How Would You Get A Bicycle From Cm To The States.

[DocHolliday2006]

Hey guys.

I've got a nice bicycle here in CM, but I'm flying back to the US via Egypt air in a few days.

I really love the bike and prefer to keep it, but I'm not sure if getting it back to the US would be prohibitively troublesome or expensive.

So, I'm wondering what the best way to get it there might be.

I can take off the wheels and front tire and then fit it into a bike box.

Should I try to ship it from the post office?

Would packing it up and bringing it along as lugage be a better idea?

The problem is that I'd have to pay to bring it along on the flight from CM to BK, and then again pay for the BK to Cairo to NY portion.

Any thoughts on the best way to handle it would be appreciated.

Also, anyone know of a bicyle store which might have a bike box I could use to ship it in?

Thanks.

[eyecatcher]

With all due respect you are leaving your decision a bit late; and then asking for help here.

Your first job should have been to either go to the airport and ask about this type of luggage or go to ask at a freight office, there are many in town.(even DHL just to get info)

Then at least you would have an idea, how to dismantle it, wrap it, box it, cost or whatever.

And despite the fact that I am often short of common sense; I will say "common sense will dictate that the financial cost, and the hassle relative to the value of your trike that you should leave it here.

Thats how i see it, sorry

[animatic]

A cm local, international export shipper is the only choice.

Personally I wouldn't bother...you can buy a decent bike for the shipping cost.

Sell it here and buy one back home.

Edited May 6, 2012 by animatic

[JeffreyMcCollum]

The wight is not the problem on the airlines. It is the size. Over sized baggage. But friends have brought Bikes, surf boards, and golf clubs from the states on air planes for about $100 USD

Need to be checked straight through to only be charged once,

[MrBrad]

I've brought a bicycle with me to Thailand and back to the States on several flights. Many airlines will consider it as one piece of luggage, and if it's less than the allowed weight of a single piece of baggage, it will fly free, assuming you have only one other bag with the usual 2-bag allowance.

It must be contained in a shipping box, which your local bike shop should have. In the States those boxes are gladly given away free. Remove the handlebars, pedals, and seat and it should fit just fine. Put a little extra, lightweight padding in for some cushioning, especially at the ends of the axles.

If you have to ship it as an extra piece of baggage, it will cost maybe around US$100. Check your mainline carrier's website for baggage instructions pertaining to bicycles. If you bought your ticket(s) covering all legs of your flight, i.e., Chiang Mai through to your destination, all carriers will--or should--agree to take your bike without any additional cost. There are always exceptions to that policy, so you might have to pay extra to more than one airline, again only if the bike is in addition to your 2-bag allowance for international flights.

It's certainly worth packing up your bike and taking it with you on the plane; stay away from expensive DHL or UPS type services. Good luck.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

^ Agree with the above. I've brought a bike to Thailand at no extra charge; just in a cardboard box (got the box free at a bicycle shop where they had some boxes left), taped it up and checked it in as oversize luggage. No charge.

It may depend on the airline of course, and how much other luggage you have with you.

[ianf]

Jacky bike, Spin Bike etc would box this for you. Most airlines include your bicycle in the overall weight allowance although I have often flown with a bike and another 20 kilos of luggage.

[elektrified]

I agree with the others; shouldn't be a problem. I've carried an insane amount of large stuff from Europe to the USA and to Thailand and from the USA to Thailand and I never paid more than about US $100.00 like the others said. My friend in the USA travels all over the world with 3 huge surfboards and he is as cheap charlie as they come. I think he told me one time he has never paid more than US $100.00 for his boards.

Don't mean to derail the topic but could I ask what the fare on Egypt Air to JFK was? Do they fly to LAX?

[el jefe]

According to Egypt Air's website there is no charge if your bike is one of your two pieces of luggage and neither exceeds 23kgs. If the bike is your third piece, then the charge from BKK to JFK is $200 (it's $250 if you're going further than JFK).

