Bike bros: Questions about flying with bikes.

I have the bikes properly packed in bike boxes. What I need to know about in terms of airlines is "declared value", "excess value", additional insurance ... what do you do? Each bike box (total 2) is worth roughly $4k.

Six weeks ago, on the Bali trip, Virgin Australia decided to lose one of our bags. After filing a claim with receipts, we have been offered "based on condition, age, etc blah blah blah of the luggage and its contents" the international standard $9.02/lb for the bag. On the one hand, I'm fine with that, it's declared up front, it's $9.02 per pound. On the other hand, why in the mother **** do they make me fill out a detailed claim form, listing contents, providing receipts, doing all that bullshit, if they're just going to offer the $9.02 per pound anyway? We provided them with receipts (BTW: can you find a significant number of receipts for your random daily worn clothing?) totaling more than the amount they offered. Just tell me you're giving me the international standard. Don't try to cloak it in "evaluation of age and condition" bullshit.

So what should I do to cover my *** on these bike boxes? We're flying United back to the states. I am planning to declare appropriate "excess value" for each and all of our checked bags with them. If there's some form of external insurance I should look into as well, I'd love to know about it.

And any time you fly with checked baggage, check with the ticket agent at the airport about declaring a value for it. We're probably going to get $380 for our bag, which had roughly $1500 worth of stuff in it. And we own designer nothing.

 

Since TurboTim sent me a PM asking about how I jigged up my last tandem frame and I'm currently working on another...


Tandem 2.0 by HellaFab Fabrication, on Flickr

Tandem 2.0 by HellaFab Fabrication, on Flickr

Full size plot (paper technology) that I used adhesive to put onto a piece of Low density fiberboard (like MDF, but lighter) that I braced in the back to be not flexible and flat over the length.
Used the table on my Mill to hold the bottom bracket shells parallel when I was welding it and keeping the bottom brackets from pulling with the heat.

 

The fork bends towards me under braking, I'd say as much as a half inch under hard braking, although, I'm not looking too closely at it when braking that hard.

The fork also bends when turning, it's slightly unsettling.

Is this normal for a newer carbon bike? I have a Felt with carbon fork and seatpost, looks like a different lay of carbon. It has the traditional checkerboard weave, while the Bianchi is all matte, and looks molded carbonfiber. The felt does not flex.

 

that doesnt sound right at all
I'm sure all of them flex, but to see it do that much under normal riding? nope

 

Sounds bizarre, definitely nothing like that on my bikes.

You're seeing cosmetic layers, pay no mind to them.

 

Anyone have a spare 6800 172.5 50/34 crank they want to sell? I believe I'll need it for my Colorado trip.

 

What hills are you going to ride up?

 

I have no idea but I am a fat flat-lander from Dallas who smoked for 13 years so it's all going to hurt.

 

haha. for sure!

If you know where you are staying/riding I might have some useful input on road rides.

 

3.5/10 Would not ride again.

Kinda cool how the numbers stacked up. 61cm weighing in at 16.16lbs as pictured.

 

Looks functional. What sucked?

 

Damn. E-humor didn't pan well.

It's badass in every which way. It's easily an 11/10 bike. If I were to really nit-pick I'd complain about the speed of the shift. It's a little bit slower than Di2, and slower than I feel I usually shift with mechanical. However, it's buttery smooth and never missed a shift or hesitated even under power. A lot more refined of a shift than when I rode a proto group.

 

As Di2 is the hand of god shifting for you, a skosh slower is still probably just fine eh?

 

Oh it's more than just fine

Supposedly there is a firmware update coming out that will give you the option of speeding up the shift in lieu of decreased battery life. I'm working on seeing if I can get a copy of it to try. Might have to wait until official software release though.

 

This hurt, a lot:

 

 

Why does my GIF not work? Can we ride together in Denver or Boulder?

 

Who are you talking to?

If I'm around I can show you around Colorado Springs.

 

Damn. Sometimes it surprises me how fast some peoples heart pumps.

I did a high speed treadmill stress test in highschool, 18mph for 15 second intervals, iirc, heartrate never went above 160. Everyone elses was at or above 200.

We concluded that I have a large heart.

 

That ride was so gnarly, the hardest weekday ride in town and there were 12-people. My teammate and I were the only riders lower than cat 3, and most were cat 2. Two local pros, TX 40+ state TT champ, three or four Leadville top-ten bros, blah blah. It hurt.