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Bicycles on Planes - Stupid Question of Week

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seethru

seethru

Works for a Living
Joined
Apr 15, 2004
Posts
144
Howdy,

I would like to take my bicycle along with me on a few flights to explore some new areas to ride. I would prefer to transport the bikes in the nose baggage compartment instead of in the cabin to avoid getting grease/grime on the interior.

My question revolves around the bike tires. The nose bag compartment is not pressurized, and I would have the tires fully inflated. Would travel at higher altitudes cause the air in the tire to expand and eventually burst? Obviously I would want to avoid this, and if it is a problem, we would simply carry the bikes in the cabin.

Probably the highest we would cruise at would be FL230, but we can also stay lower, like 16000 MSL.

Like I said, stupid question of the week. I would just prefer not having the nose baggage compartment explode :D.

Thanks,

Greg
 
It shouldn't cause a problem with the tires. However, I would take a bicycle pump anyway. If they are road bike tires the pressure could be effected and may need adjustment at your destiations. Larger diameter tires are less effected. Since you'll have a pump with you, letting out some air(especially if they are road tires) will ensure that you have no problems.

Letting out some pressure to be sure to prevent busting will also save you the startling amount of sound that accompanies bursting...Bike tires sound like shotguns when they burst...I've heard it dozens of times(at least) and it still makes me jump. In a plane I'd probably need the rest room. ;)
 
I would deflate the tires to around 20 PSI. I think the the pressure decreases a little less than 10 PSI from sea level to FL250 which would cause an increase in the tire about the same. Most Bike tires have a limit of about 65 PSI and normally filled to 40 PSI. Bring a pump and it will take you about 2 minutes to fill two bikes. Also the FBO should have an air tank and will work if your bike has a schraeder valve like a car or a plane.
Even if it does burst the tube is in a tire that would keep it from harming anything, although I wouldn't risk it
 
I'd like to see an airplane with a nose compartment that can fit a bicycle, if you show me one, i'll eat my hat.

Unless u have one of those sssssssssssssssssuper gay folding bikes that Sportys sells.
 
What is standard pressure? About 14.7PSI
So if you go from Sea level to outter space (relative vacuume)
you'll get a tire pressure increase of 14.7 PSI.

Can your tires handle it? Sure!
Don't worry about tire failure.

I still say bring a portable pump.

CE
 
Thanks for the quick replies. From what I'm reading here, I won't have mutch to worry about.

I'm pretty sure my bike will fit in our 414A's nose bag compartment. I may end up having to take one of the tires off, probably the front, but if I can avoid having to deal with the rear wheel I'll be a happy man.

If anybody's interested, we're flying up to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, WA for our ride. Looks to be a nice little 26 miler with an option for 13 miles. If you're interested, here's a link to the cue sheet/map and some other rides in the area:

http://www.seattlebiketours.org/members/maps/sanjuan_island.pdf

http://www.seattlebiketours.org/members/library.html

If there are other riders out there that know of some good routes in the Oregon/Washington area, I would love to hear about them.

Clear skies.

Greg
 
Davis, California is a great place to fly into and bicycle. The town is bicycle friendly with many dedicated paths. Getting from the airport into town is a nice short ride with only the first couple of blocks on a road. I think you can get to Sacramento also from there and access the river trail all the way to Folsom Lake.

We have a couple of those super gay fold up bikes that fit nicely into the baggage area of the Duchess. We are working on a way to get the road bikes in but that requires removing the back seats.
 
CalifDan said:
We have a couple of those super gay fold up bikes that fit nicely into the baggage area of the Duchess. We are working on a way to get the road bikes in but that requires removing the back seats.
Click to expand...

A duchess, there's your problem. I once put 2 road bikes and other assorted goodies in to the back of a C-152 and flew to a bike race with a passenger onboard...from an airport with a DA of 7,500.
 
Alamanach said:
Sounds like good reasoning, but then explain http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/8803/fcometcr.htm?200618#g-alyy .
Click to expand...

PSI may sound like a small number 7psi differential for instance.
The try to open a 5'x3' door while pressurized. 60"x36"x7psi=15120
pounds of force.

Also, the comet has a design fault, read the report. Metal fatigue, square
windows etc.

The comet still flys in the form of the British Nimrod*

CE

*Nimrod-Relentless Hunter
 
propsarebest said:
I'd like to see an airplane with a nose compartment that can fit a bicycle, if you show me one, i'll eat my hat.

Unless u have one of those sssssssssssssssssuper gay folding bikes that Sportys sells.
Click to expand...

C-404

(here's the salt)

BTW.
If you think someone is gay merely because his bicycle folds, then you're
probably in the closet.:rolleyes:
 
Riding bikes is awesome. Anyone around Austin want to take a flying/cycling trip anytime soon?

A more universal question, what is everyone out there riding?

My equipment:

Cannondale R1000 with full 10spd Ultegra group (including cranks...truvativ stock sucks)

Specialized Stumpjumper FSR '06 base model, full stock

Specialized Langster for getting around town (48/17)

Trek Folding bike for gay pride week in Austin (I kid)
 
CrimsonEclipse said:
C-404

(here's the salt)

BTW.
If you think someone is gay merely because his bicycle folds, then you're
probably in the closet.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...


Hey pal...

Just because you occasionaly bite the pillow, don't drag me down with you. And YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS, folding bikes are gay.
 
propsarebest said:
Hey pal...

