Traveling with your bike

If you are flying into a metro area and shipping your bike ahead of time a good plan is to reach out to a shop there and have the bike shipped there. If you want the shop to assemble the bike for you and assess it for service needs they will probably do this for you for a nominal fee. We charge $70 USD, about what we charge for a basic tune up as most bikes require some touch up after being boxed and shipped or transported by plane.

If you are headed out of town and need your bike boxed or are planning on boxing it yourself we can help with that. We generally have empty bike boxes available for you to box your bike up. Boxes are free but cookies and snacks are always welcome in trade.

If you would like us to box the bike up for you we can do that as well. If you need it boxed to get on a plane with you PLEASE schedule this in advance for at least a day before you plan on flying out so we can ensure we get it done in time. If you are shipping it then time is less critical.

There are many videos out there on how to box up your bike. Here is one from AdventureCycling.org.

We can get a lot of your gear into the box, though we prefer to not put your helmet in the box as it is likely to be crushed.

If flying check with your carrier to see what their rules about bicycles are. Every airline is different.

Baja Divide Online Resources

There are a number of places to get information on the Baja Divide. Links are below:
Baja Divide Facebook Page Lots of Q&A and up to date route information

BIKE TOURING

We see lots of folks on tour here in San Diego. Some are just finishing their tour from the north or east and are headed home. Some are just starting out getting their bikes and gear sorted. Some are at a mid point, often headed south into Mexico on the Baja Divide route or into mainland Mexico on their way into Central America and South America.

Equipment and Service Needs

Frequently we see folks who are a day or two from heading home or starting the next phase of the journey. The vast range of equipment we see means that while we have a pretty solid selection of parts and accessories there is a solid chance we don’t have the tire, cassette, chainring, etc that you need. While we can get these things in pretty short order it’s still 2-4 days for most items.

One way you can help us help you is to reach out a week or two before you arrive and tell us what you need. For many items I won’t even ask you to pay for the item in advance as even if it turns out not to be the thing you needed I will have it in the shop for the next person who asks. You can email us here directly or text us and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

This brings us to the issue of what equipment you are using on tour. We know that not everyone has the budget for the most current fancy whiz bang bike parts out there and to be honest it may not be in your best interests to use that brand new to the market piece of equipment on a tour where you may find yourself hundreds of miles from a bike shop. Also, keep in mind that some types of equipment are harder to support than others.

For example, 26” tires are far less common in the USA than they used to be. In fact many manufacturers have greatly reduced the tire options in 26”.

Running uncommon brakes is also an issue. Recently we had a customer with a set of Magura HS33 hydraulic rim brakes. Great brakes but the bleed port screw on one of them had been mangled by a previous shop and getting as replacement in short order is a tough ask. There are also several popular but uncommon disc brakes out there that you may not find pads for. I’d recommend having a set or two on hand then check in with shops to replace them when you can.

Some drivetrains are very specific about what chains and chainrings they require, especially 12 speed. Shimano 1X12 really wants a chainring that is specific to that chain, as is some of the SRAM Flat top and T-Type stuff.

My favorite bike packing MTB that came through the shop recently used a mechanical disc brake and bar top friction shifters for a 3X10 speed setup.

These are a few anecdotal reasons that I strongly suggest you keep an eye on the status of wear items on your bike and plan accordingly. Most shops will be happy to take a look at your bike and give you an idea of how far away from needing replacements you may be.

This page is by no means an exhaustive resource for anyone at any point in their bike touring adventure. Mainly this is a FAQ for us to pass on info we have learned while speaking with folks on tour and for us to pass on how we can better help you at whatever point in your adventure you may be in.

This page is new as of Saturday December 9th so keep an eye out as I will be adding info daily.

Local Lodging

WarmShowers.org