Shipping Creo to Italy for bike tour - how to do this?

P

PassoGavia

Member
Region
USA
City
Roswell, Georgia
Hi,
I'm planning to do a bike tour of Tuscany in 2024. I'm basically spoiled and want to have my Creo road bike for the tour (for various reasons, but certainly because unlike any e-bike I might rent in Europe, the mph cutoff is a lot higher). I can't take the bike on the plane as luggage unless I pull the main battery. The supplemental batteries are small enough to be technically acceptable to Delta Airlines but I could only carry one onto the plane as carry-on, and there is a chance that they refuse it. And a single 160 WH battery would not be enough for the daily mileage on the trip.

So I'm thinking of shipping the bike there ahead of time, to a bike shop that would accept it, put it together, and store it until I got there, then reverse the process after the tour was over.

Has anyone done anything like this? Even with shipping via freight, there are still regulatory requirements for the LION batteries (thus the stickers you see on any LION battery products you receive via USPS, UPS, etc.), and I'm sure that includes that it can't be air freighted.

Happy for thoughts and feedback, thanks.

PS: I have thought of the following options: 1) carry one 160 WH supplemental battery on the plane and simply buy another in Europe, 2) make sure I travel with a friend and have him carry my second 160 WH battery.
 
Removing the main battery can be done by you or a shop in less than 30 minutes. A few months ago I flew on Alaska Airlines from California to Seattle. I packed two extender batteries in my carry on day pack and no one questioned me or batted an eye. I wonder if Delta to Europe regulations are what you say they are? It is my understanding that worse case is you need to get special permission to carry one or two on the plane. Please check that out and let us know...as I am going to Spain next year and do intend to take my Creo. I now ride locally with the main battery removed and use one or two RE batteries on the bike depending on the route. I'd say my average when using motor about 50% of the time I can get about 30 miles and 1800 feet of climbing.
 
Kind of off the main question, but, if you're going on a group tour, why would you want to separate yourself from the rest of the group by riding significantly faster? Not going to make many friends doing that.

Also, I did a bike tour in Puglia last year, and the ebike they supplied me with was quite nice! The bikes they had available were listed on their website, along with their specs, so (after asking here, because I wasn't familiar with the euro brand) I knew ahead of time what I'd be getting...

But, it's your money, do as you wish - heaven forbid I be interpreted as being proscriptive 🤣🤣🤣!
 
I checked two random European Airlines:
  • Polish LOT forbids any bigger battery
  • British Airways allow two 100-160 Wh batteries but are specific these batteries should be used for medical equipment or a camera.
It would be a pain to convince an airline here to allow Range Extenders.
 
Stefan Mikes said:
I checked two random European Airlines:
  • Polish LOT forbids any bigger battery
  • British Airways allow two 100-160 Wh batteries but are specific these batteries should be used for medical equipment or a camera.
It would be a pain to convince an airline here to allow Range Extenders.
Click to expand...
Isn't a bike exercise equipment to keep you in medically good shape? ;)
 
PatriciaK said:
Kind of off the main question, but, if you're going on a group tour, why would you want to separate yourself from the rest of the group by riding significantly faster? Not going to make many friends doing that.

Also, I did a bike tour in Puglia last year, and the ebike they supplied me with was quite nice! The bikes they had available were listed on their website, along with their specs, so (after asking here, because I wasn't familiar with the euro brand) I knew ahead of time what I'd be getting...

But, it's your money, do as you wish - heaven forbid I be interpreted as being proscriptive 🤣🤣🤣!
Click to expand...
Assumptive not proscriptive. You are assuming that I'd want to go faster than the others. How about just enjoying the ride at whatever speed I choose to ride? Or simply keeping up with riders who can smoke me? I prefer to ride a bike that fits like a glove and that I know something about fixing when it stops moving in the middle of nowhere. I have been on more than 20 tours in the US and Europe and have taken my own bike every time.
 
Stefan Mikes said:
Yea, right. The point is it would require a quarrel with the security and airline officers, and the fight would be almost surely lost by the e-biker :)
Click to expand...
Would be interesting to simply contact the airline and see if what is written in the guidelines is what is actually allowed. From British Air this seems to imply they are flexible. Notice the wording = "such as those used in..."

Lithium-ion batteries of 100 - 160Wh such as those used in video or portable medical equipment and portable medical devices such as a defibrillator with a Lithium Metal (non-rechargeable) content of a maximum of 8g.
British Airways give automatic ‘operator approval’ for each passenger to carry lithium batteries used in larger portable electronic devices subject to the following conditions
  • Maximum two devices per person with a battery installed.
  • Maximum of two spare batteries per person (incl. power banks) kept in original packaging or terminals insulated/protected from short circuit.
  • For your convenience, you must pack a copy of this page with the devices and spare batteries to identify that you have our ‘operator approval’ to carry them.
  • You do NOT need to contact the airline or inform staff at the airport that you are carrying this item.
 
Thank you to all for your feedback and ideas. Super helpful.

For the Delta link, I had checked some time ago and I swear they said only one battery carry-on (max = 160 WH) at the time. Two makes a big difference.

The internal battery of the Creo is 320 WH, so two RE batteries = one internal battery. For the type of terrain and daily mileage of the tour I'm looking at, that should be fine. The deepest I've ever gone on the internal battery is a day when I rode 56 miles and climbed over 5600 feet, had the power on 30% or 40% the whole time, and still finished with 23%.

It does appear that Delta no longer has their punishing fees for bicycle transport (used to be around $300). Details here. Which helps me swallow the cost of two range extenders ($450 each USD).

And no, I'm not bringing my e-bike so I can hammer the whole time and put my pasta-eating companions in the hurt locker. I have a heart constraint. And I'm with eddief - I know my bike, it has the best fit, I know how to fix it, and I can go deep into a fast corner and not worry about how it's going to respond.
 
personally, from georgia, i'd have my shop take out the main battery, get a good bike box and two range extenders, and fly nonstop on delta from atlanta to rome and ride from there. it'll be an extra part of the adventure ;)

lots of people on the creo facebook group have flown their bikes with the main battery out.
 
Living near Atlanta, I always fly non-stop :). And yes, will fly into Rome.

I've taken a bike to Europe multiple times, but never an e-bike. Had a Bike Friday I used to travel with when I was a consultant, but it would fit into a standard suitcase and I could check it with no issues (except the TSA would almost always open it - I had a placard in multiple languages explaining what it was). I've got both a hard case and soft shell bike boxes for traveling, but I don't think the Creo will fit into the hard case. Need to play around with it.
 
PassoGavia said:
Living near Atlanta, I always fly non-stop :). And yes, will fly into Rome.

I've taken a bike to Europe multiple times, but never an e-bike. Had a Bike Friday I used to travel with when I was a consultant, but it would fit into a standard suitcase and I could check it with no issues (except the TSA would almost always open it - I had a placard in multiple languages explaining what it was). I've got both a hard case and soft shell bike boxes for traveling, but I don't think the Creo will fit into the hard case. Need to play around with it.
Click to expand...
Friends have a e-tandem Bike Friday. They just had the motor upgraded to be a bit more powerful. It's battery pack is designed for flying.

In any event, have a great trip.
 
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