i can easily get a dissasembled 24" uni in my suitcase, does take 8.5kg of the 20kg weight limit, no need to pack your other stuff tightly as you’ll hit the weight limit long before the case is really full. If you;'ve got more weight, you can pack stuff around your uni well, you can get 11 day’s underwear between the spokes of a muni wheel, for instance.
I did it leaving Kashmir, although it was scanned three times and there were lots of big friendly people with weapons around!
i used an old hard case 8"x22"x7.5" (approx) to take my trials uni, two sets of pedals and all my tools when i went to unicon in denmark from the uk because i worry about battering by luggage handlers. it was fine however, and although i needed to disassemle it a bit, it wasnt too difficult to putmy uni back together once i’d arrived. i was also able to carry back an extra trials frame, though i can’t remember if i took it in the same case as well or packed it with my regular clothes and stuff. i can’t remember about weight issues other than i managed to fit the restrictions of 20 kg combined for all my hold baggage.
the other alternative which i haven’t heard mentioned here though i don’t have any personal experience of air travel with it is the mgypack which i was tempted to buy while i was at unicon.
Has anybody ever carried a 36er? Cause I was wondering how much harder that was to carry on a plane.
Fuggetaboutit. This only happens at very small airports if you’re taking a commuter plane where you board your own luggage. At a typical airport you will have to check the baggage at check-in, before you go through security. Passengers are not allowed on the tarmac.
Your best bet would be to disassemble it and put it in a regular hard-sided suitcase with bubble wrap. It should be fine.
I mesured my unicycle and the wheel is 20 inches (50.80 cm) , the whole unicycle is about 38 inches (96.52 cm). So which of the mgypack would be the best for my unicycle? I did not understand the difference between the 3 bags.
flying with 26", 29" and 36er wheels
I made a reusable hinged plywood box that would hold a 26 or a 29er wheel uni (with the pedals and seat off). I’m in the process of building a couple of similar, but larger boxes for 36" wheels.
A couple things I’ve found:
Access: With a custom box like this, you have to provide clear and easy access for TSA by using a TSA lock or just a latch they can get into to peek around.
Fees and nonsense: If you can keep the box under 62" (combined L + W + H) and 50 pounds, you can generally avoid any extra fees, tho the box counts as your one piece of checked luggage. For the 36er wheel, I’m gonna have to pay $50 each way because it exceeds these dimensions and the airline (SW) wants me to bring the box by well before the flight to have it “approved”. They said no cardboard boxes and I guess they don’t like stuff that rattles around or “sounds” broken inside the container. I’ll see if I can find a pic of the smaller box and post it.
Say, anyone riding 36ers on the 109 mile Tour De Tucson in November??
Brycer1968
No doubt, what are the luggage handlers going to do, scratch my muni?!
I took my 29" guni on a flight from New York to Amsterdam and back a few months ago and just checked it as-is as a 2nd piece of luggage. No problem. They get strollers and car-seats all the time, and a uni is easier than a stroller.
Some strollers also go through security in with the ‘hand-checked’ bags so I’ve wondered about bringing a uni that way. Would save some $ in these days of paying for extra luggage. I’ve read of people doing this with a 20", anyone get it to work with a 24"? I might try that for my next trip.
Ro
To answer your question:
The best way to travel by airplane with your unicycle is to charter a private jet and just carry it onboard. I’d recommend a Dassault Falcon 7X, a Bombardier Global Express XRS, or a Gulfstream G550. They all can fly intercontinental ranges without refueling (e.g. New York - Tokyo) or between any two points in the world with only one stop. Typical configuration features 13 - 15 passenger seats (so you can bring a few of your buddies along) and an aft lounge/bedroom, so you should be pretty comfortable. They fly at mach .8 to nearly mach .9 so you can get wherever you’re going pretty quickly. Plus, the chicks dig it.
If I had this much money, Id just buy a new unicycle everywhere I would go ah ah
But then, where would you keep all 200+ unicycles then??? 
In the aircraft hangar next to the one with my private jet parked in it.
The biggest danger to your checked bags is probably being crushed. This can happen by being at the bottom of a huge pile (like on the “luggage train” out to the plane), getting caught in the automated conveyor system in a pileup, or if one or more bags falls from a high place onto yours. I’ve seen this happen in loading/unloading situations.
A single unicycle by itself is usually pretty safe, even if traveling naked, like a car seat for a baby. It’s most likely to just get scratched. But if you’re like me and travel with more than one, it’s back to the luggage solutions. My method is well-documented elsewhere, but I’ll include a link to my pictures of a typical trip here.
The advantage to using luggage is that you can fit the whole unicycle or unicycles, as well as much of the associated gear. In the case of this weekend (just got back from CA MUni Weekend last night) that was a Coker and my 24" MUni (bigger bag), a little bag of tools, another little bag with my gloves & pads, and my dirty MUni shoes.
