I Love Bicycling

I Love Bicycling is a website that is geared towards cycling for beginners with road cycling tips, training articles, nutrition tips, weight loss, how to’s and bike repair articles.

Why your next trip should include your bike

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Two of the greatest things in life are cycling and traveling, so why not combine the two? Choosing to plan your next holiday around your bicycle doesn’t necessarily mean strapping on panniers and riding for 8 hours a day. Although bike touring is an adventure all its own, it’s not for everyone or for every trip. Instead, choose a bike friendly location and use your wheels to experience it like a local.

Whether you’re driving or flying, taking your bike along isn’t actually all that difficult. If you want to skip the hassle altogether, bike rentals or shares, and overall cycling infrastructure has become increasingly popular. Many hotels even have loaner bikes that you can use to cruise around the city or countryside, although it probably won’t be as light or nice as the bicycle you’re used to.

Planning your trip around certain rides you want to do, or corners of the city to explore, can greatly widen your horizons. By skipping the typical bus tour and planning out your own routes ahead of time can get you onto the backroads and experiencing the culture like a local. If you need more convincing, here are some of the top reasons to include cycling as a cornerstone of your next trip.

6 Reasons to plan your trip around cycling

  1. Eat whatever you want

    Okay, maybe not whatever you want, but while travelling it’s nice to be able to partake in the local delicacies guilt-free. If you’ve already put in an hour’s ride up and down the winding streets of a city, you can sit back and enjoy that latte and croissant.

  2. Meet people

    When you’re on your bike, there’s no barrier between you and the outside world. You can easily stop and talk to people, ask directions, or simply smile at those you pass. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with other cyclists that may cross your path.

  3. Save money

    With no rental car fees or bus passes, you are powering your own way around. Not only does it save you money, but it’s also a whole lot easier. You won’t have to worry about parking, or figuring out what stop to get off at.

  4. Freedom

    Have you ever been on a bus or in a taxi and passed a beautiful building or natural scene? You can only catch a glimpse before it’s gone. If you’re on a bike, then you’re free to stop whenever and wherever you want. With no strict timeline, you can get off the beaten path and experience some of the hidden gems away from the main tourist attractions.

  5. Get the experience of a local

    Not only are you sightseeing from your bike saddle, but you’re also hearing, smelling, and even tasting everything around you. Cycling really is one of the best ways to take in a place, and you get a more authentic experience than if you were driving.

  6. It’s faster

    If you’re in a busy city, cycling is often faster than driving. You can cruise by traffic jams and sometimes avoid the chaos of busy streets altogether by taking bike paths or trails.

While walking is also a great way to explore new places, cycling can be even more freeing as you can cover so much more ground. Start planning your next trip around an area you want to cycle, and then build out from there. There’s no better way to start checking things off your “bike-it” list!

How to Travel With Your Bike

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Before starting with the how to’s and how not to travel with your road bike, you must understand that it is a huge pain to travel with your bike. There is honestly no way around it. Hauling around a 30 pound bike bag, no matter how well designed it is, is just plain frustrating. Once you accept this fact, you are ready to travel the world with your bike in tow.

travel with your bike
Check with your airline to find out the maximum weight for your bike bag. There’s often a lot of extra space in the bike bag to stuff extra kit, shoes and tools.

To Bring, or Not to Bring Your Bike

If your main purpose of your trip is to ride your bike, and you are completely in love with it, then absolutely travel with your bike! There’s nothing better than touring a new place on your trusty steed. In this case, you are probably logging a lot of kilometers and even the smallest discomfort on a rental bike can lead to more serious aches and pains later in your vacation.

Type of Travel

If you are planning on staying in one location for the majority of the trip, this also bodes well when considering bringing your bike. The fewer location changes, the fewer times you will need to assemble and reassemble your bike. If you are visiting a number of different cities, think about renting. Constant packing and unpacking, assembling and disassembling can be a drag.

Are you planning on using a bike for exploring, visiting tourist attractions and as your main form of transportation? Consider renting a bike. Locking up your favorite bike outside in areas you are unfamiliar with is asking for trouble.

If you are traveling with your family, and you are the only one riding, you might want to rent. Having your bike in the corner of the condo or timeshare will have you feeling guilty. It might also tempt you to take it out for a rip when you should be joining the rest of your family for breakfast.

Airline Fees

Every airline is different, but with more people traveling with bikes, airlines are taking note and applying surcharges for bikes. Certain airlines are fantastic to fly with, while others apply a heavy tariff as a disincentive. Expect to pay anywhere from $25 on the low-end to up to $200 on the high-end.

