# Travelling to San Diego- Bike Tourism help?



## 13thcyclist (Jan 23, 2011)

Hey, so my mom has the opportunity to go to San Diego for business next Sunday (7/24) for a week (till 7/29) and wants to take me along. We live in Hawaii, so airfare is ridiculous for us right now first of all. It seems to be pretty much around the $800-$900 range round trip and she wants me to find something around $500 or else I just stay home. Can anyone recommend places to search for such prices?

Also, I want to take my own bike with me since based on the prices for bike rentals here, that can get expensive for a weeks stay, and I would simply feel more comfortable in a new place on my own bike . Should I get the bike shop(s) here to ship it out for me? Or should I get a bike case and take it with me myself? As far as cases, I think I'd prefer a soft case while padding my bike heavily over using a hard case due to weight limits. Anyone else think this is a good route?

And when I do arrive in SD, any ideas on whether I should reassemble it or get a shop there to do it? I've got one week to learn some wrenching, but I already know some of the basic stuff right now. I'll probably at least get a safety check once the bike is up after trying to rebuild it myself.

Well, that's all I can think of right now. Any helpful advice, or links on bike travel/tourism to San Diego or in general is welcome. Also, any opinions on whether I should even bother with this whole bike endeavor at all in San Diego, too (never cycled outside of Hawaii before)


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## jspharmd (May 24, 2006)

Not sure about airfare prices.

Airlines will charge you an arm and leg to bring the bike on the flight (~$100+ each way). 

Shipping may also be expensive (not sure though) since it is coming from Hawaii. You would know better than most in the continental US.

You might reconsider renting a bike (less of a headache). I was going to ship my bike from Memphis, TN to San Diego for a vacation. I quickly realized it was cheaper to rent for the time I was there and I didn't have the worries about damage to my bike during shipping or reassembly.

Talk with Joe at Synaptic Cycles: synapticcycles.com 

He will make your rental bike fit as close as possible to your current ride (provided you have set up information). 

Joe was fantastic when I rented and will definitely rent again when I go back!


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## Erion929 (Jun 10, 2010)

Renting sounds soooo much easier. By the time you pay for excess baggage, in BOTH directions, and any shop wrenching/checking fees, there probably isn't that big of a difference. Plus , maybe you end up renting different bikes for fun.

If you rent for multiple days, you may be able to get a cheaper rate.....ask shops for it. The internet should make it easy to find some shops and prices....


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## 13thcyclist (Jan 23, 2011)

Yeah, I'm thinking of just giving up on shipping my bike over. Rentals for a week are a lot cheaper; some of the shops go as low as $100 for a week's worth of rent! However, I am concerned about some of these shops taking a 'security deposit' for like $500-$1000, which I assume is the cost of the entire bike. This deposit will be refunded when I return the bike, right?


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## Erion929 (Jun 10, 2010)

The big deposit would be more for RETURNING the bike and not stealing it....secondary would be for any damages to the bike; Yeah, you'll get it back if returned intact.


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