Bicycle's as baggage

[Mike Noel]

I'm looking for an airplane capable of carrying 2 persons and two mountain
bikes around the country. I'm thinking a C-172 could probably fullfill the
mission with folding Montague Mt bikes stored in fabric bags, but that 2
regular Mt bikes would be awkward to store even with the wheels removed.
Anyone have an experience with this?

Thanks,
Mike at AVQ (Tucson)

[Sydney Hoeltzli]

Mike Noel wrote:
> I'm looking for an airplane capable of carrying 2 persons and two mountain
> bikes around the country. I'm thinking a C-172 could probably fullfill the
> mission with folding Montague Mt bikes stored in fabric bags, but that 2
> regular Mt bikes would be awkward to store even with the wheels removed.
> Anyone have an experience with this?
>
> Thanks,
> Mike at AVQ (Tucson)
>
>

[Sydney Hoeltzli]

Mike Noel wrote:
> I'm looking for an airplane capable of carrying 2 persons and two mountain
> bikes around the country. I'm thinking a C-172 could probably fullfill the
> mission with folding Montague Mt bikes stored in fabric bags, but that 2
> regular Mt bikes would be awkward to store even with the wheels removed.
> Anyone have an experience with this?

I can tell you that you can fit two full size Mt bikes very nicely
in a 4 place Grumman. The rear seat folds flat a la hatchback.
There are several sets of directions for installing a convenient
rack. Loading the bikes is IMHO a 2 person job one to hand up into
the plane, one to put the bike into place.

Friends of ours used to carry 2 mtn bikes w/ no trouble in their
Cessna Cardinal. I believe they would have had easier loading
through those wide doors -- and need to take the rear seat out
and leave it behind.

Cheers,
Sydney

[MichaelR]

I've carried a couple of non-folding bikes in a 172 by removing the wheels
and rotating the handlebars. It would have been easy with the rear seat
removed, but it was no fun with the rear seat in.



"Mike Noel" > wrote in message
...
> I'm looking for an airplane capable of carrying 2 persons and two mountain
> bikes around the country. I'm thinking a C-172 could probably fullfill
the
> mission with folding Montague Mt bikes stored in fabric bags, but that 2
> regular Mt bikes would be awkward to store even with the wheels removed.
> Anyone have an experience with this?
>
> Thanks,
> Mike at AVQ (Tucson)
>
>

[BTIZ]

Cherokee 6, with the wide aft door on the left side,

BT

"Mike Noel" > wrote in message
...
> I'm looking for an airplane capable of carrying 2 persons and two mountain
> bikes around the country. I'm thinking a C-172 could probably fullfill
the
> mission with folding Montague Mt bikes stored in fabric bags, but that 2
> regular Mt bikes would be awkward to store even with the wheels removed.
> Anyone have an experience with this?
>
> Thanks,
> Mike at AVQ (Tucson)
>
>

[Peter Gottlieb]

The other day I went to Montauk in a 172 and we took two Dahon 20" folding
bikes. They easily fit in the back seat and I loaded and unloaded them
myself.


"Mike Noel" > wrote in message
...
> I'm looking for an airplane capable of carrying 2 persons and two mountain
> bikes around the country. I'm thinking a C-172 could probably fullfill
the
> mission with folding Montague Mt bikes stored in fabric bags, but that 2
> regular Mt bikes would be awkward to store even with the wheels removed.
> Anyone have an experience with this?
>
> Thanks,
> Mike at AVQ (Tucson)
>
>

[jim rosinski]

"MichaelR" > wrote:

> I've carried a couple of non-folding bikes in a 172 by removing the wheels
> and rotating the handlebars. It would have been easy with the rear seat
> removed, but it was no fun with the rear seat in.

I'm surprised this is even possible with the rear seat in. With the
rear
seat out it's a snap to load 2 full-size bikes in a 172. For those
who don't
already know the procedure to take the rear seat out, you need to
rotate it 180 degrees around the arm rest and pull it out the door
upside-down.

Jim Rosinski
N3825Q

[Jay Honeck]

Piper Cherokee, any model with the five-inch fuselage stretch (post
1972-73). Quick release rear seats really help, too.

