Flying with a folding electric bike

[kevinfox]

Has anyone taken an electric bike on a transatlantic flight?
I'm travelling to New Zealand with a couple of days in Los Angeles and San Francisco and would like to take my folding Quando 2 with me. 2 of the legs are long haul with the trip between cities being on a domestic flight.
Any suggestions? I'm guessing it's excess baggage charges but am I liable to run into problems when checking in and out of America?

 

[eTim]

Has anyone taken an electric bike on a transatlantic flight?
I'm travelling to New Zealand with a couple of days in Los Angeles and San Francisco and would like to take my folding Quando 2 with me. 2 of the legs are long haul with the trip between cities being on a domestic flight.
Any suggestions? I'm guessing it's excess baggage charges but am I liable to run into problems when checking in and out of America?

You could fit a folder into a suitcase which would provide protection and could be checked as normal luggage. Check the airlines baggage policies as bicycles can be checked as sports equipment (assuming you don't take it in a suitcase) usually for a smaller fee than excess luggage, but book it all in advance and not at the airport.

If carrying it as sports equipment then check how it should be packed, some airlines want you to use their packing, otherwise protect all vulnerable parts from damage, levers, discs of disc brakes derailleur etc, any of these damaged in transit will stop the bike from working properly until repaired.

Also if it's electric, check how you can transport the battery, there may be restrictions.

 

[onmebike]

Has anyone taken an electric bike on a transatlantic flight?
I'm travelling to New Zealand with a couple of days in Los Angeles and San Francisco and would like to take my folding Quando 2 with me. 2 of the legs are long haul with the trip between cities being on a domestic flight.
Any suggestions? I'm guessing it's excess baggage charges but am I liable to run into problems when checking in and out of America?

This link may be helpful.

Flying With Your Bicycle: Guide to Airline Baggage Regulations

 

[Oxygen Bicycles]

Has anyone taken an electric bike on a transatlantic flight?
I'm travelling to New Zealand with a couple of days in Los Angeles and San Francisco and would like to take my folding Quando 2 with me. 2 of the legs are long haul with the trip between cities being on a domestic flight.
Any suggestions? I'm guessing it's excess baggage charges but am I liable to run into problems when checking in and out of America?

Hi Kevin,

I'm afraid you may not be allowed to take it with you. The regulations in the aviation industry have chaged as from 1st of Jan 2010 and you can not take a lithium packs that have a higher capacity than 160Wh.

Size wise you should be allowed to take it under sporting equipment but you need a good box or case for that.

best regards

Andrew

 

[PaulC]

So how does that electric biker who came to New Zealand manage to travel between countries on his around the world tour, if he can't take a bike with batteries on the plane?
Paul

 

[eTim]

So how does that electric biker who came to New Zealand manage to travel between countries on his around the world tour, if he can't take a bike with batteries on the plane?
Paul

I think you will find that he is on a supported trip, whereby local Wisper dealers will supply batteries and bike backup wherever he lands (he is sponsored by Wisper isn't he ?).

 

[Gepida uk]

Andrew is right you cannot take a lithium pack on to an aeroplane if the battery pack is over 160WH, It would also be worth checking with the country you are choosing to fly to whether they allow you to use a 250 watt motor, some countries will only allow a 200w motor if stopped by customs this could cause you big problems trying to bring your bike in.

I am not too sure what your motor w size is on your bike?

 

[Lloyd]

I am shocked they even allow 160wh packs tbh, my car racing packs are 7.4v 3.8Ah packs and when one of those goes up it is like a bomb crossed with a flame thrower!

 

[Gepida uk]

I know it’s crazy really dread to think of the devastation a battery could cause on an plane if it when off!

 

[Fecn]

H The regulations in the aviation industry have chaged as from 1st of Jan 2010 and you can not take a lithium packs that have a higher capacity than 160Wh.

Hi Andrew - Do you know if those new regs also apply to LiFePO4 packs with their non-explosive chemistry. I had read last year that they were allowed on planes even though LiIon/LiPoly are not. No idea if that got changed in the new regs though.

 

[Straylight]

Do the new regs only relate to passenger aircraft? If so, you could always DHL the battery to yourself - just a thought.

 

[Gepida uk]

I know with DHL with in the UK you are still not allowed to send batteries? I don’t know if this is just down to the contract with have with them or whether it applies to all couriers?

 

[Wisper Bikes]

I think you will find that he is on a supported trip, whereby local Wisper dealers will supply batteries and bike backup wherever he lands (he is sponsored by Wisper isn't he ?).

