Travel Cases

[Fired Yo Momma]

Hi Guys

I am looking into getting a nice travel case for my bike. Are their any that you guys recommend? I made a attempt for info on any threads on this subject but could not find any . So please give me some ideas and thanks.

[Evil Chocula]

bikemag.com had a good review on one from Dakine.

[tkblazer]

this one looks cool

http://www.dakine.com/travel-bags/bike/bike-bag/

[Burner]

I have one of these I'd sell ya

http://crateworks.com/merchant.mvc?S...ode=Bike-Boxes

[Fired Yo Momma]

Originally Posted by Burner

I have one of these I'd sell ya

http://crateworks.com/merchant.mvc?S...ode=Bike-Boxes

Yea I am not to sure about the cardboard.

[Burner]

I hear ya.

it's "plastic" cardboard

really sturdy, I wasn't sure either.

[Sprockethead]

I've been looking at the Thule case. I'll probably get one for our next trip if we fly somewhere. I like the hard cases better cause you can never trust the baggage handlers at the airport. I see them tossing stuff all the time.

http://store.mpgear.com/index.asp?Pa...OD&ProdID=1010

This one looks pretty good to and it has wheels!

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?p...ajor=9&minor=1

[thephat]

with the Trico Iron Case.

[lardbutt]

I have 2 of the hardcases from Performance and they work great. Road or mountain bikes. And twice a year they put them on sale for $199. That's a steal...

I just checked the web site and they are no longer there. Bet you could find one at a local Perf store that they would sell for the $199.

[kevinator]

Originally Posted by thephat

with the Trico Iron Case.

I can second that - had one since 1998 and used it with hardtails, trailbikes and a road bike on domestic & int'l trips. Weighed just under 80lbs. with the trailbike including all my gear (camelbak, clothes, tools etc.) 3-4mm thick plastic is tough as nails. I was nervous about damage (getting thrown by luggage handlers) until I saw them trying to load it onto the plane one time. One guy tries to fling it onto the conveyor and just about blows a nut, so he got some help. It's also great for cutting thru traffic in busy airports and taking out weasels that try and cut in front of you. it can be a hassle (getting a rental car that it'll fit into and in and out of hotels etc.) but money well spent to protect your toys. Nothing like taking your favorite ride to distant places.

[JimN]

I have two Trico Iron Cases. So far, they've been used to fly bikes to Whistler & Idaho, as well as Fedex bikes to Colorado. The cases have held up well, and the bikes have always arrived undamaged.

I think the cases work well. The compression system keeps your bike packed in nice and tight. There's lots of extra room in the case for packing riding gear like your helmet, Camelbak and tools. And, they're relatively easy to roll through the airport with the rest of your luggage.

It requires some bike disassembly, but I think that just about any bike case does. Here's my usual routine, just so know what you're getting into:

- Remove pedals, seat/seatpost and wheels.

- Remove QRs from wheels. Not necessary, but I prefer to remove the brake rotors from the wheels and put them in ziplock bags. Keeps them from getting bent and/or contaminated.

- Install pieces of all-thread in the frame and fork dropouts.

- Remove stem face plate and lay handlebars in the case. Pop cables out of stops if necessary.

- Loosen headset/stem, rotate fork so that your brake caliper is laying toward the center of the case rather than the outside edge, and rotate stem flat.

- Remove rear derailleur screw and lay derailleur down inside case. Pop cable out of stop if necessary.

- Toss in your pedals, QRs, seat/seatpost, tools, helmet, shoes, Camelbak, etc, then one of the pieces of foam, then put your wheels in the case, then another piece of foam, and finally, put the cover on and compress the whole mess down.

One additional step required to fit my extra-large 29er in the case: deflate and remove tires and tubes. I could fight it and fit them in without doing this, but it makes it so much easier and doesn't require that much effort.

Yeah, it's a bit of hassle to deal with disassembly/reassembly and lugging the things through the airport. However, I think it's all worth it to have your own bike to ride.

[klutter]

Originally Posted by thephat

with the Trico Iron Case.

I'll second the Trico case. The only con with the Trico case, is the arrangement of the wheels. They're placed along the wide side of the case, so it makes wading through crowds of people a little cumbersome. (see http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos...ico-bottom.jpg)

[Kiehacker]

Anyone had problems with the airlines with these boxes? Do they charge extra or is it considered one of your check in luggage bags?

[kevinator]

Originally Posted by Kiehacker

Anyone had problems with the airlines with these boxes? Do they charge extra or is it considered one of your check in luggage bags?

A few years ago I would tell them "It's exercise equipment" and they'd waive the fee. Can't get away with that anymore.

Expect to pay $75-80 each way (excess baggage), although it's free if you book your travel thru IMBA.

p.s. I flew first class to Australia and there was no excess baggage charge...with the price of THAT ticket there shouldn't be!

[JimN]

Originally Posted by Kiehacker

Anyone had problems with the airlines with these boxes? Do they charge extra or is it considered one of your check in luggage bags?

Typically 80 bucks extra each way, and it counts as one of your allowed pieces of luggage. Sometimes you can get lucky and they'll waive the oversize charge.