He’d keep them at the destination. Jack Halpern, the founder of the IUF, used to bring a brand new 24" Miyata to each convention. I think he flew with them “naked”, or in a simple garment bag. At the end of the unicycle event he’d either sell or donate the unicycle, and would be free of it for the rest of his trip, and his travel home. Of course that was back in the days when a 24" was all you needed. Times have changed a bit…
I am truly surprised that no one has told you the best way is to idle in a spot that has the least amount of wind resistance…like maybe right in front of the horizontal stabilizer…
[QUOTE=HardcoreCokerRider;1115215]
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To answer your question:
The best way to travel by airplane with your unicycle is to charter a private jet and just carry it onboard. I’d recommend a Dassault Falcon 7X, a Bombardier Global Express XRS, or a Gulfstream G550. They all can fly intercontinental ranges without refueling (e.g. New York - Tokyo) or between any two points in the world with only one stop. Typical configuration features 13 - 15 passenger seats (so you can bring a few of your buddies along) and an aft lounge/bedroom, so you should be pretty comfortable. They fly at mach .8 to nearly mach .9 so you can get wherever you’re going pretty quickly. Plus, the chicks dig it.
Love that reply dude, very funny. Not sure if anyone else responded, but that took some know how to be funny and knowledge for people to be just plain stumped!
Resurrecting this old thread to see if there are any new solutions to this age old question. I’ve done my due diligence searching all the old threads and I’m still at a loss.
For my KH36 I’m looking at the Nimbus 36 Nomad bag. My concern is that it is going to qualify for the airlines oversized surcharge regardless of what (circus equipment, etc. anything but a “cycle”) I call it when it comes time to check it. Also, it’s a geared 36er and I’m not into dismantling and reassembling it. I can take the seat post and pedals off but that’s about it. The Nomad bag looks like its just for the wheel. Has anyone used it with the frame post sticking out the top?
For my KH29 I’m looking at the Unicycle Travel Bag. I had seen the Nomad before but I think this one might be new. Has anybody tried it? Reviews please. I’m also looking at this Bicycle Travel Bag from BikeBagsDotCom. It looks huge (or the lady in the picture is really small) and might be able to hold both my 36er and my 29er though I’m much more likely (on this trip) to only take my 29er leaving my most prized possession (my geared 36er) at home.
Looking forward to reading your advice.
I use a bicycle bag to take my KH-29er without disassembly other than removing the pedals. The bike bag does inspire the airline employees to be inclined to charge you for an oversized item, though I have gone without paying that on one occasion. It would surprise me to find that a 36" wheel would fit in a standard bike bag, but I bet your idea of leaving the post sticking out would work. Width of the frame might be the only issue, as I look at the picture.
For a 24" KH I use a Samsonite hard sided clamshell suitcase (about $75) and take it apart, cranks and pedals, seat and seatpost, sometimes tire (depending on the size) and put it in the suitcase with all the tools to assemble it–don’t forget the pump. A 26" would be too big for this plan, or at least this suitcase. But, it travels well and is protected enroute.
I made something similar to this for my coker, and also included removable backpack straps. I think it was only about $60 to have it made.
Only thing is, I haven’t used it on a plane yet, so I don’t know about fees.
I am planning on using it the day after unicon to move back to america.
Is it easy to convince them it is just a small bike?? The fees seem very nice for bikes, but not for large boxes.
You can fit the wheel in a bicycle “wheel box” and you will not be charged a fee as long as you remove all the stickers and such that say “bike”. I put all of my gear in with the wheel, then carry the frame and seat in my checked duffel bag.
I have fit a 29er for a trip to Utah and an Oregon 26er with an Large Marge for a trip to Oregon, had to defalte the tire and remove the pedals, otherwise it’s a good fit. Skipping the bike fee on those two trips has paid for the box.
Here’s the box I bought: http://www.trisports.com/triall3sporc1.html
And just to clarify in response to a couple people. I’m actually TRYING to get my 36er to count as a bike. Coming to germany in the fall one person brought their fully assembled road bike for $75, and the highest price I can find listed is 100Euro, this sounds just great to go across the atlantic. But if it counts as an oversized Extra bag, it could be 300 euro or 450$!
The new Lufthansa rules I found even specify no “One-wheeled bikes”, but the rules for when I bought my ticket don’t have rules for bikes.
http://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/lh/de/info_and_services/baggage?nodeid=3331156&l=en&cid=18002
People must have plans for bringing their 36ers to Unicon… Those seem to be more specific per person with handlebars and such. Maybe everyone is just rich though…
Or maybe I should start a new thread for flying with 36ers? because they seem to be a whole other story. If I could get below the size limit, I don’t think there would be any real issue…