flying with a unicycle

General
1

I may be making a trip west this summer, and will probably want to take a
unicycle with me. Does anyone have any suggestion for making flights with
a unicycle? I have a feeling even after taking off the frame and crank
arms, it still wouldn’t exactly fit in a suit case.

I fly very infrequently, so I don’t know what sort of regulations airlines
tend to have for luggage. Could I get away with re-packing it in the box
UPS shipped it in?

jeff lutkus

Free e-Mail and Webspace - http://Unicyclist.com

2

Last automn I flew back from France with a DM ringmaster 20’’ - I took off
the seat+frame+pedals and put it in my cabin luggage. For the wheel set I
had more troubles and they didnt allow to keep it with me. They made a
fuss about the tyre - so I had to remove it (? drug check inside ?) and
put the wheel set with the other odd-shaped luggages.

It should be possible to register it in a special cardboard package (like
the UPS one) I was answered at the Paris airport.

Oli-

-----Original Message----- From: Jeff Lutkus
[mailto:lutkus@unicyclist.com] Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 10:02 AM To:
unicycling@winternet.com Subject: flying with a unicycle

I may be making a trip west this summer, and will probably want to take a
unicycle with me. Does anyone have any suggestion for making flights with
a unicycle? I have a feeling even after taking off the frame and crank
arms, it still wouldn’t exactly fit in a suit case.

I fly very infrequently, so I don’t know what sort of regulations airlines
tend to have for luggage. Could I get away with re-packing it in the box
UPS shipped it in?

jeff lutkus

Free e-Mail and Webspace - http://Unicyclist.com

3

In article <20010501140158.5EAB0274F@sitemail.everyone.net>, Jeff Lutkus
<lutkus@unicyclist.com> wrote: )I may be making a trip west this summer,
and will probably want to take a unicycle with me. Does anyone have any
suggestion for making flights with a unicycle? I have a feeling even after
taking off the frame and crank arms, it still wouldn’t exactly fit in a
suit case. ) )I fly very infrequently, so I don’t know what sort of
regulations airlines tend to have for luggage. Could I get away with
re-packing it in the box UPS shipped it in?

Bikes are reamed by airlines with extra fees up to $75 per flight, while
golf clubs and skis fly free. A friend of mine who had his bike in a
hard-shell case, when asked what it was, said “exercise equipment,” and it
flew free.

I doubt any airlines have an explicit policy on unicycles, but since most
sporting equipment flies free, you’re probably fine as long as it doesn’t
look too much like a bicycle. -Tom

4

With my cousin’s 20" we took it apart…amazngly we managed to fit it in
one of her suitcases. It fit in ONLY ONE WAY. My 24" didn’t fit in
anyone’s suitcase (well, the seat and fork did of course) so I just
carried the wheel on. It fits in the overhead compartment of B-767 and
bigger planes. Just wrap it or something so they can’t tell what it is.
That was the first time I had flown with TWO unicycles.

Don’t forget to let the air out of your tires.

Security yelled at it a couple of times, because it was too big to fit in
the x-ray machine, but Air Canada informed me that security’s problem is
not size and if it fits in the bin or under the seat it’s okay with them.

The first time I took it I asked what it would cost to check. I
forget exactly but I rerember that I could have bought THREE
unicycles at the same price I originally paid for mine, for the price
they wanted to check it.

No thanks!!

Good luck, Graham

“Jeff Lutkus” <lutkus@unicyclist.com> wrote in message
news:20010501140158.5EAB0274F@sitemail.everyone.net…
> I may be making a trip west this summer, and will probably want
> to take a
unicycle with me. Does anyone have any suggestion for making flights with
a unicycle? I have a feeling even after taking off the frame and crank
arms, it still wouldn’t exactly fit in a suit case.
>
> I fly very infrequently, so I don’t know what sort of regulations
> airlines
tend to have for luggage. Could I get away with re-packing it in the box
UPS shipped it in?
>
> jeff lutkus
>
> _____________________________________________________________
> Free e-Mail and Webspace - http://Unicyclist.com

5

hey Jeff!

when i flew i just took my 20" to spain and i took it apart and carried it
on! nice and easy.