Discount Airlines

Are you traveling somewhere with a discount airline? These discount airlines are often tempting, but be sure to investigate how much it will cost you to travel with your bike. It is frequently more economical to fly with a major airline who charge less for bikes rather than a discount airline who might charge up to $20/kg when you find yourself over the allotted weight limit.

A Smile Goes a Long Way

When checking your bike bag, any use of the word bike will likely end up in a surcharge. Stating that you are: “checking oversize luggage” instead of “checking my bike bag” will often save you an added charge. When prompted, the contents of your luggage is better referred to as “sporting goods” instead of “a bike.” As always, you are at the mercy of the airline staff, so being patient and starting the conversation with a big smile can go a long way.

As previously mentioned, because more people are flying with bikes, always expect to pay as per the airline’s policy and be pleasantly surprised when you get through uncharged.

Other Considerations

Bring Your Backup Bike

Consider bringing your backup bike. People in the Pacific North West tend to have “winter bikes” and as tempting as it is to pack up your summer “race” bike, consider bringing your backup bike instead. A forklift through a rear triangle or cracked carbon wheel is a sure way to start your vacation in tears.

Bike Touring

If you plan on bringing your bike and riding it from the airport, consider packing your bike in a robust cardboard box (many bike shops will have old boxes that they are giving away). Once arrived at your destination, assemble your bike at the airport, recycle the cardboard box and begin your adventure!

Travel With Your Bike

Getting to and From the Airport

If you are traveling on your own there may be less of an issue but if you are traveling with a partner or a friend, you will need a van to get you from the airport. This can be difficult in some cities, so plan ahead. Some large taxis charge extra for the van; take this into account. There are very few options which allow you to ride to and from the airport with bike bag in hand. Orucase is your best bet if you are a light packer and have the wrenching skills and patience to sit around at the airport assembling a bike.

Storing Your Bike Bag

Bike bags are big, so you will want to think about where you will be storing these behemoths during your stay. Most softshell cases pack down fairly small, but hardshell cases are awkward and might find themselves parked in the corner of the motel room.

Assembling Your Bike

In most cases, you will need to have basic maintenance skills in order to reassemble your bike. If you are particularly intimidated by tearing your bike apart, high-end bike bags like Scicon will have the least amount of reassembly required. At the other extreme, the Orucase has the user remove the wheels, stem, fork, adjust seat height and remove rear derailleur. Most other travel bags, such as the ever popular EVOC, will be in between these two extremes. Remove the pedals, the handlebars and you’re off to the races!

What To Pack

  • Pump
  • Set of allen keys (make sure you have one large enough for your pedals)
  • Torque wrench if possible
  • Lock
  • Multi-tool
  • Spare tubes
  • Tire levers
  • Patch kit
  • Helmet
  • Shoes
  • Gloves
  • Glasses
  • Jersey
  • Shorts

Enjoy your trip!

The Art of Flying With A Bike

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flying with a bike

You booked a vacation to Europe to tour historical landmarks in one of the greatest months of the year for cycling, July. Two weeks is a long time without riding your bike, so you start looking at rentals and figuring out logistics of how to ride while away. After much discussion and heartache you decide to bring your adopted member of the family along with you, saving you time and money. Bike rentals are expensive and it is difficult to dial in the fit when pushed for time. You’ve decided to take your bike, but how are you going to get it there? Flying with a bike is  actually much easier and more convenient than many people think. Below are a few tips on how to make flying with a bike a breeze.

Four+ Weeks Before Flying with a Bike

Unfortunately, you can’t show up to the airport and slap a SeaSucker Rack to the roof of the plane. Luckily, there are plenty of bike cases you can purchase to put your bike in. Pick a box that will accompany your needs in the future as well, because most of them are not cheap. Does your significant other take their bike too or do you have extra wheels you want to carry? Purchasing a double bike case may be more expensive upfront, but will save you money at the airport by only having to pay for one box. Also, cases are different sizes depending on how much work you are willing to do. A smaller box may require you to remove the fork, handlebars, seat post etc. while larger boxes may only require you to remove the front wheel. The Oru Case, or the “airport ninja” is one of the more popular bike cases. The Airport Ninja is smaller and very discrete which can help save on airport fees.

One Week Before the Flight

Make sure to take the bike by your trusted local bike shop to get a tune-up and ensure everything is running properly. Landing somewhere with a worn-out chain and stretched cables is unacceptable. The trip has already been planned in advance so leaving with a well-tuned machine is a must. No one wants to waste his or her vacation time running from bike shop to bike shop looking for break pads. Pick up an extra derailleur hanger too; those things have a special gift for bending during flights and each one is specific to the frame making them difficult to get Ask your local shop if you don’t know what one is but do so a few weeks ahead as it may need to be ordered.

