Is It Really Worth Flying Your Bike Abroad?! | GCN Tech Show Ep. 304
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- Опубликовано: 19 июл 2024
- Should you travel with your bike or rent at your destination? This week on the GCN Tech Show, Ollie and Manon break down the logistics of bringing your bike abroad, weighing up the costings and the hassle of bike boxes! We also bring you the latest Hot Tech and an update on the Shimano crank recall….
00:00 Intro
00:22 Fly or rent a bike?
11:52 Hot tech
12:40 Gore wear competition 👉 In association with@gorewear
16:20 Shimano crank recall
19:00 Women’s hour record
20:59 Comments of the week
24:55 Bike vault
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Would you rent or bring your own bike? 🚲✈
i go to calpe and hire, its much cheaper than the ones you listed here. they have specialized and for max of €300 you can hire one for 2 weeks
Personally I prefer to take my bike with me. I did my Master’s in York and brought my steel frame with me to commute. I couldn’t have been happier. Definitely a faff to get there and get home, but it made life so much easier on that long trip.
I would if I could. I'm 6'6" and every time I've tried to rent a bike on vacation, I'm told they don't carry bikes my size for rent. I currently ride a 62cm Trek Domane.
I bring my own... I need a specific fit and run short cranks
Bring your bike. I took mine to Japan. You can't rent a quality road bike in Japan. I rode about 300 km in the week I was there.
I love the close-ups on Manon's facial expressions while Ollie is being his best curmudgeon blasting the bikes in the vault. Manon's eyes are always so expressive!
I was doing serious LOL’ing during bike vault, to the very last second.
A most entertaining bike vault!
Mannons facial expressions crack me up when she's clearly pissed at Ollie 😂😂😂😂
Almost as good is the fact that Ollie is either oblivious to her expressions or chooses to ignore her. Too funny all the way around!
I think they deserve a medley at the '2023 GCN best moments show'
I feel for Manon having to put up with Ollie’s attitude. Hopefully he’ll get his act together!
If you rent a high-end bike which is better than your own at home, you also need to factor in the follow-up costs of then having to shop for a new bike when back home...
Did both, but there's actually a third option: The train.
You don't have to put your bike in a box, it's not that expensive, and faster than you expect.
(if you really want to get to Mallorca, there are boats as well :) )
I remember the last time I put my bike on a train to Hawaii. I miss that bike…😂😂
I've done that, and it worked out great. But I did put it in a box, a cardboard one actually, as I was moving cross-country and didn't have a bike rack or box or room in my car, and it would take nearly a week to get to my destination. But when I picked it up it was perfectly fine. Amtrak actually has or at least had a special service for this. I'm sure there are similar setups in other countries.
This was the best edition of the Bike Vault in ages! More salty Ollie please!
I don't mind renting a bike because it gives me the opportunity to ride a different bike, even if it's cheaper. If I'm on vacation I'm usually not riding for performance but just to enjoy the ride and scenery, so having power meters, electronic shifting, and the more aggressive geometry of my own bike doesn't really matter. As long as I can get it somewhat fit to me, I'll enjoy the ride. The main thing is not dealing with the logistics of bringing my own bike.
And if you are not doing it often it is even cheaper and easier. If you have technical you just call renting agency and they will deal with it. And I do not have space at home to store huge bike box anyway.
If you watch Manon when Ollie is talking, you can often see the exact moment when she loses the will to live.
Ollie's sign off should have been, "Hate you. Bye." 😂
His expression at the end definitely said that. 😂
Manon has the viewers blessing to smash a pie in Ollie's face. It would make a good youtube short, let's see it.
Ritchey Breakaway Ti is the answer. Standard suitcase check in. Tubeless setup. 20 minutes break down and reassembly. Done.
Manon is awesome. She didn't like the teasing and her faces rocked.
