http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080730123938AAWnZke

I’ve resolved that by getting a NiMH battery for my bike, but now I’m worried about the bike itself. I keep seeing this on airline sites:

One item of bicycle equipment is defined as 1 non-motorized touring or racing bicycle with a single seat.

is checking in the bike itself illegal? is this legally a “bike” or a “motorized bike” for the purposes of air travel? the bike will be folded and partially disassembled, with the battery unattached. will labeling this as “electric assist bike parts” help?

people have flown with Segways it seems: http://forums.segwaychat.com/archive/index.php/t-13546.html

(with the same concern for battery types)

is it possible that it’s not ok to check in “e-bike parts” but that it is ok to check in a Segway?

all advice appreciated.

thank you,
carry

Hi – thank you.

I’m willing to pay for overweight baggage, and it may not be an issue as I’m flying internationally from New York to London. I’m also flying within the EU from London – a few smaller trips. Shipping it between the smaller trips is not really an option, as some of them are 2 days long.

I should mention that it’s a folding bike, and therefore relatively small in dimensions when packed.

I’m really only worried about the authorities deciding that this is in fact a “motorized bike” though the battery will be off, though it looks like a normal bike (it *is* a normal bike that happens to have been converted), and though there seem to be different laws for “pedelecs” (bikes that support electric pedal assistance based on how much you pedal) and bikes that do not require you to pedal at all. mine is a pedelec.

I just can’t seem to find information about this.

Each street in the area seems to have its own personality. The Deer Park subdivision is full of brick homes, with meticulously manicured gardens and lawns. These folks do a magnificent job with holidays their Christmas lights are worth a trip, and Halloween is always scary!

A few blocks down, you will find a more relaxed atmosphere, maintained just as nicely, but with a more casual feel. The busiest street is Copano, which is not busy at all! The houses in this area can run the gamut from a 3,000 square foot two story brick home with a pool to a 1200 sq. foot one level 2 br/ 2 bath with a nice yard. Many of these homes back to a greenbelt: nice and quiet.

Brodie Lane, one of the main north-south thoroughfares of the area, is full of convenient businesses closer to Ben White, but as you follow the street south of William Cannon heading down to Slaughter you find new business popping up almost every day. Take the intersection of Alexandria and Brodie you have the best Cajun food and live music in town, an Austin Regional Clinic, Love Pet Hospital, Shipley’s Donuts, a florist, nail salons, a JiffyLube, and more! Just up the road is a Montessori school, just down the road is the Kid’s Zone preschool and daycare.

Austin Telco and Advance Auto just came to the area, although the property adjoining them still has cattle on it a truly Austin juxtaposition.

Families will love the Longview playground and park located at the eastern end of Harper’s Ferry. Swings and a play structure perfect for toddlers on up to school age are in great condition, and there are lots of trees for shade. A big field is perfect for kicking the ball or throwing the Frisbee, and there is a basketball court right up the hill. If you are looking for a little more, just head over to Dick Nichols just west of Mopac off Davis.

The toddler structure here is brand new, and the bigger kids one is in great repair. Picnic tables, a fountain for splash play, volleyball courts (or the world’s largest sandbox, depending on your age), tennis courts and a hike/bike trail can all be found here. Their pool is one of the best, with separate shallow and deep ends, plus a toddler wading pool all crystal clear and in excellent condition.

It might seem “way out west” but Southwest Austin is only 15 minutes to downtown, and the bang for your housing buck make it well worth considering.

Dawes Bike Offerings
Dawes was one of the first companies to produce a complete single speed mountain bike, the Edge One.
Some vintage Dawes cycles have a distinctive curved seat tube that parallels the rear wheel closely, in order to reduce the wheelbase.

This British brand of bicycle has a long heritage of making great quality bikes. From tandem to folding bikes, and even BMX and freestyle bikes, Dawes has what you need. You can even convert one into a Dawes fixed gear bike (why not!). Check out these different styles and offers and figure out if Dawes is the bike brand for you. You just might find what you’re looking for.