tmm

>I may be making a trip west this summer, and will probably want to take a
>unicycle with me. Does anyone have any suggestion for making flights with
>a unicycle? I have a feeling even after taking off the frame and crank
>arms, it still wouldn’t exactly fit in a suit case.
>
>I fly very infrequently, so I don’t know what sort of regulations
>airlines tend to have for luggage. Could I get away with re-packing it in
>the box UPS shipped it in?
>
>jeff lutkus
>
>_____________________________________________________________
>Free e-Mail and Webspace - http://Unicyclist.com

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

6

We flew to Michigan last summer with the 20 inch unicycles. I went to the
samsonsite outlet and got a very large suitcase. The unicycles fit in the
suitcase after letting out the air in the tire and removing the seat. My
riders are just over 5 foot so they don’t have extended seat posts. Our
only problem was that we over stuffed the outside pockets of the case and
almost had to pay an over size charge because the cases all around
measurement was too large. My riders did fit inside the empty suitcase but
we didn’t travel with them inside. They didn’t like the idea of being
zipped inside the suitcase without a two way zipper. We may not use the
suitcase this year to go to Toronto. We have trailer going from Washington
this year, with room for everyone’s unicycles. Barb K. PPDTTTT(Panther
Pride Demo Team Traveling To Toronto) Barb K.

7

> The first time I took it I asked what it would cost to check. I forget
> exactly but I rerember that I could have bought THREE unicycles at the
> same price I originally paid for mine, for the price they wanted to
> check it.

The League of American Bicyclists (national advocacy organization) has
been campaigning against surcharges for bicycles for years. It’s unfair
discrimination to charge up to $75 each way for a bicycle, but to take
other large objects, like a cello, for free.

Members of the LAB (http://www.bikeleague.org/) can fly with bikes (or
presumably unicycles) for free if they book travel through the
league’s agency.

Meanwhile, we unicyclists don’t even have bikes. I’ve been told that
wheels are what airlines worry about damaging. I thought it was frames.
Either excuse can still be applied to unicycles. So your first step is not
to travel with unicycles. Whatever you’re checking in, it should not have
the word “cycle” associated with it. Sports equipment, circus props,
exercise equipment, or even NYOB (unless you’re talking to customs).

Nowadays I pack my unicycles in luggage they fit in. I have these bags I
get from my local Korean luggage vendor at the flea market. They cost
$25-35. They have a flat bottom with six wheels, soft sides, and a zipper
that goes over the top. They come with two expandable, zippered sections
that make the bags quite tall when fully opened. I can put in a 24" with
the seat still on, if I want. Usually I don’t even have to have both
extensions open. My 26 x 2.6" Gazz fits in there, or two 24" and a 20".

I always put the tires in garbage bags. This makes them slide in and out
easy, instead of gripping onto everything. I separate the parts with
pieces of foam. Mine is from cut sections of a camping mat. It weighs
nothing but helps obscure the contents of the bag and provides protection.

These are cheap bags that start to fall apart after a few flights. But
they’re well worth the relatively low price. I wish I could describe the
type of luggage better. Just a flat-bottomed bag with soft sides.

Enjoy, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone jfoss@unicycling.com www.unicycling.com

“Rain, slickrock, and unicycles. Bad combination.” – Tison, a Moab bike
shop employee (who also unicycles and does Trials) advising Brett Bymaster
on a tire purchase for the Slickrock Trail

“This rock is hard.” – Brett Bymaster (who rode every inch of the
“hard” stuff)

8

> equipment, or even NYOB (unless you’re talking to customs).

You mean:

“NOYB”

Graham

9

Roach bag

Hi,

Roach Clothing, has made a couple of bags for unicycles for 20", 24", and 26". They’re designed so you don’t have to dismantle the contraption, I don’t own one yet, but I hope to, it will make trips to places easier for me, since all good riding spots are within 20 miles of my town. I think they have a pouch out in front, so you can place spare parts and tools with your wheel also. They come with a shoulder strap, for easy carrying.

As far as airplane use, I am not certain.

