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Yet another long haul question.

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Yet another long haul question.

Old 04-12-2007, 09:12 AM
  #1  
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Talking Yet another long haul question.

I have yet another question about cargo. (you're probably thinking, "what the hell does he want to know now? If he can bring his pet dog with him?") Let's say for example I start flying with EIA or Kalitta and I have a 10 day tour in Europe or something similar. Does anyone know guys who might bring their roadbike/tri-bike with them? I'm a triathlete and would absolutely love to bring my tribike with me on a layover in Amsterdam, Brussels or wherever. I can't think of a better way to see the country side of Belgium than to take a 100 mile bike ride to Hasselt and back to Brussels! The bike only weighs 12 pounds so it's not weight issue. Back to my buddys dad at Evergreen, he use to fly with guys that brought their surfboard(s) with them on South Pacific runs back in the day. That's what really got me amped on the long haul cargo, as I can fit my lifestyle around my work schedule. I'm not sure if post 9/11 security protocols prevent pilots from bringing boards or bikes but I would like to know some of the cargo guys are still doing this. Also, I want to say thanks to you all for all the information on my last cargo question. Danke, mein freunds!
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Old 04-12-2007, 09:31 AM
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I don't believe that there would be any restriction on carrying a bike.
If you can manage to carry 18 days worth of stuff, a flight bag, a laptop and a bike you're a better man than me. Don't forget the jumpseat or commercial flight to/from your starting point, or the mid line commercial repositions. Plus, most of the typical hotel transports seem to get full with just normal crew baggage.
Besides, most guys won't help you carry your stuff unless you're a cute F/A!

Last edited by K4FE; 04-12-2007 at 12:53 PM.
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Old 04-12-2007, 09:54 AM
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They have their own triathelon: Flying, eating, and sleeping. You may want to compete in a few of these 14-30 day events prior to dragging a bike along. Don't worry, they all have very complete gyms on the upper deck of the 74s.
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Old 04-12-2007, 09:56 AM
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When your out on the rode like that, forget about carrying all that extra crap. Its a pain and nobodys going to help you, plus if you do carry it as opposed to leaving it in a hotel, good luck on explaining it to customs everyday. Remember you are on the road to work not a vacation. Not to mention the fact most of your layovers will probably be less than 36 hrs and you will spend the majority of that time recovering for the next flight.
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Old 04-12-2007, 11:07 AM
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With just a little inventive inspiration you may find all sorts of physical activity to keep that razor edge. Try lining your flight bag with lead for weight training. Run up and down the aircraft stairs with it until you bonk. In many third world regions a whole new variety of sporting activities await you. In Asia and South America it is easy to find martial arts training, indeed learning to grapple with two or more partners is a fine skill to hone. Games of stickball with the local youth are good(your head is used as the ball), as is the classic run through the barrio with your Rolex.
For another event, simply refuse to pay your bill at a local "entertainment" facility. The ever willing to please local authorities will introduce you to a game that bears a striking, and I do mean striking, resemblance to indoor Rugby.

The great thing about most of these events is that they have no drab and boring set finish line, but are much more fluid in their conduct. You will find their ways friendly and informal.
Having the crew van hijacked at the point of an automatic rifle will allow you a rapid jump to a 200+ pulse rate and test your reflexes. All in all, I think you will find many of these events so stimulating that you will forget all about tri-gear and concentrate solely on your new found sporting activities.

Last edited by jungle; 04-12-2007 at 11:32 AM.
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Old 04-12-2007, 11:18 AM
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You will be much better off just running. You can also find a place to rent bikes, not super nice ones, in most cities.
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Old 04-12-2007, 03:03 PM
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Originally Posted by jungle View Post
They have their own triathelon: Flying, eating, and sleeping. You may want to compete in a few of these 14-30 day events prior to dragging a bike along. Don't worry, they all have very complete gyms on the upper deck of the 74s.
LOL! Love it! Tri-biks have significantly smaller frames than most bikes and as I mentioned, they weigh almost nothing...Less than a flight bag, in fact. I like your "lining the flight bag with lead" idea. Turning the deck of the 74 into a gym sounds nice too. Thanks for the info guys!
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Old 04-12-2007, 04:06 PM
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Let's say for example that you actually do get a job flying internationally for someone, and let's say for example that after you've flown all night, into a 16 hour layover, in a city you probably have never been to, and let's say for example that you actually feel good enough to take a long bike ride, and let's say for example, that you somehow get lost and actually don't make it back in time for your next leg, then, let's say for example, that you'll probably only do this once, because you'll probably be out on the street the following day.

Anyway, let's say I stop being sarcastic and just answer your question. Yes, you can bring as much stuff as you can carry, but you'll need to know the type of transportation that your company will provide from airport to the hotel and back. You'd certainly hate to be on a 3 person crew and have some little taxi cab pull up, with not enough room to accommodate everyones stuff, especially your bike. Having said that, I have a classmate at FedEx who had a custom bike made for himself, that fit in a custom suitcase. He took that bike everywhere. When I was flying intra-Europe, I used to ship my mountain bike over to Milan and then ride it every day about 9 miles to the squash club, play squash for a few hours and then ride it back. I stopped after TWA trashed my bike on the way over. Luckily there was an Italian bike shop a few blocks from the Milan Hilton and they had me on my way after about a $125 bill. Took forever to retrieve the money from TWA.

You might first try using the exercise equipment in the hotel, or a local YMCA. Seriously, this international stuff really takes it out of you and I know a lot of guys who just want to sleep until supper time, go out for dinner and a few adult beverages, then back to the hotel to sleep. Or you could always go for a long distance walk in the city of your choice, but make sure you're up on where to walk and more importantly, where not to walk (or peddle, for that matter.)

Good luck.
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Old 04-12-2007, 04:14 PM
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Trying to drag your tri-bike around the world will probably at the least be grating and at the worst earn you the emnity of most folks with you and trying to serve you (cabbies, hotel staff etc.) as previously mentioned most layover hotels have adequate gymns, pools, and weather permitting outside running opportunities, so you can cover training on 2/3 of the tri legs. Keep the bike at home and devote that time for biking. It's the little things on the road that make it bearable. having your bag in your lap for every cab ride cause your partners bike is in the trunk over a 12 day/15 time zone trip would test the best. .....food for thought.
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Old 04-12-2007, 04:22 PM
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Plan to get strong in the run and suffer on the bike.

I used to race quite a bit too, so I can say this with some insight: The last thing I'd want to do on an international flight is drag a bike along. I'm on day 5 of a 7 day trip in Asia right now and have about 22 miles completed running with my long run scheduled for tomorrow. You CAN get good workouts on the road without creating a logistical nightmare.

Stick with a pair of running shoes, they pack easily and the rest of the crew won't talk about you - well not for the bike anyway
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