Shokbox Pro Order Issues Anyone?

[Sander7721]

Hey All,

Has anyone like me ordered the new Shokbox Pro at all?
I Ordered mine in October 2023 pretty much as soon as it was released but ever since then they have had delays due to shipping and supplier issues, which again is understandable and beyond there control.
Deliveries were December, then February.
Last email said that the wheel bags they were waiting for were due into port on the 26th March 24, (this has been confirmed by a mere 'yes' via Insta DM and no more)
Last Email communication was recieved on the 9th of February saying that cases will start going out on the 2nd week of March if the port delivery is recieved on the 26th of March whic apparently it has.


Now I’m sure this box will be great but what is not great is Shokbox's very poor communication and customer service skills.
Emails don’t get answered and insta DM's get 'seen' with not even a reply phone call and messages do not get responded to either.
I dont think the ignore it and hope it goes away attituted works in customer services, no one likes bad news, but any news good or bad is better than none at all!!

[kofsw4]

Myself and two friends also ordered them around November last year and agree with you that the lack of communication isn't great, especially the lack of response to direct emails.

Having said that, we're all going on a trip next week and the guys at Shokbox have been great at helping us make alternative arrangements as they say the boxes probably won't be delivered until just after we leave. Fingers crossed they actually turn up

[Sander7721]

Myself and two friends also ordered them around November last year and agree with you that the lack of communication isn't great, especially the lack of response to direct emails.

Having said that, we're all going on a trip next week and the guys at Shokbox have been great at helping us make alternative arrangements as they say the boxes probably won't be delivered until just after we leave. Fingers crossed they actually turn up

Hey kofsw4

I actually managed to have a 45-minute chat with the owner Martin yesterday on the phone.
Unfortunately, they have had to a face a lot of unforeseen obstacles that they have no control over plus he is not willing to compromise on the quality.
He was apologetic and as per his last email and embarrassed as well, and that due to successful preorders and the issue they have had, they have also not been marketing the box hard until all pre-orders have been fulfilled which to be honest is true if you look at their Insta site
However, like many I did mention the communication is not great, and I would prefer any news good or bad than no news at all.
Also like you as I have trip planned in 7 weeks and I just wanted to know if I will get a box or not otherwise, I can make other arrangements.
He said that the frame bags are now in the UK and arrived last week, and he is expecting delivery dates hopefully this week. Once he has dates, he will be able to send out another email confirming delivery dates of UK pre-orders, which is likely most will get there boxes before the end of march.

[kofsw4]

Thanks for the update, that's consistent with what one of our group heard from them yesterday also. Hopefully not too long to wait now!

[skinnybex]

I'm in the USA and I just ordered mine today without knowing timetable for delivery. My hopes is the Box will be available before summer arrives. I have the Scicon Evolution as well as the aerocomfort 3.0 but both those carriers have some major compromises so I'm hoping the SB Pro is the final case I'll ever need to buy.

[Sander7721]

I'm in the USA and I just ordered mine today without knowing timetable for delivery. My hopes is the Box will be available before summer arrives. I have the Scicon Evolution as well as the aerocomfort 3.0 but both those carriers have some major compromises so I'm hoping the SB Pro is the final case I'll ever need to buy.

Hey Skinnybex

I tried the Buxom Box in 2022 and that was a Pain with my SL7 with the fact bending the bars and stem into the box due to now slack in the hydraulic cables one hose got a kink and had to take to a LBS to sort.
Used the Bike Box Slan Aero last year 2023 and I was going to get that until this Shokbox appeared. The Alan was ok, does not take the claimed 10 minutes to pack more 30/45mins, needed extra padding and the rear derailleur had to come off.
I’m hoping the SB is a game hanger, Martin told me they did go through a re-design last year as the original design once a prototype was made did not have room for the rear Derailleur, so they had to redesign it and get tooling again made for the updated design.
Speaking with him they sound like they have put some real though into the design process maybe this will be a 10-minute pack although yes, the only compromise is it is not a small box, but it may give me more confidence when transporting it as well even with the other marker leading cases I’m always left wondering of the bike will be in once piece when the case I opened.
Watching the bagged handlers at the airport I just want to close my eyes sometimes


Well I have received the update email below


I also received another email on Monday evening that they expect all UK pre orders to be fulfilled by the end of March.
Obviously dubious as they said they 'expect' and not that they 'will', well I have 6 weeks anyway.
I feel confident they will get it out. They have not up till now pre-manufactured any boxes due to the potential for damage as they would be sitting around and there production capacity is 100 boxes a week

Please ignore if you haven’t ordered a Pro

I hope this message finds you well. It's been a whirlwind of emails and questions lately, so I wanted to take a moment to reach out and share some exciting news. Finally, the day has arrived! Our wheel bags, frame bags, and webbing straps have made their way to the UK. With their arrival, production can now kick into gear, and we can begin the task of getting your Shokbox Pro cases out to you.

