Bike box for new Venge (or similar new generation bikes)

Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please

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parajba
Posts: 746
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:00 pm
Location: London, United Kingdom

by parajba

dgasmd...sorry but you lost me at the 3 exclamation mark.

For the others or the ones that might be interested. I am very likely to buy the new BikeBoxAlan. I will report back when I use it in May.

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dgasmd
Posts: 1953
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:10 am
Location: South Florida

by dgasmd

parajba wrote:dgasmd...sorry but you lost me at the 3 exclamation mark.

For the others or the ones that might be interested. I am very likely to buy the new BikeBoxAlan. I will report back when I use it in May.

We all have choices. Enjoy the fruit of yours!!!

You might want to check this one out. If I was going to go the hard case route, as many of you seem to be, I’d seriously consider this as well. Just a suggestion!!!

https://www.thule.com/en-us/bike-access ... -_-1683469

by Weenie


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

www.starbike.com



robeambro
Posts: 1829
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2018 6:21 pm

by robeambro

parajba wrote:
Thu Jan 23, 2020 12:13 am
dgasmd...sorry but you lost me at the 3 exclamation mark.

For the others or the ones that might be interested. I am very likely to buy the new BikeBoxAlan. I will report back when I use it in May.
are you buying the Triathlon EasyFit or the traditional one?
I am very much torn between the Scicon Aerotech, Aerocomfort, and the two BBA.. I'll decide soon. I hope.

parajba
Posts: 746
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:00 pm
Location: London, United Kingdom

by parajba

robeambro wrote:
Thu Jan 23, 2020 10:21 am
parajba wrote:
Thu Jan 23, 2020 12:13 am
dgasmd...sorry but you lost me at the 3 exclamation mark.

For the others or the ones that might be interested. I am very likely to buy the new BikeBoxAlan. I will report back when I use it in May.
are you buying the Triathlon EasyFit or the traditional one?
I am very much torn between the Scicon Aerotech, Aerocomfort, and the two BBA.. I'll decide soon. I hope.
The EasyFit because I have a new Venge and don't want to remove the handlebar. Plus you need to remove the rotors and fully deflate the tyres with the old one. They go in perfectly in the new one, no disassembly required.

robeambro
Posts: 1829
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2018 6:21 pm

by robeambro

parajba wrote:
Thu Jan 23, 2020 11:56 am
robeambro wrote:
Thu Jan 23, 2020 10:21 am
parajba wrote:
Thu Jan 23, 2020 12:13 am
dgasmd...sorry but you lost me at the 3 exclamation mark.

For the others or the ones that might be interested. I am very likely to buy the new BikeBoxAlan. I will report back when I use it in May.
are you buying the Triathlon EasyFit or the traditional one?
I am very much torn between the Scicon Aerotech, Aerocomfort, and the two BBA.. I'll decide soon. I hope.
The EasyFit because I have a new Venge and don't want to remove the handlebar. Plus you need to remove the rotors and fully deflate the tyres with the old one. They go in perfectly in the new one, no disassembly required.
Ugh removing rotors also mean having to carry another tool (I have centrelock). I have hereby crossed out the traditional BBA from my list.

Now it's EasyFit vs Aerotech vs Aerocomfort.

Leaving the Aerocomfort aside for a minute, what made you decide for the EasyFit vs other hard cases like the Aerotech (which technically has a higher SRP, but seems to actually retail at £399 vs £575 Alan box)?
Also seems that the Scicon is somewhat smaller - and to my knowledge would likewise do not require removing the handlebar.

Scicon: L 114 cm x D 36 cm x H 94 cm
BBA: L 133cm x H 94cm x W50cm

Not criticising your choice, just trying to understand whether I am missing something that makes the BBA EasyFit more attractive.

OJ
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Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2006 5:25 pm
Location: Winterpeg

by OJ

Just curious here. How do the check in staff treat that big BikeBoxAlan case?
http://demarere.blogspot.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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dgasmd
Posts: 1953
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:10 am
Location: South Florida

by dgasmd

OJ wrote:Just curious here. How do the check in staff treat that big BikeBoxAlan case?

Having dropped off my case at “the oversized luggage gate”, I can tell you what I see and my experience only: airline staff doesn’t handle it at all. They register it, charge you, and tag it, but you then have to take it to the oversized luggage gate where you either wheel it to someone or just leave it there in a spot for them to later transport. Typically, tsa will take it behind closed doors, open it, look around, take stuff apart and no put it how they found it, etc. (my experience every time but once)! One time I was asked to just drop it at the tsa large equipment gate that had an X-ray to scan it. Then they took it apart while I stood there watching them from a distance, but they would not allow me to even come close to touch it despite me telling them how to put it together again. It’s one of the biggest things I hate about large cases and tsa.

parajba
Posts: 746
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:00 pm
Location: London, United Kingdom

by parajba

robeambro wrote:
Thu Jan 23, 2020 2:37 pm
parajba wrote:
Thu Jan 23, 2020 11:56 am
robeambro wrote:
Thu Jan 23, 2020 10:21 am
parajba wrote:
Thu Jan 23, 2020 12:13 am
dgasmd...sorry but you lost me at the 3 exclamation mark.

