Reconsidering taking bike on trip - help!!

[Lenusik]

Or, I even considered (at some point in time), purchasing perhaps a Trek 1000 to keep at my parents so I won't have to make such decisions!!!

This is actually the best idea. We are planning to get couple of used bikes to keep at the in-laws in Wisconsin. Renting a bike coulb be good but there is nothing better then having your own set up. You would still need to take your shoes, pedals, seat, etc. I really wouldn't bother.
Just one thing - please stay save in NYC. Traffic there is not very bike friendly.

[kjay]

Another thought: perhaps you could ship it via UPS from one bike shop to another; I understand shipping via UPS isn't as expensive as taking the bike on a plane with you.

[Triskeliongirl]

For ~$40 each way you can ship it fedex ground, if you can be without it for 4 business days on each side of the trip. I just did this for a trip after my bike friday was stolen, and it worked great. Otherwise, both bike fridays and Ritchey Breakaway bikes are good options. Don't worry about the reassembly. Its trivial. All you have to do is be able to unscrew and reattach the handlebars to the stem, and remove/reattach your pedals, wheels, and seatpost. Piece of cake. Packing and unpacking take less than 15 minutes. I like to wash the bike, pack it, and then relube after assembly.

[Crankin]

Sometimes you can "work" with the gate agent about the cost of shipping your bike. My former exchange student, who is here now, racing, told the guy at the Delta gate in Berlin that he kept the weight of the bike/case under the limit and the agent changed his mind and said, OK, won't charge you." Of course, his bike IS super light. My son did not have such a good experience shipping his bike to Tucson via UPS. It was scratched and something was broken (can't remember what). They came out and looked at it and decided not to pay to fix it. This was a very expensive custom bike, only a few months old.
If you travel a lot, get a folding bike. My husband has a Bike Friday that he takes on most business trips. I plan to get one when i stop working and can travel with him.

[Triskeliongirl]

In my experience Fedex handles bikes better than UPS (also according to our shipping clerks that file the insurance claims). Also, how you pack it matters. I use a trico iron case, and am very careful how I pack it.