Bring Your Bike to Thailand or Rent a Great Bike There?
Your choice!
RENTING A BIKE IN THAILAND FROM OUR LOCAL TEAM
Pros:
• No packing and unpacking your bike.
• No fees to take your bike on the plane.
• No worries about getting your bike to and from the airport.
• E-bikes are available.
• Your rental bike will be delivered right to you. At the end of the trip just hand it back -- no complicated return.
Cons:
• No matter how great the bike is that you rent, it's still not your bike.
• There's a great selection of bikes to rent (road bikes, hybrids, ebikes) but if your taste in bikes runs exotic
(tandem, recumbent, custom made...) you have to bring your own.
• You have to pay a modest fee for rental:
Hybrid: $150 for the entire trip
Road Bike (Aluminium): $200
Road Bike (Carbon): $300
Road E-Bike: $400
Touring E-Bike (flat handlebar): $300
Pedals on Rental Bikes
Rental bikes come with standard flat pedals ONLY. If you prefer riding with your favorite clip-in pedals that's great, but be SURE to bring your own pedals with you -- just toss them in a ZipLock bag and put them in your luggage. (And be double-extra careful that you bring the right shoes that match your pedals. On every trip someone shows up with the wrong shoes. Make sure that person is not you!)
If you need help getting the clip-in pedals off your own bike before you leave home, just stop by your local bike shop and ask for help. Our mechanics in Thailand can help put them on your rental bike. Don't forget to retrieve your pedals when you leave Thailand.
Pro-Tip: U.S. bike mechanics are not rich. If your local bike shop mechanic takes off your pedals for you and says there's no charge, give them $5 - $20 anyway and say, "Hey, the first beer after work is on me." Not only is this kind and generous, it will pay HUGE dividends someday when you want them to chase down some tiny obscure part you need right away.
BRINGING YOUR OWN BIKE
Pros:
• Hey, your bike is your bike -- expensive, cheap, whatever, you know it, it fits you. It feels great to ride your own
bike far from home.
• You know exactly what bike you'll be riding in Thailand.
• If you prefer a bike that is an unusual style (tandem, recumbent...) you need to bring your own.
• Save the cost of bike rental.
Cons:
• Figure about $400 total round trip to take your bike on the plane. Could be less -- details below.
• Your bike needs to be properly packed in a box or bike case for travel. Reassembled when you get to Thailand,
and then repacked for the trip home. We can help!
Taking Your Own Bike on a Plane
The rest of this page is about how to bring your own bike with you. If you are renting a great bike in Thailand you can skip this.
In just a second we'll tell you how to pack your bike for travel, but first here's some great advice, paraphrased from my pal Bill McCready. Bill owns Santana, which makes the best tandems in the world, and is an expert on flying with bicycles.
Never (never, never, NEVER!) call the airline and ask about bringing your bike on the plane.
Did we say Never?
Never.
There is nothing wrong or illegal about bringing your bike on the plane and I do it all the time, but if you call the airline five times and ask about the rules and fees you'll get seven different answers and they're probably all wrong.
Why annoy yourself waiting on hold with the airlines just so someone can give you bad information? (I had one airline agent swear that the maximum allowable size for my boxed bike was 250 cubic inches. I politely pointed out that 250 cubic inches is about the size of a large pocketbook, and they gave up.)
When you buy your plane ticket do NOT pay in advance to bring your bike on the plane. The best thing to do is just show up on departure day at the airline check-in counter with your boxed bike... and smile. That smile is important -- remember that people yell at the airline staff all day long; the folks working the check-in counter will really appreciate your good attitude, and it might save you some money too! No matter what the official rules state, the person working the check-in desk has a lot of flexibility on how much you get charged.
If they charge you about $200 one-way, that's fine -- it IS the standard fee for bringing a bike on a plane, and you expected it. You pay for it with your credit card on the spot. (You pay for the return trip in Bangkok on departure day).
If they charge you less than $200, well, that's a bonus!
Not uncommon is what happened to me when leaving Cambodia with three bikes* -- the airline check-in agent saw my boxed bikes and didn't know what to do. So they called a manager, who took one look and called another manager. The three of them discussed my bike boxes quite a bit among themselves while I kept smiling, and in the end they decided that it was all too much to think about, so they didn't charge me at all. Be prepared to possibly spend extra time at the check-in counter while they figure all this out. Stay relaxed and pleasant and you'll be fine.