Our back seats pop out in seconds. We've got two pieces of 3/4 inch plywood
that lay in their place, stretching all the way from just behind the front
seats into the luggage compartment. Turns the plane into a pickup truck!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Ben Jackson]

In article <ivTQa.69985$H17.20537@sccrnsc02>,
Jay Honeck > wrote:
>Our back seats pop out in seconds. We've got two pieces of 3/4 inch plywood
>that lay in their place, stretching all the way from just behind the front
>seats into the luggage compartment. Turns the plane into a pickup truck!

You should check out some tempered hardboard at the local lumber yard.
It's extremely rigid and durable even in 1/4" and much lighter than
3/4" ply. You can get it with a white laminate on one side, too.

--
Ben Jackson
>
http://www.ben.com/

[Kevin McCue]

Can't be too tough with a little imagination. I got a one in the
luscombe.

--
Kevin McCue
KRYN
'47 Luscombe 8E
Rans S-17 (for sale)




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[Nathan Young]

I have a '71 Cherokee 180. Removing the rear seats allows plenty of
cargo room for golf clubs, an overnight bag, and disassembled mountain
bikes (Trek) - not the folding type. Be sure to get a quick release
seat and tires.

I bring a couple older blankets to 'layer' betweent the bike
components so they won't rub against each other.

The bikes have to go in the front door - they will not fit in through
the baggage door.

-Nathan




"Mike Noel" > wrote in message > I'm looking for an airplane capable of carrying 2 persons and two mountain
> bikes around the country. I'm thinking a C-172 could probably fullfill the
> mission with folding Montague Mt bikes stored in fabric bags, but that 2
> regular Mt bikes would be awkward to store even with the wheels removed.
> Anyone have an experience with this?
>
> Thanks,
> Mike at AVQ (Tucson)

[Ben Jackson]

In article >,
Mike Noel > wrote:
>Anyone have an experience with this?

I just got a couple of DAHON Boardwalk D6s (that's a 20" wheel
folding bike). The only thing I've tried to put it in so far is a
Commanche 250. There's definitely room in the baggage area for 2,
but if you have to go through the baggage door, the gyrations
required seem like they would not allow you to get the second bike
in. If you had a 260 and access from the passenger area you could
definitely do it.

DAHON also makes some 26" tire folders, I doubt they'd fit through
the baggage door. In the back seat of a 172 for sure.

--
Ben Jackson
>
http://www.ben.com/

[Brinks]

I had a 1948 Cessna 170 and a 1960 172. Both of them would hold two road
bikes (Trek 2200, frame size 54 I think) in the back seat without taking it
out. Put a sheet over everything to keep the interior clean, but it works
pretty well to just take the wheels off and put them in.

I also had my mountain bike in it (Giant Rincon). Was a little harder to
fit, but it did go, but I could only fit one bike that way. If you took the
rear seat out (about a 10-15 minute proposition) it wouldn't be a problem.

Chris


"Mike Noel" > wrote in message
...
> I'm looking for an airplane capable of carrying 2 persons and two mountain
> bikes around the country. I'm thinking a C-172 could probably fullfill
the
> mission with folding Montague Mt bikes stored in fabric bags, but that 2
> regular Mt bikes would be awkward to store even with the wheels removed.
> Anyone have an experience with this?
>
> Thanks,
> Mike at AVQ (Tucson)
>
>

[MikeM]

Just got back from a 3wk trip to Alaska. My wife and I took two Montaque
folding mtn bikes, camping gear, cookware, food, $ clothes in a 182.
Left the back seat home.

We put the bikes in last, putting them on top of all the other stuff, so
we could get them out easily when stopping at a place where we didn't
want to camp. For example, we could fly into a place where the restaurant
was a mile or two from the airport, get the bikes out, and ride into
town without first unloading all the other gear.

I have carried (with the back seat out) two regular mtn bikes (remove
seat, front wheel, pedals) and the same lot of camping gear described
above, but we had to put the bikes in first, and then load all of the
other gear around them. This requires almost totally unloading everything
else just to get the bikes out.

With the load of stuff we hauled to Alaska, I was worried about the
load shifting forward and pinning us to the panel in the event of a
ditching, or emergency landing. I devised a plywood bulkhead, and an
elaborate set of tie down ropes to keep the bikes (and other gear)
from shifting forward. Fortunately, never had to test it...

btw: of the three weeks we just spent in AK, we were down waiting
for VFR wx only two days, including flying down the entire SE coast
from Valdez to Seattle.

