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Graylock

Graylock

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Has anybody flown their bike to their destination? I'm off to La Jolla California June 10th and want to ride the beach while I'm there. My first option was to rent while I was there but I don't want to look like a tourist, I just want to be one :wink: So my wife say's, " why don't you bring one of your folding bikes?". So I looked at her :shock: and calmly said, " Yeah I could.....do that!". :mrgreen:

Jet Blue will fly a bike as one of your checked luggage for free if it meets the 62" requirement. My folder won't get that small. If I crate that bike they will charge me $50 each way, as long as it does'nt go over 99lbs. Now I'm geting close to what rental fees will be and I'll have my bike. Wait.........why take my folder when I can take a Rat Rod......... whoa what a concept.

So, the crate size doesn't matter here as long as the weight is good. I have a few weeks to get a crate made from my stash of wood things and I'll get some pictures up with some details. I hope this is worth my while and maybe get some shots of bikini girls on the board walk :D .

GL
 
the only time i rented a bike was for a week while i was on a military base (and i just rode it "as is") so i don't know if this would do for you. but say you can rent by the week or whatever and you just don't want it to look like a rental. maybe you could take a few choice easy to change pieces (seat, handle bars, whatever) that fit in your regular luggage and change them out while you have the bike, then put their stuff back on once you turn it in.

or, if you're visiting friends maybe they can keep an eye out for a basic cruiser for not too much. then you still take a few pieces and make you a quick something for your stay (maybe even fill in some down time fooling with it, like when the wife is out shopping or something). then, again, change it back when you leave and let them keep the bike like a "thanks for having us" type deal. maybe even keep it customised for them.
 
I have flown to Alaska a couple of times on mountain bike vacations and I usually just pack up my bike in a bike box for the plane ride. If weight isn't an issue then double box.
Another option is to send it via Fedex if you have someplace/someone to send it to.
 
check La Jolla CL. then just ship it back home. tell the wife it'll be a memento from the trip.
 
Not sure a folder would provide adequate camoflauge to prevent you being made or looking like a tourist. You are going to be ... deep in them anyway so there will be natural cover. Save yourself some trouble and just head down to Pacific Beach which you will be just North of and rent one, and that's where you want to be for bikinis, not much of a beach scene in La Jolla. Then just follow the boardwalk down to Mission Beach around to Crown Point turnaround and go back the other way. Stop at any of the 50 or so bars along the way and enjoy the view. Repeat until drunk.
 
socal_jack said:
Not sure a folder would provide adequate camoflauge to prevent you being made or looking like a tourist. You are going to be butt deep in them anyway so there will be natural cover. Save yourself some trouble and just head down to Pacific Beach which you will be just North of and rent one, and that's where you want to be for bikinis, not much of a beach scene in La Jolla. Then just follow the boardwalk down to Mission Beach around to Crown Point turnaround and go back the other way. Stop at any of the 50 or so bars along the way and enjoy the view. Repeat until drunk.
Click to expand...

Out of all of the post, and all good ones, socal_jack seems the best way to go and it's local advice. That and he mentioned bars and drunk and repeat. Maybe in my younger days but a beer sounds good. I have rented a (near the) Beach house and plan a (near) sunrise ride everyday.
Craigs list is also a cool way to go. Brother inlaw can get the bike for me, I'll use it and then he can either keep it or sell it for me. He gets a gift or I get my money back. There will be no folder :| . That was a hypothetical question aimed at my wife. She says CL it. I just love that women!

Still I'd like to bring my own. Making contact with Bro n Law and see what he says.

You gotta love this web site, always solving our bike needs :D

GL
 
Graylock said:
I have rented a (near the) Beach house and plan a (near) sunrise ride everyday.
Click to expand...

Sunrise?!? That might even be too early to catch the young gal doing the walk of shame, nevermind in a bikini! :) We've been having cool weather, wait til the morning fog burns off mid-morning. Lunch is good time as you'll get vacationers, locals, plus the office babes tanning.