Types of Dawes Bikes

12″ Wheel (2 1/2 to 5 yrs)
14″ Wheel (4 to 6 yrs)
16″ Wheel (5 to 7 yrs)
20″ Wheel (7 to 9 yrs)
24″ Wheel (9 to 11 yrs)
BMX – Dirtjump
BMX – Freestyle
Leisure Bikes – Comfort Bikes (26W)
Leisure Bikes – Fast City
Leisure Bikes – Folding Bikes
Leisure Bikes – Hybrids
Leisure Bikes – Traditional
Leisure Bikes – Trekking
Mountain Bikes – Front Suspension
Mountain Bikes – No Suspension (Rigid)
Mountain Bikes – Womens
Racing – Cyclo Cross
Racing – Road Racing
Racing – Single Speed
Tandems
Tourers / Audax

Motor bike insurance is designed to cover you financially, should there be a problem of an unexpected accident, damage to your bike, damage to the other party’s vehicle, third party damage etc. As much as this may seem like something you may be able to do without, it is in fact just something you will have to grin and bear the brunt about, as it is more damaging to your finances if you are up against the people of the court!

Paying for medical expenses and other damages is just another way of saying goodbye to your money or watching your pennies fall out of your pocket. There is no excuse and not really any way round it. However, motor bike insurance in particular does become cheaper as you become more experienced on the bike. New riders will naturally be quoted a higher price due to their inexperience of being on the road and the fact that they will be more likely to be involved in an accident.

Insurance for motor bikes are possibly more expensive than normal car insurances, so you will need to take a deep breath in before you begin your searching. Insurance for this type of vehicle is different due to the higher premium rates you will have to pay. This is standard and practically every motor cyclist will know that that is the case, because it is higher at risk of causing an accident than a normal car would. It can be debated that it is due to the driver, however, motorbikes are faster and designed to be used at a much higher speed.

As a way of reducing the prospects of having to spend out thousands of pounds on damages, it is wise to opt towards a comprehensive package rather than just a third party damage as this will cover you for everything, which will include damage to your bike, theft, fire damage, third party damage and extra costs such as medical costs, repairs to yours and the other party’s vehicle. This is the most expensive insurance policy, it may be worth the price if you own an expensive designer manufactured bike.

Other types of motor bike insurance includes third party only cover or third party, fire and theft cover, which is ideal for people looking to save some money or unable to afford a fully comprehensive insurance cover. The best way to find one that you can afford and are more likely to gain value for money is to do your research and compare insurance prices. Find a medium of what you are likely to pay and equate this to how this will affect you financially. If in doubt there are plenty of insurance policy forums to keep you happy and posted about new deals.

You can also approach insurance, however, you should be careful of extra costs involved so be clear on what you are going to pay for and what the costs will cover.

Arroyo Guacamaya is one of the closest ecotourism sites to the City of Oaxaca, accessible by private vehicle in about an hour, or public transportation.  La Guacamaya has most if not all of the features and attractions of the more distant ecotourism locales in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, including mountain biking, nature trails for hiking and climbing, streams and waterfalls, lodging, children’s facilities, and a restaurant featuring fresh fish from the local trout farm – all within a community-managed forest promoting sustainable logging operations.  

Getting to Arroyo Guacamaya, Oaxaca Ecotourism Site in Ixtlan District

The village of La Guacamaya, while in the District of Ixtlan, is only a 45 minute car ride from Villa Etla, and thus just over an hour from the City of Oaxaca.  Accordingly, while there are a number of reasonably priced overnight cabins at Arroyo Guacamaya, as a day trip from Oaxaca one can easily enjoy a great deal of what the region has to offer.

There are a number of options for getting to Arroyo Guacamaya ecotourism site:

Hire a tour guide, driver or taxi, although this option is best for just a day trip since one might end up paying for the driver’s down time if an overnight is preferred

. Rent a car from one of the several vehicle rental facilities located both at the airport and in downtown Oaxaca. Seek out a Oaxaca ecotourism company, although this option might entail unnecessary expense, though an attractive option for those without at least a little facility with the Spanish language. From downtown Oaxaca near the Abastos Market, take the bus known as the autobus comunitario de Teococuilco de Marcos Perez, located at Calle Heriberto Jara #118, Col. Libertad.

La Guacamaya is 31 kilometers from the City of Oaxaca, at approximately 9,000 feet above sea level.  One leaves Oaxaca driving north towards Mexico City along Federal Highway 190, and continues along the “libre” or free highway, keeping to the right rather than going on the toll road (“cuota”). 

About a minute’s drive beyond the Pemex gas station at the entrance to Villa Etla, there’s a clearly marked blue sign indicating “Arroyo Guacamaya Ecoturismo, 13 kilometers,” with an arrow indicating a right turn off the highway. 

After leaving the main highway, and until arriving at Arroyo Guacamaya, one does not make any additional turns. It’s therefore an easy drive and extremely difficult to get lost.  The road begins as a four-lane paved secondary highway, then narrows to two lanes, and finally, for the rest of the drive one is on a dirt road, often dusty depending on the time of year.

One quickly passes through the villages of San Miguel Etla and then San Gabriel Etla, each with a quaint old stone church located on the right side of the road.  The terrain is rolling hills, with mixed semi-tropical vegetation. 

The pavement ends shortly thereafter, and the balance of the drive is a gradual climb along a dirt road with numerous easy-to-navigate switchbacks.  The roadway is not particularly conducive to motion sickness, so one need not be concerned in this regard.

Ascending, the vegetation changes from agave, cactus and mixed brush, to scrub oak and coniferous forest of predominantly pine.  Note the brilliant yellow and occasional red bromeliads growing on the trees.

Arrival at Arroyo Guacamaya, Sierra Norte, Oaxaca

About 45 minutes alter having left the main highway and witnessed changes in vegetation, elevation with corresponding ear popping, and temperature, one finally arrives.  A blue sign directing visitors to the cabins and restaurant is clearly visible with arrows pointing to the left down a smaller roadway.  To the right the road continues on for a couple of kilometers to the hillside village of La Guacamaya. 

Aside from ecotourism and sustainable logging operations, villagers dedicate themselves to predominantly agricultural enterprises.  For about half of the year the main products harvested and taken to market (i.e. the nearby Wednesday Etla market) are fava beans and potatoes, and for the remainder of the year fresh flowers (in particular azucenas which have strong cultural significant to natives of the region), berros (similar to watercress), and ocote (wood used as kindling). 

Facilities at Arroyo Guacamaya, Oaxaca Ecotourism Site

As of early 2010, the ecotourism site consists of:

Five brick and adobe cabins each with lighting, a working fireplace, washroom with hot water, and beds.  Electricity is provided by solar panels. Beds consist of bunk beds and double beds.  Four of the cabins house up to four people, and one up to a family of six. A restaurant consisting of a large dining room with kitchen, able to accommodate up to about 50 diners. Children’s swings and Jungle-Jim style climbing apparatus. An adobe temazcal, scheduled for completion later in the year.

The dining hall, in addition to serving aluminum-wrapped grilled or fried fresh trout, serves standard Oaxacan fare such as meats and quesadillas.  Sides include salad, spaghetti with vegetables and mushrooms, beans and tortillas.  The fish broth is equally as fresh and delectable as the appetizers and main course offerings.  Beverages include water, soft drinks, beer and mezcal. 

Ecotourism Activities at Arroyo Guacamaya, Ixtlan, Oaxaca

Adan is a conscientious bilingual guide and resource person, up on ecotourism matters, and anxious to provide advice and interesting information.  Consider spending at least one afternoon with him, partaking in the various activities.

The pursuits one can enjoy include:

Climbing through forests up to the mountain peaks of Siempreviva and La Portillo, from which exquisite panoramic vistas of the valleys and numerous hamlets flecking the mountainsides can be appreciated. Mountain biking. Walking through the village. Learning more about local economic activities and obstacles to the continued sustainability of the community through ecotourism. Visiting the trout farm, its pools fed by fast-flowing waters from an alpine spring. Hiking to nearby streams and waterfalls, over soft, thick beds of dried pine needles. Taking note of and photographing interesting mountain plants such as sedum and echeveria.

As noted, the temazcal should be completed in the year 2010.  Tourists to the village will have an opportunity to partake in the ancient healing custom of temazcal – sweat facilitated through the use of steam combined with medicinal herbs – cleansing the body and soul.  Some have described the ritual as being akin to the Iroquois sweat lodge.

For children, while the foregoing activities are both safe and educational, Arroyo Guacamaya holds the additional attraction of wooden teeter totters and climbing apparatus, located steps from the restaurant, cabins and temazcal.

Arroyo Guacamaya Compared to Other Oaxacan Ecotourism Sites

La Guacamaya is a relatively new ecotourism site in the Ixtlan district of Oaxaca. It stands alongside Cuajimoloyas, La Neveria, Benito Juarez, Llano Grande, Ixtlan de Juarez, and other similar yet longer-established village ecotourism sites, and boasts similar attractions.  While still developing and therefore perhaps deficient in some activities such as horseback riding, the relative lack of tourist numbers in and of itself constitutes part of its allure.  And of course, there’s the proximity to the City of Oaxaca, a significant bonus for most.

Contact Information for Arroyo Guacamaya Ecotourism Site, Ixtlan, Oaxaca

Arrangements for visiting Arroyo Guacamaya in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca can be made through one’s hotel or bed & breakfast, or by calling direct: (951) 521-8127.