For the others or the ones that might be interested. I am very likely to buy the new BikeBoxAlan. I will report back when I use it in May.
are you buying the Triathlon EasyFit or the traditional one?
I am very much torn between the Scicon Aerotech, Aerocomfort, and the two BBA.. I'll decide soon. I hope.
The EasyFit because I have a new Venge and don't want to remove the handlebar. Plus you need to remove the rotors and fully deflate the tyres with the old one. They go in perfectly in the new one, no disassembly required.
Ugh removing rotors also mean having to carry another tool (I have centrelock). I have hereby crossed out the traditional BBA from my list.

Now it's EasyFit vs Aerotech vs Aerocomfort.

Leaving the Aerocomfort aside for a minute, what made you decide for the EasyFit vs other hard cases like the Aerotech (which technically has a higher SRP, but seems to actually retail at £399 vs £575 Alan box)?
Also seems that the Scicon is somewhat smaller - and to my knowledge would likewise do not require removing the handlebar.

Scicon: L 114 cm x D 36 cm x H 94 cm
BBA: L 133cm x H 94cm x W50cm

Not criticising your choice, just trying to understand whether I am missing something that makes the BBA EasyFit more attractive.
I picked the EasyFit because:

1) I can put in my Venge size 54 with minimal disassembly: pedals, wheels. Even the seatpost and saddle can remain where they are
2) I don't want to disassemble the cockpit and twist it underneath the top tube like most other boxes require. It's a PITA with the short brake hoses and all that integration etc
3) it takes the disc wheels easily. Don't need to deflate the tubeless (with sealant!), just deflate by 10 PSI for safety (I run mine at 70PSI so plenty safe anyway)
4) it's a hard case, definitely safer than a soft one

Hope this helps.

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dgasmd
Posts: 1953
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:10 am
Location: South Florida

by dgasmd

parajba wrote:Don't need to deflate the tubeless (with sealant!), just deflate by 10 PSI for safety (I run mine at 70PSI so plenty safe anyway).
Word of advice for those with tubeless and all others. Airlines have it as a rule to have the tires deflated. While I don’t do it 100% of the times, I was made do it by tsa once as this guy seemed to know about it. I was lucky that I was there because he looked like he was completely lost as to how he was going to do it himself (diff between shearer and presta looks I guess). I would deflate the tubeless completely for the obvious reasons, but making them
Plenty soft would my choice!

We can all agree how ridiculous and pointless it is as well as carrying CO2 cartridges, but it may save you a headache.

parajba
Posts: 746
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:00 pm
Location: London, United Kingdom

by parajba

dgasmd wrote:
Fri Jan 24, 2020 4:52 pm
parajba wrote:Don't need to deflate the tubeless (with sealant!), just deflate by 10 PSI for safety (I run mine at 70PSI so plenty safe anyway).
Word of advice for those with tubeless and all others. Airlines have it as a rule to have the tires deflated. While I don’t do it 100% of the times, I was made do it by tsa once as this guy seemed to know about it. I was lucky that I was there because he looked like he was completely lost as to how he was going to do it himself (diff between shearer and presta looks I guess). I would deflate the tubeless completely for the obvious reasons, but making them
Plenty soft would my choice!

We can all agree how ridiculous and pointless it is as well as carrying CO2 cartridges, but it may save you a headache.
Thanks, I wonder if it is a regional thing, I am based in the UK and they seem quite tolerant with the tyres...

bikeboy1tr
Posts: 1395
Joined: Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:19 am
Location: Southern Ontario Canada

by bikeboy1tr

Recently I packed up my bike in my case and managed to keep it under the 40lbs to avoid extra charges flying State side. We flew out of Niagara New York to Punta Gorda Fl. and the box went through as checked lugguge even though it is 7 inches over the linear 80 inches according to their policy. They were aware it was a bike box and let it go. Its a small airport and they have no Xray machine for oversize luggage but they do open the box. I run tubs so I dont let too much air out of the tires. Bike and box arrived in Fl undamaged.
When we were checking into Punta Gorda to fly home the guy wanted to charge me for oversize luggage which he has a right to do as it is oversize but I did mention that they allowed the box to go through as checked luggage from Niagara end but that went nowhere so whatever. I could see he was struggling with thier site as to charge me the extra and after 5 min he looked at me and said,"I guess this is Merry Christmas for you cause I cant find the dropdown to charge your box" and I smiled and said, Thankyou very much and was on my way.
So my point is, Its a very grey area and its up to the individual behind the desk if they are going to charge you.
I had a woman in Boston checking me in and asked, is that a bike box to which I replied yes and she let it go as checked luggage. I was almost shocked.
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jfranci3
Posts: 1572
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2016 5:21 pm

by jfranci3

Note: Most airlines allow over 62in hard cases now, they need to be under 50lb though. You get the bonus charge by weight, not size now.

jmomentum
Posts: 29
Joined: Mon May 19, 2014 5:19 pm

by jmomentum

Just wanted to bump this thread hoping to get some more input/ideas.

