As much as I'd like to see airline travelers riding bikes to and from distant airports, I have to admit: for now it's a foolish idea. Here's why:

A new folding bike that you'd actually feel safe riding is going to cost roughly $700 to $2000+. If you are going to purchase the bike bag/case along with it, add another $250-400.

For the flight, you'll have a one-way baggage fee ranging from

• free (perhaps on an intl. flight), to
• $15-$25 (a folding bike that can squeeze down to 62 linear inches (i.e., length + width + height) - and you'd better hope they don't know it's a bike), to
• $175 for a full-size bike box on Northwest Airlines

If you plan on riding off into the sunset upon landing, your adventure has just begun. For starters, you'll be needing lights.

Cross your fingers and make your way to the baggage claim - note that you may have to seek out the spot for oversized baggage.

Now it's time to reassemble your bike - pick a good spot because it's going to take you anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to unpack, tighten bolts, and pump up tires with that tiny pump (forget CO2, it's on the do not fly list). On the other hand, if you are lucky enough to land in Christchurch, New Zealand, or Victoria, British Columbia, you may have a bike assembly station and floor pump to aide you (Portland, Oregon may be next). If by chance you did just land in New Zealand, or any other country where driving takes place on the left side of the road, don't forget: look right, left, right!

Ready to roll? Let's hope you have a place nearby to store that container, because otherwise you're bringing it with you. If it's a backpack, let me tell you: it isn't that comfortable.

Great, so perhaps you made it out of the airport and now you're off traveling on the narrow shoulders of four-lane highways - dodging glass, grates, and discarded tires. Bring water and a snack, you've got 15 miles to go.

A more rational method to traveling with your bicycle involves taking your bike to your local bike shop and asking them to ship it to a bike shop near your destination. My estimate would be $50 - $100 for disassembly, shipping, and reassembly one-way. As a bonus, you can be assured that you bike will be disassembled and reassembled by someone who works on bikes daily, and that carriers such as FedEx or UPS have more reliable track records than airlines on handling bike boxes. If you are mechanically inclined and have access to tools, save some money by doing the disassembly and reassembly on your own - I still might see if a bike shop would be willing to ship it, as they may get a commercial rate.

Another approach would be to borrow or rent a bike at your destination - entrepreneurs take note!. If you are going to be staying a little longer, consider purchasing a used bike. Bike shops, thrift stores, and craigslist.org are all possible vendors, but the former is going to sell the most trustworthy bikes.

The finest way to travel cross-country with a bicycle: ride it.

Three nearly essential pieces of equipment on my bike: