Any trouble with bike equipment on board?

September 13, 2007 6:43 PM

Am I going to have any trouble carrying my bike helmet on an airplane?

I hate to waste a question on this, but it's been nagging at me and I haven't found anything via the google. Besides, I'll be on vacation for a week anyway, ha-ha!

The whole carry-on scenario can be tricky these days, and I'm just wondering if you've had any trouble, or heard of anybody having any trouble, carrying their bike helmet in their carry-on luggage. How about bike shoes with the clipless cleats? I won't bring my tool kit, as I know hex wrenches can be dangerous.

I just don't want them to think that my helmet is a super high tech explosive device. Please tell me I worry for naught.

posted by iguanapolitico to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

done it been there... no problem..
The Xray will show nothing more than some plastic hard shell and foam.. maybe small metal clips.... if you think there is more abnormal parts like gel inserts.. ... put them in ship package.... if it is very small... just show the guards...
posted by curiousleo at 6:48 PM on September 13, 2007

hex wrenches are ok too, but leave that tube of lube at home
posted by caddis at 6:50 PM on September 13, 2007

This is all fantastic news. Thank you for easing my concerns.

I'm usually Miss Couldn't-Care-Less; I haven't traveled without a tweezer or my tube of hand lotion in years and haven't ever had a problem. But I don't need to start losing pricey equipment on this trip. :)
posted by iguanapolitico at 7:13 PM on September 13, 2007

A few months ago I took donkey piñata with a large metal hanger as carry on, and it went through fine. A bike helmet should be no problem.
posted by Nematoda at 8:05 PM on September 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

I had no problem wearing my bike shoes (with the metal cleats) on planes last year (Eugene Oregon, Las Vegas and Chicago airports).
posted by JeffL at 8:16 PM on September 13, 2007

Just make sure the helmet gets treated nice—not dropped out of anything, set on top of other carryon in the bins, maybe wrapped in a nice soft sweater. The foam in those helmets is designed to absorb one solid impact, and after that it's crushed and won't work as well, even if you can't see damage.

I just replaced a helmet because the plastic shell had cracked somehow while it was living on a crowded shelf in a messy apartment. Couldn't find any crumbled foam, but a helmet's $20 and a brain is priceless.

By next year, of course, the Powers that Be will have noticed that bikers don't buy as much petroleum as drivers do, and you'll be put on the no-fly list and branded or tattooed or jailed in Cuba or something. But for now you ought to be all right.
posted by eritain at 8:25 PM on September 13, 2007

I know Giro sells a helmet carrying case, called the Helmet Pod, aimed at folks who drop a lot of green on their Atmoses. Looks like it costs in the 30 dollars range.

First Google result
posted by fijiwriter at 6:52 AM on September 14, 2007