Mallorca is kind of unusual. It is one of the most important training areas for competitive road cyclists. There are a lot of places that I would like to ride my bike where you can't rent a high-quality road bike, at least not easily. Italy, especially in the area around Rimini, is an exception. They have a whole culture of bicycle hotels that rent out amazing road bikes. I've been trying to find similar opportunities in France, and there just aren't so many. Yes you can rent e bikes and city cruisers, or really low-end road bikes. But for me, a crappy bike tends to spoil the fun. On the other hand, traveling with my own bike is terrifying. It's a dilemma at times. Best solved by going to Italy. I think I finally found a place neat Mt Ventoux in France, though. Hope springs eternal. It is my favorite area on the planet.
It can be tricky finding the perfect rental bike and taking your bike with you guarantees rider satisfaction 👌Enjoy Ventoux! it's an epic climb, we've got a great GCN+ film if you are looking to wet your appetite 👉 ruclips.net/video/7MSpFVOgMJQ/видео.html
Agreed, I flew to Denver (USA) in the spring and took my bike. There were rentals, but they were relatively expensive and very few that weren't hybrids or MTB. The bike + soft case was 50 lbs, so the airline treated it as a normal checked bag, so US$30 each way (domestic flight, not international). If I rented, I'd probably bring my own saddle, shoes, and pedals (if they couldn't supply SPD).
interesting video. In my case, I decided to cycle from my house to my destinations. For example, this year I met my wife in Montpellier from Brussels travelling in 6 days, then I went to Millau in France to compete in the UCI Gravel race, and we rode together to Girona in Spain and back to Brussels, passing next to Paris. Total 3200 kilometres with 52 kilos of cargo. Of course, this is only possible on the European continent. If I need to cross an ocean, I'll hire a bike - it's much cheaper, but the risk of injury is big because of inappropriate positioning.
Week 32 of asking for a “the UCI has no jurisdiction here” T-shirt
They have responded to this in a previous video.
The UCI confiscated them
Got mine on pedal pushers apparel
Funny you mention this... I just upgraded my bike and it's now 6,6kg and when a mate said I can't ride any UCI events I responded the UCI has no jurisdiction here!
And I'd still buy that. Please, please GCN give us some mech
Bike Flights. Best way to ship your bike. You take it to your local bike shop, have it shipped to a local bike shop where you’re going & you won’t have to faff with putting it together and lugging it around at an airport praying it doesn’t get lost.
expensive though
@@oliverbridgewood3929 - I agree; it is an expensive tab, depending on the destination and admittedly, it is an option I will only employ in the continental USA which is where I live. Even within the USA, it is a pricey option, as my recent BikeFlights tab from California to Florida was $442 both ways. I only do it for events like Sportives and Fondos, as I like to travel light. I usually don't pick up the bike until the day before the race and drop it back off as soon as the event ends. But yes; an expensive indulgence to be sure.
Bike Flights can also deliver your bike to the hotel or motel of your choice, if you're staying in one the first day you arrive. BikeTouringMike uses a cardboard box, assembles it at the airport, leaves the box at the airport and drives off. Of course, you have to know how to assemble it, but that shouldn't be too hard to learn.
I shipped a steel bike from the east coast of the US to the west coast using BikeFlights. The bike is custom built with S&S couplers and was in an S&S hard case. When the bike arrived the top tube was crushed in 4 places. The bike was wrapped in padding and compression posts were inside the case. There was no outward sign that the case had been damaged but when inspecting it internally it was evident that something, probably the fork on a forklift, had poked it.
The bad news is that the bike is back at the frame builders for the summer. The good news is it's being repaired as good as new with some upgrades.
Fingers crossed that others don't experience the same.
If going away for 1 week or more, always take my own bike (though not my best). My bike is set up exactly how i like it and marked so easy to assemble to correct position.
Generally costs £50 to £60 for each way, but I don't need to pay for a suitcase, as a 8.5kg bike in a hard case (25kg to 30 kg allowance) means I can get most of my hol essentials in with the bike.
Evening clothes can be taken as hand luggage.
