8 minute read
Man (and bike) in a suitcase
by Audax UK
❝The undulating 30km to Bonifacio was beautiful but exposed under the baking sun. Adrian drank all his water before reaching Bonifacio ❞
the disc pad retainer was bent. Adrian put the pads back without the holder as it was too badly damaged. The pads rubbed slightly but we were off again. Thankfully, our hotel had a swimming pool outside our rooms so we could relax and ease our tired limbs.
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Day 9 Aleria to Bastia – 132km, 3298m climbing
We set off at 6am before the day became too hot, having an incentive of breakfast at 57km. We soon split on the initial climb, it was a day of long climbs and steep descents. Adrian was upfront and sent a message to say that the road was closed but he would continue and let us know if it was passable. Luckily it was.
Further up, as the road got steeper, there were pigs and other animals to avoid. There were also a couple of 30 per cent sections but these were short. I was relieved to finally reach the top of the climb and breakfast at L’Auberge de 2 Vallees. We had an excellent omelette, coffee, and orange juice. The beer garden had excellent views down the valley.
Crossing the busy T10 road was a shock after the quiet interior roads. It became very hot riding the coast road without shade, a straight and flat road, but easy to navigate. Paddy was first to stop at a beach. Adrian and I joined him for a swim. We planned to regroup here to ride the last part of the ride together into Bastia. However, when we realised how far back Lars was Paddy took off and Adrian and I took a more leisurely ride together to await Lars in Bastia. Lars had sent a message that he was a long distance away, making the most of his last day on the bike and in no rush to catch up.
On our return to Bastia in the evening there was a music festival which was great. Later we walked to the outskirts of the town to find a quieter place to eat and to toast the end of our adventure!
Man (and bike) in a suitcase
Globe-trotting Audaxer Chris Wilby is a big fan of the Airnimal folding bike – a machine designed and built in Cambridge, the cycling capital of Britain. Here he describes his travel experiences with a fold-away favourite, the Airnimal Chameleon, and his many modifications in search of the perfect machine
I DID SOME TINKERING with my bike in lockdown – and now I believe I have the perfect travelling Audax machine – an Airnimal Chameleon, upgraded to 26-inch or 650c wheels.
I’m no longer refused entry on buses or taxis and need make no special arrangements with train companies. As well as the in-a-case option there’s the travelling-bag option. I’m regularly adding something new to my Chameleon – the latest upgrade being a Busch and Muller rear dynamo lamp. The size of a £1 coin, it fits unobtrusively on the rear stay, with an LED light powered from my dynohub.
I’ve been an Airnimal fan for years. Mine is a sporty model the Chameleon, first produced in 2002. I also own a carbon Dolan road bike, but frequently choose to ride the Airnimal, particularly since adding the bigger wheels. The suspensive rubber technology gives the whole unit a feel of a steel tourer. It also has an aluminium frame, which I find less harsh than alloy frames. I bought my first Airnimal, a gold painted Chameleon, in 2007 prior to my third Paris Brest Paris ride.
I’ve had plenty of experience taking bikes to USA, Canada, Australia, Italy and Russia. But I got fed up with various Airline problems, and the process of taking a full-sized bike on a plane. So the idea struck me – why not take a bike in disguise?
When airlines began to demand payment for bike carriage, it seemed convenient to “smuggle” a bike in a suitcase, while meeting airline standards. My advice, though, is not to put any cycling identification, like stickers, on the suitcase. This only attracts attention. Once an airline knows there’s a bike in the case, even if it’s regulation-size, they’re likely to charge you.
There are some carriers, like Air Amsterdam, who welcome bikes at no extra charge, but generally it’s a compromise. You can pay for a higher cost flight that doesn’t charge for bikes, or choose a budget airline which will add a supplement. Sometimes it’s cheaper to use the more expensive airline.
Airnimal offers benefits when you get off the plane, too. Getting the bike in a taxi or on a bus is so much simpler. Once it’s packed it become normal luggage. On the Moscow subway, for instance, regular bikes have to be transported up and down escalators with the front wheel removed. The escalators, built by Stalin to double as bomb shelters, are so long you can’t see the end of them
My first Audax ride with the folding bike was in Wales (300km) where everything went wrong. I had repeated punctures due to the front wheel not having any rim tape. I packed in the end, and a kind organiser took me back to base. My first 600km was the Scotland’s Daylight 600. Travelling by train and bus to the ride headquarters was easy. Assembling the bike and packing it in the case can be quickly learned. I took photos of the process so I could get it just right.
The Airnimal came into its own on my third PBP. Travelling by plane and train worked out cheaper and was more convenient than the slog down by train. I completed the ride in the 84 hours limit with just one puncture.
Back in the UK after more rides the bike frame cracked just below the bottom bracket. I learned that Airnimal planned to strengthen that part of the bike following some failures. After a new frame, donated by Airnimal, I attempted the Mille Miglia 1600km in Italy using the same method of transport – airplane, bike in a suitcase, and with a tent for before and after the ride.
I pushed too hard, with not enough sleep, lost my map, and the Garmin failed. I packed, and managed to get the bike on to a train from Rome back to Milan. Such a disappointment, but I was determined to complete the ride, which I did in 2010. I fitted my Airnimal with a front hub brake and dynamo combined. The following year I completed the Madrid-Gijon-Madrid, but two nights before, I took a test ride and the front hub went down a grate and twisted the wheel. The supermarket bike repair service team were able to true the wheel just enough to do the ride, albeit with a wonky wheel.
In 2011 it was time for the next PBP but to do something different I did the first edition of “The Big Wild Ride” 1200km in Alaska. This included a train ride, and a boat trip to get to the start. The Airnimal did well and I was able to make a Strava king of the mountains on the first big climb.
Other journeys have included a 1200km in South Korea. I was also the first Englishman to complete the Silk Road 1200km ride in Uzbekistan. There were also rides in New Zealand, Sweden and Corsica.
In 2019 during the Tour de Corse (see above) my front wheel was trashed in an accident, and the Decathlon store fitted a mountain bike wheel with smooth tyre. So when I got back I upgraded the whole bike to 650c which has 23mm tyres. The other choice of 26-inch wheel also works but has a minimum 28mm tyre, so keeping with the Airnimal speed bike ethos it was the 23mm tyre with a Continental Gatorskin tyre, perfect for the toll of rough treatment of sidewalls. The new wheels and tyres fit in the same case.
After lots of trips with the 24-inch wheels I’m now looking forward to the future with the 650c wheels. A suitable upgrade to 26-inch or 650c size has a number of advantages. For the Chameleon, the option for 26-inch wheels allows for smooth tyres of 28mm that will fit the bike, and 26 inch is easily found in stores.
My conversion of the Chameleon to either 26-inch or 650c, was prompted by the Tour de Corse incident and makes the fastest Chameleon yet. To make the conversion, new front forks were required for the new wheel size, although I’ve used forks designed for 24- inch wheels which fit very well. At the rear the existing brake stay was removed with a small hacksaw. The rear brakes needed a new longer reaching calliper that attaches to the other metal bridge pivot above the wheel.
The Airnimal bike provides a convenient way of travelling without the inconvenience of extra fees and bookings or extra-large taxis. So long as you are happy to use a suitcase to get to the start then this is ideal. If you need help in the conversion I can be contacted on
cbwilby@gmail.com.