-Evan

10

I should’ve mentioned the Roach bags before. We have 3 of them and have
used them to fly several times, including twice out of the country. We
have both 24" and 26", but either will hold two normal unicycles. So far
our record is traveling with 5 unicycles for the 3 of us. Beau’s 4’
giraffe fits inside with the seat off. You take off the pedals (putting
them in the zippered pocket), and I wrap my Roach pads or other soft stuff
around the frame to cushion it a little. You can fit more stuff in there
too which is convenient.

On international flights, I’ve never had any problems at check-in, but
once flying up to Portland they questioned me alot about what was inside:

“What’s in the bags?” “Sporting equipment.” “Oh, you mean a bike?” “No.”
“But it looks like a wheel - is there a wheel in there?” “Just one”. “That
will be $75 extra.” “No need for that - one wheel can’t cost $75. It’s not
a bike.” “Oh, ok…we’ll let it slide.”

Or something like that.

The bags are nice because you can carry a backpack on your back, a uni bag
over your shoulder and still have a hand free to deal with stuff. They fit
in taxi trunks too.

That being said, the current models have a design flaw: there is only a
single zipper to close it, so you can’t unzip from either end, but more
importantly, you can’t lock the zipper. I had a seamstress add a metal
ring at the end of the zipper to work around this, but in addition to
using a stronger and thicker zipper, they need two pulls. I mentioned this
to Kris the other day who talks to the Roach people fairly often. But if
anyone else happens to call them, mention this.

—Nathan

“MUni” <forum.member@unicyclist.com> wrote in message
news:9cufsc$85m$1@laurel.tc.umn.edu…
> Hi,
>
> Roach Clothing, has made a couple of bags for unicycles for 20", 24",
> and 26". They’re designed so you don’t have to dismantle the
> contraption, I don’t own one yet, but I hope to, it will make trips to
> places easier for me, since all good riding spots are within 20 miles of
> my town. I think they have a pouch out in front, so you can place spare
> parts and tools with your wheel also. They come with a shoulder strap,
> for easy carrying.
>
> As far as airplane use, I am not certain.
>
> -Evan

11

Nathan Hoover wrote:

> I should’ve mentioned the Roach bags before. We have 3 of them and have
> used them to fly several times, including twice out of the country.

Do you check the bags, or will they let you carry them on?

Greg

12

We always check them - they’re too big to carry on. Plus, I hate being one
of those people struggling to get onto a plane.

—Nathan

“Greg House” <ghouse@spammenot.southwind.net> wrote in message
news:aYJI6.2220$Px1.1180827@nntp1.onemain.com…
> Nathan Hoover wrote:
>
> > I should’ve mentioned the Roach bags before. We have 3 of them and
> > have used them to fly several times, including twice out of the
> > country.
>
> Do you check the bags, or will they let you carry them on?
>
> Greg

13

Nathan Hoover <nathan@movaris.com> wrote:
> So far our record is traveling with 5 unicycles for the 3 of us.

Paul and I have sort of managed more unis on a plane than this. ie
between tw. we took 4 unis to Denmark the other year and brought 5 back ,
4 loose and one in bits in a backpack , then going to germany last summer
we had 4 between us including a giraffe , and it was the giraffe that was
in my backpack.

The Uk group going to China was an interesting check in , 6 of us checked
in together. 6 people 6 hockey sticks 4 loose unis 1 bike bag containing 2
cokers and 2 carbon fibre unis 1 bike box containing roughly 2.5 unis 2
large suitcases each holding roughly 1.5 unis and clothes 1 backpack, 2
other suitcases and 1 very small holdall with out unis in.

So I recon we had 11.5 unis and more unicycles than clothes.

The airline put us through the special care check in desk, didn’t weigh
any thing ( thankfully) and filled a whole trolly just with our stuff.

Every time I’ve flown with unis on SAS the staff have been great.

sarah

–
Euro-cycle 2001 20 - 22 July Plymouth UK A european unicycle convention
http://www.eurocycle.org

14

> Do you check the bags, or will they let you carry them on?

For most airlines, if you can’t fit it under your seat you should not be
bringing it on board.

On the other hand, I’ve seen people walking onto planes with seemingly as
much stuff as the family Clampett heading to Beverly Hills… :slight_smile:

Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com

“Our time is a most precious commodity, but it’s how we spend it that
makes us rich.” - John Foss