You don’t have to be a hard-core mountain biker to appreciate having your own bike on a trip to the Grand Canyon State. If you live more than a day’s drive away and don’t have a lot of time, flying with your mountain bike is an option worth considering. While it can seem a little daunting, it doesn’t have to be. Join us as we break down a trip to Arizona with tips and tricks for flying with your mountain bike to Phoenix.
- Please note that even though this trip was done pre-COVID, it still holds valuable planning information for when travel is wide open once again… soon, we hope!
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Table of Contents
Inspiration for Flying with Your Mountain Bike
Before we jump into the specifics on how to fly with your mountain bike, let’s start with the reward! Flying with your bike will save you money. Google “Phoenix mountain bike rental.” Renting a full-suspension bike will set you back anywhere from $385 for five days to $450/week (depending on the bike shop and brand you choose).
We flew Westjet from Calgary, AB directly to Phoenix, AZ. Each airline will have a different policy that you will need to check, but Westjet’s bike policy currently reads:
Sport equipment that meets packing requirements and weight and size restrictions will count as a piece of checked baggage ($30 for 1stchecked bag). A maximum of one bicycle and one helmet are allowed per guest. Effective March 11, 2019, a handling fee of $50 will be charged for bikes. You may check your bicycle and container with a maximum:
- weight of 45 kg (100 lbs) without paying an excess weight fee
- dimension of 292 cm (115 in) without paying an oversize baggage fee
Important note: airlines may refuse to carry improperly packaged bicycles. Be sure to read and follow their guidelines. Your bicycle must be packed flat (pedals off, handlebars sideways) in a bicycle bag or box.
Now, let’s look at the total cost. You bike will cost $30 each way plus the $50 handling fee. That’s a total of $160 for the return flight. Compare that with at least $400 for a rental and the savings are clear.
A Sample Itinerary
We flew into Phoenix. Brad picked up our reserved campervan while I waited at the airport with the gear. Before long, we were heading out to Lost Dutchman State Park for a couple days of hiking and biking. You could also head west if you’d rather to White Tank Regional Park – which has a range of excellent biking trails as well.
From Phoenix, we drove south to Tucson and camped in Catalina State Park. Note: This an extremely popular campground and booking ahead of time is necessary in the spring. The overflow sites are not great – especially if you get sandwiched in between two large Class A motorhomes!
In addition to spectacular hiking options, there are several fun biking trail systems close by including Catalina/50 Year and Honeybee Canyon. 50 Year is fun, beginner/intermediate cross-country trail with a couple short, slightly technical rocky areas to keep it interesting. Honeybee Canyon has numerous trail options winding throughout the often sandy, desert terrain.
South to Patagonia!
From Catalina, we took Highway 83 south to Sonoita. Random camping and potential for exploration is endless. This is a great location for accessing bits and pieces of the Arizona Trail in the Santa Rita Mountains– a 700-mile-long (1126 km) route running the length of the state.
From here, we moved on to Patagonia Lake State Park. It was for the birds – literally. The area has some biking including the Arizona Trail, but we came for the wildlife! It also allowed us to do a loop around the Santa Rita Mountains to check out the area for future travel.
Back to Tucson
This time, we checked into Gilbert Ray Campground in Tucson Mountain Regional Park. This is the place! With biking trails right out of the campsite, bordering Saguaro National Park West and with dozens of other things to do, it was one of our favourite stops. The Sweetwater trails are just a short drive away, too. I’d recommend at least a couple of days here.
Heading back north towards Lost Dutchman for our last stay before flying home, we stopped off at Casa Grande Mountain trail system to check out the trails. Lots of options here depending on your skill level. Let’s just say I’m more of a Dreamy Draw gal than a Grim Reaper!
How to Fly with Your Bike
Start prepping for flying with your mountain bike a week before you fly. One of the most important things you will need is a container – a bike bag, a box or a hard-shell bike case. Plastic bike bags are cheap, but they also offer the least protection. Hard-shell bike cases are the best bet, but they are pricey. If you know us by now, we went middle of the road with a cardboard bike box and put time into securing and padding the bits and pieces. We got the boxes free by asking around at our local bike shops.
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The Mechanics
- Drop seat to lowest position.
- Take the pedals off.
- Remove the handlebars (no need to take off brake cables, just remove and tape to frame with padding to hold in place).
- De-pressurize shocks.
- Lower air pressure in tires (don’t deflate completely as a little pressure helps protect rims).
- Remove wheels (and tape to frame with padding to prevent rubbing).
Extra Notes
- We used shop rags and our towels for padding and several blankets in the boxes for extra protection (the blankets were then spread out in the rental van to protect the interior from dirt and grease).
- Be sure to bring extra duct tape for the return trip preparation.
- Pack necessary tools including pressure gauges.
- Our helmets, tire pump, chain and lock and bike clothes also went into the box.
- Weigh the box with everything in it to make sure you are within the weight limit.
- Write down the original front and rear shock pressures so that you can get back to that same level.
- On arrival, plan on spending at least an hour or two putting it all back together again.
When You Go
Check out Trailforks for bicycle trail information near:
- Lost Dutchman State Park
- White Tanks Regional Park
- Catalina State Park
- Honeybee Canyon
- Santa Rita Mountains
- Patagonia
- Tucson Mountain Park
- Sweetwater Preserve
- Casa Grande Mountain
Use Free Campsites to find random camping options along the way.
Be sure to check out our companion post – How to Fly with Your Camping Gear – if you don’t want to rent a van!
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how did you transport your bikes when you were driving that van? It doesnt look like there is space inside of the van to fit two mtbs!
We had blankets that we’d packed our bikes in the boxes for flight. These were spread out to cover the back seat and keep grease and dirt off. With front tires off, the bikes fit easily.