Wow, free baggage on a flight these days is a win, most domestic is 40 lbs and $50-60
James Pearl Thinks Blogging is Dead
- Thread starter Norm
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Eh. It’s a bit of bait & switch with United. They claim free sports equipment now but when we went to Utah they kinda reamed us for the skis. I expect both bags to be $100 each in the end. They’re both sitting at 53 pounds and short of starting to strip the bikes, 50 isn’t realistic.
Which bike bags are you using? Did you buy or borrow/rent them?
When we went to Utah we rented bikes and it was nice. I still had to pack a shitload of gear in my carry on and backpack. And we still needed to buy CO2s and Stan’s (Utah is dry AF). Luckily I only had to pack 2 changes of clothes because I just did laundry every night.
I think I’d rather bring my own bike next time though. Renting for 4 days was about $500 and that’s only because I picked $125 instead of a $150 a day rental bike. That could have bought a bike bag right there. I think my Bike could make it to be under 50lbs.
If not you can always try this trick lol
Bike bags image below. We borrowed these from Alex & Mark. D's bike fits fine, mine does't. I had to take the front mount of the shock off in order to rotate the triangle up enough to just barely (not really) fit. Full disclosure: I'm nervous about the frame being too exposed this way. While it does "fit" it's stretching the limits of the bag and of this thing gets manhandled I could easily see it breaking. But I suppose this is a concern even if it fit just fine. Anyway, point being that the newer frames are like stretch limos. If my bike struggles to fit, you may not be able to find a bag that even works for you without total disassembly.
Math dictates we bring our bikes. $120 a day, 6 days, after tax is $750 for the trip then multiply by 2. We're at $1500 to rent bikes here, which is ludicrous. Worst case we spend $400 for 2 bikes both ways. If they ding us going out, I'll more than likely strip 1 of the bikes on the way back to make 1 bag 50 pounds and the other can be 80 for all I care. I guess I could consider doing that today but you know where that goes. Ain't nobody got time for that.
Looked into bike flights. $250 one way per bike, now we're at $1000 which is better than $1500 but we still then carry the concern our bikes get lost/damaged. Because let's be real - you can buy insurance on these things but unless it's caught on video your claim will be denied. And even if it's not, it'll take forever to get reimbursed.
Truth be told I am definitely concerned that 1 of our bikes doesn't make it to the other side ok. But then I think - ok well fuck it. If that happens I'll either spring for the $120 a day, or I'll buy the cheapest reasonable bike I can afford, then ship it back here and give it to Simon to ride for the next year. Not going to worry too much about it and I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
I’ve read the Evoc XL bags will fit most MTBs with ease. That’s the one I was eyeing up. I think Jim has one which I’d borrow /rent next time.
I did the bike flights last time I went to Utah. It’s also a PITA. And with insurance it was a lot more than i expected but my bike was brand new at the time.
And I hear you on the worries of being damaged. I’m sure United will just cut a check if your frame gets mangled.
I wish I would have had this conversation weeks ago. But then I just looked at the price of the Evoc XL bag and then again maybe it's best I didn't. I suppose if you do this all the time it makes sense.
With ease is a stretch, I tried my firebird, which is a medium....eh. My 27.5 bronson was much better.....of course both were over 50lbs then and that was with the pedals already off.
The 50lbs limit really blows, you could otherwise pack the dam monstrosity with all of the clothes you would need for the trip around the bike
I've posted it before but I use these:
Transfer Case
The Transfer Case is a compact travel case for your full-sized road or gravel bike. There are two sizes available, fitting bikes up to 62cm, and it's fully protective for travel. Its small size can avoid airline fees and help you maneuver easily at your destination. Bring your bike to every...
postcarry.co
Requires a little more effort in disassembly but weight wise it's much much easier to stay under 50lbs. I find United and other airlines will nail you on weight more than slightly oversized.
Not sure the large case would be large enough for you with a L/XL frame. I fit my medium Tallboy without issues and my medium El Mariachi hardtail. No idea if my current bike would fit and the extra few lbs may make packing less easy.