I'm planning to go with the Tarmac SL7. Of course it's fully internal and very difficult to even remove and rotate the handlebars.

Already some good suggestions in this thread. For me I would be leaning towards the buxombox ventoux for best chance of the bike not being damaged. The smaller size Tourmalet would be even better but there is just not enough slack in the hydro hoses to remove and rotate as would be required.

The problem with the Ventoux (aside from the size) is the weight at 33lbs. With airport weight limits at 50lbs this will be right on the edge with only my bike inside.

The size is a whole separate issue with dragging it around up and down stairs, elevators, taxis. It just seems like a nightmare.

The Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 seems like a good compromise. It is malleable enough that it would be easier to transport and maneuver during transport. It's much lighter at 18.7 lbs. This gives an extra 14lbs over the ventoux before hitting the 50lb limit. I feel like some extra reinforcement could be added to the handlbar area such as a pvc box frame that would protect the front a bit more.

The Aerocomfort would be almost one third the cost compared to the Ventoux (for me in Canada). I have pause because of all the horror stories about soft bags. It would be quite devasting to end up with a broken bike. Any good stories with the Aerocomfort 3 bag?

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TheDoctor
Posts: 195
Joined: Sun Dec 17, 2017 9:56 pm

by TheDoctor

jmomentum wrote:
Wed Nov 17, 2021 1:10 am
Just wanted to bump this thread hoping to get some more input/ideas.

I'm planning to go with the Tarmac SL7. Of course it's fully internal and very difficult to even remove and rotate the handlebars.

Already some good suggestions in this thread. For me I would be leaning towards the buxombox ventoux for best chance of the bike not being damaged. The smaller size Tourmalet would be even better but there is just not enough slack in the hydro hoses to remove and rotate as would be required.

The problem with the Ventoux (aside from the size) is the weight at 33lbs. With airport weight limits at 50lbs this will be right on the edge with only my bike inside.

The size is a whole separate issue with dragging it around up and down stairs, elevators, taxis. It just seems like a nightmare.

The Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 seems like a good compromise. It is malleable enough that it would be easier to transport and maneuver during transport. It's much lighter at 18.7 lbs. This gives an extra 14lbs over the ventoux before hitting the 50lb limit. I feel like some extra reinforcement could be added to the handlbar area such as a pvc box frame that would protect the front a bit more.

The Aerocomfort would be almost one third the cost compared to the Ventoux (for me in Canada). I have pause because of all the horror stories about soft bags. It would be quite devasting to end up with a broken bike. Any good stories with the Aerocomfort 3 bag?
I have used one several times for flights in Europe, from and to relatively small airports (which I believe helps with the handling) - Rotterdam to Alicante for example. The bag is easy to handle and lightweight; with sufficient care and padding (foam tubes around all tubes and foam sheets around the rear triangle) the bike is well protected. The integrated wheel bags are quite roomy and to have some extra protection for the wheels I cut out wheel-sized circles out of carboard sheet to put on the outside, and I pack my wheels in separate wheelbags to go into the integrated ones. That also protects the frame further. I also use a wide aluminium gravel bar with foam wrapped around it to protect my carbon handlebars and shifters - by putting that alu bar over the carbon bars with the drops pointing forward (if you understand what I mean) both the carbon bar and shifters are protected against impacts from the side.
With my bikes (saddle height 76cm from BB centre, size 54 frame) I can keep the seat post, saddle and bars on as intended. I do remove the rear deraileur; I didn't the first time I used it and sure enough the hanger was slightly bent. There is very little room in the bag around the derailleur anyway and with the derailleur fitted my bike was a pain to get on the carrying frame so it is easier anyway to just unbolt it and put it out of the way.
For the bad: the bag is designed for rim brake bikes with QR's and that shows. With my bag an adapter was included that is supposedly intended for the 142x12 rear thru axle on disc brake bikes but that is just a joke. It is a loose aluminium 10mm thick ring (not 12 - the standard rear bracket is 130mm wide) with an outside diameter of 25mm or so - far to large to fit in the dropouts of any frame I know. I made my own spacers out of plastic tubing. Fiddly but once the bike is in, the axle is keeping it in place so they don't need much strength. Also, the adjustable fork holder of the frame is fixed in place by a screw and metal plate of which the thread got stripped after using it once or twice - replaced that with something else too.
So all in all, it is a good bag once everything is in, very convenient to leave the bars and saddle on (although I suppose for tall riders with more than ~78 or 79 cm saddle height the rear of the bag may not be high enough), but the frame is letting it down. Fine enough if you have rim brakes, but disc brake bikes with thru axles need modifications to the frame to make it work (and then it all works well).What I like is that there is plenty of room in the bag to pack some extra gear, tools etc (I wrap a small pump to the base frame for example and have my tools between the fork and bracket). The bag would be brilliant if Scicon would use a similar base frame as Evoc with spacers that actually work for various axle sizes.

by Weenie


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

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Geoff
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Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2003 2:25 am
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by Geoff

I have had good luck with this vendor: https://triall3sports.com/cases-bike.php

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