Bike rental at an European IM

Yasko Howell

 Hi, my husband and I are considering an IM race during our trip to Europe next summer '11.  We are thinking about renting a tri bike there.  Has anyone done that at any of the IM races in Europe?  It might be a challenge for me as I need a 48cm frame size.  Our first choice is IM Austria if we can resolve the rental problem.  Any suggestion would be appreciated.

Coach Patrick

Hmmmm, I think bikes might fly free internationally...why do the rental? That's a lot to put your trust in on the big day!

carpej30

im flying to France next Sat, and I can tell you most airlines are not free, but very expensive (Air France is 200 each way). I am shipping my bike using bikeflights.com. To Nice and back is 8-850. (about same price as I am hopping cities and didnt want to pay for each hop) Also I dont have to deal with the hassle of dragging a bike in a bike case.
Not sure about renting, but I wanted my own bike.

Dave Tallo

I suggest bringing your bike.  My approach and rationale (keeping in mind I'm the cheapest dude in the sport and particular about my bike): 

-get a padded bike bag like the akino biospeed.   Unlike the trico (or comparable plastic cases), this fits in the tiniest of rental cars, is easily transported and carried with a shoulder strap, and occassionally evades the airline bike charge at ticket counters.   and it keeps things safe during transport.

-choose your airline after considering their bike policy combined with the ticket price.   Bike baggage fees range dramatically: my flight to Frankfurt will cost me $40 each way to bring my bike.   But other carriers do, like Jason says, charge a few hundred.  Oh - and print their policy on the day you buy your ticket.  

-Slowtwitch has a synopsis of various carriers' bike costs.  

-once you take the initial hit of buying a bike case, and get through the flight, you'll be thinking "well, that wasn't so bad." And your horizon of possible race locations broadens in huge and very cool ways. 

-If you want to travel after the race, the Biospeed doesn't inhibit you.  Or send a quick note to your hotel asking if you can keep your bike in storage after the race.  Drop your bike off, tip someone ten or twenty Euros, and after you've looped around the continent, grab your bike on the way to the airport.   

-Advanced Class: get an S&S coupled bike like Al's.  

Dave Tallo

Also, be sure to look at the 'EN goes International' thread in the main forum if you're eyeballing an international IM in 2011!

Yasko Howell

Thanks all for the suggestion. I pretty much decided to take my bike. I checked out bikeflights.com, and it's quite expensive for 2 bikes ~ $2K. Dave, I am not familiar with the bike bag you are talking about. I will look into it. Thanks!

Paul Hough

I have a softside very similar to the biospeed. I took my bike to ITU Worlds in Holland on Delta in 2008. Going over they didn't charge me a dime...which recovered half the cost of the bag. But coming back to the counter with a dozen other folks with bike bags, I got hit with about $160. I used the same bag last year to go to the Boise 70.3 on Southwest and they charged me $50 each way. However, since I stayed on vacation I had to rent a SUV to haul it around. I used TriBike transport for IMCDA last week and the extra cost for their service was offset by only having to rent a car, plus $10 saved on not having to buy CO2 cartridges on site (I put them in my wheel bag with TBT).

Fergus Whelan

I just returned from Lake Placid and flew Dublin - Newark return with Continental and they charge $100 each way for bikes or oversize luggage greater than 50lbs. Where you could be in a bit or bother is if you are getting an internal flight in Europe. Many of the no frills airlines limit the number of bikes per flight or refuse to carry them.

Fergus