Hi Tim he is sponsored by Wisper and we do have problems with flying the batteries now. Sometimes we fly the bike and Guim then ship the batteries, other times Guim goes with the bike and batteries on a ship. Of course where there is a Wisper dealer near by they lend him a battery until his turn up.

Strangely we have been able to fly batteries anywhere from Hong Kong on DHL, we always declare what we are shipping.

All the best

David

 

[Alex728]

Strangely we have been able to fly batteries anywhere from Hong Kong on DHL, we always declare what we are shipping.

All the best

David

as Starlight mentions they can be shipped by air, just not in passenger aircraft - usually this label is attached to the shipment and there are various other labels even on smaller batteries permitted on all aircraft (I've seen them on boxes containing laptop computers)

 

[eTim]

Strangely we have been able to fly batteries anywhere from Hong Kong on DHL, we always declare what we are shipping.

Ah the wonders of the far east, they always seem to be decades behind the West when it comes to health and safety.

As an aside, I've often thought of extended ebike trips and the perpetual problem of recharging batteries, the solar panel charger looks to be a good solution but requires hauling a trailer and lots of sunshine. Does anyone know if a hub generator could recharge batteries whilst on the move?

 

[Oxygen Bicycles]

Hi Andrew - Do you know if those new regs also apply to LiFePO4 packs with their non-explosive chemistry. I had read last year that they were allowed on planes even though LiIon/LiPoly are not. No idea if that got changed in the new regs though.

Hi Fecn,

I'm not certainly sure but I think it will apply to LiFePo4 as well. For airport security it does not make any differnce if its Lifepo4 or Li-Po. I rather think for them everything what is Lithium is dangerous. It is quite funny despite we all know that LifePo4 has the safest chemistry possible they will still be classified as lithiums.

Last years rules were indeed totally different and you were allowed to take batteries on board. This year I could not take a bike with a battery on the flight from China (that was with BA). The new rules apply from this year and it looks like Lithium batteries that used to expolde few years back in some extremly rare conditions made that opinion of explosive materials

regards

Andrew

 

[Alex728]

Ah the wonders of the far east, they always seem to be decades behind the West when it comes to health and safety.

Mainland China maybe but the former Commonwealth nations such as Hong Kong and Singapore are as strict about following rules if not more so (particularly in the case of Singapore!)

For a DHL depot in East or SE Asia (where all the laptops/gadgets are made anyway) it would be perfectly cost effective to charter an entire airplane for cargo such as batteries and electronic gadgets, there must be tons of this stuff going from that part of the world every day. That way the safety rules are complied with and the packages still get there within delivery timescales...

the same may not apply in the UK (modern version of coals to newcastle comes to mind if sending electronics to Asia ) and its a commercial decision of the courier which cargo they accept as well as safety rules..

BTW it was in the good old USA where a porter knocked about a pallet of lithium batteries being transported by air to the point they actually took fire, causing the rules to be tightened up. A fine(?) example about how one persons idiocy has can cost the world millions in the long run....

 

[Oxygen Bicycles]

Do the new regs only relate to passenger aircraft? If so, you could always DHL the battery to yourself - just a thought.

These rules apply to both cargo and passanger aircrafts. Since Jan 2010 sending the batteries via air became a real pain. When sending to Europe none of the top carriers such as DHL, TNT, UPS don't want to accept batteries. Our battery manufacturer seems to have a good link with the carrier and they accept that but the battery is specially packed and has plenty of safety certificates enclosed.

For us it really became a pain to ship them over recently.

best regards

Andrew

 

[Alex728]

These rules apply to both cargo and passanger aircrafts. Since Jan 2010 sending the batteries via air became a real pain. When sending to Europe none of the top carriers such as DHL, TNT, UPS don't want to accept batteries. Our battery manufacturer seems to have a good link with the carrier and they accept that but the battery is specially packed and has plenty of safety certificates enclosed.

For us it really became a pain to ship them over recently.

best regards

Andrew

I recently noticed a box at work which contained a laptop and indeed it had all manner of warning signs on it (for the benefit of shipping companies) related to lithium batteries..


http://www.icao.int/anb/Fls/dangerousgoods/ICAOLithiumBatteryGuidance/ICAOLithiumBatteryGuidance.pdf

 

[Gazadecosta]

Recently I checked out flying to the Norway from the UK.
No way would the carrier accept lithium batteries - I half expected that - but was surprised when I found out that "any e-bike even without battery" was not allowed! I was hoping I could source a battery at my destination but seems that strategy doesn't even work!