Is it worth the trouble to shlep your bike along for a cycling holiday abroad?
What problems are you likely to encounter?
And, did we spell "shlep" correctly?
Transporting your Bike
This page is sponsored by Alyson Adventures, which offers bike trips and holidays in several locations around the world for gay men, lesbians, and friends.
I got the idea for Alyson Adventures in 1994, while biking through France with a small group I had organized from amongst my friends. Some of us brought our own bikes, having heard it was nearly impossible to rent good ones in France. It was a hassle at times, but worth it: Two members of our group had decided to rent bikes in Avignon, and struggled to make their aging 10-speeds keep up.
The biking was superb. But hauling the bikes to the airport, across the Atlantic, through the turnstiles of the Paris Metro, and onto various trains, wasn't the fun part.
A scattering of new shops now offer better rental bikes in France than what we found, but it's still hit or miss. I felt a new company could provide a real service not only be planning routes, reserving hotels, and getting together a friendly and fun gay group, but also by making better bikes available as part of our tours. Even so, some cyclists wonder if it's worth the extra trouble to bring their own bikes from home. Here are some factors to consider. This page is largely based on our experiences in France, but much of it will apply elsewhere.
--Sasha Alyson
1. How long is your bike holiday?
Most of the hassle of transporting a bike is involved in getting from your home to the start of the first bike day, then from the end of the biking holiday back home. If you'll be abroad for 3 weeks, you're getting quite a bit of benefit from your extra trouble. If you'll just be abroad for 1 week, it's less likely to be worth it.
2. What extra cost is involved?
Most airlines do not charge extra for a bike brought as one piece of baggage on an international flight -- but ask your airline, just to be sure. Be prepared, at the airport, to hear that you'll have to pay. Baggage checkers frequently don't know their employer's policy on this.
3. How much flexibility do you have?
Transportation strikes are a way of life in France. Several times a year, train workers all a brief strike. For most passengers, these strikes represent only a mild inconvience, but if you're trying to return to Paris with an expensive bicycle for tomorrow's non-refundable flight, it could be a major nightmare. I suggest, therefore, that you schedule the last few days of your holiday in the city that you plan to fly out of (Paris, Marseilles, Nice), as a cushion against such problems.
Carrying your bike on trains within Europe also creates questions. Certain trains are designated to carry bikes. For a train not so designated, you can generally walk on with a boxed bicycle, as carry-on luggage, but there's always a possibility of complications. When you check your bike as luggage, the railroad only promises that it will arrive within 3 days. In reality, it usually arrives the next morning, but you have no recourse if it takes longer.
4.Will you have storage problems?
In small towns, most hotels and inns have a spot for bikes. In larger cities, especially in Europe where centuries-old buildings are often squeezed together, don't assume there will be any place to keep a bike at your hotel. You may have to lock it outside. Have a good lock!
Also note that many airports and train stations close their luggage storage facilities from time to time, due to terrorism and bomb threats.
5. How important is it to have your own bike?
You've entered a land of ambiguities. You have to decide whether it's worth the trouble to bring your own bike, without knowing exactly what headaches you'll encounter, and without knowing exactly what the alternative is. Make the best decision you can. Whatever you decide, once you're coasting along the roads of Provence or Tuscany, it will be worth it.