If you're getting going that early, heck bike down to the Coronado ferry landing at Broadway hop on over and take a cruise over there(I on the map);

http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-...756675,-117.210388&spn=0.100477,0.142994&z=13

CL is a pretty good way to go, so many cheap cruisers on there that selling is a problem in a timely manner though without going super cheap.

check this out, PB so they're probably stolen but a good deal $75 for two $40 for one

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/bik/1191736845.html
 
Update on biking in La Jolla. Lots of beach bikes here in fact thats what 95% of the bikes are. As far as I can see I have only seen one custom bike here south of La Jolla on the board walk, a burrito and I'm wondering if it started out as a long Electra. There are tons of these bikes and I think a CL bike is a way to go and sell it before you leave. Having someone here helps. The other thing is that when you rent a beach house or one near the beach, it has one in its garage to use. Maybe not a good one but I brought my tools in case I needed to repair one. This one I'm using is from a former renter that bought a 99 dollar bike and left it behind. This bike was much cheaper than renting one. I'm having a blast riding this thing around but if it was mine I'd add a few upgrades on it.
My bro inlaw has two extra Electras at his house here that I may get in running order for him.

Works for me
Windansea1.jpg


The famous Shack at Windansea Beach at the bottom of the street where I'm staying. Wish you all were here but there's no room. :mrgreen:

GL
 
socal_jack said:
Graylock said:
I have rented a (near the) Beach house and plan a (near) sunrise ride everyday.
Click to expand...

Sunrise?!? That might even be too early to catch the young gal doing the walk of shame, nevermind in a bikini! :) We've been having cool weather, wait til the morning fog burns off mid-morning. Lunch is good time as you'll get vacationers, locals, plus the office babes tanning.

If you're getting going that early, heck bike down to the Coronado ferry landing at Broadway hop on over and take a cruise over there(I on the map);

http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-...756675,-117.210388&spn=0.100477,0.142994&z=13

CL is a pretty good way to go, so many cheap cruisers on there that selling is a problem in a timely manner though without going super cheap.

check this out, PB so they're probably stolen but a good deal $75 for two $40 for one

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/bik/1191736845.html
Click to expand...

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of incredibly useful info on this site! 8)
 
As my vacation reared its ugly end a whole new aspect of biking here evolved. My bro inlaw gave me the Electra and Dyno.

La%20Jolla-Dyna_Electra-09.jpg


So the last two days I looked into getting these freebies back east. First I tried UPS. At 125 dollars a bike we stopped right there! I did buy two boxes and tape. I knew that Jet Blue will take the bikes at $50 each so I packed them myself and boosting the price to almost 75 dollars each. Still at that price it made these two bikes worth it. I didn't need the bikes that bad but, hey, it's a sickness and besides my wonderful wife suggested it (I love that women). The other thing was my bro inlaw was trying to get them out of his way. Problem solved!

I then had to figure out how to get them to the airport and back home. I taped the bikes together and then added other things to the package leaving the 4 wheels, fenders, and forks in the other box.

Boxed.jpg


Some hardware went in my luggage. I had to rent the cart at both airports to roll this stuff around still in the 75 dollar range. When you pack these bikes you have to wrap the sharp edges and fill the larger spaces with recut boxes. When I got to my Explorer I slid the bikes down the middle and the luggage around it. I opened the other box and packed the wheels where I could, kicked the box flat, and shoved that in too. Closed the rear door without breaking the rear window (done that before :oops: ) and it was a done deal. :D

So to say the least I have used almost all the advice in this thread.

Quote from ej599: "It never ceases to amaze me the amount of incredibly useful info on this site! 8) "

Graylock
 
WOW what a nice BIL. The Mooneyes are cool bikes. I bought one in Seattle and planned on getting it home. I ended up giving to my Brother for Christmas.
 

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