I’ve successfully checked my bike and my box of bike stuff, and passed through security. It cost me $50 in excess baggage fees for the size of the box. That wasn’t totally unexpected (I read the SWA policy), but I’ve heard of people getting lucky and having bike boxes count as free when they really shouldn’t have.
Another nice thing was that security didn’t say a word about my juggling clubs. I’m glad I brought them; they should be a fun thing for when I’m tired of pedaling. I hear that you meet all kinds of fun and interesting people when you do these bike tours. Juggling on breaks should just add to the fun.
Still, I debated long and hard about bringing them on the road- they’re just dead weight that I’ll be carrying mile after mile, weight and space that I could use for food and water. They didn’t even fit into my checked boxes. When it occurred to me that I might not even be allowed to keep them, I nearly left them at home. There’s a joke here about how my bringing the juggling club influences my need to also bring condoms, but it’s 5:15 AM and I’m unable to write it funny.