Traveling to race - question about bikes & car rental

We have a pretty large group (10+) traveling to a race in Austin, TX in October. All of us will be flying down and either flying with or shipping our bikes down. This will be the first time for many of us to fly with our bikes, and I was wondering what is the best way to go about getting our bikes around when we get there? We will need to rent cars, but don't know if there's any way that we can rent bike racks anywhere. Do we just rent multiple SUVs and try to get 2-3 bikes in the back? Or maybe if we rent 1 big van to move the bikes, and then pack the rest of us in cars? Any suggestions?

First, please please go online and research the bicycle fees & baggage size requirements for your airline. All airlines have changed their fee structures in 2009, and in some cases, it's gastly. Delta for instance, wants $300 per bike, each way for some flights. In all cases, the hardshell bike cases we've been travelling with for YEARS are now outside the 88" maximum size requirement, and on most airlines will incur another $150-$200 in fees, each way, per bike. On other airlines, they simply will no longer transport my bike box...the one I've flown with for 9 years. [It's horrible how the airlines have picked on bikes and not other large sporting equipment, but no one is complaining. To complain marks you as a terrorist, I suppose!]

There are also extra fees to transport more than 3 bikes...not sure how they'll view that with your group all on one plane?

How to transport that many people, and that many bikes at your destination? I suppose you'd have to rent several SUVs. I've flown (before these new fees) with a Saris Bonz 2-bike rack that I disassembled and put in a duffle bag with other bike gear. I have no ideas for an economical way of transporting your people & gear - sorry - but I wish you luck! And I hope you all have a wonderful time!

Years ago, we did this with a rather large group going to race in Arizona. I lived in california then. We all rented a budget rent a truck - small size. At least I think it was a budget; all in all it was YELLOW - so the name of team yellow stuck to us the whole weekend.

You could rent a rental truck; a large van that hauls people and rent a trailer to put the bikes on; etc., etc. There are all kinds of options.

spoke

Southwest still just charges $50 for bikes. We used a Velo II and got both our mountain bikes and two wheels in one case. We made a wheel box out of a cardboard bike box and kept it within the 62" overall dimensions limit for regular checked luggage to carry the other 2 wheels. Southwest still allows 2 regular checked bags for free.

As far as vehicles go, I don't know. Rental moving van or truck sounds like a good idea along with passenger vehicles.

Thanks for all the great feedback. We were aware of Southwest's extremely reasonable (and they fly direct from DC) fees for bikes, and that's how most of us were planning on going. Thanks for the suggestion about renting a moving van/truck. That's much cheaper than renting a huge SUV/conversion van from the car rental companies!

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Originally Posted by tripinky

Thanks for all the great feedback. We were aware of Southwest's extremely reasonable (and they fly direct from DC) fees for bikes, and that's how most of us were planning on going. Thanks for the suggestion about renting a moving van/truck. That's much cheaper than renting a huge SUV/conversion van from the car rental companies!

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Are you coming for the livestrong challenge? There is also a race on oct 10th called the mamma jamma ride against breast cancer.

I will be doing at least the mamma jamma ride on oct 1oth.

Tina

I've shipped my bike three times via FedEx and it's worked swimmingly.

FedEx Home Delivery is very inexpensive; if you don't have someone's home you can have the bikes sent to, even the regular express service is cheaper than taking it on a plane. Plus you don't have to schlep the box around the airport along with the rest of your luggage - a major plus. If you're staying in hotels, receiving shipments for arriving guests is SOP, just let the front desk know ahead of time.

You should be able to rent a full-sized van pretty inexpensively from a truck rental place, which will give you more passenger space than a box truck, plus being easier to tie your assembled bikes down inside.