Thread started by Mook at 10.1.07 - 10:58 am

I know this has been discussed everywhere several times..

Kel and I are trying to get our bikes to NYC but I'll be dipped in shit if I have to pay an extra $200 for round trip tickets for the bikes.

Can you stuff two bikes into one "bike" box and say it's just one, cutting the cost in half?

so, has anyone actually stuffed a bike into a standard suitcase and snuck it on?

I'm going to St. Vincents tonight after work to look for a giant suitcase or two.

~B

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A couple of threads from BikeForums that may or may not be of any use to you:

Here

and

Here

Have fun, and watch out for taxis.



PC
10.1.07 - 12:39 pm

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Act like a sniper and break that sum'bitch down into parts.
That's what I did with my folder when I was in the trainer truck.
PC, I noticed you go to the bikeforums as well.
I used to go to that one, but I feel as though it's tailored towards strict solo cyclists.
I still traipse by it every once in awhile though.



bentstrider
10.1.07 - 3:41 pm

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I was in NY in April and I rented a bike. They go for about $25/day at http://www.manhattanvelo.com and pedal pushers
It adds up if you need two of them for several days.
In fact it would be more expensive than renting a car (not counting gas & parking)

If you bring your own, bring your worst beater bikes, cuz bikes get stolen there and wheels get all crooked in transit.

Each luggage should be no larger than 62in (height+width+depth) total and under 50lbs. I usually buy cheap luggage at indoor swapmeets or Chinatown.

Maybe we should initiate some kind of bike exchange between co-ops such as the Bike Oven and Bicycle Kitchen here and their equivalent in other cities. One would leave a full deposit but they should be able to rent bikes for as little as $5-10/day.






marino
10.1.07 - 5:12 pm

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Check this place out.

http://times-up.org/index.php?page=bike-co-op

someone on a NYC bike forum said they have bicycles available for rent cheap for donations... I'm not sure how this works or what that means....

It would be awsome to have a cheap bi-costal bicycle rental co-op



Mook
10.1.07 - 5:44 pm

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break it down and call it tent poles.. i heard that worked once, but that was before our friends on the TSA got involved...



e-rock
10.1.07 - 5:53 pm

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i used to break my bmx down and take it to my grandmothers house in mississippi when i was in junior high. you basically have to strip the entire frame to get it in there.



ruinedbyidiots
10.1.07 - 6:03 pm

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if you can, you might want to consider just shipping the bikes ahead of time via fed ex. i've done that the last few times and it's only been about $35 each way plus you don't have the hassle of lugging a bike box to and from the airport.

back before the war on terror began, $20 to the sky cap would go a long way towards getting your bike on the plane w/o the excess baggage charge.



chunk
10.1.07 - 8:40 pm

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Shipping sounds like a good idea, until you see exactly how the bikes will be handled en route.

Trust me, I used to work for UPS for a few years. You DO NOT want to ship your bike unless you pay extra for the insurance. Even after conservative calculations, shipping both bikes would put you at an estimate of about 150 bucks round trip. With a good chance that they will be damaged and you will be unable to receive reimbursement via UPS due to what they almost always call "insufficient packing materials."

Trust me on this one.



kyber
10.1.07 - 10:42 pm

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Tat's on that kyber.
I hauled some UPS overflow a few months back with my company.
I eyed the manifest, and most of the packages we had back there were overdue by quite awhile.
Trying to pin the blame on the domestic outsourcee, don't think so.
But, the shipping by other means is still plausible.
Might want to try someone else, like DHL, or some other outfit like that.
I always figured shipping via a strict air-cargo line might be easier.




bentstrider
10.2.07 - 2:18 am

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Exactly.

The issue is not necessarily with the carrier per se, but with the method. Ground shipping is sloppy and requires the items shipped to be handled multiple times along the way. 10 load/unloads from a tractor trailer and onto a snakelike maze of conveyors leaves way way too many opportunities for things to break.

On the other hand, if you shipped air it'd probably get there in one piece, but it's significantly more expensive.

My experience with DHL has been not that great. I used to have to deal with their customer service people on a daily basis and I found that half the time they had no idea what was going on. They are extremely disorganized. If your stuff gets lost or damaged, it's going to be a real pain in the ass to find a knowledgable human being over there.

Your best bet might just be to either suck it up and pay the price to put the bikes on the plane, or just consider renting something in NY.



kyber
10.2.07 - 3:36 am

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I still vote "sneak it on in a suitcase." Stick it to the fucking Man. Charging extra for bikes is some bullcrap.



PC
10.2.07 - 3:45 am

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If you can break the bikes down and put them in 2 suitcases I don't think it'll be an issue.

But, you never know with the TSA. They may freak the fuck out if they see a bunch of tubes. But, at that point it's not like it really matters. All you really have to do is make sure the people at the check-in desk take the bag. Once it leaves their hands you should be fine.



kyber
10.2.07 - 3:51 am

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Now there's the hook of the early AM.
As for me, I'll be slothing my way back onto the road later today.
I'm the type of truck driver that takes 2-3 days to travel 700-800 miles. After that UPS overflow, never again for that particular brand.
I usually tell my dispatch to hand that over to the team-truckers with no lives besides driving.




bentstrider
10.2.07 - 3:57 am

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