From CNX-BKK it depends on the airline. Your bike is included in your baggage allowance on Bangkok Air, but obviously they have a lower total allowance on domestic flights. Air Asia charges a very small fee for bicycles and then it is included in the baggage allowance you purchase. They have the most generous plan of any airline and allow you to pre-book 50kgs. I don't know what Thai Airway's bike policy is on domestic flights without an intl connection.

[hellodolly]

According to Egypt Air's website there is no charge if your bike is one of your two pieces of luggage and neither exceeds 23kgs. If the bike is your third piece, then the charge from BKK to JFK is $200 (it's $250 if you're going further than JFK).

From CNX-BKK it depends on the airline. Your bike is included in your baggage allowance on Bangkok Air, but obviously they have a lower total allowance on domestic flights. Air Asia charges a very small fee for bicycles and then it is included in the baggage allowance you purchase. They have the most generous plan of any airline and allow you to pre-book 50kgs. I don't know what Thai Airway's bike policy is on domestic flights without an intl connection.

Air Asia has a baggage allowance of only 15 kilos I believe they only allow one piece of luggage and you would have to pick up your bike and luggage and check it in again in Bangkok. Bangkok allows 20 kilo and you can ship it straight through. All though they are a bit more expensive than Air Asia. For myself I find it worth the few extra bucks. Traveling can be a pain and having to pick up your luggage and cart it around the air port to check it in again dosen't help.

[mogoso]

I've a friend who carts his bike by plane around the US. Bike breaks down into a luggage specially made for it. He paid 8 grand for the bike, so it's worth carting around to him as he rides daily. Same bike won the Tour De France a couple of years ago.

[moe666]

take the pedals off and reinstall reversed so they face inside, take the handle bars off and tape to the top tube, remove the seat and tape to the down tube. drop socks into the box underwear as well. one thing to remember is that on international flights the bicycle should trave free, so if you check your luggage thru from chiang mai your international flight has started.pad the areas around the derailers for protection if it has them

[el jefe]

According to Egypt Air's website there is no charge if your bike is one of your two pieces of luggage and neither exceeds 23kgs. If the bike is your third piece, then the charge from BKK to JFK is $200 (it's $250 if you're going further than JFK).

From CNX-BKK it depends on the airline. Your bike is included in your baggage allowance on Bangkok Air, but obviously they have a lower total allowance on domestic flights. Air Asia charges a very small fee for bicycles and then it is included in the baggage allowance you purchase. They have the most generous plan of any airline and allow you to pre-book 50kgs. I don't know what Thai Airway's bike policy is on domestic flights without an intl connection.

Air Asia has a baggage allowance of only 15 kilos I believe they only allow one piece of luggage and you would have to pick up your bike and luggage and check it in again in Bangkok. Bangkok allows 20 kilo and you can ship it straight through. All though they are a bit more expensive than Air Asia. For myself I find it worth the few extra bucks. Traveling can be a pain and having to pick up your luggage and cart it around the air port to check it in again dosen't help.

Where do you get your info, Dolly?!

I was wrong about the 50 kgs. But Air Asia does allow you to buy 40kgs, more than any other airline flying domestically in Thailand. You pay by the weight. They allow an unlimited number of pieces as long as you don't exceed the weight allowance. I've checked in 5 pieces without a problem. The fee for traveling with a bicycle is ~200 baht:

http://www.airasia.com/ot/en/latestnews/smart-savings-baggage-and-meals.page

As for transferring from Domestic to Intl at BKK, you always have to pick up your luggage if flying on Air Asia. But if Egypt Air does not have an interline agreement with Bangkok Air, they will NOT transfer your baggage and you'll have to pick it up anyway. That I don't know. I've never flown Egypt Air. Have you, Dolly?

[rikki]

Airasia allow you to take items as sports equipment, iirc up to 15kilo, and I forget the price,maybe 2000bt

Some airlines dont charge for sports equipment, others do.

Some you just wheel on board, some had a limited number of free bicycle places, after which quota was full you had to pay.

Its fairly easy to take off the forks,pedals, seatpost and wheels to make it more compact and rear derailleur so you dont break anything.