Never had any damage, as bike is protected by foam, and use padding locate everything else in place so it doesn't move.
That's actually a brilliant idea, making double duty of a bike case. I assume that anyone going on a cycling vacation is not going to be taking many fancy outfits or gear so the case plus a small carry-on and backpack should be plenty if not too much space in fact. I mean how much do most people need for a week-long active vacation?
I'm still kicking myself for not taking advantage of all the unused space in a bike box that I transported my bike in by train when moving cross-country some years ago. Officially I was only supposed to put my bike in it but no one would have known and I'd likely have put light things in it like clothes and paperback books to save space in my car. Plus it would have provided extra cushioning and protection for the bike.
You really can't get better than a grumpy Yorkshireman hurrumphing his way through the bike vault. I think we should collectively flood the bike vault with terrible pictures of our bikes just so we can watch Ollie's head explode 😂
Great show.
Ollie adds a great dynamic to the show, well done Ollie.
My brother has been flying over to Spain/ France from Canada, for a few years, to cycle. This is the first year he rented. Two locations, two different bikes. He was well pleased with the experience. His first year in Mallorca. The man absolutely loved it!
Thank you for showcasing Manon! She makes the show!
I often rent a bike for a day or two when going on a family trip and it has always worked out great. Even in non-cycling type destinations I can usually find a nice rental by calling local bike shops. Just remember to bring your shoes and pedals.
Well, for me, it depends on the destination. Mallorca is a place that is easy and cheaper to rent vs. my own. For almost every other destinations I bring my own. With the new storage location like Bounce, Luggagehero, etc. it's easier to have a place to store the bag while bikepacking. I use an EVO bag and never had any trouble. If it is rental I pack my bags, pedals and saddle.
I live in Canada and I have flew my bike across the country from east cost to west coast, down to the States, to France, Sweden, Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia, and China. It is such a huge pain in the butt to pack the bike, and the anxiety waiting for them to come out in one piece at the luggage area was horrible. But every single time after the first pedal stroke out in the new country everything felt completely worth it, and every time looking at my bike I am glad to know it is the one that I went on so many adventures with.
I agree, but less stressful each time. Waiting 2 days in Antigua for my bike to arrive on the next flight was the worse.
In the 1968-1974 USA, we flew with track bikes with pedals removed, wheels fastened to frame with toe straps, saddle/post rmoved, and the handlebars lossened, and turned. no padding, no carton, no problem.
Have had my EVOC bike bage for 10 years. Always take my own bike. Have been to Colorado twice, Australia 4 times, Taiwan and lots of Eurooean trips. Easy, cheaper and always have a bike that is perfect for me. Have never had a problem. Perfect!
I hired a bike for Alpe d’Huez and it was quite close to my personal bike geometry wise. I brought my own saddle and power pedals. I researched available bikes in the area and contacted most of them to ask questions. I was able to enjoy my trip with the rental bike but I really want to take my Aethos to Europe on my next trip!
I would not want to get called into Ollie’s office if I were in trouble. Scary stuff just in time for Halloween.
That said, Ollie and Manon were in rare form this week
I have a great bike box and I travel for work enough that when I take a cycling vacation my bike travels for free. Arriving at the vacation home and building my bike then going for a ride is glorious.
Grumpy Ollie is just absolute gold 👍🤣🤣🤣
Only when someone does a live react right next to him...
Manon saying “Quickfire, Ollie” and meaning “Quick, fire Ollie” 😂
Just back from Tuscany for a 10day Gravel outting. Flew with my bike in a Buxumbox. Amazing experience. This box will be with me forever.
just to be aware, the AirTag thing doesn't always work. It depends on signal. Ive done this for quite a few journeys. The ski bag looked like it was in the other side of an airport on arrival, but it did turn up on the carousel a few minutes later. So just be aware there can be a delay on location.
