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Getting my bike to Kona

danbillingsleydanbillingsley
in Racing Forum 🏎

What is the best way to get my bike to Kona for the World Championship?  Looking at airline fees...they range from $150-200 each way.  TriBikeTransport is $499. (St Louis pick up deadline is Sept 21, 2 weeks out)  Shipping to Kona bike shop, they charge $250 to ship fedex back home.

 Starting to think TriBikeTransport is the stress free solution.  

 Just wondering what others have done and if they thought they picked the best route. 

Comments

  • Joe MatchetteJoe Matchette
    TriBikeTransport.

    Minimal stress. Excellent service. I used them for IMAZ in '09, and then Kona in '11. No regrets at all.

    True, you don't have your bike for the last two weeks....but hopefully you have another bike (road??) perhaps that you can ride during your taper.
  • Coach RichCoach Rich

    I can't speak specifically about TBT, as I've used them. And about to hit a cycle of packing, shipping, assembling, repack, reship my bike, as I have go to my IMWI and IMChat camps. I'm not scared of packing my bike. 

    But the option of using TBT for races is sounding more appealing to me, because I know that disassembling and packing my bike race night, or the day after the race, sucks pretty bad. So I'm likely TBT for IMWI for that specific reason. 

  • rlh2000rlh2000
    Yes, TBT! I used them for CdA, and while I've packed my bike 2x this year for camps, the stress free nature of TBT was worth the money, and I'm cheap! A big perk is that if you are planning to travel around a bit, which for Hawaii I'm hoping you are, you don't have to worry about lugging it around with you and having a rental car that can hold it and all that- just drop it off after you cross the line and no worries!
  • scott dinhoferscott dinhofer
    TBT all the way, have used for 4 IMs. it's completely forget about it and pain free...
  • Paul HoughPaul Hough
    TBT is definitely the stress free solution. I've used them enough that I'm collecting on a free transport to IM Louisville this Oct. But I've used my case on the last 6 straight out of town races either because TBT doesn't go there or I just can't justify the cost. I bet that $499 to Kona doesn't include excess insurance over $1000 value. So you are probably looking at $530 or so depending on the value of your bike. I would take my case but then again, I've gotten pretty good at this assembly/disassembly thing...not really stressful.
  • Scott AlexanderScott Alexander
    Even though I've never been to Kona, and I was previously sponsored by TBT on multiple occasions, I'd still choose TBT hands-down.

    Just like others have said: Totally stress free, keeps it fully assembled, no carrying it around, etc.
  • Douglas SutherlandDouglas Sutherland
    I like TBT, used them in 2013, but two things. Make sure you live near a shop that participates. For me, it is a 2 hour round trip drive to the shop from which they pick up, annoying, to get the $300 rate. I find it hard to justify the $425 ($700 international) for pack and ship. Often times my bike ships for free 1/2 of the trip (on Alaska), and 75$ the second half, and that case doubles as a suitcase for me, so I can go with a backpack or small bag. I am becoming a ninja with the build and rebuild, but I do worry that my fit changes a little bit every time, which would happen with pack and ship anyway.

    Bottom line, not always a great convenience.
  • danbillingsleydanbillingsley
    Thanks for the input gang! I went ahead and scheduled TBT. I will still have to drive an hour and a half to the St. Louis bike shop, but I think this will work best. Two weeks without my race bike, but I have a back up. Plus, I was able to cancel the Van I rented in Kona, which I would need for my family and bike case, and just got a full sized car. That saved me $500. So it was a wash, with no bike stress.
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