TriBike Transport for IMFL

coop6

Thanks to persistance on my part and some creative facebook stalking by a member of my tri club, we managed to round up five Iowans racing IMFL, and Tribike Transport has agreed to add a custom stop in Des Moines. I've not used their service before, but I'm excited to give this a try. 

After searching the forums, the general consensus appears to be race wheels and PT with wheel cover on the bike. I'm using latex tubes for the first time this year; I assume that since TBT is picking up my bike almost 2 weeks before the race, my tires will essentially be flat the entire time they are in transport. Is this ok, or should I wait until I get to FL to put in the latex tubes?

Gear bag going with TBT: tire pump, aero helmet, CO2, chain lube, nutrition... anything else? Wetsuit, bike shoes, goggles, other essentials with me on the plane in my carry on. Any thoughts or recommendations on this are appreciated, and let me know if there is anything I'm missing here.

 

John Withrow

Sarah, I'm also using TBT and latex tubes. I had planned to just leave them on my bike and will pump them when I get there. I also have a disc cover. Supposedly, you need to either put the disc cover on after you get there, or put a non-disc wheel on the back and have them take your rear disc wheel separately. Can anyone confirm that this is 'actually' the case?

I am time constrained (won't be arriving In PCB until Friday afternoon). So I had planned on packing 'all' of my gear bags into my TBT bag to be shipped, then hope for the best that it is actually there waiting for me in Florida when I show up. This is mostly so I can simply carry-on my luggage on the plane down there to save time at the airport. I would include my wetsuit, bike shoes, helmet, nutrition, etc. I would love to know if everyone thinks that is a really dumb idea.

I've only ever heard of good experiences with TBT. Anyone heard the opposite?

Wiseman

Sarah,
I've done TBT several times and they are great. No problems. As for what, I always ship all my race stuff, including clothes, nutrition...everything except normal travel stuff, with the bike. That way all you have to worry about is getting there and picking stuff up.
Good luck, great fun race.
Bill

coop6

John, Double check the athlete guide, but I believe all packets have to be picked up by Thursday at 5pm. Getting there Friday afternoon is nt going to work. Having a minor panic attack here for you...

Paul Scholz

 I used them to IM CDA i June and they were great. If you are using a disk cover they will allow it. They just don't want full disk wheels installed on the bike to transport.

 

John Withrow

Don't worry Sarah, I had my mini-panic many weeks ago. I was able to track down the RD (who happened to be very nice) and got special permission for a last minute check-in. He made me swear to not tell anybody, not even my closest 600 teammates. Oh well, shhhhhhhhhh.

Nate Parady

Sarah, thanks for the post. I'm stressing on how to do this long distance race stuff.
I will be doing similar things for the trip down in terms of putting stuff in the gear bag. I'm imagining my gear bag being more full after the race then what I actually put in there going down. I wouldn't stress about your tires going flat and I would have the tubes on the bike prior to loading on TBT. One less thing to do when you pick up your bike.

DONT FORGET to PACK YOUR PEDALS!!!!!!!

God help the TSA agent who opens my carry on with my smelly bike shoes...

coop6

John, I'm glad you have that worked out, I'll keep your secret

Nate, thanks for the reminder on the pedals. I've been through security many times with stinky bike shoes, and they never bat an eye. Looking at some of the people they have to pat down, smelly shoes aren't all that bad in comparison.

Thanks for the input everyone.

Paul Hough

@ Paul - don't understand the comment about the disc cover vs disk wheels. If you take the bike in with the disc covers on, the straps will not go through the tire. That's the entire point of their not transporting disk wheels on the bike. I just took the covers with me and installed them on site. Have you shipped with them before leaving the covers on?

Paul Scholz

yes I called and talked to them and they said the issue was not wanted to damage regular disk wheels and going to CDA I shipped with the covers on and had no dammage. Granted I did not fully tighten all the screws really tight until I got to Couer D'Alene.

They said they were worried about damage to disk wheels, while the wheel covers were flexible and moved around.

coop6

If you don't put the wheel cover on the wheel, what is the best way to transport it?

robin sarner

I will just put the wheel covered wheel on the bike from now on.

Previously I put in wheel bag fully assembled on the wheel and sent with the bike with training wheel on bike.

I confirmed with the company that it is ok to have wheel cover on the wheel on the bike.      As Paul states, not OK to have an actual disc wheel on the bike.

GMAN 19030

Which begs the question... what the hell is the difference?

And for what it's worth - I forgot my spoked wheel on race day at the Syracuse 70.3 this year and TBT took my bike with the disc wheel still attached for the return trip home.

Scott Alexander

I've been using TBT for quite a while, was even sponsored by them in '09 and '10. That whole time they told everyone "no discs". More and more events I went to, I saw more discs at the pick-up/drop-off location, so I know they take them.

At Vineman 70.3 in '10, I spent time after the race, removing my wheel cover - the last thing I wanted to do after a hot hard race. I went to drop-off and there were LOTS of bikes with full discs and also wheel covers. I was so frustrated I just spent all that time and energy doing that, when I didn't have to.

Before that, I would tie my wheel covers together with a piece of twine, and just carry them on the plane. No issues whatsoever by TSA, airline people, whatever.

When I use TBT again in the future, I'll put my wheel covers on and not worry about it.

Paul Hough

At Paul ... Thank you. That's really good info to know! No need to pack a heavy chain whip and wrench. The wheel covers fit easily into my "Tri suitcase" but I agree with Scott ... it's not fun taking them off right after a hot race.