While we're thrilled to be back on track, I want to be transparent about the process ahead. Dispatching all the cases may take a few weeks, given the large volume of orders we need to fulfil. However, please rest assured that we are fully committed to delivering on our promise to you. Your patience and understanding during this drawn-out and frustrating period have meant the world to us.

I want to take a moment to address the challenges we faced during this delay. It's no secret that the shipping industry has been experiencing unprecedented disruptions, particularly due to potential troubles in the Red Sea. Shipping schedules were thrown into disarray, with containers being dropped off at non-destination ports to recalibrate vessel schedules, resulting in doubled transit times and a logistical headache for businesses like ours.

The decision to wait for the frame bags was essential, as they include retention straps to secure your frame during transit and provide added layers of protection. While it may have been tempting to ship the cases and forward the bags separately, it didn't make commercial sense due to the exorbitant shipping costs and the fact that your cases would be redundant without the frame bag.

Our focus is now on getting your cases made, assembled, and delivered as efficiently as possible. Please know that all orders are a priority to us, and we won't be able to prioritise any specific ones. Rest assured; you'll receive individual notifications at the time of dispatch to keep you informed every step of the way. However, may I respectfully ask that you keep emails and questions to a minimum to allow the team to focus on the task ahead without distraction?

While this situation was beyond our control as a business, I want to extend my sincere apologies for any inconvenience it may have caused. Your support and understanding mean everything to us.

Thank you for your continued patience and trust in us.

Martin Greene
CEO
Shokbox Limited



What contacts has anyone else had and what have you been told?

[JKolmo]

I ordered a Pro yesterday March 8. Communication via e-mail has been fast and responsive. I am located in Scandinavia and has been informed that they expect stock to be available for dispatch from the German fullfilment center ”by the start of April”. Fingers crossed. Seems like a great product!

[Sander7721]

I ordered a Pro yesterday March 8. Communication via e-mail has been fast and responsive. I am located in Scandinavia and has been informed that they expect stock to be available for dispatch from the German fullfilment center ”by the start of April”. Fingers crossed. Seems like a great product!

Well as soon as I get mine in the coming weeks I will post some pictures give thoughts on quality etc and post also when I travel

[joss]

It looks like you have to put your bike upside down into the Shokbox Pro.
I never had any problem with that but I have heard that you should not put your bike upside down if you have hydraulic brakes?! What is up with that?

Shokbox Pro looks pretty good to me

[JKolmo]

I ordered a Pro yesterday March 8. Communication via e-mail has been fast and responsive. I am located in Scandinavia and has been informed that they expect stock to be available for dispatch from the German fullfilment center ”by the start of April”. Fingers crossed. Seems like a great product!

Well as soon as I get mine in the coming weeks I will post some pictures give thoughts on quality etc and post also when I travel

Please do - much appreciated!

[Sander7721]

It looks like you have to put your bike upside down into the Shokbox Pro.
I never had any problem with that but I have heard that you should not put your bike upside down if you have hydraulic brakes?! What is up with that?

Shokbox Pro looks pretty good to me

I heard this and have asked the question as well as this is the same for the Bike Box Alan Aero.
I was told told Most of the journey the box is laid flat so yes I made sure where possible the box was on the side , plus if the hydrailic sustme is set up as it should be there should be no issue so hope for no bubbles in hydraulic system
I had no issues last year using the Alan.
If I have had a problem will get a band and pull the lever back and leave for an hour or so

[kofsw4]

Has anybody received theirs yet?

Shokbox were kind enough to lend me one of their prototypes for a trip a couple of weeks back. I wasn't going to post any comments on it because, as they said, this was a prototype. However, they haven't replied to any of our emails since (not to answer questions, take on board feedback, not even to pick up the box - I've had it for over three weeks now!) and, having used the box, have a few questions that maybe somebody else can help me answer.

First, a couple of general comments:

-No problem with the brakes etc from the bike being upside down.