That look on Ollie's face at the end! 😂
quickfire bike vault with Ollie.... takes more time than graduate level university work. Would really enjoy a video on various gps trackers for bikes and ways to place them, discreetly.
Nice topic! I like that you covered how often you travel. If you only travel once in a while, then it may be best to rent a hire bike. Of course, you also have to consider the destination. Places like Mallorca may have the infrastructure to support more hire bikes. However, if you're traveling to remote locations, there may not be hire bikes available.
I wish my wife looked at me the way Manon looks at Ollie when he talks about cranksets!
😂
Theres a familiarity when you bring your own bike which allows you to be more confident and just be excited for the route, with a rented i probably wouldn’t feel as confident as I’m not immediately in tune with possible bike quirks
I've been cycling in Majorca sometimes twice a year since 1998!! First time was on the Sean Yates training camp at Cala Bona, been a ritual ever since. My BWF Koffer bikebox still going strong (apart from the odd repair!) after maybe 30 trips...
Absolutely love that you are covering this topic of travel vs rental and you did a great job of laying out different scenarios. A month in Spain meant a rental was over $2k/month USD so if you plan to travel a lot the bag/box is worth the investment. I have a soft sided bag and have taken it to Spain twice, Hawaii, California, Arizona, Illinois and Vermont. For $700 it’s been a worthwhile investment.
Things to look out for … lots of airlines waive special fees for sports equipment, some travel credit cards can get you free checked bags… my bike was $0 when taking it to Spain the first time and most importantly look at their insurance or coverage for checked bags. Some cover you far less for international travel so extra insurance is good for peace of mind. It can be A LOT cheaper to fly with your bike over time than you might think.
I love traveling with my bike and I’ve helped a handful of friends warm up to the idea. :-)
Recently hired a bike in Menorca for a 3 day Volta Cicloturista. Was only around £70, so no brainer. Granted it was only a Specialized Allez (others had booked out the better carbon frames already), but took my dimensions from a home bike fit along and they did their best to make it similar. Was good enough for that event. Local hire companies really helpful and accommodating
You’ve really gotta be seeing the world through a pro lens to be surprised most people don’t fly their bikes around the world. Tbh it never even occurred to me that more than a few people would be flying their bikes
I rented a bike last year in Spain, and was presented with a hardtail MTB with 3 gears that worked and just a front brake that barely worked. It was intended to be used for a 5 minute pedal along the sea front, but I took it 50 miles into the mountains. Gotta say I loved that bike by the time I returned it. It allowed me to see some amazing scenery. Also goes to show just how good bikes really are, even when they are knackered!
Man you both cracked me up this time.
Hired a bike for a Giro tour this year. Bringing my bike from Australia would have been painful as we wanted to travel for a few weeks after the tour.
Took my own power pedals, bike computer etc.
Another clear benefit (organised tour) is that any mechanicals we’re just fixed, and/or bike swapped.
Hired a nice (dare I say “super nice”) De Rosa.
Having worked in the ski industry for years, that industry has “hire shops” and “test centres”… the test centres are “cool” but are essentially just very high end hire options that are more geared towards people who are going to buy (hire price usually discounted from purchase price).
I reckon (if they don’t already) that high end bikes rented daily as part of a “test centre”, would get even proper riders onto a rental.
I nearly pissed myself when Manon (rightly!) grabbed the bell! 😂
In Puerto Pollensa i hire and have done for last 16yrs .... Its far cheaper, less hassle, send measurements proper bike set up and more fun! .... I use procycle hire cost around 150-200 euros for 6 days hire for about £4k bike and if you pay an anual 99 Euros you get a 79 Euro jersey + free bresk down pick up + 10% reduction on bike hire+ a free coffee a day! So its far cheaper 😁
I must say this was one of the best GCN tech shows with Manon's humor in it. Let me explain. Manon was funny. Her facial expression was the best today. Im still cracking up----- Ollie was on Point about the bike vault. All the bikes that were presented was rubbish, but fun at the same time. You guys are the BEST!! I LOVE THE GCN SHOWS.
