bicycles at airports

Does anyone have experience putting a bike together outside of an airport in the US since 9-11? We
are taking our bikes to Tucson in cardboard boxes & want to assemble them outside the airport, dump
the boxes and ride away. Is any part of this activity not allowable?

 

On 18 Feb 2003 07:46:22 -0800, [email protected] (yelnep) wrote:

>Does anyone have experience putting a bike together outside of an airport in the US since 9-11? We
>are taking our bikes to Tucson in cardboard boxes & want to assemble them outside the airport, dump
>the boxes and ride away. Is any part of this activity not allowable?

It would be advisable to do this someplace out of the way. In fact ask a security guard "where can I
put my bike together that would be out of the flow of traffic?" He will tell you either "Over there"
or "You can't do that here." The main thing is that you've informed a security guard that "I'm going
to do something that may look out of the ordinary but don't worry about it."

You'll probably have more trouble ditching the boxes than security issues. But you could offer the
boxes to one of the airline folks they may store them somewhere for folks without boxes.

I didn't have trouble cycling out of LaGuardia a few years back.

Andy

 

"yelnep" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Does anyone have experience putting a bike together outside of an airport in the US since 9-11? We
> are taking our bikes to Tucson in cardboard boxes & want to assemble them outside the airport,
> dump the boxes and ride away. Is any part of this activity not allowable?

Yep, them bikes are deadly weapon's of mass destruction.

Cleanbean

 

[email protected] (yelnep) writes:

>Does anyone have experience putting a bike together outside of an airport in the US since 9-11?

Funny...I've just started reading this newsgroup and it comes right after all of the rec.aviation.*
groups. At first I thought I was still in rec.aviation so I was going to say, "Heck, just assemble
it on the ramp." http://lairds.org/Kyler/photos/disk0022/img_1301.jpg/image_viewer

>We are taking our bikes to Tucson in cardboard boxes & want to assemble them outside the airport,
>dump the boxes and ride away. Is any part of this activity not allowable?

Just moments before reading your message, I happened to be looking at Montagues and found this.
http://www.bikeaccess.net/folding_db.cfm There's an article that looks like it might provide some
ideas for things to check. http://www.bikeaccess.net/Articles_db.cfm?Search=Folding%2CFriday%2CMont-
ague%2CMoulton&Article=Flying%20with%20Bikes%20Since%209%2D11%20into%20Dulles%20Airport I wouldn't
have thought of access rodes being bike-hostile.

--kyler

 

On 18 Feb 2003 07:46:22 -0800, [email protected] (yelnep) wrote:

>Does anyone have experience putting a bike together outside of an airport in the US since 9-11? We
>are taking our bikes to Tucson in cardboard boxes & want to assemble them outside the airport, dump
>the boxes and ride away. Is any part of this activity not allowable?

Martha here (in Tucson).

Here's what to do: Pick up your bike at the baggage claim.

And don't dawdle in the airport on your way there. Our baggage boys and girls do their job quickly,
and you want to be in the claim area when your bike comes through the door. Yes, it will come
through a door. The conveyor belts are too small for a bike box.

It's likely that someone will drag the box right to you -- we bicyclists must give off some sort of
signal, because the baggage crew ALWAYS know who wants what's in that bike box.

Then, tear the box open and push it off to one side. You won't be needing it anymore. Who knows, in
this crazy town, your bike box may be just the thing that someone else needs to soak up oil spots
beneath the Ford.

Reassemble your bikes. Confidently. Show off a little. (I used to be a bike mechanic, and there was
a great deal of showmanship involved in that line of work.)

Then roll out the door, and up Tucson Boulevard. Welcome to town!

Martha Retallick

 

Wow, you cycled out of LaGuardia. I'm impressed by that alone. If there was ever a place that seemed
like cycling no-man's-land (or women's ;-), that would be the place...

Mark

amh wrote:
> On 18 Feb 2003 07:46:22 -0800, [email protected] (yelnep) wrote:

<snip>
>
> I didn't have trouble cycling out of LaGuardia a few years back.
>
> Andy

 

>Does anyone have experience putting a bike together outside of an airport in the US since 9-11? We
>are taking our bikes to Tucson in cardboard boxes & want to assemble them outside the airport, dump
>the boxes and ride away. Is any part of this activity not allowable?

