Your Brompton is meant for the great outdoors but also the great indoors. It takes you back and forth to work, stores next to your desk, and even turns into a shopping cart. But the original design of the Brompton was for a different kind of indoors: a moving indoors. That’s right, the Brompton was made for train commuters who had to close the “last mile” between home, work and station. Its entire design is fundamentally tied to travel. So it’s no surprise that a bike designed to slip easily onto the London Tube turns out to be a brilliant travel companion for international flights too. But what’s the best way to take your Brompton on a plane? Let’s explore.
But First…
We get it—bikes and airplanes sound like a bad mix. Baggage handlers, turbulence, cargo holds… you start imagining crushed metal and a ruined vacation. But let’s talk this down. What’s most vulnerable on a Brompton? The drivetrain: that’s your crankset, pedals, and cogs. Fortunately, when folded, the drivetrain is tucked safely inside the bike, protected by the frame itself. (Unlike many other folding bikes where the drivetrain is on the outside of the fold begging for trouble.)
So, if the delicate stuff is safe, what’s at risk? Mostly: scratches. In other words, it depends how pristine you want your bike to stay. Now, let’s break down your options for flying with your Brompton – from the most obvious to the most creative.
Cabin Class: Bring Your Brompton On Board
That’s right: on many planes you can take a Brompton right into the plane! To avoid unnecessary discussions with security or airline personnel, we recommend putting your Brompton into a bag, like the Brompton Travel Bag or the IKEA Dimpa Bag (which famously fits the regular 16″ wheeled Brompton bike perfectly). One thing to note is that the IKEA Dimpa is see-through whereas the Brompton Transit Bag is black nylon fabric. If you’re trying to avoid conversations, we recommend the Transit Bag.
Gate-Check It Like a Guitar
While we’ve never tried this ourselves, a good majority of our customers have gate checked their Bromptons. This is ideal because it costs nothing and, because your bike is last to be packed it offers more safety guarantees (it’s also first off the plane too!). Those who do gate-check their bike recommend checking the bike in “naked” (bring the Brompton Transit Bag or IKEA Dimpa just in case).
The idea is that in general, most carriers will treat a Brompton no differently from a pair of skis or a guitar; they’ll take it at the gate, check it, and handle it. And, experienced Brompton travellers seem to indicate it’s never much of an issue. The above is some tips from Urban Adventure League.
Hard Case: Bulletproof but Bulky
These days airlines are all about rules, rules, rules when it comes to baggage, so it’s understandable that those who are feeling shy don’t want to gate-check or carry-on their Brompton. This means you’re going to check your bike, and the safest method is always a hard-case. We don’t sell hard cases at Pedaal but we do recommend the B&W line of boxes which are made in Germany. They are bombproof and available from online retailers like Amazon. Of course, a hard case is designed for those intending to check their bikes.
The problem with hard-cases is that they aren’t transportable themselves. You cannot, for instance, land at Schiphol in Amsterdam and ride the bike lane right outside the airport (yes, it’s true!) to your hotel downtown carrying a big klunky case in one hand. Likewise, if you’re taking the train from city to city, you’ll always be taking a taxi to the train station rather than riding. A hard-case generally works the best if you’re landing in one city, staying in that city, and unpacking everything at the hotel, including your bicycle – basically “hub and spoke” travel.
Your Most Flexible Travel Companion
If you’re doing more of a “through hike” on your trip and need a case that is foldable as your Brompton, then a soft case is your best move. This case is all about protection during your flight and then being as invisible as possible while you’re out enjoying your ride. Brompton makes a very clever folding suitcase that folds up very small and offers all the protection you need. While the soft case lets you travel light in theory, in practice it does tag along as non-functional luggage while you’re riding.
But, it all depends how you travel! At Pedaal, we love the Brompton soft case because our trips to Europe usually involve meetings with vendors. That means the travel case is stored at the hotel while we hustle around town, and only slung over our shoulders on the short ride to the train station (as we hop to the next city). This is very different from bicycle tourists, who ride long tours between cities. For them, the soft case needed to be carried from city to city. This can begin to feel like an annoyance, but it’s still minimal to be sure.
From Baggage Claim to Bike Lane
If you’re touring between cities on a Brompton and need a soft case that is functional along the way, then consider the Radical Designs Cyclone Trailer. This product protects your Brompton for the flight over and then turns into a trailer when you start your tour. It ain’t cheap but it gets great reviews. If there’s any problem it’s just the added reduced speed because there are two more wheels on the ground.
The $6 Travel Hack That Works
We’ve used the IKEA Dimpa many times (as have many of our customers) and it definitely seems to work, even though you can spend much of the flight worrying about your bike. The IKEA Dimpa bag fits a Brompton perfectly, is cheap as chips, packs up really small, and the protection it offers is literally psychological. We realize this requires explanation.
The psychology at play here is that airline baggage handlers aren’t actually the spawn of Satan. They just happen to throw black nylon bags around all day, and your Brompton is the same to them as a black suitcase full of socks and underwear. If the handler can see that there is a bicycle inside, they will put this into a much safer part of the plane. Airlines pay out an estimated $5 to $12 billion annually for damaged goods, and many carriers do their best to avoid it. The idea here is that you’re working with them not against them.
The Best Travel Case Might Already Be Yours
Many of the Bromptons we sell at Pedaal were flown in from the UK. And, these weren’t in cargo jets, but in the hold of passenger planes (only really big items get flown on commercial jets). We’ve imported thousands of Bromptons by air and have yet to see any damage – the box is that good. Best of all, the box is free! We keep a pile in reserve for those travelling.
Of course, the great thing about a cardboard box is that you can unfold your bike at the airport and recycle the box there too. Imagine a whole trip without having to lug along the dead weight of a travel bag! The trick, however, is getting a box for the return leg. This is generally no problem if you’re flying out from any city that has a Brompton dealer – although it’s always good to check ahead first. (Need a box? Email us at info@pedaal.com)
Unfold your Vacation!
No matter which method you choose, your Brompton was born for travel. Whether it’s slipping past the gate agent or rolling through Amsterdam behind a trailer, there’s a travel style that matches your itinerary – and your personality.
So dream big. Think Barcelona cafés and Kyoto alleys. Think ferry crossings in the Hebrides or sunrise rides through the Pyrenees. A Brompton isn’t just a bike you bring on vacation – it’s a bike that creates the vacation. The only question now is: where will you take it?