One goal for my newest road bike was travel, checking off bucket-list rides. The bike has S&S couplers so the case is the size of wheels, and I check it as regular luggage. The only carbon fiber is the fork, allowing it to survive the luggage handlers. The SRAM wireless means I only need a cable splitter for the rear brake. The soft case has big spacers that keep it from being crushed. My very first ride was in California after a cross-country flight. Since then, it has come with me to the Stelvio, Haleakala, Gibralter (Road), Mt. Baldy, and more.
The only challenge I face while traveling with my bike box is, managing the number of luggage boxes inside the airport (three - I generally travel with one large check in suitcase and one small carry in suitcase for work). For holidays I use the carry in luggage as backpack, and the problem is solved. ❤️✌🏾
I live in Canada. I never rented a bike on traveling, but for the last 5 years have always brought my bike when I travel. Mexico, Thailand, Mallorca, Antigua. The extra cost is always the same as an extra piece of luggage, EXCEPT Lufthansa Airlines which charges 300% more than any other airline. The bike with connecting flights does all most always get delayed though. Which isn't all bad because then the airline transports it to your hotel for free usually the next day. So give your planing a couple of days for the bike to catch up to you. check to see how frequently that airline flies into your destination. Use electronic air tiles/ air tags so you can track it, put contact info all over your bike case. Name, flight, e mail address. Add extra tubes, tiers, lock, chain, pump, shoes helmet, and tool kit to the traveling case, but keep it under the weight limit . Try and notify your airline one week in advance that you will be traveling with a bike case, this may help. Be ready to open the case up at the airport for inspection at the oversize luggage place. And pick it up at the oversized luggage place at your destination.
Just rented a Trek Emonda SL7 in Phoenix for $105 a day. Those Mallorca prices are nice! I didn't bring my Specialized Roubaix because I wanted to try a different bike, didn't want to drag my bike around for the days I wasn't riding, and even with a fair confidence in disassemble/re-assemble, I didn't want to risk it. There could be occasions when I'll bring my bike, but so far it's easier to rent.
We in Canada find it better to rent a bike to avoid the hassle to transport and worry about damage to and from Europe. The cost is basically the same. You can then go and visit other places in Europe bike free. You are only riding for say 10 days so you can put up with slight inconveniences. I only take my own bike if I am flying in one airport and flying out another. I then ship my bike box with DHL from hotel to hotel. Make sure your bike box meets the standard dimensions with your carrier.
I have taken an old but good MTB to Morocco for many years and never worried about it getting damaged - it is not really worth anything but still goes well.
Now it stays there and I can ride it as and when I go there.
The Nice thing about renting a bike is that you Can Choose one dat you want to ride fast on the Road, another day you want to explore the local MTB trails then you Can rent a different bike
Have always brought my own bikes more confident on it and as I have being doing it for years now it actually works out much cheaper than rental. 15 minutes and it’s assembled. Just back from Mallorca 28 went only 2 of us brought our own bikes. PS have soft case never any issue
Being in the military, i get free bagage with all major airlines flying out of north america. Which makes taking my bike along much easier.
Ill be traveling to mexico this winter and cannot wait to be riding my gravel bike there.
I traveled with my own bike to Switzerland from Canada two times so far. Found a used hardcase bike box for 50 CAD (35 EUR) on Facebook market (old and shitty but works), and Air Canada charges 50 CAD each way, even for the long haul flights. Once in Switzerland I just used the public transport with my bike to my destination. Definitely cheaper in my case than renting it.
I've traveled with my bike a lot with a hard case and my current EVOC travel bag. Never had a problem with either although one time the hard bike box didn't get closed right by TSA and 3 of the 4 latches weren't closed (that's when I went with the bag). I'm very comfortable assembling/disassembling my bike so that isn't a factor. You just have to accept the cost of flying with it and factor it into your travel budget. My only concern is having it get "lost". My bike did miss a flight once for me but it was on my return trip so it didn't affect my trip.
