Hey folks, looking for recommendations/experiences with a bike bag/case for airline travel. As much disassembly as needed is fine by me. I have an all road bike and gravel bike that will use this from time to time. Both bikes have regular two piece cockpits, normal seat post, external cable (not through the headset) routing, fancy wheels, disc brakes, and DI2 (older wired stuff). I am in need of a bag for some domestic/international travel and looking for advice. Thanks!
If I were buying today, Buxumbox or that new Orucase. Until then, my scicon hardshell continues to work really well unless I want to fit plus sized tires. I have a solution and it works, it’s just not as easy.
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I started writing out my thoughts but then it felt like deja vu …. so instead I recommend you have a read of this!
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Thank you, must have scrolled right past this in April as, up until now I never thought I would shell out for such a thing.
Definitely worth checking second-hand options in your area as bike bags seem to be a common thing people buy and then don’t use frequently enough so sell on. The original Evoc second hand along with the Pro frame I recommend in the article is a relatively cost-effective combo.
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Been happily using this combo since 2018. Chose the EVOC after reading the interview with cyclist baggage handler over at the old place.
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Just got back from a trip with my PakGo X. It works well, no problems on my 1 or 2 trips annually over 4 years. Think I’m on 7 now. It’s bulky but I’ve wheeled it around airports and cities with no issues. Ride share/taxi transportation is an issue though. As a note, it can accommodate integrated bars/stems without too much hassle as long as the brake hoses have a tiny extra slack.
I have a lot of experience with travel cases as both a traveler and as an airline employee. I probably bored everyone to death on this topic on the Discord channel, but here’s the TLDR: for non-coupled bikes I’d go with the Orucase/ Post Carry type of case if you don’t mind some wrenching. For coupled bikes, CoMotion Co-Pilot or for more DIY, Tri-All-3 clamshell wheel case (and drill, pop riveter, extrusions, handles, latches, etc). For people who don’t like to wrench, EVOC or the new Orucase thingy. For people who don’t wrench, have deep pockets, and large cars, Buxombox. Personally, I use coupled bikes and have an Orucase-like case I use for non-coupled. Keep in mind size of the case with regard to trains, buses, escalators, hotel rooms, rental cars, etc. The flight is the easiest part: drop it off and it’s someone else’s problem until the bag claim. For the rest of the trip, you need to wrangle it. More info here: Traveling With a Bike Sucks – MAMIL Musings: A Middle Aged Man in Lycra Considers Cycling
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Post Carry Transfer Case satisfied user here.
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I own a diverge gravelbike framesize 64. I am assuming that this size will not work with most cases and I will have to go through the fineprint in all the websites to figure out, which case will work for me? Any advice for big frame sizes?
Two very different options for flying, hard case versus soft. Hard will always trip extra charges for weight, soft sometimes falls under and is considered a standard checked bag. Hardshell is obviously best protection but more disassembly, but as long as you don’t have single/integrates cockpit it’s not too bad.
I’ve flown using soft 4 times, generally prefer It over my Topeak Pack-X for convenience, but have had to deal with minor damage. Somehow the baggage handlers can detect a hanger bracket and toss someone’s suitcase right on top of it. Pro tip-always remove the derailleur.
For specific recommendation, I’m a huge fan of Scion Aero comfort and they’re running deep discount sales now, half price plus extras like gear bags and extra protection kits.
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What do you mean by “coupled bike"? I was reading your article and saw you reference that under a photo, but in didn’t see a definition/explanation.
S&S Machine, Ritchey, and Paragon make fittings - couplers - that can be built into a standard sized frame that enables splitting the frame into two pieces. Assembled, such frames feel exactly like a regular bike. Disassembled, they make it so a complete regular bike can fit in a standard airline checkable case, 26” x 26” x 10”. (This can even be done with tandems.)
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Coupled bikes are great, Ritchie Break-Away owner and when I built my custom road bike S&S, which I can pack in 20 minutes. I have Paragon Z couplers on my adventure bike, but might not ever use them because with bags aero bars etc a cardboard bike box will probably be easier.
My concerned with a soft case and a carbon frame is that it will get damaged on traffic. I have a soft case for my chromoly bike and so far no problems. Wondering about your experiences with carbon frames and soft bags?
Another happy user of the Post Carry Transfer Case. I also have an S&S coupled bike with the hard case and the Transfer Case isn’t much larger. Nearly the same amount of disassembly/assembly but the Transfer requires pulling the fork.
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I’m wary of a soft case with any bike, at least for checking on airplanes. I too use a hard case for my S&S coupled bikes. For my MTB, a Ti hardtail, I use a B&W “bike guard curv” case, the lightest hard case I could find that fits a size L 29er MTB. Everything fits, protection seems great, but assembling it is fiddly, and I worry about airport security opening it and then not putting it back together properly. Fortunately, as long as the straps are fully closed, and I don’t put any small things loose inside the case, I think the bike would be protected even if the two halves of the case aren’t put together exactly right. Also, it’s expensive.
Thanks Michael, I have a 56 Lauf Seilga, and based on the dimensions, some of the most popular hard cases for road bikes don’t have enough space. I will take a look at the B&W.
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Hey Andy,
I’m not sure if you already bought the bag/case yet but I can strongly recommend the Orucase B61. The only extra disassembly from regular bike bags is dropping thr fork from the head tube, a simple task with your externally routed bikes.
Aside from not being oversized, it’s easy to walk with, truely steerable wheels, can go in a compact rental car, European trained etc with ease. It will seem very tight the first time you pack but practise makes it seem bigger second time around. Plus, it folds down to the size of the tray and 10 cm high, usefulif you live in a small apartment. Most crucially but worth mentioning, protection is excellent thanks to the ballistic side panels.
Hi.
Just to add my 2 cents. I used to have the scicon aerocomfort 2.0. I never had any issues and was very nice not needing to disassemble the bars (even though I am perfectly capable and was an external rim brake bike - time and no aligning the bars). That said, I never felt “safe” with it, and seen many horror stories of bikes being chucked about. Recently since I have a full integrated cockpit now, I invested in the Bike Box Alan Road Aero. It’s quite a bit bigger (though not as big as a buxom I think), it did fit in my wife’s Audi Q2. But it was extremely easy to pack (pedals and wheels off), very secure and complete peace of mind my bike was arriving in one peice. You probably can’t pack as much luggage in the box as a bag (due to space and weight of the box taking up more of your allowance) but I got pretty much all my cycling kit in it minus a few things I’d normally take in my rucksack carry on (helmet/shoes/garmin etc).