bike-camino

[Jean Seeler]

Last year we took old bikes with us, cost us around $25 each to have a bike
shop in the USA pack them, plus what the airline charged us, I forget the
exact amount, but it was in the neighborhood of $27 each for baggage
handling.   We bought a  very large suitcase or $7  in a Salvation Army
store and packed our clothing, panniers and bike luggage cariers in it.   In
Spain we rebuilt the bikes, loaded up the panniers and left the suitcase by
a dumpster on the streeet. , When we got to Santiago, after we removed the
computers, luggage racks, etc, we gave our bikes to some children.    We
packed our belongings in packing cartons we found on the streets of Santiago
and came home.

This year we biked 1100 km in Germany.   Before we left, we went to Walmart
and purchased two inexpensive mountain bikes, still in their boxes.   The
were partially assembled.  Again, we carried our clothes etc in a large
"Goodwill" suitcase.  When we arrived in Europe, it took us an hour or so to
build the bikes, install computers,  luggage carriers, pack the panniers
and we were off on a wonderful (flat ! ) tour of Germany.   At the end of
the trip we stripped the bikes of computers, etc, went to a church and gave
the bikes to the pastor to give to two kids from his church.   We figure it
was the equivalent cost of packing bikes and paying airline surcharges.
Again, we found some large cardboard shipping cartons and used them to bring
our stuff home.

In both cases, some kids ended up with free bikes, and we had light luggage
returning home.

No worries about expensive bikes being damaged.   When carrying loaded
panniers you cannot make good time so save the effort and make some kids
happy.

      jean and dave