you're lucky and may entail a mad scramble at bag-drop for a cardboard box, ending in a missed flight! Opaque padded bags merely disguise the fragility of their contents, so bikes fare worse in those than transparent polythene and after suffering a bent wheel or two I nowadays use a cardboard box inside a semi-rigid wheeled bag - that's impossible to transport by bike and totally rules out riding to or from the airport. Heigh ho, seems like the world really wants me to burn oil.

I drive a 2008 Astra estate by the way: it's not such a big car, but the rear seats fold flat so a couple of big 1.5m-long bike boxes slide in the back no problem, with room around the sides or on top for a suitcase or two. I'd like to go electric when that wears out, but can't see any electric car that converts to offer the same van-like cargo space without being hugely bigger than my old Astra. Any ideas? Maybe in another thread.
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CJ
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Re: Max time/expense/difficulty to get to the start of a European tour?

Post by CJ »

MrsHJ wrote: 8 Jan 2022, 5:38pmAnother thing to mention for BA (and no doubt some other carriers) is that if you have a flight that leaves before 1pm from Heathrow (other airports??) I think you can check your bags in the previous afternoon/evening which takes a bit of pressure off. I haven’t tried this with the bike yet but if I’d known before I flew to DC I definitely would have done it.
We did this with EasyJet at Gatwick in 2018, when I took a CTC tour to Greece. I'm going again this spring, (with a private group) but that facility is apparently a casualty of Covid.
Chris Juden
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