Just because you occasionaly bite the pillow, don't drag me down with you. And YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS, folding bikes are gay.
Click to expand...

Pal? Is that what you Father called you?
Let me ask you, did you cry when he gave you the "special hug"?

CE
 
I wouldn't mind having one of the Montague folding bikes which have full size wheels. I frequently am flying places with my bicycle, but so far just taking off the wheels has worked, takes up quite a bit of the available space though. I don't care much for the bikes with the small wheels, but whatever works. Frankly, anyone who feels they have to call a folding bike "gay", almost certainly has some maturity issues, at the very least.
 
Sometimes I think that some of the people that post on this place are just plain "dorks". Does that date me? Two words... "Grow Up"!
 
CrimsonEclipse said:
PSI may sound like a small number 7psi differential for instance.
The try to open a 5'x3' door while pressurized. 60"x36"x7psi=15120
pounds of force.

Also, the comet has a design fault, read the report. Metal fatigue, square
windows etc...
Click to expand...

If a 7psi pressure differential is enough to split open a Comet (even with the metal fatigue) then might it not also do the same to a bicycle tire?
 
Alamanach said:
If a 7psi pressure differential is enough to split open a Comet (even with the metal fatigue) then might it not also do the same to a bicycle tire?
Click to expand...

No, very unlikely. Not saying it can't happen, but a bicycle tire is a little different than an airplane fuselage. A bicycle tire is tough and resiliant and a 7 psi change in pressure is *very* small compared to the ultimate load. When I was a kid, my friends and I took our bikes down the the local filling station and filled the tires to 120 psi, mostly because we didn't know any better. If I recall correctly, those tires were supposed to have 30 psi, so that was a 300 % overload. They didn't burst, although I wouldn't recommend trying this. Even a relatively low pressure mountain bike tire is intended to normally hold 40-50 psi, plus being continuously hammered on rocks. They can probably hold twice that pressure pretty easily. Many road bike tires are designed to run at 120 psi or even more. A change in pressure differential of 7 psi, is just small potatos for a bike tire. That small a pressure increase may happen merely by hitting a stone while riding, and certainly over inflating a tire by 7 psi is pretty common. It's equivelant to the difference between 40 psi and 47 psi on a mountain bike. trust me, a mountain bike tire is nowhere near bursting at 47 psi.

An airplane fuselage is a different story, entirely. 7 psi is the entire normal load. The margins are much thinner. I don't know what specs the Comet was certificated under, but Part 25 only requires aircraft to be designed for 1.67 times the max relief valve setting. There may be some other factors which are applied to this, I don't know, but all in all, it's a fairly low pressure assembly. It's quite possible that a correctly designed and manufactured fuselage would rupture at 15 psi. for sure, it would rupture long bfore the pressure got to 30 psi, so 7 psi is a much rgreater portion of hte ultimate strength of the fuselage than it is a bicycle tire. And remember, that the COmet fuselage wasn't a new structure in good condition, it was already compomised by a developing fatigure crack.
 
Last edited:
Also, don't put a gas station airhose up your butt to get high, you might explode like a Comet.
 
Alamanach said:
If a 7psi pressure differential is enough to split open a Comet (even with the metal fatigue) then might it not also do the same to a bicycle tire?
Click to expand...

You're kinda comparing apples to oranges.
The comet was due to metal fatigue and square windows.
The square windows created a stress point (or focus) on the corners
which allowed cracks to form over time. The multiple cycles weakened
the metal by work hardening the material. Also the airframe wasn't
designed with damage control (crack propagation prevention) in mind.

Apples to apples.
Pump your tire to the normal pressure. For instance 30 PSI.
Now increase the pressure by 15PSI (if you can read 14.7 on your
floor pump, more power to ya!). Did the tire ASSPLODE?

If no: Put it in the airplane and don't worry about it.
If yes: quit buying tires at Walmart.

Remember, to OUTTER SPACE, it's only 14.7 PSI.

...and then there's this new trend of putting Nitrogen in auto and
bicycle tires....don't even get me started....:rolleyes:

CE
 
mhcasey said:
A more universal question, what is everyone out there riding?
Click to expand...

Specialized Hard Rock FSA1 Comp c. 1999 - Cheap bike but love it to pieces. May be bumping up the componentry to LX. Well overdue for new pedals. I doubt I'll every own any mountain bike other than Specialized.

Cannondale R800 c. 1997 (so we're talking CAAD3), 105 everything except a Dura-ace shifter aftermarket. Good ride.


-Goose
 
Ellsworth Joker X/C (all XT)
Litespeed Solano (all DuraAce)
Surly Crosscheck (singlespeed)

Bought all 3 framesets and spec built them myself. Just finished a road ride and I'm reading this thread all doped up on endorphines (sp?). Best high there is IMO.
 
Hardtails? No that's not weird. I tend to agree with you. Disc brakes are another thing. I'm never going back to V-brakes in the dirt.
 
I bought a Sherpa MTB (not even sure if they make 'em anymore) about 10 years ago. It mostly sat in my garage until a couple of months ago when I started riding with some partners.

I'm very delighted with the low impact cardio, and now I wish I had picked it up sooner. I've been slowly upgrading components and use the bike strictly for roads, although eventually I would like to try out some trails some time.
 

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