Travel with a bike box or Rent a bike

[bikeboy1tr]

Recently flew to Majorca with Lufthansa and I was blown away by what they charge and the inconsistancies with their charges. We flew out of Toronto and they wanted $300 Can for one way and we registered the boxes before the flight but they gave no quotes even though the weight and linear dimensions were within their oversize specs.
On the return flight we were the first group lined up for checkin and the first for Lufthansa airlines. My buddy with the same box I lent him and the same weight checked in first and his charge was $100 Can but when I stepped up suddenly the computor wouldnt allow her to check my box and I was told to go to their office to pay for the box. She said the plane couldnt take anymore bike boxes which really means your charge is tripled.
For $600 Can. rental looks like the better option with less hassle of dragging a bike box around an airport and packing/unpacking a bike box,also hoping the bikes make destination arrival. In 2018 the same airlines charged $100 each way as a standard charge and before that it was free with international flights.
A few ppl I have talked to say its just not worth dragging your bike box when you can rent a pretty decent bike for the same or less money. I know my next trip will be a bike rental. When we arrived in Majorca and looked around at what was available for bike rental it was pleasantly surprising and not crazy money for a reasonably decent bike.
Just wondering what ppl are doing as of late concerning bike rental.

[iamraymond]

We were in Mallorca for 10 days in April and for my trip it was much cheaper to bring my bike than to rent. It was something like 100EU round trip with EasyJet to bring my bike whereas renting a bike locally would be 2-3 times that price for 10 days.

My concern with flying with the bike is the size bike box as it won't fit in a standard rental car. We needed a larger 7-seater anyway so it worked out for us, but even with a larger vehicle (Ford S-Max) my B&W bike box just barely fit in the trunk. So if you're travelling with your bike, you also need to consider a private transfer since a normal taxi won't do.

[c50jim]

I've traveled a lot with bikes since 1995 - until COVID hit a couple of times a year or more. After trying to deal with big bike boxes and the challenge of getting them to and from airports and the cost to ship, I've been using S&S coupled bikes for about the last 20 years. However, as I age (73 now) I find the hassle of taking my own bike to be more of a chore than it used to be.

I've also had rental bikes a few times - three times last year on different trips. Good rental bikes are pretty readily available in Europe now and I'm inclined to rent rather than carry my own in the future. Also one less thing to worry about. I remember landing in Nice a few years ago with my son and four friends. Five bikes arrived for the six of us. Mine was still sitting at the Calgary airport where I'd checked in the day before. Fortunately it arrived the next day and our tour company picked up the bike and brought it to Sault where we were staying. So, another reason to rent.

[bikeboy1tr]

With all the potential issues of hauling a bike box I just dont think its worth it. When we landed in Palma one of the other issues was our MyTransfer was no where to be seen even though I called them while we were waiting for our rescheduled flight connection in Munich to make rearrangements for pickup at Palma. Apparantly if your more than 30min late they keep your money and your on your own. I wont be using MyTransfer again for pickup at an airport since there are always taxis waiting for ppl who need a ride. If I didnt have a bike box I could have just hopped on a bus to the other side of the island for very little money.
A friend told me they used Air Canada for a flight to Italy and it cost them $50 each way for a bike box.

[Nohands83]

I'm rather particular about how a bike rides and fits so I generally like to take my own bike. There's no getting around that it's a hassle, but for me, the confidence in the bike I'm riding outweighs that. This was compounded by my experience in Mallorca last year...

We had our mini-moon in Palma last year, I was very generously allowed 2 rides. Decided not to take my own bike this time as I had plenty of wedding organising to do before and wanted as low stress as possible. I specifically found a rental place with the same bike as my bike at home - 58cm BMC SLR01, so I could be really confident in the fit and how it rode.

Turned up to collect the bike and was told they don't have it in stock but we've got a Colnago VRS for you in a size equivalent to a 54cm (I know Colnago sizing is different). So wrong bike in the wrong size with no other options available — I was pretty f**ked off. I didn't want to overly affect the rest of my (or my wife's) time away so I just walked out.

[Lina]

Never had a problem flying with a bike. Never been charged extra at the airport when checking in my bike bag. I've rented bikes on trips where I'm not cycling as the primary thing but have just a day or two to ride and I much rather have my own bike.

[usr]

It depends, so much. Renting is a no-brainer if it's just a few days, you're average-size without much fit pickyness, are used to mainstream ergonomics, don't have the equipment and the destination has a reasonable rental market. Doubly so when you actually like the idea of checking out a different bike/fit for more than a short test ride. Some amazing rider/bike love stories have started as a rental.

But it's also a no-brainer when the destination simply fails to have a rental market, when it's more than just a short trip (unfortunately an attempted repeat of my seven weeks on Tenerife was cut short by a crash on the first day) and then when you do have the equipment and the routine for "no brainer" trips, bring your own starts getting attractive for more and more opportunities.

