Go Fly a Bike

Here are some very good reasons why you should use Vélo-Express instead of flying your bike to your next race:

1. You must purchase, rent, or borrow a bike-case.
2. You must or pay someone else to dismantle your bicycle and stuff it and everything else into the case. With most all airlines, you must also be careful not to exceed 50 lbs or size limits.
3. With an airline, you have to lug that bike-case from your SUV or mini-van that you parked in long term parking which is a mile from the airport terminal to baggage check-in. Hopefully you're not traveling with young children!
4. Airlines charge a fee of $100-$175 to check your bike-case, and $25-$50 for your wheel bag or race essentials bag. Mind you, this fee does not always include adequate insurance coverage. As of November 2008, United Airlines and Delta Airlines both charge $175 each way to ship a bicycle.
   • http://www.united.com/page/article/1,,52832,00.html
   • http://www.delta.com/traveling_checkin/baggage/special_baggage/fragile_bulky/sporting_goods/index.jsp
5. If several other triathletes traveling with their bike-cases are booked on your flight, you might find yourself missing the flight all together. The airlines will not fly luggage without its owner on the same flight. I bet you know more than one person who has encountered this situation!
6. To top it all off, you will have to cross your fingers and hope that the baggage handlers have as much pride in their work as you do in your bike.
7. You may have to worry that your bike-case actually makes it to the same destination as you, at the same time, and in one piece. Oops, they broke my new Zipp wheel and I didn't purchase that extra insurance coverage.
8. After arrival, you will have to lug your bike-case through the airport again to the car rental place.
9. Renting a non-fuel efficient SUV or mini-van to accommodate the bike-case or cases costs you more in rental fees and fuel costs. Or, what if they are all out of SUV's and mini-vans. With an event like a major triathlon in town, everyone needs a bigger ride.
10. Next, bungee cord your bike-case to the roof of your rental compact car. Okay, I'm just kidding here.
11. The fun part: lugging your bike-case to the 15th floor of your hotel, clearing out the living room floor and re-assembling your bike. Hope you didn't forget something important! What about your CO2 cartridges? You may have had a few in your bike-case but the TSA checked your bike-case and removed them.
12. Damn, why does my shoulder hurt so much? It's from lugging that bike-case all over creation, you dummy.
13. Now guess what? After your race, you get to do this all over again. Happy travels.