Bicycle Tidbits

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Taking everything apart was pretty easy.  Now we have to get everything into the suitcases so that it can be turned back into a bicycle at the other end.

 

	I started by trying to put the rear section into the Samsonite.  Nope, no way.  It was just too wide for the case.  The chain ring stuck out on one end, and the wheel on the other.  Even if I had removed the tire from the rim, the wheel would have extended beyond the ends of the case.  Without loosening the rear wheel in its dropouts, I'm not sure how the Flying Shoe could be packed into two Samsonites.
	I scratched my head a little, and tried the rear section  in the Carlton.  The fit was cozy, but I was able to get it in by deflating the rear tire and pressing firmly.  The chain ring scraped on one end, and the fully deflated tire was on the other.  The case would close, but the ends bulged.  I decided it wasn't a good enough fit for a four connection flight from Alaska to Vermont.  By pulling the right hand crank and putting a little bit of air back in the tire, I was able to make a perfect fit. Since these photographs were taken, I have replaced the stock Haro tires with Schwalbe City Marathons.  They were a wonderful upgrade. They have a lower rolling resistance, and are small enough to pack without having to deflate anything.  I highly recommend them.
	With the requirement that the rear section fit into the Carlton, I was worried that the front section would also require this (larger) case.  Fortunately, when the fork was turned backwards, the front section fit beautifully into the smaller Samsonite.  The stem and bars rested nicely across and inside the top/down tube triangle, and there was no need to pull the right hand crank to make it fit. On our second trip, I found that the steering tube had been deformed by banging on the bottom of the suitcase during transit.  I was able to round it back out by rolling a very strong steel bar around the inside of the steering tube.  For the return trip, I rotated the front section 180 degrees in the Samsonite.  This placed the steering tube on the handle side of the suitcase rather than the bottom.

The rack and pedals were placed in the Samsonite with the front section. The Carlton received: Seats (on their posts)  Stoker stem and bars Chains Right hand cranks Front wheel What else was left to fit in there?

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