I have travelled many times with my bike and have hated the disassembly and reassembly experience each time. For this reason, I travel with my bike for races but for siteseeing while touring on vacation, I will buy a very cheap bike and then give it away to charity rather than pay loaads of money to travel back home with it. Cheap bikes are easy to come by at department stores and second hand purcchases. Happy riding everyone!
Pretty sure some of those bike vault pics were actually people trolling Ollie… and I’m here for it!
So my non cycling wife even watches the show because she enjoys watching when Ollie and Manon are on. The expressions during the Bike Vault Priceless!
I've always rented, despite having a much nicer bike at home than I rent. It works out very similar if you are hiring a bike box (and I don't have space to store a bike box if I bought one). Pinarello Experience is literally THE most expensive rental shop in Puerto Pollensa - at any other shop, 300 GBP will get you a full carbon, di2 equipped machine for a week. I take my own power meter pedals and saddle. Taking my own bike for a week would be about 250 GBP - and for me that extra 50 quid is worth it for the peace of mind, the reduced faff (I don't have to collect the bike box, disassemble/pack the bike, transport the bike, etc), as well as the simpler logistics (I even travel without checked bags). As another commenter points out, Mallorca has the best provisioning of rental bikes anywhere - if I'm going further afield I may consider taking my own bike.
I love how Olli judges the bikes on the bike vault!! The super nice didn't even have the valves aligned 😋
I have flown often in the US and on many trans-atlantic flights with my bikes in a Bike Ninja bag and have had very few issues. The bag fits within most airlines' restrictions (size & weight) making it cost free (I have had to occasionally pay on inter-European flights). I generally fly with just a carry-on bag in addition to the bike bag. There are several advantages including: big cost savings, you are riding your own bike and don't need to worry about availability of a local bike (esp if you are not avg size), and if you are reasonably handy it gives you the opportunity to inspect and lube bike parts one might otherwise ignore when reassembling. I would suggest a couple of things: 1) if in a soft bag take the disc rotors off as they can get bent, 2) glue an AirTag or Tile to the underside of your seat to track your bike in case of loss, and 3) if using SRAM etap or Di2 take out lithium batteries and place in your carry-on.
Was on holiday with my family last month in Majorca. My wife treated me to a hire bike morning ride as a birthday treat. The only 3 hours of rain all week was that morning. Had a high quality Di2 TCR which was the same as mine at home. Cost £65 for the day inc helmet, pedals, and computer mount. Your ROI if you go multiple times a year I can see the point of taking your own, but all those additional logistics elements you mentioned for a casual is a hard sell.
Southwest cost $75 for bike luggage one way. The uber/lyft is $60 one way. The whole trip is $270. My work generally pays for it. I am there for at least 4 days minimum. If I rented a bike, it would cost me. I use my bike luggage bag which my company paid for. It is a total win for me.
I've just returned from 2 weeks in Spain, travelling from Canada. I took my own bike. I only had to pay a total of $50 (CAD) extra, including return. However, there are times that I would consider renting. If I'm going somewhere to compete, I'd bring my own bike. If I travel on my own and longer than a week, I'd bring my own bike. If I was travelling with a group, I'd rent as some European airlines have a limit on how many bikes they allow on a flight. Also, a group with multiple bikes makes the transfer to and from airports that much harder. Some rental places will also rent you a foot pump for a couple of euro per a day - an absolute necessity. If I was going for less than a week with no competitions or events, I'd rent.
Make sure you have a AirTag or the soon to be released Chipolo Point for Android in your bike box. It takes away so much worry about where your bike is.
In '17 we went to Munich and rented bikes like Euros commute on for $14/day. In Freiburg same type of bike was free. In Paris I got a bike that had hard tires for $6/hr but explored the bois de Boulogne and my favorite part, being American, is that there was no helmet mandate. I guess they figured if I wanted one I'd ask, or bring my own. To be clear, we weren't going on adventures but in context it was convenient and fun. I love Europe!