24+ Hours before the Flight

After hunting the last KOM on your home turf before leaving for vacation give the bike a good wipe down and double check that everything is good. One of the most important steps of flying with a bike is making sure to properly pack the bike. It’s never a bad idea to grab some extra packing foam from the bike shop, double protection is great for this cause. Packing the bike will differ depending on which case, but watching videos of other people using the same case can simplify the process. Once the bike is packed, evaluate how much space is left in the bag and start cramming more stuff in to fill the empty space. Water bottles, training food, and essential tools for putting the bike back together are great items to fill the extra space. When flying with a bike, never pack your cycling shoes or helmet in the bike case! Cycling shoes are one of the most user specific pieces of gear that a person owns. Shoes can take weeks to position cleats back to their original point and can cause serious injuries if not aligned properly. If the airline losses the bike for a couple days you can always count on Plan B and rent or borrow a bike until yours arrives, but shoes are irreplaceable. Also, remember to remove CO2 cartridges from the saddlebag, they will be confiscated by TSA.

At the Airport

By no means is I Love Bicycling insinuating readers should lie about what is in their bike case when flying with a bike, but discretion is highly advised. Airlines have been known to charge up to $250 for a bike one way! Yet a piece of “oversized luggage” may only cost $25-$50 per way, your choice. A few good ideas to answer, “What is in the large case?” are “sporting equipment”, “medical equipment”, or “art”. All honest answers in there own right. These responses have worked in the past but will depend primarily on the airline’s staff. Have the bag marked fragile and offer to carry it to TSA yourself. The less time someone else handles your bike the better the chance it makes it out alive. Arrive a bit earlier than normal when flying with a bike; this process can take awhile and rushing around an airport is never fun or good for recovery.

Upon Landing

Typically when flying with a bike the case is considered oversized and will be waiting at a different location than normal baggage claim. Everyone is in a hurry to leave the airport upon landing, but it is highly advised to open the case at the airport and make sure nothing was damaged during the flight. If something did break, head to the airlines customer service and file a complaint. Some airlines will replace what was broken, but most are not held responsible. If the airline states they are not responsible for the damage, file a formal complaint and contact someone at the airlines corporate office for reimbursement for all or part of the damage. Bike cases are built tough and if you properly packed the bike there is not much to worry about.

Remember to follow these simple steps when flying with a bike to reduce stress and ensure everything goes according to plan. Waiting until the last minute is a horrible idea when flying with a bike; preparation is key. Hopefully these tips help for the next time that you’re going to be flying with a bike and that you can enjoy your own bike on vacation!

Bike Travel – Tips to Traveling to Ride Your Bike

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bike travel

You’re exhausted after finishing a seemingly never ending day of travel but are now exploring the outskirts of a far off town with the feeling and excitement of a little kid who just got a new 10-speed. Nothing can take that smirky grin off your face as you try and explore as much as you can before it’s pitch black even though the coming days are going to be filled with incredible riding and experiences.

Bike travel anywhere away from home, it doesn’t have to be the epic roads of Europe, although that would be sweet, can give you that incredible feel of exploration along with being the trip of a lifetime. If you haven’t done it before, or even if you have, knowing a few good tips around bike travel will go a long way to ensure that your trip doesn’t have any major hiccups and leaves you wanting more before you’ve even returned home.

Bike Travel – Planning Your Trip

The basis of any great trip starts with the planning. Sure you can just go on a whim and it can be fantastic but that’s throwing a lot to luck. Some of the homework that you should do prior to a bike travel trip includes the following:

  • Where to go: You want to choose a location that has ample roads and the terrain you’re looking for whether it be mountains or coastal scenic roads. You will want to make sure that they are cycling friendly and that people go there to ride. There are a lot of cool places where people don’t ride but you’ll have to do extra work ahead of time to make sure that it meets your expectations.
  • What the weather is like: Make sure you check and see what the weather is like in the place you’re looking to go for the time of year you’re traveling. Don’t assume anything unless you’re prepared for it, a bike travel holiday in the cold and rain isn’t very pleasant.
  • The fitness level that you’ll have: Plan your trip along with the fitness level you will have at that time of year. You don’t want to be struggling through all your rides on your trip as you won’t enjoy it nearly as much. Make sure you have enough time to gain the fitness you need for your trip.
  • Look at what else you can do in the area: When considering destinations, think about what else you want to do on your trip aside from riding. Things like ample restaurants with good food, a beer and/or wine scene, hiking and other outdoor activities, and arts and entertainment are all things to consider when choosing where you want to go.
  • Where to stay: Depending on where you’re looking to go, there may be a lot of lodging options or relatively few. Considering price and quality as well as availability can be the deciding factor in where you end up going. A good thing to consider is to try and take advantage of the off-peak seasons of locations such as ski areas in summer and coastal locations in cooler months.
  • Important documents and credit card authorization: Depending on where you’re traveling, make sure you have the proper visas, identification, travel insurance declarations, and any other necessary documents before you leave. Also call your credit card company to notify them where and when you’re traveling if you’re headed out of the country so you can use your card abroad and not have it put on hold.