MikeM
Skylane '1MM
SLC


Mike Noel wrote:
>
> I'm looking for an airplane capable of carrying 2 persons and two mountain
> bikes around the country. I'm thinking a C-172 could probably fullfill the
> mission with folding Montague Mt bikes stored in fabric bags, but that 2
> regular Mt bikes would be awkward to store even with the wheels removed.
> Anyone have an experience with this?
>
> Thanks,
> Mike at AVQ (Tucson)

[Jay Honeck]

> btw: of the three weeks we just spent in AK, we were down waiting
> for VFR wx only two days, including flying down the entire SE coast
> from Valdez to Seattle.

Waiting for the pirep, Mike...

Let's hear about the trip!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Peter Gottlieb]

We have a couple of the new Dahon 20" Helios bikes and they seem quite
solid. At Oshkosh we used them to go from the North 40 camping area to the
seaplane base, which was more than 15 miles round trip and no problem for
the bikes in any way. At $500 with carry bag and accessories, they are half
the price of the entry level Bike Friday Pocket Crusoe. With bikes, though,
you can always spend more money, I suppose.

We carried them in the back of the Cheetah, and have put them into the back
seat of 172s with no problem either.

Peter



"Greg Goodknight" > wrote in message
link.net...
> Bike Friday folders are 20" wheel designs and fit through the baggage door
> of a Cherokee quite handily, although easier if the front wheel is
removed.
> Unlike the Dahon models I've seen up close, the Bike Fridays are solid
bikes
> that I feel comfortable riding a good distance. They also aren't cheap.
> www.bikefriday.com
>
> -Greg
>
> "Ben Jackson" > wrote in message
> news:m72Ra.72918$ye4.49291@sccrnsc01...
> > In article >,
> > Mike Noel > wrote:
> > >Anyone have an experience with this?
> >
> > I just got a couple of DAHON Boardwalk D6s (that's a 20" wheel
> > folding bike). The only thing I've tried to put it in so far is a
> > Commanche 250. There's definitely room in the baggage area for 2,
> > but if you have to go through the baggage door, the gyrations
> > required seem like they would not allow you to get the second bike
> > in. If you had a 260 and access from the passenger area you could
> > definitely do it.
> >
> > DAHON also makes some 26" tire folders, I doubt they'd fit through
> > the baggage door. In the back seat of a 172 for sure.
> >
> > --
> > Ben Jackson
> > >
> > http://www.ben.com/
>
>

[Jay Honeck]

> Where did your quick release rear seats come from? Sounds handy; the rear
> seat in my 1979 PA-28-161 is a royal pain to remove.

They were standard equipment on my '74 PA28-235 Pathfinder, AFAIK.

Since the floor design is somewhat different between the Warrior and the
Pathfinder, I'd be surprised if you could retrofit them into your plane --
but it might be worth inquiring about?

They really ARE nice...although we usually fly with all four of us, so
they're of limited value for us until the kids get older.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Roger Halstead]

On Sat, 16 Aug 2003 22:16:59 GMT, "Greg Goodknight" >
wrote:

>Jay,
>
>Where did your quick release rear seats come from? Sounds handy; the rear
>seat in my 1979 PA-28-161 is a royal pain to remove.

We just put 'em in back. Leave the seats in.
But to be honest, theDeb has an extended baggage compartment. We just
bring the bikes in through the cabin door over the seat backs and into
the baggage compartment. Throw paper towels over the greasy parts,
regular towels for cushioning, then the wheels and strap it all down.

>
>-Greg
>
>
>"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
>news:ivTQa.69985$H17.20537@sccrnsc02...
>> Piper Cherokee, any model with the five-inch fuselage stretch (post
>> 1972-73). Quick release rear seats really help, too.
>>
>> Our back seats pop out in seconds. We've got two pieces of 3/4 inch
>plywood

3/4 inch? How big? That stuff is "heavy".

Roger Halstead (K8RI EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
www.rogerhalstead.com
N833R World's oldest Debonair? (S# CD-2)

>> that lay in their place, stretching all the way from just behind the front
>> seats into the luggage compartment. Turns the plane into a pickup truck!
>> --
>> Jay Honeck
>> Iowa City, IA
>> Pathfinder N56993
>> www.AlexisParkInn.com
>> "Your Aviation Destination"
>>
>>
>