BIKING IN THE BAHAMAS Governor's Harbor, Eleuthra March, 1994

Have you ever wondered how it would be to ride your own bike in an exotic and far away place, and just how would you get it there? Susan & I just returned from a wonderful vacation on Eleuthera in the Bahamas. The trip was all the more fun because we brought our bikes with us instead of having to pay the unreasonable airline surcharge.

Several months ago, we purchased two Trico Sport hard shell bike cases in anticipation of this trip. To pack our hybrid bikes, the wheels, pedals, and handlebars had to be removed, a fairly easy task. Helmets, panniers, our HandleBar Trails map pouches, some clothes, and tools were sandwiched in foam with the bikes. Of course, you can pack a bike to travel in a cardboard box too, it's just not as rugged, and you cannot expect more than one trip from it.

Dealing with the airlines turned out to be difficult. Many airlines will charge you as much as $45 (or more) each way for "sporting equipment" on domestic flights. For some strange reason, golf clubs con't fall under this rule and usually go free. (Does that mean the truth is out? Golf is not a sport buy merely an excuse to wear funny clothes?) If you're taking an international flight, your bike may go free as part of your luggage allowance. But we found that the airlines have their own definition of domestic and international. American Airlines, for one, does not consider the Caribbean to be international travel! U.S. Air does, depending on the island you travel to, and the size of the aircraft. So that was the carrier we chose.

When we purchased the tickets we had the agent assure us the bikes would go free, and actually enter a statement to the effect in the transaction record. Even so, the agent at Logan Airport (Boston) tried to hold us up for the $180 surcharge until we made him look up the rules. Of course, if you wear loud pants and convince them you have golf clubs you might get away with something.

CRW/LAW (Charles River Wheelmen/League of American Wheelmen - now League of American Bicyclists LAB) members can take advantge of Sports National Reservation Center (1-800-426-4055) or Bike Centennial Travel Serivce (1-800-735-7109) which can get you vouchers to take bikes free on some airlines under certain conditions within the continental US provided you book through them. For travel overseas, to places like Europe, many carriers will accept a bicycle as part of your regular luggage without a surcharge. As with any purchase, you have to shop around to get the best deal. In our experience many travel and airline ticket agents do not really know the rules relating to transporting bikes. Just like the fares, the rules seemed to fluctuate. Make sure the agent know what they are talking about, and have them double check the regulations. You don't need to get a surprise at the check-in gate.

Back to the Bahamas. Having our own bikes enhanced our vacation and saved us money too. Despite the travel brochures depicting flat, expansive real estate, this island was full of hills. We were thankful for all those extra gears we brought. In contrast, the rentals available where we stayed were those big, heavy, single speed beach tals available where we stayed were those big, heavy, single speed beach bikes with no pannier racks. At an average of $12 per day our two weeks would have cost $168 each. I needn't mention the savings in car rentals and gas ($50/day +$2.50/gal)! At these rates, our investment in the bike cases will pay off quickly. The bikes themselves survived the baggage handlers at seven airports and five plane changes.

For two weeks, we packed our bikes with snorkeling gear, flyrods, books, tanning lotions, lunch, and rode the island's one major road, finding our way onto beautiful remote beaches and bonefish flats through back roads and jeep tracks. Since Bahamians drive on the left, we had to get used to riding on the left, and our rear-view mirrors were useless. Traffic, what there was of it, was not a problem generally, although there was one lady in a VW who pulled up beside me to say I was not travelling far enough to the side of the road. I don't know if the rights of cyclists are as well defined as they are here, but ever since hurrican Andrew plowed through there in '92, road maintainance has become a lesser priority, and the roads in some places are a minefield of potholes. Wide tires are a good idea, and staying to the side of the road is not always possible.

All in all, it was one of the better vacations we've had. If you want to get away and enjoy it on a bike, I'd say it's better if you roll on your own!