This was very useful to hear. Put me at ease about flying with my bike.
Part of me thinks it would be hilarious to take my current commuter bike to these fabulous biking destinations. The hateful bike reviews that this bike received when released, still make me smile. A cyclist friend of mine has told me that it's a surprising nice bike to ride. He recently gave it a major revamp and taking it for a ride was to see what it needed. I am so grateful to him.
I fly a couple of times every month for work. Three or four times a year I'll rent a bike if I happen to have a free day or the ability to spend a weekend. This has allowed me to ride all over the world and to try a wide variety of bikes. The only time I bring my bike is when I'm going someplace for a week on vacation.
I happen to be on Mallorca while Ollie was there, actually, I saw Ollie ride past me in the opposite direction, what a trill.
That being said, i prefer to travel with my bike, I have an Orucase and never had any damage. I double bag my wheels, wrap the frame in bubble wrap and secure with blue painters tape, remove the break rotors and install a spacers between the fork and rear dropouts. Also an air tag goes in the case.
If renting bring your own saddle!!
I rented a Pinarello F12 for the 2021 Haute Route Dolomites. Other than a gearing snafu that broke the rear mech, the bike came with a stubby saddle that threw off my setup measurements. Though I thought I got it sorted, I ended up with stabbing pain in my shoulder around Day 3.
great to see this! I've the spent las 14 years of my life building a 1 stop solution for easy bike rental :)
All of the GCN presenters are great. Ollie and Manon are obviously the best though. Just such natural presenters.
To the question though, I wouldn’t fly with my bike. I really do like it but it was a £650 bike from Decathlon back in 2016. Great value with a 105 group set but hiring would just make so much more sense for me. You could get something really flashy for 3 days for not much money.
Didn’t see you there last week Ollie 😅 … we took our own bikes, can trust it more than a rental
Funny to see this topic in this very moment. I did fly first time ever with my bike around week ago after a bit similar chain of thoughts. I was able to borrow a hard case from my mate with no cost, so bringing my own bike was much cheaper. However, I found a bike shop that would have rented a very nice bike with Ultegra Di2. I have for long wanted to try electronic shifting so I was really tempted to rent. However, I thought that, after testin Di2 for a while, renting might have come very expensive after returning home. :)
got a laugh from the hot and spicy tech segment today, thanks - good fun you two!
When my wife and I travelled from the U.S. to Mallorica, we rented and I can say it was a pleasant experience. We rented the exact bike my wife rides at home, I rented a DI2 model to try it. We were on holiday so I didn't miss that power meter at all. In fact, not being a slave to a garmin head unit was...well.... a holiday. We provided measurements, and although we may not be the "nit-picky'est" people, both bikes were set up close enough to not require adjustment in 5 days of riding with no discomfort. I thought it was a wonderful experience and in the end if we talk dollar to dollar, I actually think it cost us about $50 USD more to rent than take our own, but the hassle was absolutely worth it to not mess with bikes and airports. We do not travel in airports with bikes regularly, so that would have been a learning curve. We took a tiny taxi from the airport to Pollensia on the NE corner of the island.
I went to Gran Canaria, hired a Merida Scultera 7000. it was new AFAICS. Loved it, came back to the UK and bought one. Built in power meter as well.
Went to Melbourne for 3 weeks and hired a Pinarello Prince for 1 week from a LBS (shout out Port Melbourne Cycles). They even set the bike up for me based on my bike fit pdf for my bike at home. Only cost $250\~£125 so it can be way cheaper to hire in some places
I travel to Italy every year and always rent a bike - for convenience because I’ll usually be riding for two weeks and doing other tourist stuff for two. I’ve always been able to get current year bikes in good condition (Pinarello, Wilier, Bianchi, Canyon). I always take my own pedals.