The Ninja case was the other popular one of a similar style.
October Pictures #19 - Bear the Dog
This guy. He's awesome. There's an old Monty Python skit that goes, "She smells a bit but she's got a heart of gold." Bear is like this in a way. Sort of a...dumb as bricks but he's got a great personality. This is pretty much what he does all the time. I don't mean he puts himself up on the couch like this. He stares at you with a slightly guilty look on his face, mostly because he's learned this gets attention. He wants you to throw the ball. And he will chase it. All. Damn. Day. Good guy, this pup. I dropped him off at the dog sitter tonight, where he'll be with 1-2 other dogs plus the dog mom. Every time I pick him up she says how awesome he is. Dude has a huge bark, but he is about as non-threatening as a pillow. It's always weird when he's not around, as you come to expect him following your every move in the hopes you have a ball you want to play with. In any event, we'll see him again in a week or so.
This guy. He's awesome. There's an old Monty Python skit that goes, "She smells a bit but she's got a heart of gold." Bear is like this in a way. Sort of a...dumb as bricks but he's got a great personality. This is pretty much what he does all the time. I don't mean he puts himself up on the couch like this. He stares at you with a slightly guilty look on his face, mostly because he's learned this gets attention. He wants you to throw the ball. And he will chase it. All. Damn. Day. Good guy, this pup. I dropped him off at the dog sitter tonight, where he'll be with 1-2 other dogs plus the dog mom. Every time I pick him up she says how awesome he is. Dude has a huge bark, but he is about as non-threatening as a pillow. It's always weird when he's not around, as you come to expect him following your every move in the hopes you have a ball you want to play with. In any event, we'll see him again in a week or so.
Newark? 🙂
When were coming back in Phoenix a few years ago a woman went over to us way before even getting on line to get them weighed etc and others and said "Those are bike bags, I'm putting tags on them and you need to put them over here in special $$$ luggage."
I started to say how it wasn't an issue on the flight in and she started freaking out how people in Newark don't do their jobs.
I like them not doing their jobs. Helps customers be happy.
If the same happens to you, make sure you get charged the $150 bike fee like I did and not the oversized/overweight luggage fee. Then it's a simple email to United to get a refund stating their bike policy and how you "met" it.
October Pictures #20 - On the Airplane
I've talked about the concept of airplanes, as well as airports, during our trip to Florida just 2 weeks ago. I didn't touch on the subject of actually being on the airplane. I really dislike it. At this age, sitting in this chair for nearly 5 hours adds up and then multiplies all the aches & pains I have accumulated in these 50+ years. Is it awful? Well no, it's not awful. But is it enjoyable? Only in the context that I know I'm going somewhere really far away. On the plane today I read parts of a Kindle book as well as a physical book, I did some work, I watched 65 (which was passably formulaic), and I stared at the United flight map wishing for it to move faster. I also made a comment to my 2 coworkers when we temporarily flow over the Oklahoma panhandle that we should drop our sewage now. All that said, this mostly goes away when you start to get close and see stuff like this out the window. Now I'm not going to say that this picture is a good one. It's not even remotely close to the best picture we took today. But it's symbolic of what you see when you're starting to get really close to something, and that something is really cool mountain bike terrain.
I've talked about the concept of airplanes, as well as airports, during our trip to Florida just 2 weeks ago. I didn't touch on the subject of actually being on the airplane. I really dislike it. At this age, sitting in this chair for nearly 5 hours adds up and then multiplies all the aches & pains I have accumulated in these 50+ years. Is it awful? Well no, it's not awful. But is it enjoyable? Only in the context that I know I'm going somewhere really far away. On the plane today I read parts of a Kindle book as well as a physical book, I did some work, I watched 65 (which was passably formulaic), and I stared at the United flight map wishing for it to move faster. I also made a comment to my 2 coworkers when we temporarily flow over the Oklahoma panhandle that we should drop our sewage now. All that said, this mostly goes away when you start to get close and see stuff like this out the window. Now I'm not going to say that this picture is a good one. It's not even remotely close to the best picture we took today. But it's symbolic of what you see when you're starting to get really close to something, and that something is really cool mountain bike terrain.
