Fahrrad-Gepäck & Transport

Most people taking their bikes abroad would use a padded bike bag. These special bags are well padded and offer substantial protection for your bike. Most bike bags fit most types of bikes. Check online video's for bike bag packing tips to ensure you get the best protection for your bike.

Features such as a solid base, towing wheels, extra handles and secure internal pockets for pedals etc, all add practicality and easy usability for a bike bag. Whilst offering lots of padded protection, bike bags also need to be relatively light so they don't eat into your baggage allowance too much. Check user reviews for real life bike bag experiences.  

There are a few options for driving with your bike. A bike roof rack or boot rack keeps your bike securely outside the car, and so doesn't use up space in your car or boot. Racks are also the best option if your bike is dirty after your ride. With bigger hatch-back, SUV and estate cars, it might be possible to take your bike inside the car with wheels out, if seats and interior are well protected. However, this will eat into space in your car and no matter how careful you are, it is very easy to get oily / dirty marks on car interiors. 

Racks and panniers provide the most storage on a bike - thes can fit on most modern gravel and touring bikes - fitting onto rack 'eyelets' built into the frame. Alternatively, you could fit racks using clips or a rack which mounts using the seatpost. Panniers can provide around 30L of storage, ideal for overnight or mutli-day trips.

There are also a wide range of bags which attach around the frame, handlebars or seatpost - ideal for bikepacking or multi-day gravel bike rides. Use protective tape to stop 'strap-rub' damaging paint or top coat of carbon frames.

Carefully check the maximum weight allowance for the car roof, roofbars / rails and the actual bike rack. This can also be physically hard to do, especially with heavier Ebikes, although removing the battery can save a few kilo's. Heavy duty rear mount racks or tow-bar hitch mount racks would be a safer and more manageable option.

Essentials for trouble free commute include; helmet, gloves, sturdy footwear (or cycling shoes / pedals) lights and a good lock. Optional accessories such as; paniers / rack, mudguards and bell can all make the journey much easier. If you have bike parking / shower / change facilities at work, it makes the daily bike commute much easier. Leaving a bag of work clothing & deodorant stuffed under your desk is a good idea, rather than carrying them daily.

While you are legally allowed to ride on most roads, some are better than others in terms of safety. This is very dependent on where you live. As a general rule, many riders would try to avoid busy main roads where there is high traffic volume, lots of junctions and no provision in terms of cycling infrastructure. Quieter roads or off-road shared use paths or bike lanes are generally better in terms of safety.

If you cannot lock up you bike somewhere inside your destination, it is really important to find somewhere, ideally visible from where you are. If you have to lock your bike outside in public, try to find somewhere which has people passing by to deter thieves and make sure your bike lock is up to the job. Lock your bike to something which is immovable, put the lock through the wheels and frame, if your lock isn’t big enough to get through both wheels and the frame, consider getting an extra lock for your front wheel. Hide the key opening away from passers-by and try to make your bike less steal-able to the potential thief, stickers and tape over expensive bike brand names can help.