The thing I like about the Scicon AeroTech Evolution is that unlike other hard cases the wheels are nicely stored, making it easy for TSA to open and close the case. I've watched TSA botch the closing of hard cases thereby leaving the bike and wheels subject to damage on the ramp by baggage handlers.

I have the EVOC bike travel bag because it's easy for TSA to open and close. It also has an aluminum bike stand that aids disassembly and reassembly.

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/Howie Nordström

You know what I am going.to say. PIKA PACKWORKS! Got mine in 2008. Many uses, zero damage. It isn't hard versus soft that matters but how your gear is packed inside. For 2014 I used it 3 times in the US and one trip to Europe with total bike fees of $325. Unbeatable.

It's gotta be the BikeBox Alan, indestructible and easy to use! Check out the video on the website for all you need to know.

This is the one my wife and I use:

http://www.trisports.com/thule-roundtrip-pro-bike-case.html?gclid=CjwKEAjw-o6hBRDOmsPSjqakuzYSJADR2V3S1Vud1F_RootmBtEgMfn768LiHwnm_oKByBq3t8zuNhoCUDjw_wcB


Comes with a portable bike stand for assembling and dis-assembling.

I've used this case for the past three years.....have sent it by FedX ground for about 3-4 races per year and have had zero problems. Yes, the wheels are great....actually had to roll the case through the streets and subways of London last year with no issues. Easy to pack/unpack my 54cm P4. Has built in padding but I use pipe foam and bubble wrap as well. The wheel secure feature is solid.....I use a rear disc. A little on pricey side but figure can always resell when I no longer need. Noticed some sellers are trying to get as much as $1400 but ProBikeKit (where I bought mine) is selling for $700. Good luck.
ps......yes, had to have the case opened at London airport.....no problems. Was considering BikeBoxAlan but didn't like the fact cant use the internal support pole with a disc wheel.....don't know if that has changed.

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Oh, but it is about hardshell vs. softside. Having worked in the airline industry in a previous life, you do not want to know what goes on behind the check-in counter & on the ramp. With a hardshell case, your bike has a better chance of surviving. Why do people spend thousands to $10,000+ for a bike & then go cheap for the bike case. With a softside, you're gambling & eventually you will have a damaged bike.

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#swimmingmatters
Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind.
The Doctor (#12)

I have shipped bikes and equipment all over the world to races and my favorite case is the Trico. Hardshell, wheels pulling strap, indestructible, reasonably priced. The only alternative is a bit more pricey but I did it for my travel bike. I installed S&S couplers in the frame and now my bike travels for free in a case that is 28" x 28" x 10" and weighs less than 50lbs.It goes like a suitcase. The down side to this is that you really need to have good knowledge on how to put your bike back together when you get where you are going.

So I guess you missed the post in another thread from an airline baggage handler who said the hard cases are much more likely to slide off the loading belts and hit the tarmac? Or the post in another thread where the hardcase fell off the baggage cart and was run over by a truck on the tarmac crushing the case and the carbon bike inside? Or all the posts from folks with hard cases that still had damage because of security repacking incorrectly?

All I have to go on is 6+ years actual experience. I think Dev was on an earlier post and has the same case, with much more use and no issues.

I travel a bunch with my bikes. I love my Pika Packworks. I accept the risks of the soft sides, but balance that with the fact that when I get to my destination I have a better chance of being able to fit it into a car (although I had to go through 3 different SUVs in Atlanta recently until I found one that would fit the bike with my family's luggage). It's also much lighter than any other option. I know many people who use them exclusively and extensively, and have had no issues. But as with all combinations of bikes and planes, it's a crap shoot.

I have the Scicon AeroTech Evolution, used it when traveling to Europe and it was great. Although TSA in New York City on the way back bent my rear derailleur when they tried to slam the case closed (it's quite obvious that there are a few tracks that the locking mechanisms slide into)... my husband saw it all happen and unfortunately there was nothing we could do about it and the TSA folks there are extremely rude all around. It wasn't worth the pain of trying to make a claim for a $120 fix. Other than that it's a nice solid case, stores everything well I took my Cervelo RS road bike and my HED Jet 60 powertap with me. There is a ton of room to pack other stuff as well. Fit my helmet, shoes, bike pump, nutrition, waterbottles, and all of my cycling/running clothes in it. Just be aware of the hideous airline charges. I flew to Italy with it being free since I'm military but coming back it was through an Italian airline so we had to pay $150.

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Elisha
"Triathlon doesn't build character. It reveals it."

+! on Pika Packworks

and also Aerus Biospeed ( for my tri bike )

Both being soft cases... Have had good luck from many trips. But it's luck of the draw...

Prior to that I used a hard case but got tired of lugging it around, with the airline 50lb weight limit, those cases already weigh in the vicinity of 30 lbs by themselves.