I don't know what is legal or not, but during the past year I've done exactly what you listed above
at the following three airports:

July 02 - Assembled bicycle in Reno, NV and left a box. October 02 - Assembled a bicycle in
Nashville, TN and left a box. December 02 - Assembled a bicycle in San Diego, CA and left a box.

On those three occasions, I have not noticed any change since when I did the same prior to 9-11.
Typically, I drag the box over outside the baggage claim area, put everything together, fold the box
and leave it by the trash.

In the past year, I noticed more changes when trying to box a bicycle at the airport. In particular,
at Salt Lake City in July 02 they were quite concerned about how they might scan the bike in the
box. I've also noticed increased airline fees during the past year.

--mev, Mike Vermeulen

 

Yep, Martha is right on, that is the way we did it when we landed in Geneva, located the bikes,
found a non-crowded spot, opened the boxes, spent five minutes with the allen keys, mounted the
panniers, put the boxes next to a garbage bin, and then we more or less cycled through customs. No
hassels. Were just minding our perfectly legitimate business correctly.

Per http://user.tninet.se/~ipg289h/fu99/singletrack/SingleTrack2000.htm

"Martha J. Retallick" <[email protected]> skrev i meddelandet
news:[email protected]...
> On 18 Feb 2003 07:46:22 -0800, [email protected] (yelnep) wrote:
>
> >Does anyone have experience putting a bike together outside of an airport in the US since 9-11?
> >We are taking our bikes to Tucson in cardboard boxes & want to assemble them outside the airport,
> >dump the boxes and ride away. Is any part of this activity not allowable?
>
> Martha here (in Tucson).
>
> Here's what to do: Pick up your bike at the baggage claim.
>
> And don't dawdle in the airport on your way there. Our baggage boys and girls do their job
> quickly, and you want to be in the claim area when your bike comes through the door. Yes, it will
> come through a door. The conveyor belts are too small for a bike box.
>
> It's likely that someone will drag the box right to you -- we bicyclists must give off some sort
> of signal, because the baggage crew ALWAYS know who wants what's in that bike box.
>
> Then, tear the box open and push it off to one side. You won't be needing it anymore. Who knows,
> in this crazy town, your bike box may be just the thing that someone else needs to soak up oil
> spots beneath the Ford.
>
> Reassemble your bikes. Confidently. Show off a little. (I used to be a bike mechanic, and there
> was a great deal of showmanship involved in that line of work.)
>
> Then roll out the door, and up Tucson Boulevard. Welcome to town!
>
> Martha Retallick

 

Mark Scardiglia <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Wow, you cycled out of LaGuardia. I'm impressed by that alone. If there was ever a place that
> seemed like cycling no-man's-land (or women's ;-), that would be the place...
>

There are two exits from LaGuardia. Both will take you to Ditmars Avenue. Once on Ditmars you can
head east for Flushing Meadow Park or West to Astoria.

Maybe you're thinking of Kennedy? I don't know of the route but out by bike but I think
there is one.

Andy

> Mark
>
> amh wrote:
> > On 18 Feb 2003 07:46:22 -0800, [email protected] (yelnep) wrote:
>
>
> <snip>
> >
> > I didn't have trouble cycling out of LaGuardia a few years back.
> >
> > Andy

 

I've done the same thing at LAX and at Brownsville TX "Mike Vermeulen" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...
> >Does anyone have experience putting a bike together outside of an airport in the US since 9-11?
> >We are taking our bikes to Tucson in cardboard boxes & want to assemble them outside the airport,
> >dump the boxes and ride away. Is any part of this activity not allowable?
>
> I don't know what is legal or not, but during the past year I've done exactly what you listed
> above at the following three airports:
>
> July 02 - Assembled bicycle in Reno, NV and left a box. October 02 - Assembled a bicycle
> in Nashville, TN and left a box. December 02 - Assembled a bicycle in San Diego, CA and
> left a box.
>
> On those three occasions, I have not noticed any change since when I did the same prior to 9-11.
> Typically, I drag the box over outside the baggage claim area, put everything together, fold the
> box and leave it by the trash.
>
> In the past year, I noticed more changes when trying to box a bicycle at the airport. In
> particular, at Salt Lake City in July 02 they were quite concerned about how they might scan the
> bike in the box. I've also noticed increased airline fees during the past year.
>
> --mev, Mike Vermeulen