Flying with your bike

As I am leaving for Spain for a month, I will be flying with my bike. In this guide I am showing you some of the tips I have to make sure you get all your gear with you and fly comfortable.

The first time is stressy

This is my second time flying with a bike. It feels far less stressful as the first time. The first time was stressy because I wanted everything to be perfect and the bike not damaged.

It gives peace of mind knowing you have done everything right. But expect some little stress.

Put your clothes as padding on your bike

I use a mix of bubble wrap and my own clothes as padding on the bike. To both bring more clothes and keep the bike better protected. The thing is that you have to make sure your clothing does not have any zippers as it could damage your paint in the plane.

Get a good bike bag

As my bike has an integrated steer, my best option is the EVOC Road Bike Bag Pro. This bike bag has a bigger handlebar area, which takes care of me not having to dismantle my integrated steer.

There are a lot of bikebags on the market. For me safety is important, which means a good and semi-hard case or full-hard case is a no-brainer.

You do not want your bike to get broken on the flight.

Dismantle the bike

As I put my bike in the bike bag, I remove the following items:

• Pedals

• Rear derailleur (in case it bends)

• Chain

I also remove the rear derailleur as my bike is quite big and my derailleur almost touches the bottom of the bike bag. If you have a smaller bike you do not have to do this. I rather be safe than sorry.

Get an airtag

My bike has an integrated Airtag in the crank, but for maximal safety I also have put an airtag in the bikebag in the past. It just shows me where the bag is.

If you are too stressed, you should note that you will be looking at lot at it. As this is my second flight with the bike I do not feel too stressed anymore and more at ease.

Get some movies and series to watch on the plane

I love watching movies and series. Just started Severance and watching Silo and Skeleton Crew.

Dutch tip: Buy some energy bars and food beforehand

Airports are crazy expensive, I just saw someone pay a bottle of water for €5,50. Just get some bottle at home (I love a Nalgene one) and energy bars and some sandwiches before you check-in. Saves you a lot of money.

Have fun

I love flying, so take your time at the airport. Maybe do some work but also enjoy the experience. And have fun at your destination!