Gene
The Dancing Machine
Solid justification for business class 😆
First or business is rough unless you get upgraded. But as I sitting in the basic economy seat in row 34 on the way to Orlando, I upgraded the seats to economy plus with more leg room. I was so cramped I was losing it. Getting off the plane sooner is also motivation for being closer to the front.
Gene
The Dancing Machine
I’m not sure how tall you are Jeremy, but I’m 6’3”. The crunch United, Delta and esp American do to your knees are awful. I need to sit in economy plus at a minimum. This plus my left knee that needs to stretched / extended.
This all goes back to Norm’s reference to old age.
October Pictures #21 - Mescal
Today is the 1st day of our 2nd trip ever to Sedona. In all, we've now ridden here 4 times. To call me a veteran of this place would be a gross overstatement. Still, I think you could argue that Mescal represents one of the cornerstone trails you come for. Not only do you get the terrain but you get the amazing scenery. I feel if you don't do this trail when you're out here, you've done yourself a bit of a disservice. So obviously, it needed to be part of our day 1 loop. In all we did 15+ miles and it was a great start to the week. And as you can see, the views were fabulous.
Today is the 1st day of our 2nd trip ever to Sedona. In all, we've now ridden here 4 times. To call me a veteran of this place would be a gross overstatement. Still, I think you could argue that Mescal represents one of the cornerstone trails you come for. Not only do you get the terrain but you get the amazing scenery. I feel if you don't do this trail when you're out here, you've done yourself a bit of a disservice. So obviously, it needed to be part of our day 1 loop. In all we did 15+ miles and it was a great start to the week. And as you can see, the views were fabulous.
October Pictures #22 - Flagstaff
Sedona and Flagstaff are less than an hour away from each other but these 2 areas of Arizona couldn't really be any more different. Today we ventured up to Flagstaff to check out a new park, and not only is the terrain different but the trails are entirely different. You'd never know you were in the same area at all between yesterday and today. The stuff we did today was way bigger. The ride was basically up for an hour and change, then we went along the top for a bit, then a 4.5 mile downhill that took nearly 30 minutes. Pretty fabulous stuff. The picture here was at a lookout right before the Big Bang downhill. I really enjoyed this trail system, and the day overall. Temperatures were perfect and the payoff was awesome.
Sedona and Flagstaff are less than an hour away from each other but these 2 areas of Arizona couldn't really be any more different. Today we ventured up to Flagstaff to check out a new park, and not only is the terrain different but the trails are entirely different. You'd never know you were in the same area at all between yesterday and today. The stuff we did today was way bigger. The ride was basically up for an hour and change, then we went along the top for a bit, then a 4.5 mile downhill that took nearly 30 minutes. Pretty fabulous stuff. The picture here was at a lookout right before the Big Bang downhill. I really enjoyed this trail system, and the day overall. Temperatures were perfect and the payoff was awesome.
We went to flagstaff for a concert and couldn't agree more. The drive up is pretty awesome also. Great to hear about the riding up there also.
I know that sedona is pretty anti ebike but let me know if you have any encounters. When I went it was a bike festival and there were dozens on top of dozens so not a good metric, thanks 🙂
I try to view sitting in a plane now like some kind of an endurance work out.....its 2,3,4 hrs....just sit here and suffer thru it, it will be over and I wont much remember it. But I do enjoy looking out the window, then trying to figure out exactly what it is im looking at below....lakes usually help. Passes the time. And im only 5'9 and I feel like a giant in a plane....my sympathies to actual tall people.
Mezcal is awesome!
Mezcal is awesome!
I rode a couple of days in Sedona and one in Flagstaff last fall and totally agree that both areas are awesome and have completely different character. I was there with my dad who doesn't mountain bike, but is always up for anything involving being up in the air. He talked me into hot air ballooning in Sedona, which I didn't want to do at all, but it wound up being a really incredible experience and just such a nice way to appreciate the landscape. Highly recommended. I did a time lapse (which is still too long) using my GoPro during the flight for anyone who is interested:
