Bike Cases

Back by popular demand, the general all-things Road forum!

Moderator: robbosmans

User avatar
TunedCannondaleR700
Posts: 338
Joined: Wed May 18, 2005 10:37 am
Location: California

by TunedCannondaleR700

I think that the botom line is a soft case will not guarantee protection for your bicycle during air travel. If you care about your bike, and you take it on a plane you should get a hard case, and not mess around. I got my hard case used for 1/4 of retail, this is the way to go to avoid paying the high retail cost for a hard case. Look around/ on the internet, and you should be able to get a used one.
Cannondale is quite simply the best

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



PinarelloPrinceSL

by PinarelloPrinceSL

I agree on the triall3. I have the custom road case and it survived Winnipeg to Hawaii and back. I ended up losing a wheel off the case in the process due to the tile floor in Maui's airport, vibrated the wheel right off!! Triall sent me a new one.

Only thing I notice with strong sturdy cases as the baggage gorillas think they can toss things around a little more :evil: Almost makes we wanna buy a seat for my bike :lol:



bc909 wrote:I'm not sure about brands as I don't know what you can get there. I have 2 cases and I travel a lot with them. One is a tri-all-three two bike case http://www.triall3sports.com/, and the other is a Sci-con hard case. Clearly I would recommend either of these, but they are expensive, and I think it would cost a lot to ship a tri-all-three to Oz.

Were it me, and I didn't want to spend the money on a case, I would pack it in a normal carboard box and ship it. DHL, FedEx, etc.

It's important to remember (at least in the US) is that the authorities WILL open the case. If it is cardboard and taped and full of clothes, they will pull all that stuff out and "try" to put it back in. They will get it wrong. Your bike may or may not make it in good shape. Bad gamble to me.

So I have found that on the airlines it's the best to make it super easy for them to open it up, look at the bike, look at the wheels, and close it back up. If you feel confident that a non-cyclist is capable of doing that without damaging your bike in the way that you pack it, then go for it, otherwise pack and ship or have a case that is VERY easy to open, close and look through.

Bruceo
Posts: 71
Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2005 3:21 am
Location: The great wide open

by Bruceo

I've used a Performance Hard case my first two trips to Europe. It was cheap and worked but pain in the ass. Bad deal when they search it and can't get it back together the same way. This year when my wife and I went we popped for the double Bike Pro case. Of course didn't pack it till day before trip and panicked when only 2 wheels of 4 fit in case. My resourceful wife made a box for the extra 2 wheels. By the time we got to Nice and needed to walk a mile to the ferry, the soft sided "box" had stretched enough for all 4 wheels to fit. I now have it stored w/ some truck tire inner tubes blown up in it to keep it stretched.

It was very handy to pull around by its leash on the 4 caster wheels. Nothing is perfect. It would be nice to have a bike that breaks down for these trips, then no baggage charge either.

User avatar
jimmer23
Posts: 314
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:57 am
Location: NYC

by jimmer23

So I checked with DHL and they want to charge me $600 to ship my bike overseas! :shock: Looks like the Serfas is going with me on the plane as the extra baggage charge will surely be easier to swallow, although I haven't figured out how to manage all of my luggage with only two arms. :? Any of you worldly travelers have any other advice for transporting this monstrosity? It's 54lbs (my bike, wheels, tools, bike clothes, etc) and 48"x30"x10". In your experience do the airlines give you a hard time with even accepting these?

So far the Serfas Bike Armor case seems to be very durable to me with a nice locking mechanism and quality rollers. Of course the true test is yet to come...

stumpytrunks
Posts: 1136
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:25 am
Location: Tas, Aus

by stumpytrunks

[quote="jimmer23"] In your experience do the airlines give you a hard time with even accepting these?
quote]

The one tip I can give you is to check in to your flight super early. This way the people at the check in desk are most likeyl to be less stressed and will have more time to deal with you. If you rock up when there is a line of 15 people behind you with half an hour to go you're up shit creek without a paddle and they'll charge you heeps for excess baggage.

Coming back from New Zealand a few months ago our team of six saved roughly 800 dollars simply by turning up early and giving the lady some podium flowers that we weren't allowed to bring back anyway.

With the exces baggage rates that I've seen the normal amount is 12-16 australian dollars per kilo. This would mean your bike is worth about 290-390 aussie dollars so the max in usd you could expect would be around 300. Hope that helped, basically get in early and suck up to the check in people.

c50jim
Posts: 1015
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 4:42 am
Location: Calgary

by c50jim

I bought one of the old Chamberlain cases in the 1980's (padded, soft sides) and used it for years without problems. Started going to Europe with a friend in 1997 and his 67 cm Merlin was too big for any of the cases he could rent so I used his rental Trico and he used my case. Found the Trico hard to pack. It would certainly be a problem for security to close it again although security here in Calgary now processes bike cases through a machine.