Bring Your Bike or Rent a Bike

Another difficult bike travel decision is if you want to bring your own bike or rent one when you get to your destination. This largely depends on how many days you will be riding at your destination and how in love you are with your own bike.

If you’re driving, bring your own bike. If you’re flying, bike fees can range from a normal bag fee of $25-ish to $300 round trip. Rental bikes typically cost anywhere from $100 per week to over $300 for a nicer bike. See what bike rentals are available in your destination and do the calculations to see how much you can save.

An expert bike travel tip is to get a small bike bag such as an Oru Case and bring your own bike which can get by the airline bike baggage fees. You’ll have to be a bit mechanically inclined to take apart and put your bike back together however, but that’s any easy skill to learn and a good one to have anyway. Another expert bike travel tip is to take a small carry-on and put the rest of you clothing and anything else you may need in with your bike to cut down on the number of bags you need to bring. Just make sure you don’t go over your airline weight limit, typically fifty pounds.

What to Bring

Riding compared to other sports always requires more gear but if you plan accordingly you can bring everything you need. This brief lists gets at the important bits that aren’t always thought about:

  • Extra Clothing: Even if you’re riding in the dead of summer you never know what the weather is going to do. Always bring: leg warmers, arm warmers, a base layer, a rain jacket, gloves, a vest, and a cycling cap; more if it’s going to be colder.
  • Spare parts and tools: If bringing your own bike, throw in two extra tubes, a spare tire, an extra derailleur cable, and the right size spokes and nipples for both your front and rear wheel and the tools to make use of them. These are items that have a higher tendency of breaking or can be hard to find, namely the right size spokes.
  • A dirty rag: Bring an old rag that you can use to wipe down your bike as when staying in accommodations you don’t want to bring in a dirty bike and make a mess. In addition, it’s always nice to ride a clean bike particularly if you’re on holiday.

Packing Ahead of Time

With any trip let alone a bike travel trip, you shouldn’t pack at the last minute as that leaves a pretty good chance that you’re going to forget something important. Start packing a few days ahead of time starting with a list of everything you’re going to want to bring down to how many pairs of underwear. Also, when packing, make an extra effort to have everything organized so you know exactly where it is and can easily access it when needed. Typically when traveling your suitcase goes from neat and organized to messy and cluttered as the trip goes on. Starting with it organized will help to keep it orderly throughout your trip.

When You Arrive

The hard part of traveling is getting everything organized and planned ahead of time. Once you arrive, hopefully you can do what you set out to do with minimal stress and maximal fun. These few bike travel tips will help you once you arrive at your destination:

  • If you’re in a foreign country the first thing you should do, at the airport or after you cross the border, is to obtain the local currency. Depending on how far money goes in the country you’re in, $100 is typically enough to get you started. Then any transactions you do, whether dinners or the hotel bill, should be on your credit card to minimize the amount of cash you have to take out, carry around, and use. Cash is basically your backup should you need it. And then any leftover at the end of your trip, you can just exchange back.
  • Talk to locals to find out the ins and outs of the local area. They don’t have to be bike riders but anyone as they will at least have an idea of the good roads to check out, the cool local sites to see, and restaurants and other local cultural things to explore and experience. A bike shop of course is always a good option for all of this as well.
  • The first day you arrive, ideally in the evening of the first day, you should try and do an easy ride to shake out the legs from the travel and get a feel for the local area. The best way to do this is to simply just go out and explore the town or city you’re staying in. The best way to check places out is by bike as you’re going slow enough to see and experience things but fast enough to see a good chunk of the area. Also keep an eye out for places you want to check out such as restaurants or coffee shops.

Traveling with your bike can be some of the greatest holidays you go on as the amount of things you can see and the experiences gained are unlike that of any other trip. Bike travel does take some planning and know-how particularly for everything to go off without a hitch but hopefully with these few tips you’re heading in the right direction for the trip of a lifetime on the bike.

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