I've been doing this for many years, and I've never heard of any airline refusing to take a bike. (Bill has been known to check-in with seven tandem bicycles in special cases, all at once! Since Bill is wise and experienced he never calls the airlines in advance to ask about bringing bikes onboard.)
When you arrive in Thailand, your bike will probably not be on the luggage belt. Look for it in the Oversize Luggage area.
Insuring Your Bike
If you have homeowners insurance or apartment renters insurance, you might want to check in with your agent -- your bike is often covered under that policy, even if you are far away from home. If you have a super-expensive bike, ask if it is covered -- you may need to list it separately on your policy.
We recommend that you grab your phone and take some photos of your bike, including the different components -- derailleurs, wheels, pedals... In the unlikely event of a claim those photos often work just as well as receipts.
Packing Your Bike for Travel
There are four ways to pack your bike for travel. There is no right or wrong answer -- pick the method that's best for you.
No matter how you pack your bike I think it's always wise to write your name and email address on the outside of the box so you can be reached fast in case of a problem. (If you're using a cardboard bike box you can write on it with a Sharpie. If you have a hard-shell bike case just put a big piece of duct tape on the side and write on that). We also recommend that you place a note inside your box with your name and contact info.
AND... when I pack my bike I'll usually put in the box my helmet, bike shoes, minor tools... Don't go overboard here or risk getting hit with overweight fees.
1. If you're a bike geek (like me) and you already own a case made specifically for transporting your bike, you can skip this section -- you already know how to pack your bike. We are happy to store your bike case for you for free in Thailand until the trip home. Pro tip -- when you check your special bike case with the airline do NOT let them take an adhesive luggage tag and just stick it on the side of your case (where it can easily fall off). Make sure they loop it through one of the handles on your case.
Free cardboard box from your local bike shop. This is the sort of box that new bikes are shipped in on their way to the store, and it is perfect for taking your bike on a plane.
2. If you don't own a special case designed for transporting a bicycle you might check with your local high-end bike shop (or local high-end friend!) to see if they have a case you can borrow. (The shop will probably charge you a rental fee. If the friend wants to charge you a rental fee... they are NOT really your friend!) If you've never put your bike into a case ask someone to help you -- it can seem a bit like a jigsaw puzzle the first time; easy after that.
3. Your friendly local bike shop can pack your bike for you in a cardboard box that is perfect for flying -- the same heavy-duty box in which they receive new bikes for the shop. The box is usually free -- the labor will cost ABOUT $100 - $150. This does NOT mean that they can pack it 30 minutes before your flight -- make an appointment far in advance and give them plenty of time. (They might have just tossed out all their leftover bike boxes; more coming in a couple weeks. Don't wait until the last minute for this.)
Keep your eyes open for these airlines: Delta Connection, American Eagle, United Express. They are all affiliated with major carriers, but they might be flying small commuter planes.
Getting to and From the Airport with Your Boxed Bike
In my experience one boxed bike will fit in the back seat of most cars. If you are taking a taxi, Uber, or Lyft to the airport be sure to specifically request a minivan or large SUV. Yeah, all your gear might fit in a regular car, but who needs the hassle? If you are taking your own car to the airport you need to practice loading it up before flight day.
When I take my car to the airport I drop off my wife at the terminal with the bike boxes and all our luggage. She kindly waits on a bench inside while I go park the car -- this saves the trouble of putting the bike boxes into the parking lot shuttle bus.
Getting From the Bangkok Airport to Our First Hotel
There are a couple ways to do this -- your choice!
Here's the address of our Bangkok Hotel:
Mode Sathorn Hotel Bangkok
144 N Sathon Rd, Si Lom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
I like to print that out on a piece of paper so I can show it to the taxi driver. (So even if my phone battery goes dead, I'm good!)
If You Are Traveling With Your Own Bike
We recommend you use these folks to book your transportation in advance online:
Suntransfers
Be SURE to request a mini van or larger (depending on how many people are in your group) so there will be room for your bikes. This will cost about $50 for the vehicle (NOT per person). No extra charge for luggage. Tipping is minimal (more on tipping in a bit).