- The box is big! Someone in our group also had a Bike Box Alan Aero Easyfit (ie bars on type box) and this applies to that as well. You'll only ever be able to fit one box in a car with the rear seats down, even a 7 seater Uber XL. This makes ground transport to/from the airport more difficult/expensive than with older bar off style boxes where you could generally fit two in a hire car. Pushing it around however, is easy. We had a fifteen minute walk to our hotel and this was no hardship.

- The box is heavy! I had my 7kg SL7, 1.5kg of tools and kit/clothes for four days and only just scraped the 32kg weight limit. My nutrition, shoes and helmet had to go in hand luggage or I'd have been over.

- It’s very sturdy. I had no doubt that nothing was going to harm my bike from the outside. The plastic seems extremely durable (much more so than the BBA actually) and there is a lot of padding inside and two large anti crush poles. The catches /TSA locks also look strong.

Now a few issues (these are really where I’d like to know if anything’s been addressed in the final version):

- Pedals had to come off (not really a surprise but I couldn’t find this mentioned on their product page)
- My saddle height is 76.5cm and I had a 52 tooth chainring. I had to drop my seatpost by ~2cm.
- Although there’s a protective ‘rug’ that goes around the frame (and there’s supposed to be one for the wheels too although I didn’t receive this) there’s nothing that attaches the frame or the wheels to the box itself (unlike the BBA where there are multiple Velcro straps to hold everything in place). This made me quite nervous about damage to the bike from it, or the wheels or other things in the box, moving around in the box during transit. Because of this, I decided to put pipe insulation foam around the whole frame.
- Also, because of the lack of straps, I decided it would not be safe to leave rear derailleur attached or rotors on the wheels so had to take these off (and bring tools to remount)
- This meant that all in all, packing it up and rebuilding the bike took around 45mins each time. I expect this would improve with experience but the whole point was to not need to mess around with pipe foam, rotors, seat height etc etc.
- The biggest issue for me however, was that my 700c wheels with 29.5mm WAM tyres only just fit once I deflated them a bit. Maybe 30-32mm tyres would be ok but no chance of fitting a gravel tyre in this box (I tried a 700x40). I have a gravel trip planned for June so this box wouldn’t work for that and, if the current trend for wider road tyres continues, is not future proof.

So, all in all, if the final version is the same as the prototype then I’ll be sending it back unfortunately. The Bike box Alan page has really detailed drawings and measurements so you can check what will fit in terms of seat height, wheel diameter etc. Shokbox’s page is incredibly vague in comparison (they say it fits all road, gravel and TT bikes!)

[Sander7721]

Has anybody received theirs yet?

Shokbox were kind enough to lend me one of their prototypes for a trip a couple of weeks back. I wasn't going to post any comments on it because, as they said, this was a prototype. However, they haven't replied to any of our emails since (not to answer questions, take on board feedback, not even to pick up the box - I've had it for over three weeks now!) and, having used the box, have a few questions that maybe somebody else can help me answer.

First, a couple of general comments:

-No problem with the brakes etc from the bike being upside down.

- The box is big! Someone in our group also had a Bike Box Alan Aero Easyfit (ie bars on type box) and this applies to that as well. You'll only ever be able to fit one box in a car with the rear seats down, even a 7 seater Uber XL. This makes ground transport to/from the airport more difficult/expensive than with older bar off style boxes where you could generally fit two in a hire car. Pushing it around however, is easy. We had a fifteen minute walk to our hotel and this was no hardship.

- The box is heavy! I had my 7kg SL7, 1.5kg of tools and kit/clothes for four days and only just scraped the 32kg weight limit. My nutrition, shoes and helmet had to go in hand luggage or I'd have been over.

- It’s very sturdy. I had no doubt that nothing was going to harm my bike from the outside. The plastic seems extremely durable (much more so than the BBA actually) and there is a lot of padding inside and two large anti crush poles. The catches /TSA locks also look strong.

