Felt Bicycle - Taking the Bike by Car;Plane

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Taking the bike by car / plane
The most convenient way to safely transport your bike is to put it into the boot
(a) of your car. There, the bike is protected from dirt and any dynamic influences
during the transport. Take care to protect the boot of the car. If necessary, line the
boot before stowing the bike. Interior fixing systems intended to secure the bike in
the boot can be particularly helpful.
Always secure the bike or bike components when putting it/them into
the interior of your car. Bikes and components left unsecured may cause
harm to the vehicle‘s occupants.
Disc brakes should have their plastic safety spacers fitted, if the bike is
to be transported with the wheels removed. Please ask your dealer about
them.
If transporting the bike inside the car is impossible, nearly every car accessory
dealer and car company offers carrier systems which allow for the transport of a
bike without disassembly. The usual design involves rails fixed to the roof of the car
onto which the bikes are fixed with clamps gripping the down tubes. Do not use
such systems with carbon frames!
Make sure to remove all parts of your bike (tools, panniers, child carriers
etc.) which might come loose during transport and cause an accident!
ii
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Please make sure the lights and the number plate of your car are not
hidden from view. For some carriers, a second exterior rear view mirror is
required by the road traffic regulations.
Do not buy a carrier on which the bike has to be mounted upside down,
i.e. with the handlebars and saddle fixed face down to the carrier. This
way of fastening the bike exposes handlebars, stem, saddle and seat post
to extreme stress during transport and can lead to failure of these parts!
Most clamps are a potential source of damage to large-diameter frame
tubes! Suitable, special-purpose models are, however, available in the
caraccessory trade. Such carrier systems are unsuitable for carbon
frames!
Whatever system you opt for, make sure it complies with the relevant safety stand-
ards of your country!
Read the instructions for your bicycle carrier and observe the maximum loading
capacity and driving speed.
Bear in mind that your car has a greater overall height with the bike on it.
Measure the overall height and place a sign stating the height somewhere
in the cockpit or on the steering wheel so that it can be easily seen.
Never transport bikes with hydraulic brakes upside down. This could let
air enter the brake callipers and lead to brake failure.
If you want to take your bike with you when you go on a trip, e.g. by plane, pack
your bike in a special-purpose bike suitcase (b). These suitcases are ideal to help
protect your bike from damage. Please follow the suitcase manufacturer‘s instruc-
tions regarding packing.
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a b