I've had a great experience hiring a bike in Mallorca, but I think that Mallorca is exceptional, there is a lot of competition and prices are low and quality high. Hire rates anywhere else are higher, sometimes much higher, and the bikes trend to be older and less well maintained. I was glad that I took my own bike to Tenerife, my mates ended up with some pretty ropey hire bikes.
Very entertaining show today everyone! Good work.😂
I have done both; used a rental bike and brought my own (Pinarello Dogma). When I am on the bike It's better to have mine for every other moment of my trip I want a rental ie, the airport, the taxi, cafe stops - every other moment
I had a 1 week stop in SF (coming from Europe).
As a 15 year e-bike commuter I considered bringing my bike, but it's heavy and hard to disassemble, and would have cost a fortune.
I figured I could rent one, over there.
Nope...
Thankfully, the bicycle sharing system (Bay Wheels), was quite decent.
Few locations in Europe can match the bike hire options and good value in Majorca. And one thing mentioned by Manon: hire bike maintenance - too many times I have been with friends who had mechanicals on their hired bikes.
Yes! Definitely bring the bike that fits you. Mallorca is unique, plenty of places there .
I am so glad I flew my bike for the Taiwan kom challenge. Delta flys a bike at no extra charge, and trying to work out a bike rental with the language barriers would have been a disaster.
Taking your own bike: When back home it’s great to think “This bike has climbed Ventoux / Alpe d’Huez / etc.”.
With some power meter pedals and the race of bikes to hire now I’ve found it so much easier to hire. Take some of the stress out of packing and lugging!
Always taking my own bike. Exactly for the reasons Ollie mentioned!
Packing and unpacking my bike, not to mention the chance of damage, means I only take my bike I’ve I’m doing longer rides or riding for a week or more at the destination. Recently picked up a titanium frame and electronic shifting, which removes fear of a cracked frame, and less chance of shift cable issues. Always detach your derailleur!
Rent if flying, take my own if driving down. We tend to go to Malaga area which is easily as good as Mallorca for staying and cycling, loads of hills, mountains and great food. Plenty of decent hire shops many British run. CycleMalaga is a very good example.
I love grumpy Ollie.
We're yet to meet the other Ollie 😂
Absolutely, love that you are covering this topic of travel vs rental and you did a great job of laying out different scenarios. A month in Spain meant a rental was over $2k/month USD so if you plan to travel a lot the bag/box is worth the investment. I have a soft sided bag and have taken it to Spain twice, Hawaii, California, Arizona, Illinois and Vermont. For $700 it’s been a worthwhile investment.
Things to look out for … lots of airlines waive special fees for sports equipment, some travel credit cards can get you free checked bags… my bike was $0 when taking it to Spain the first time and most importantly look at their insurance or coverage for checked bags. Some cover you far less for international travel so extra insurance is good for peace of mind. It can be A LOT cheaper to fly with your bike over time than you might think.
I love traveling with my bike and I’ve helped a handful of friends warm up to the idea. :-)
If you are there for a month and looking at a rental bill of over $2000, would it be more feasible to buy a reasonable bike and then sell it at the end?
Buying a good bike case and packing it like a newborn baby is the best option by far for long trips like that.
@@alistaircassidy I think that could work but it's a lot to figure in the time needed to sell the bike but you could save money over time. I think if it's one-time thing it's an option but if you want to travel regularly the bike bag/box is the way to go.
@@ianjwhitmore Oh I agree. I just meant that buying/selling would be better than renting for that long a booking. In my case, I would never be looking to be away with a bike for that long and renting for a long weekend is the obvious choice for me.
Ollie totally roasted Mannon 😂 and man, she did not take it well! Hahaha epic GCN moment.
Great Manon memes for the ages! Somebody at the bak office always picks the worst pictures when there is a chance of grumpy Ollie.
@gcntech very interested to see a comparison of different bike box brands. Looks like the GCN group use quite a selection. Pros and Cons would be handy before a purchase which is on the horizon.