If You Are Renting a Bike in Thailand
If you are renting a bike in Thailand you can still use these folks to book in advance online:
Suntransfers
but you won't need an entire mini van! You can request a regular car. Your rental bike will be waiting for you with our crew in Thailand.
Note that on their website Suntransfers quotes prices in Euros (!!!) but the prices we've listed here are pretty close to the correct price in dollars.
OR...
You can go to the official taxi counter at the airport. The fare will be lower (but personally I kinda like having a car waiting for me, already reserved).
Taxi drivers are usually not tipped in Thailand, but it's nice to round up -- so if your fare is 320 Thai Baht (the local currency) you should round up to 325 or 330. That extra 10 Baht will cost you about 30 cents. Complete information on the local currency can be found here.)
Putting Your Bike Back Together.
If you packed your own bike, you shouldn't have any trouble putting it back together. Our mechanics will be there with friendly free advice if needed.
If you prefer, you can just hand your boxed bike over to our mechanics and they will put it together for you for about $10.
What To Do With Your Bike Box During the Trip?
We will store your bike case or cardboard box for free during the trip. If you are using a cardboard bike box, DO NOT THROW IT AWAY. You will use it again for the trip home.
Packing Your Bike for the Trip Home
Again, you can pack your own bike, or our mechanics can pack it for you for about $10.
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* There must be a more pretentious way to start a conversation other than, "There we were, flying out of Cambodia with our bikes after visiting Angkor Wat, as one does..." but nothing comes to mind just at this moment.
4. Pack your own bicycle in a cardboard bike box! You can do it!
• Take a look at this tutorial and see if you feel comfortable with this plan. (Oh yeah... in this video the British narrator refers to the bike's "rear mech", which we would call the rear derailleur.)
• Note that you will need to remove your pedals for packing, and to do that will need a special pedal wrench or a large Allen wrench -- you don't need both tools. The right one for you depends on which brand of pedals you have. Not sure which tool your pedals need? Bring your bike to your local shop and ask. Either tool should cost less than $20. (I always like to support my local shop, but if the only pedal wrench they have for sale is the expensive super-deluxe pro model, you can get an absolutely fine cheaper version here.) Alternatively, bring your local bike to the shop and ask them to remove the pedals for you. (Of course you won't be able to cycle home then... your pedals will be in your hands!) If the shop mechanic takes the pedals off for you, tip them $5 - $20 because you are kind and generous.
• IF you have a carbon-fiber seat post or handlebars (you definitely already know if this is you...) you MUST bring this to put your bike back together in Thailand. We can show you how.
• The protective tubes shown in the video, which the British narrator calls "lagging", is what we would call foam pipe insulation -- originally meant for covering water pipes. You can get it cheap at Home Depot or Lowes in the plumbing section. It comes in long lengths and can be easily cut to size with scissors. If you use foam pipe insulation, put it on your bike with some duct tape and then label the pieces with a Sharpie -- Top Tube, Seat Tube, Right Fork -- you can use the same foam tubes again for the trip home.
• Be sure to take the tools and tape you used to pack your bike and put it in your checked luggage or even in the box with the bike -- you'll need it to ship your bike home again. (Note that we stated checked luggage. The TSA may think you are a nut if you try to get on a plane with a lot of tools and a big roll of tape in your carry-on bag).
Picking the Right Flight -- VITAL
This only affects you if you are bringing your own bike with you on the plane.
(If you are renting a great bike in Thailand you can skip this section.)
Check the itinerary for the flight you're thinking of purchasing. If your plane takes off and immediately heads overseas, that's fine. (When flying from the U.S. to Bangkok it is common to change planes in Tokyo, South Korea, or Singapore among other cities. All good.)
But if your flight takes you from your hometown to another U.S. airport first, be careful. That first flight might be on a small commuter plane that will not have room for your bike.
For example, take a look at the first leg of this trip to Bangkok:
This shows that the flight starts by flying from Newark to Boston on a Narrow-body jet, in this case an Embraer 175 -- a SMALLER plane. It might have 100 seats; it might have only 20 seats. If it's just 20 seats it might not have room for your bike!