Flying Easyjet Gatwick/Malaga tomorrow, in the past, baggage handlers have asked me to deflate tyres before accepting. Is this still the case? I know deflating is pointless (pressurised hold etc) but not worth arguing the toss if they want them deflated and could be tricky to do at the airport if sealant starts leaking 😮

Tell them it’s done?

DrP

What DrP said – don’t bother but say you did.

Normally drop the pressure a little to help the 650B’s into my flight bag. Never been asked yet, flown with bikes maybe 20 times. Always leave mine at the oversize X Ray jobbie. They DO ask for C02 cartridges though.

I normally ride around 28psi. I actually put them up to 40psi for flying. I tell myself it helps protect the wheels from baggage handlers. If questioned, I respond with “I’ve adjusted the tyre pressure accordingly”.

I just dropped mine so they’re really squishy. Keeps the sealant in, but is soft enough to get big wheels in little bags.

Onzadog – Member
I normally ride around 28psi. I actually put them up to 40psi for flying. I tell myself it helps protect the wheels from baggage handlers. If questioned, I respond with “I’ve adjusted the tyre pressure accordingly”.

So, if the cabin de-pressurized, your normal 28 psi would be the equivalent of 38-40. Inlfating them to 40 would put them over 50 – closer to blowing off the rim.

All hugely unlikely.

if the cabin de-pressurized

Depending on the circumstances of said depressurization, he might not give a flying monkey’s about the bike!

Some good advice there, thanks. Just cruised through, no questions asked from baggage staff 🙂 Just watch out if you use purple parking, a bloke there had a right fit about bikes on the bus!!
Right, fingers crossed – no depressurization over the pyrenees please…..

Yes I did, of course I did.

I let all the air out, as it was hard to get the heroin in otherwise

Luggage hold depressurization can happen, it happened to me once on a flight to Riga. Luckily I wasn’t flying with my bike, but my shower gel plastic bottle burst and spread the contents all over the inside of my wash bag. Something to be aware of when you’re packing for a flight…..

I told them that I’d dropped them to about 1.5 atmospheres below the recomended mximum pressure (that’d be about 25psi then).