On a trip to Europe in 98, my beloved De Rosa was dented on the top tube when I unpacked it in Toulouse. On the return trip, the down tube was destroyed. Although the Trico is hard, monkeys can still damage a bike packed in it.

Got turned on to Bike Pro by the tour guys and eventually bought one for my wife and a Bike Friday for myself. We, our friends or our son have used Bike Pros (we have a single and a double, our friends have two singles) at least a couple of times each year since 2000 without any damage. I'd recommend them highly and their mail order service is prompt and courteous. The Bike Friday has been replaced by an S&S coupled Independent Fabrication which is even better, although far from a WW bike.

Whatever you use, pack it carefully.

User avatar
stella-azzurra
Posts: 5066
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 6:35 am
Location: New York

by stella-azzurra

I have used this box made by crateworks. The corrugated plastic one is plenty strong and keeps the bike safe. I have also added some foam in key areas.

http://www.crateworks.com/

User avatar
darbydog
Posts: 443
Joined: Fri Nov 19, 2004 7:10 pm

by darbydog

jimmer23

most international flights do not charge for a bike below a certain weight. Call the airline and let them know you intend to bring it if you have connecting flights in europe let that carrier know and you should not be charged because the flight was international. The weight can very from airline to airline so ask that also. Also ask about purchasing insurance and include the case. If the air line misplaces your bike they will only cover 1500.00

User avatar
stella-azzurra
Posts: 5066
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 6:35 am
Location: New York

by stella-azzurra

Most international and national airlines do charge for the oversized box you check in. :( about $90 each way.

User avatar
darbydog
Posts: 443
Joined: Fri Nov 19, 2004 7:10 pm

by darbydog

Never had that on an iternation flight as if you tell them it is a bike they give you dimensions it must fit and a weight.

This is from US air ways web site:

International Baggage Allowance
A fee will be imposed if checked baggage exceeds a maximum of 50 pounds or 62 inches in overall length, width and height per piece or if the total number of pieces (checked and carry-on) exceeds three. A bicycle may be substituted for one checked bag.

mises
Posts: 1698
Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2003 9:28 pm
Location: Unknown parameter

by mises

If you get there early you can also request to be present when they open up the case for inspection. I highly recommend doing so, if only to make sure it gets repacked properly.

The inspections have naturally also become a big buffet line for thieves and stuff disappears more frequently than ever.

User avatar
SASHA
Posts: 185
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 4:33 pm

by SASHA

See Tour magazine February 2006 for testing of some cases for bikes.
!Palos con gusto saben a almendra!

User avatar
jimmer23
Posts: 314
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:57 am
Location: NYC

by jimmer23

My travel agent finally got a hold of Air France and this is what they told her:

- Must have proper packaging (your case is suitable, dimensions have been noted by AF - 54lbs and 48"x30"x10")
- Pedals must be removed from bicycle
- Front wheel must be removed from bicycle, fixed to frame
- Handle bar must be parallel to frame
- If the bike is your second piece of checkin luggage, there is no cost. If it is your third, the cost is $150.00 each way.

Not too bad, I guess I'll struggle with all my luggage rather than ship it. According to the Customs website if I'm bringing it with me for personal use I am exempt from paying duties or tax. If I ship it I'm going to get SMOKED in taxes and duties.

User avatar
stella-azzurra
Posts: 5066
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 6:35 am
Location: New York

by stella-azzurra

darbydog wrote:Never had that on an iternation flight as if you tell them it is a bike they give you dimensions it must fit and a weight.

This is from US air ways web site:

International Baggage Allowance
A fee will be imposed if checked baggage exceeds a maximum of 50 pounds or 62 inches in overall length, width and height per piece or if the total number of pieces (checked and carry-on) exceeds three. A bicycle may be substituted for one checked bag.



Well if your box exceeds the airlines total dimentions then you WILL pay, period. And I really do not know which box does not exceed the dimentions unless you make your own out of cardboard to which it will be close as to the overall dimention that the airline deems suitable as NOT being oversize luggage. Now my bike was a 54cm at the time. There is no way it will fit the airlines total dimentions....
By the way the total weight of the bike and box together was 42 lb.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



User avatar
darbydog
Posts: 443
Joined: Fri Nov 19, 2004 7:10 pm

by darbydog

Typically they give you seperate dimensions on a bike. Most standard bike boxes fit I have used hard cases and soft case on several trips and have never paid on an internatinal flight. On domestic I agree you will pay but I have never paid more than 80.00 for domestic and the cases always fit the requirement and I have never been closer then 5 lbs on the weight and pack other gear in the box besides the bike and I ride a a 62 cm c to t

Post Reply