Hi,
I am planing a trip, and I wish to bring my unicycle with me.
What is the best way for me to carry it? anybody has any experiences of traveling with his unicycle on an airplane? 
Thank you very much for your help
:D;)
1 Like
Loads. Search the forums. Topics like air travel, airline, unicycle luggage, etc.
I recommend luggage that looks like luggage. Avoid a cardboard box if possible, as they tend to get destroyed pretty fast, and you might need to make a new one to get home.
i took my trials apart, let the air out of the tire and shoved it and the tools i needed into my luggage with my clothes. If you do this make sure that it meets the bag size and weight requirements with your airline. I brought it to hawaii. Remember to bring a spoke wrench to tighten the spokes and true your wheel when you get there because they do not take the best care ever to your luggage.
Note that a Trials, or 20" tire, is about the biggest that will fit in most luggage. Also they take up more width than youâll think, so be prepared! Put the uni in one or more layers of garbage bags to protect everything around it.
The new rules donât allow any tools longer than 6"
Does anyone know of a pedal wrench less than 6", even one that might fold or something?
Also, some people manage to carry their large bags out on the tarmac and drop it by the side of the plane for them to load on. This seems safer than letting it get handled by all hte baggage handlers.
Does anyone know if you can insist on this? The cool thing about this is you also get your bag immediately upon deplaning, and donâthave to go to the baggage claim area.
Surely you can pack tools into you main bag. All those rules normally apply to carry on.
If that is the case then you want to use a small allen key and an extender - which is a pipe that will fit over the allen key. I used my seat post before i got a decent pedal wrench.
Pelican Cases
If you want a serious travel case you should consider pelican cases:
They make indestructible water-tight cases for computer equipment, cameras, and everything else you can think of. Many of them come with pluckable foam inserts that are easily customized for odd shapes. You could partially disassemble your unicycle and find the appropriate case to fit. Include slots for the tools you need to reassemble it and you will be ready to go. There are cheaper options, but I doubt you will find anything more reliable.
An appropriate case might cost $150 to much more depending on the size and inserts.
Though a bit pricey Iâve used the FrieghtLiner by Patagonia:
http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/product/product_focus.jsp?OPTION=PRODUCT_FOCUS_DISPLAY_HANDLER&catcode=MAIN_FA_US.CLOTHING_GEAR.PACKS/TRAVEL_GEAR.WHEELED/DUFFEL_BAGS&style_color=48623-155&ws=
Iâm sure there are several cheaper alternatives but the size of this rolling bag is the important thing: 29" x 17" x 15.5"
twice now Iâve used this rolling duffel to fit both my KH24 AND my Nimbus 20" trials when traveling with no ill effects. The 20" fit in with only the air removed from the tire and pedals/seat-post removed. My KH24 I had to remove the tire and tube, pedals and seat-post. I just was real careful with the 24" rim and folded and taped cardboard sections around it then packed some crumpled newspaper/plastic bags all around.
Blimey, imagine how big, heavy and expensive a pelicase for a unicycle would be? The big ones (big enough for a dismantled 24" or 20" unicycle), cost a fortune (ÂŁ200), and weigh about 10-15kg. Pelicases are good for fragile electronics and gear like that, but if youâre having to put a unicycle in luggage on a plane, theyâre a really bad solution - the weight is so much, they donât come in sizes big enough for anything over a 24". They are a right hassle to take on planes too, hauling the darned things through the airport etc. is just trouble. Also they scream âexpensive equipmentâ, and you are pretty much guaranteed to get hassled to sign a damage waiver at the check in.
I have a big unicycle sized sack for if Iâm telling them it is a bike (a few airlines take bikes cheap or free, and it means you can just take it out and ride straight from the airport), and a big duffel bag for if Iâm dismantling it, which doesnât look like a unicycle at all once it is packed up, so goes as norma luggage no problems.
Joe
That is exactly why a large duffle or other semi-soft shell case is better (as long as you take proper precautions to include padding to protect your unicycle) because after you arrive at your destination who wants to lug around a large, empty, case? The rolling duffle is easy to wheel around yet really packs away well. Better would be a large, true duffle bag that could be crumpled up and packed awayâŚ
When I took mine to Florida last spring we just took off the pedals beforehand, checked it like normal luggage, and put in this âoversized luggageâ container they had with skis and golf clubs, etc. in it. No case or anything, but I have a pretty cheap Torker LX.
You could try this with an Ultimate Wheel.
Only problem is this guy was flying on Egypt Air instead of Air El
https://unicyclist.com//t/billythemountain-legal-defense-fund/102321/1
El Al you mean?
FTFY
Your unicycle gets dropped. A lot. Especially if itâs a muni or trials.
Mine have been hucked off cliffs, banged against the concrete, smacked into trees and boulders. And theyâre fine.
Why wrap it in $200 of foam and plastic for a measly plane ride?
I think I ran over yours in my car too; I did ever tell you about that?
You wouldnât be able to do that in the UK at current times, have you seen people doing this post 11/9?
Yeah, Iâve done this in New Zealand, for an internal flight (or maybe it was an Australia flight, canât remember). I think it only happens at very small airports, when youâre going on small planes. That was at an airport where you didnât even go through a security checkpoint at all for some flights.
Joe
Yeah, on the way back from Cali this summer that is how they did it. It was a very small plane though.
Pelican cases are the high end. You can find cheaper versions from other manufacturers that do the same thing. The one thing I really like about them is the pluckable foam (which you can buy separately) that is easily adaptable to hold any strangely shaped item. You could buy some pluckable foam and a large rolling suitcase cheap and be ready to go.
I recently flew Delta and took my 24" Nimbus Muni to Canada (PEI) a wheelbag (http://www.bikebags.com/wheelbag.html) or try ebay.
I took the pedals off took the wheel out of the frame, lowered the saddle and aligned it with the frame.
Then I took a swimming noodle (with a hole running through the center) and cut it up in lengths to cover the cranks and fork blades and also taped a little of the noodle around the bearing holders at the end of the fork. Keeping the cranks on the wheel actually offers protection.
I think it was Crashing that first suggested this method.
I found this method worked fine - no damage but just tell the airline that the bag holds sports equipment (not a cycle) or you could be hit with a surcharge.
Cheers
Simon