Now a few issues (these are really where I’d like to know if anything’s been addressed in the final version):

- Pedals had to come off (not really a surprise but I couldn’t find this mentioned on their product page)
- My saddle height is 76.5cm and I had a 52 tooth chainring. I had to drop my seatpost by ~2cm.
- Although there’s a protective ‘rug’ that goes around the frame (and there’s supposed to be one for the wheels too although I didn’t receive this) there’s nothing that attaches the frame or the wheels to the box itself (unlike the BBA where there are multiple Velcro straps to hold everything in place). This made me quite nervous about damage to the bike from it, or the wheels or other things in the box, moving around in the box during transit. Because of this, I decided to put pipe insulation foam around the whole frame.
- Also, because of the lack of straps, I decided it would not be safe to leave rear derailleur attached or rotors on the wheels so had to take these off (and bring tools to remount)
- This meant that all in all, packing it up and rebuilding the bike took around 45mins each time. I expect this would improve with experience but the whole point was to not need to mess around with pipe foam, rotors, seat height etc etc.
- The biggest issue for me however, was that my 700c wheels with 29.5mm WAM tyres only just fit once I deflated them a bit. Maybe 30-32mm tyres would be ok but no chance of fitting a gravel tyre in this box (I tried a 700x40). I have a gravel trip planned for June so this box wouldn’t work for that and, if the current trend for wider road tyres continues, is not future proof.

So, all in all, if the final version is the same as the prototype then I’ll be sending it back unfortunately. The Bike box Alan page has really detailed drawings and measurements so you can check what will fit in terms of seat height, wheel diameter etc. Shokbox’s page is incredibly vague in comparison (they say it fits all road, gravel and TT bikes!)

Hey kofsw4

I have not recieved my box but I am expecting it at the end of this week/beginning of next week so I can post photos.
I used the Alan Aero last year for my SL7 and that is a big box so yes this box is slightly larger well wider.
I will be driving to the airport anyway just myself just easier on the cycling trips

Alan Dimensions L133cm, W50cm, H94cm
Alan Weight 13.5kgs

ShokBox Pro Dimensions: L139cm, W56cm, H96CM
ShokBox Weight: 13.5kgs

The photos I have received show that once the frame is put into the bag and placed in the box there are Velcro straps in the case that you attach to the bag to stop it moving round the case, I would like to think this will be the same for the wheels as well. Not great to have everything moving about inside the case.
But like you said probably because it was a prototype

I will have always removed my rotors , chain and rear derailleur anyway and I don’t pack anything else in the box.
Alan claims 5-10 minutes to pack but that’s BS took me about 45mins with extra padding plus it was first time using it so there is always faffing about
I’m doing 2 weeks in Majorca, and I get 32kgs for my suitcase anyway.
The Evoc Bike Bag pro looks like a good set up but I’m not confident sticking my new SL8 in one when I see sometimes how the baggage handlers well handle the case

Will be instresting to see how it complares to the Alan!

[kofsw4]

Hey,

Was meaning to come back to this because I managed to have a good chat with Josh when he came to pick up my box yesterday and he addressed most of my issues. As I thought, they're mostly to do with the fact that I was using a prototype.

- The prototype was ~4kg heavier than the final versions due to the moulding
- There will be anchor points that the frame rug will attach to the box (although not for the wheels)
- Gravel wheels can be fitted with the crush poles passing through the spokes. I wasn't able to verify this as the box has gone back now but it will obviously mean that you won't be able to use wheel bags unless you cut a hole in them for the crush pole to go through. It does also mean that wheels won't move in the box!

Unfortunately, the inside space will be the same so I think at my saddle height I will need to drop the seat post each time. Not a huge issue as my seatposts are fairly good and have a measuring guide on them but might be an issue if you have one that regularly creaks or slips.

He also showed me some photos of the final box and said they've started shipping so are getting through the back orders as quickly as they can.

[Sander7721]

Hey,

Was meaning to come back to this because I managed to have a good chat with Josh when he came to pick up my box yesterday and he addressed most of my issues. As I thought, they're mostly to do with the fact that I was using a prototype.

- The prototype was ~4kg heavier than the final versions due to the moulding
- There will be anchor points that the frame rug will attach to the box (although not for the wheels)
- Gravel wheels can be fitted with the crush poles passing through the spokes. I wasn't able to verify this as the box has gone back now but it will obviously mean that you won't be able to use wheel bags unless you cut a hole in them for the crush pole to go through. It does also mean that wheels won't move in the box!

Unfortunately, the inside space will be the same so I think at my saddle height I will need to drop the seat post each time. Not a huge issue as my seatposts are fairly good and have a measuring guide on them but might be an issue if you have one that regularly creaks or slips.

He also showed me some photos of the final box and said they've started shipping so are getting through the back orders as quickly as they can.

Morning Kofsw4

Thats good bit of info.
I will be intrested to see how the wheels go in now, no bags are not an issue but I am not keen on a crush pole going between my carbon spokes, steel spokes no issue, but the bending or snapping of spokes comes into my head. This might mean a small bit of extra padding possibly.