Comments on: Packing a Montague Bike for Airline Travel

By: James Sowerwine

James Sowerwine — Sat, 12 Jul 2025 07:22:11 +0000

In reply to Mike. Mike, Montague's unique design allows me to take my bike anywhere in the world without question, and then to fly home without locating or moving a box around after I finish cycling between two airports. That's worth the 8+ hours of dissembly and rebuild I need to do each time I go for a week or more of international touring. Also I can get the bike onto an intercity train in Europe as general luggage with only about 15 minutes of packing, which can be invaluable for European summer travel. While we all have different motivations, it likely isn't worth the time and effort to pack a bike if you are flying domestic and can easily use a full sized box or are just trying to save a little bit of money on your ticket.

By: James Sowerwine

James Sowerwine — Sat, 12 Jul 2025 07:19:50 +0000

In reply to Andy. Andy, my Montague has flown on several dozen flights now, including small budget carriers in Europe. No gate agent has ever measured the bag. It is always weighed, but as long as I make sure to say that it is a bike and also that it is packed under standard suitcase size it goes through easily and without extra charge. The agent usually gives me a compliment on the packing then directs me to oversized after check in. The front wheel comes off, but the back wheel stays on the frame with the disc brake rotor removed. I expect a certain amount of cosmetic damage from moving the bike around in a bag with minimal padding. To date that has been limited to paint scratches, but nothing else.

By: David Alexander

David Alexander — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 16:31:08 +0000

I’d love to see a video of you packing and unpacking the bike. And I’d be very concerned about the wheel spokes getting all bent out of shape in the bowels of an airplane.

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 05:17:24 +0000

love it, so the bag can be bigger than 62in, when you check in the baggage, will the attendant measure it? or do they just let go most of the time?

From your picture, you do not need to take the bicycle wheel off the frame. with your soft bag, will bike get damaged ?

By: James Sowerwine

James Sowerwine — Sun, 04 Feb 2024 09:12:11 +0000

In reply to JOHN COOK. John, the only thing that changes on a general (quick) fold is that the quick release on the down tube is released. That allows the top tube(s) and headset/handlebars/front wheel to be folded on top of the back wheel. The handlebars are pivoted 90 degrees and laid flat and in-line with the frame. The whole package on a quick fold is far too bulky for airline travel but does allow you to stuff the bike into the luggage compartment of a minibus with the flick of a quick release, or into a bag for travel on a train or subway. Everything comes apart for packing for airline travel.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 19:23:02 +0000

Exciting.
Why?
I just today bought a secondhand Montague Navigator. 2015 model so it doesn’t have disk brakes but I don’t care. Some excellent ideas here which I shall study in depth. So (after modifications of the bike) a specially whopper pizza bag should solve the bag issue? Excellent: I’ve just been starting to look at bag solutions (for public transport here in the UK). I had already started to ask searching questions like: shouldn’t it be dual-use, i.e. carry the bike … but also function as a backpack …

By: JOHN COOK

JOHN COOK — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 21:14:57 +0000

Can the front handlebars be removed as part of a general fold…?

By: Oliver

Oliver — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 18:36:30 +0000

brilliant! thansks so much – exactly what ive been trying to work out how to do!

By: Gian Luca Ferme

Gian Luca Ferme — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 01:13:52 +0000

Inspiring! I also own a Navigator, as well as a collection of new and old Montagues I bought over the years. I bring my wife and one of two adult children on our bike trips. On one tour we packed all our Montague bikes in the soft Montague bags, padded with cardboard and bubble wrap. On the last trip, we actually repurposed the boxes we bought them in for the plane and then used the soft bags for trains and buses. We put a lot of miles on them and unforgettable trips.