I’m hoping to start a new career in the next 6 months which will involve travelling a fair bit… Along the lines of 6 weeks away, and 3 weeks at home.

With that in mind, considering travelling with a bike and the difficulties involved. I’ll be pitching up at a major airport (probably Glasgow), flying to another destination (probably a couple of hops), before jumping in a taxi to go to the accomodation.

My bike is a 27lb carbon frame full sus trail bike. Even if I went simpler with a hardtail I wouldn’t save much weight. I’m more concerened about the size once packed up. Don’t want to arrive at the other end and non of the taxi’s are able to carry a bike box/bag.

Any experience of this kind of travelling? Hints/tips/suggestions to get a hardtail to make life easier? Anyone had work pay for the flights but they’ve paid for the bike to travel seperately?

Ta!

I’m assuming it will be a different destination each time? (So you can’t leave a bike out there). Do you know that the destinations will have decent riding?

<self-promotional bit>

A frame with S&S couplings can fit into a box or bag not much bigger than the wheels…

</self-promotional bit>

Are you going to the same destinations on a regular basis? Might be easier to sort a bike there.
Depends where you are and what you do, but the thought of hauling a bike on multiple flights and convincing a hotelier that it’ll be fine in my room for weeks at a time doesn’t sound like fun. I’d try and sort something there.
SandS couplers on a frame would be a better option if you insist on taking a bike.

Think about it a lot, off to NZ in 2 weeks and it will just be too much hassle. As you say it’s the other end thats the problem.

Sounds like it’s long enough to make it worth it, just remember most places will charge excess luggage by the leg now…

Won’t be the same destination unfortuntately… I’d expect a half dozen regular destinations…

So… Steel frame with S&S might be an option… At least then it will fit in 95% of car boots…

http://www.ritcheylogic.com/dyn_prodlist.php?k=472765

or pimp my brompton 😆

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=39467

I can’t bring myself to go from a 5″ carbon trail bike to a brompton!

Ibis Tranny

Depending on how much faff you want…all full-sus frames can have the rear removed. Failing that, so can an Ibis Tranny or the soft-tail frame I’m selling. I don’t think I’d ever pay the premimum for S&S couplers unless I was in the market for a custom steel frame already.

EDIT: Tranny already mentioned.

djflexure – Member
Ibis Tranny

Edit:

Might be an option, investigating

This doesn’t really solve any issues or provide any advice!

? The rear un-bolts.

Ibis Tranny is a good call. Or as above get a decent steel frame retrofitted with S&S.

Conan257 – Member
I can’t bring myself to go from a 5″ carbon trail bike to a brompton!

Or what about an Airnimal 😉

I can’t bring myself to go from a 5″ carbon trail bike to a brompton!

Not even if I do you a Brompton with Rohloff and disc brakes? 😉

Edit: Yup, I’d also be thinking Rhino – I built a pair of those a few years ago for a couple who were off to ride the Silk Road (or bits of it or something).

Have you researched your destinations and worked out whether it will actually be worth taking a bike (plus clothing, helmet, shoes etc)?

I’d be scared that the cost of the fancy bike plus the extra cost of shipping it there and back would outweigh most anything else.

Have a read of David Byrnes book and see if that sways you?

Maybe if I can get 20 inch nobby-nics or rubber queens…

http://www.englishcycles.com/cat/custombikes/travelbikes/

http://www.curtlo.com/frame_pages/travel-bike.html

brompton was a piss take

That Ritchey system gives me the heebie jeebies.

take the back end off your current full sus to make it smaller for travelling? a single pivot with zip tie mounts for the hoses/cables would be a doddle to break up/build up out there

Just read a site from a guy who packed an Ibis Mojo within a 62″ box so it qualified as luggage… Involves removing a bolt from the swingarm so it folds better, again that’s maybe an option.

I do like the Ibis Tranny though!

Unsure of destinations at the moment, but I like planning ahead and this is giving me something to do at the moment as work is slow!

Might break my bike down this weekend as I’ve never removed the pivots before, might be worth a shot.

bencooper – Member
That Ritchey system gives me the heebie jeebies.

Why?

There is/was a folding Nicolai.

Why?

The seatpost connection is probably fine – I’m not sure one-bolt clamps are enough to resist the rotational forces, but whatever. But that collar thing on the down tube – one bolt holding that on? And that collar will wear – also very critical that it doesn’t bottom out.

I’m probably spoiled by the S&S couplings, to be honest.

Thanks for the packed picture of a tranny…

Willing to lose the full-sus if I have to, and reckon that would be the ticket! No issues with that going in a car methinks!

Cheers all!

@bencooper, thanks, just interested.

Although a quick google doesn’t seem to turn up many Ritchey tales of woe…

This one is interesting, evidently the clamp was stronger than the frame:
http://pardo.net/bike/pic/fail-001/FAIL-151.html

I don’t do enough travel to justify considering any of the options in this thread, but I still have a compelling desire to get a packable bike just for the possibilities it would give you!

This one is interesting, evidently the clamp was stronger than the frame:
http://pardo.net/bike/pic/fail-001/FAIL-151.html

Interesting – though that’s pedaling forces that have done that – the ST/BB joint is under a lot of stress.

I guess it just looks a bit of a fudge to me – I remember seeing some Chinese-made folding bikes a while ago that used plumbing fittings, though 😉

My other worry is that you’re reliant on that collar thing, and if that gets lost in transit…

http://2009.nicolai.net/products/e-frames/e-helius-cc-trv.html

That’s what I’d want

The nicolai is interesting… But it looks to me like cable routing would be an issue…

I think you would just disconnect the mech and brake caliper. You wouldn’t want them left on the outside of the frame anyway.

The only thing that would be straight forward would be a bike with a interupted rear mech cable and rim brakes…then you could use quick-release cable connectors.