To hire or not to hire?

About 80% of Beyond Biking participants choose to rent a bike with us, mainly for peace of mind. You do not have to worry about taking your bike apart, packing it up nicely in a bike bag, and then building it back up once you arrive at your destination. And most of all, you do not want to run the risk of damaging your bike while in transit. Renting a bike also gives you the perfect opportunity to try something new. On the other hand, opt for a rental and you will find yourself riding something unfamiliar, which may take some time to get used to. (We remark that, due to bike logistics and only for our Utah trip, bringing your own bike is limited.)

If you’re thinking of renting, rental costs – not to mention bike quality – will vary from country to country, so do bear this in mind when making your decision. For each country, the price of bike hire is fixed by our preferred hire partner – Beyond Biking does not charge a mark-up. You can expect to pay a weekly rental fee of anywhere from €100 to €400, whereas airlines will generally set you back roughly €100 each way for an extra mountain bike case, plus excess luggage costs. Do not forget that you also have to rent or buy a bike case.

If you’re about to fly with your bike for the first time, a big question you’re probably asking yourself is “what should of bike box/bag should I get?” Your three main options are a softshell case, a hardshell case or a simple cardboard bike box.

Bike hire overview

Flying with your bike

If you want to bring your own bike, please keep in mind that oversized luggage policies vary from airline to airline. Before booking your flights, we strongly suggest that you look up your potential airline’s bike policy so that you can make an informed decision. Once you’ve booked your flights, we recommend contacting your airline to let them know you’ll be carrying a packed bike.

How to pack your mountain bike for a flight?

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