Whenever I fly somewhere, I dream of just landing and riding my bike from the airport. I've been flying with my bike in tow for a couple of years now but, for a variety of reasons chronicled on this blog, that hasn't been practical. Until now...(cue Strauss' "Also sprach Zarathustra" from 2001: A Space Odyssey).
Yesterday, I landed at Ontario International Airport, in Ontario, California (not Canada). I walked off the plane with two modestly-sized carry-ons. After retrieving a typically-sized suitcase from baggage claim, I walked to a quiet corner of the airport. In less time than it takes to rent a car, ~15 minutes, I was riding off from the airport with all my luggage and still cruising at 30kph. Better still, I incurred no additional baggage charges like I did in
D.C. recently.
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Prior bike luggage travails:
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Dream realized! What made the difference this time were some recent innovations in bicycle design: my folding Tern Verge X20 and my brand new Burley Travoy. Both performed superbly:
- The Tern Verge X20
- weighs 9.3kg/20.5lb
- easily cruises at 36km/20mph
- fits in a regular suitcase.
Incredible! Here's a link to my nycewheels review where I gush further.
- The Burley Travoy
- weighs 4.4 kg/9.8 lb
- easily attaches and cruises behind my folding bike
- fits in a regular carry-on bag (included).
Thanks to these innovations, it is a great time to be alive and cycling. Other folding bikes and trailers have come along but few fold/unfold as fast AND perform as well on the road.