These days my personal threshold, for a direct connection flight (huge factor! Difference between almost guaranteed bike arrival and better expect a few days of delay) to a destination with great rental availability (I won't speak the name of that island ) would probably be between three and four days of riding. But I'm a size/fit outlier, a disciple of the ergopower (I can ride STI, and they tend to work very well, but it feels like riding dressed up as a different person), and I have a dedicated travel bike that hasn't been seeing much riding outside Spain in the last couple of years (and most of that has been on the French side of the Pyrenees or on non-Spanish islands)

[bikeboy1tr]

I wish I could make a direct flight to Eu but there is no way of getting to a preferred destination without some kind of connection or transfer.
I am also pretty fussy on my fit so with renting I would likely have to contend with some measurements that are just not going to happen. Two points are a 175 crank and the other would likely be the barstem length (120). From the rental bikes I did see on the island none of them had anything over 110.
I have been to France, Italy and Spain now a couple times each and I like Majorca the best of all but if I have to contend with all the BS that is travelling with a bike I just dont know if travelling is worth it at all.

[jadedaid]

I fly with my bike a lot. For longer stays (usually 5 days and upwards) it's cheaper to bring your bike. Most airlines require that you book the bike box in advance, so if you didn't do that it could be a reason for the surcharge. That said I've also had inconsistencies with what an airline charged for the bike but it was never more than the 100 usd each way or so that I was expecting. Kudos to some of the American operators which include a bike box as part of your regular luggage allowance. I'd say insurance is a necessary additional expense because your regular travel insurance won't cover what most bikes are worth these days. I fly with a hard case to prevent damage in transit as much as is possible.

Of course lugging the bike around is a hassle and expensive. It means I'm always taking a taxi and that means about 400 usd return in baggage and taxi fees extra compared to not flying with my bike. My buxumbox is easier to fly with in Europe ironically enough where it fits in the back of a VW polo hatchback. American rentals are a pain because no way that's going into a Honda accord.

Despite all that I love flying with my bike. Many of my trips are a few weeks long so it ends up cheaper than renting (and I'm not renting a mechanical 105 just to save money). I like having my own bike that is set up for me, fits me, I know how it handles and properly maintained. I hate getting a different bike than I booked, I hate having to deal with bike fit issues and I hate dealing with mechanical or electronic issues. I once picked up a rental which had di2 wires unplugged and that cost me half a day of my holiday.

Horses for courses. It's expensive and a hassle but at destination it's so much better.

[Greeners]

I have been considering renting a bike next time I go to Mallorca.
I was there a couple months ago & took a look at some of the rental bikes available in Alcudia. I was pleasantly surprised by the rental rates. 45eu a day iirc but that cheapens if you are renting for multiple days. My bikes are high end with DA or Ultegra spec but I don't have a modern disc equipped bike, so I saw this as an opportunity to try something different for a few days & not have to box mine up or carry it about.

The usual Blue & Red Cubes are still in use on the island but I was seeing a lot of Scott or Trek bikes in a few of the hire shops I saw. Liking the Scott if I am honest.
If I go back in the autumn I am pretty sure I will try a hire bike. I will take my own pedals, bottles, lights etc etc maybe even a power meter LH crank & my wax pot! (joking)

[Juanmoretime]

I rented bikes when my daughter first moved to California. I would take my kit, shoes and pedals with me. It gives you the opportunity to ride different bikes. Now that my daughter still lives in California I a bought a very low mileage 2012 Specialized Tarmac 2SL with a 10 speed SRAM Rival kit on it. Did change out a few things for better fit. I also leave a helmet, kit and older set of cycling shoes there. Now many times when traveling elsewhere it's with the wife of 40 years, a non-cycList, I bring running shoes and just run. Running can also be a great way to explore urban places where you have never been.

[nickf]

Lufthansa is the worst, I was flying out of Charlotte, NC to Munich , then Palma. They were trying to charge me on the way out but ended up not getting charged because my bike bag was so small and under weight (orucase airport ninja) and it was my only checked bag. Also until now Lufthansa has been the only airline to ever give me grief about that bag in all the years of flying with it domestic and international. It was a 20 min ordeal, calling over supervisors, 3 different attendants looking at the bag, lifting it. I think the clincher was the random lady with a large suitcase that was nearly 10kg heavier than my bike bag checked hers for free, I brought that to their attention and they finally just threw a bag tag on it.

Now on the way home from Palma it was some small completely and utterly disorganized airline that got me to Munich for my connection back to the States. They charged my $60usd just because it was a bike, no other reason. Cash grab. European airlines need to get with the program.

I'll still bring my bike before renting though. With a smaller bike bag it is a non issue getting around and riding on trains or even taxis. Palma had nice bikes but for $60usd it was hundreds less than renting for the week plus having your own bike with your fit dialed in really makes a week of riding more enjoyable and comfortable.

[MrB123]

The thing I like about having my own bike on holiday is that you're more likely to get out for a quick 20 miles in the morning or evening. If you hire a bike you feel you have to be out all day to make it worthwhile. So I can get out most days for a bit without any additional grief from Mrs B.

[tommyb]

Imagine the scenario, a runner is going away to get a huge training block completed in the sun.. do you think he'd borrow shoes? Or buy new shoes the week before?? I'm obviously old skool but with most people paying for a bike fit these days it seems ridiculous to then jump on a hire bike for potentially the biggest weeks riding you'll do all year.