The main issue is really TSA not putting things back properly. Many times the straps are not re-connected or left loose on the soft case. Usually is not a problem but scary.
Hard case is worse, when they jam the stuff back in.& don't latch the box back up right,

A soft case is not even a consideration. That breaks my first three criteria rules.

I do agree that how you pack the inside is very important. I think I can have both an easy to pack inside and a hardcase outside. They don't need to be mutually exclusive. I'm a firm believer that a soft case is a problem waiting to happen.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Based on your criteria I would use TriBike Transport. Unless you fly with your bike a lot, it's a great option.

/

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Gary Mc
Did I mention I did Kona

How about the Armored Hen House?

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_____________________
Don't forget to attack!

The bigger/heavier they are the harder they fall.

http://cyclingtips.com.au/...m-a-baggage-handler/

“The perception is that [hardshell cases] are more rigid and tough, but the likelihood of them falling of the belt-loader on their way into the aircraft is actually a lot higher than padded bags.”
Another way to reduce the risk of your bike getting damaged is to keep the weight of the bag or box down.
“We’ve seen bike boxes — whether it be a hard case, padded or even the airline-provided cardboard box — and guys will put nearly all their cycling gear into the bag and the bag or box is up to around 30kg. And I guess you’re not breaking any weight restrictions in that regard but from our perspective these bags are not only awkward in size to maneuver inside the aircraft, but when they get heavy, generally speaking the guys are less tolerant, to some extent, maneuvering these bags inside the aircraft.”

I have used TBT 6x. Flown with my bike twice in one of those TriAll3 coffins (which I no longer own).

I have a race or two next year where TBT isn't an option.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

They want $650 to go to Europe. As noted above, I spent $325 on bike bag fees this year on 4 trips including 1 to Europe. I like TBT and if you only race one destination race per year in North America they are a great option, but as soon as you go to 2 or more you are really burning through the cash. Assuming they even were available for all my races (they weren't for any of them) then I saved over $1300 using my case.

"Armored" is not quite accurate. It's still a soft case with some plastic shit in the liner. It also requires too much disassembly and reassembly. Removing the forks on my Trek SC 9-series is a pain in the ass. I can and have done it but I don't want to deal with that if I can avoid it. It also counts as three bags (bike and two wheel bags). Sure, you might skirt the bike fee but you're paying for two or three bag fees, which is still cheaper than a bike fee, but hardly free.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

I thought the wheels were in a single bag?

I'm still looking at this option. probably go non armored.... though having wheels would be nice. We travel with our daughter.... so we have a spare bag available.

So the only difference is more padding to install and remove the RD and fork? On my SC 7 series, that's not bad at all.

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TrainingBible Coaching
http://www.trainingbible.com

Didn't miss the post...my experiences are completely different. Softsided cases get tossed around. Laid on their sides & hundreds of pounds of suitcases stacked on top of them. Fabric catches on rivets in bins & belts. If a hardshell falls, it lands on a hardshell. When a softside falls, it lands on the bike frame. After 32 years in the sport (& having used softsided cases), I would urge hardshells. Once again, why spend thousands on a bike & then go cheap for the case?

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#swimmingmatters
Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind.
The Doctor (#12)

Holy crap... the evolution is $1200!!! ... and that's on sale.

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TrainingBible Coaching
http://www.trainingbible.com

you are better off giving your bike to grayhound than giving it to TBT

You make good points, but in 6 years of use my case shows zero evidence of catching on anything. I put corrugated plastic into the wheel cover sides as extra protection from side impact, use fork locks so you can jump on it from the side and not damage the frame, and stuff it with bubblewrap. Seems to work.

I chose the PikaPackworks based on a published NYT review http://www.nytimes.com/...hion/12physical.html in which the author traveled with 5 different cases (4 hard and 1 soft). After the shoot-out test, guess which one the author preferred? It was simply the best case overall for a lot of reasons. Protection is critical but there are also other concerns when travelling as you know due to your extensive experience. The PikaPackworks was designed by a professional cyclist and used by several pro cycling teams. It works and I have never seen a negative review. As to the money, bikes depreciate like cars. And if I were to suffer damage at this point, the delta savings in bike fees between the hard and soft case would cover a replacement. I've met folks with the same case as mine that previously had hard cases and won't go back. But I'm not shilling for this particular case, as their are now some alternative and well designed solutions without going the Titanium Fortress Oversized Hard Case route.

Interesting how the cases in this review ranged from $330 to $540 and now there are a lot of cases over a $1000 that will continue to cost you every time you use them for excess weight and size fees, and in extra rental car fees for the vehicles needed to transport them. The industry is following your mantra and selling that koolaid when there are much cheaper...but not cheap...solutions that work.

The competing views are out there and everyone can make their own choice. And having a choice is a great thing.

I was interested in the Evolution too but ended up going with scion aerocomfort tri for $300 from Probikekit. Just couldn't pass it up for that price

They have it on sale from time to time and with a 15% off coupon, droped it down to about $300.

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