As above, I’m just about to pack up our bikes into bike bags for our trip but am wondering if I have to let any pressure out?

We’re flying to Spain with Easyjet and have paid extra for ‘Sports Equipment’ so hopefully it’ll be relatively smooth checking them in.

Any tips on packing/ handling airlines?

Cheers!

Well i thought it was a myth.

Took the bikes to Ireland with Ryanair….tyres fine inflated en route.

Coming back they made us deflate the tyres which was a **** pain as they were well and truly packed!!

no, but they’ll make you do it anyway

It’s been said it only make 10psi or so difference, so no.

Packing – remove vulnerable stuff – rear mech & hanger, discs. Spacers to replace hubs. qrs off. pedals too of course.

Just had a bit of an engineers look at this MM, maximum equivilent pressure increase the tye will see is 14psi, which won’t affect yours but considering Mike runs his tyres right at their top end I would let some out of his!? And this does mean taht the forks will be fine unless Mike is within 14psi of the max pressure on his.

on the ryanair website it says you dont need to deflate your tyres, but they reccomend it

Just do it, its no extra hassle in the scheme of things…

maximum equivilent pressure increase the tye will see is 14psi,

in which case everyone in the plane will die 🙁 The freight is at the same pressure as the rest of the cabin, as otherwise extra strength on the dividing walls would be required

The pressure in the cabin does decrease a little though – my ears pop anyway. I deflate mine just to save an argument but I know of someone who deflated his air shock….

Do they deflate the plane’s tyres after take off then reinflate just before landing?

Nope, don’t think so.

There you go

How to pack a mountain bike for flights/air travel

Cabins are pressurised to the equivalent of between 5000ft and 8000ft above sea level, so my wife tells me.

I did say maximum pressure increase simonfbarnes, that’s what they would see if they were put in a vacuum, the tyres see an equivilent pressure increase inside the tyre as the external air pressure decreases. But as someone pointed out the holds are normally pressurized, so this increase is likely to be of the order of a few psi, not enough to burst a tyre unless it is right at the top of its working range already.

If you let your tyres down to fly to go riding in the Alps, make sure you also let them down before you get on the chairlift.

there’s no need to do this, they will be fine

but dont forget to squeeze a little bit of deodorant out of the can to make sure this doesn’t explode mid-flight and of course if you use gas tyre inflators i wouldnt even bother going to the airport

Cheers everyone, thanks for the advice. It sounds like the consensus is to leave the forks (unless they’re really high) but to let down the tyres (most of the way at least – just incase they ask). Thanks for the science Tiboy – always good to know the physics behind these things – not that I really understand it…

I flew to Spain with Easyjet yesterday and no-one asked me if I had deflated anything (although I had). They also tell you not to put any clothes into the box (yeah, right).

Your LBS might be able to provide you with all sorts of nice spacers and plastic covers to protect rotors, hubs etc.

The box arrived with a few bashes and holes so I was glad we had packed it with 4 tons of bubble wrap and foam (and the clothes) – the bike was fine.

yes we all know you dont need to etc etc.

The point is its their plane and if they want you to deflate them dont complain when they check and you get grief off them for not doing it.

Apparently the letting down the tyres thing is to help stop the bike rolling around too easily when its being handled.

The point is its their plane and if they want you to deflate them dont complain

and likewise you should be happy to pay £1 to have an in-flight pee ? Letting the air out is pointless superstition where one might expect airline operation to be based on hard fact.

Thanks EckinSpain – so did they ask if you’d packed clothes with it? I was planning on doing that, but not if they’re likely to ask and make me take them all out!

As for the bashes…hmmm… I think I might need another trip to teh garage to get yet more bubble wrap!

I tend to deflate the tyres half way just to allow a bit more cushioning for when the bike is being thrown around. Never bothered with forks, indeed no-one has ever asked.

Re the clothes, I’ve always taken clothes, tools etc in the bike bag, it’s not raised any problems so far. The only issue I’ve had was when taking CO2 canisters but fortunately one of the officials had some common sense and let them through.

Apparently the letting down the tyres thing is to help stop the bike rolling around too easily when its being handled.

Where on earth did you get that one from? 🙄