You want to train with your own racing bike on Mallorca? Or decided spontaneously for a trip, but the best rental bikes on the island are long gone? There are many reasons to take your own racing bike on the plane. We will show you what you need to consider and how to prepare your bike optimally for the transport.
There are different ways to pack your road bike for air transport. But no matter if you use a transport case, a bike bag or a bike box, don't underestimate the transport to the airport: Your road bike is still much bigger than a normal suitcase, so you need at least a station wagon with a big trunk.
Transport case, bike bag or bike box? – How to pack your racing bike correctly
Transport case
Pro: Very sturdy hard case with lots of insulating material and enough storage space,
Contra: Heavy and very bulky, much assembly effort, quite expensive to buy (Tip: Many dealers offer rental cases).
Bike bag
Pro: Priced in the mid-range, additional stability and protection is created by internal braces in the bag, significantly lighter than the transport case.
Contra: Not quite easy to assemble, much assembly effort, bulky in transport.
Bike box
Pro: Many manufacturers provide them free of charge, little to hardly any assembly required
Contra: No transport security, hardly any protection and insulation material.
Disassembly tips: mark your saddle and handlebar settings with electrical tape before disassembly. So you save yourself when assembling on Mallorca various test tours with not quite optimal settings. In addition, bag sensitive parts separately, protect them with additional insulation material. Do not forget tools for assembly!
Taking your road bike on the plane – pay attention to the details
Per route, depending on the airline, you should normally expect about 50, – to 75, – euros per way. Therefore, decide before booking your trip whether you want to take your racing bike with you or rent one locally. This way, you'll avoid any nasty surprises: Because a great savings offer of one of the major Mallorca airlines can quickly become very expensive due to later additional bookings.
Some airlines charge high fees for bulky luggage or even have fully booked holds, so that it is basically impossible to take it with you. When booking, also find out what you are allowed to put in your bike suitcase – because there are differences in this regard as well:
Air Berlin
Up to 23 kilos: 70 € /30 hours before departure – 115 €/ as of 30 hours before departure
From 23 – 32 kilos: 120 € /30 hours before departure – 165 €/ from 30 hours before departure
Ryanair
Up to 30 kilos: 60 €/ when booking flight
Up to 30 kilos: 70 €/ when booking at the airport
Easyjet
Up to 32 kilos: 49 €/ for online booking
Up to 32 kilos: 63 €/ when booking at the airport
Lufthansa
50 €/ for continental flights
Tip: Ask for luggage insurance. Depending on the value of your road bike, this can make perfect sense. In smaller machines, luggage will z. T. loaded by hand – this increases the risk of minor or even major damage.
This is what you should not forget when planning your trip – The transport on Mallorca
Some island buses or cab shuttle service from airport to hotel are too small for bulky carrying cases or large bike bags. In addition, quite a few companies charge additional transport fees. Save yourself possible trouble and inquire in advance directly with your travel company: Register your road bike for transport on Mallorca.
Focus on your training – Be well prepared
Taking your own road bike on the plane has advantages and disadvantages. But whether you rent a bike in Mallorca or take your own, financially it makes little difference in most cases: so the decision should be left to your personal training tastes.
A cheaper but logistically not 100% safe alternative is the shipment of your racing bike by mail: Within Europe already from about 30, – Euro possible. If you prefer to rent a bike, but don't want to do without your own, it's a good idea to bring at least pedals and saddle from home – because that's the best way to ride.
Mallorca offers excellent cycling training conditions, prepare yourself optimally to make the most of your sports vacation.
Contributed image: SI Vuelta Mallorca 2014 by Stefan Scheitz, CC BY 2.0
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