anyone have any problems with the aerus biospeed bike bag for airline travel?

anyone use it with a carbon bike? any bike damage?

how padded is it? can I feet an bike with aero bars and my zip 808's in it and feel comfortable it will be safe (if I wrape with pipe insulation, towels, bubble wrap, etc)?

I traveled for 3 weeks in Europe with a P2C in the bag. It would go in and out of the car endlessly as we packed and unpacked luggage. The flights there/back and all of the handling during the trip provided scratch free travelling. I also took a 404 front and 900 disc rear on the trip. I just used a little bubble wrap around the frame and foam on both sides of the disc. I packed all cycle gear, wetsuit, two helmets and my nutrition and the bag weighed in at 44 lbs.

I have a brand new one for sale in the classifieds. PM me if you are interested.

You have probably read my previous "shill" posts about it, as I've been quite satisfied with mine so far. 2 round trips, one int'l. $0 in baggage fees. Saved almost 2x the cost of the case in fees,!

The case is super light, also. Bike + case + helmet, shoes, pump, a few etc items = less than 40lb.

Would buy again A++++++++++++

I 1000 percent love this case. Five flight this year, one international, $0 in bike fees. I even flew into and out of Vegas for Interbike on United, no charge. You do need to be thoughtful in packing your bike, need to keep it just bike and wheels in there to keep it light, and need to be a bit crafty at the counter sometimes. But nothing else even affords you the chance to avoid the fees.

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Jay Prasuhn
Marketing Specialist, American Bicycle Group (Quintana Roo//Litespeed//Obed)
twitter.com/jayprasuhn

Where can one purchase this bike case? online or retail store?

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"I swim because that's how I get to ride my bike."

can buy at the following link:
http://www.shopatron.com/....0.1.1.45732.0.0.0.0

after reading all the praise to my question, I bought the aerus case. used it for the first time to for clearwater. no charges either way on delta (except for the standard $20 to check a bag)!! and no bike damage. love it so far.

I don't mean to hijack the thread but..I just bought 2 of these bags and have some quick questions.

Do you remove the rear derailleur as instructed in the packing procedures. If so, does this effect shifting when its put back on? Thanks to anyone who can answer this for me.

Hi All,

we are now bringing in some sweet bags from Germany and just received our first shipment yesterday. you can order them online, or have your bike dealer order them from us (for you). more info at www.evocusa.com.

feedback and thoughts are very welcome.

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Kervin

Rotor Bike Components USA
OUR NEW WEBSITE http://www.rotorbikeusa.com

I always remove the derailleur and have not any issues with shifting after reattaching. I, too, love this bike case.

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Shawn
TORRE Consulting Services, LLC
http://www.TORREcs.com

That's great thanks for the info!!

I have been looking at bike cases. The coffin has the obvious advantage of added protection but they're expensive, humongous, and likely to attract the oversize baggage fee.

I may have to look at the Aerus bag. I just have a lot of anxiety putting my $6,000 carbon baby in the hands of airline baggage handlers without a fortress built around it.

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

x2. Always remove the derailleur and pack up in the provided pouch-thingy, it's easy to re-install and doesn't affect shifting at all.

Pro tip: You can wrap each tube in bubble wrap. Then, wrap each tube in cardboard (from an old moving box or whatever). If still feeling anxious (which is understandable), buy some hard cardboard or plastic tubes, slice them up a bit and wrap each bicycle tube in the hard cardboard tubes. This should provide additional protection to your bike.

This bag looks pretty sweet too!

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My business-eBodyboarding.com

I took the derailleur off the first couple times and never had shifting issues. But then I got lazy and stopped taking it off. I just pack more foamies and haven't had a problem yet. But I'd follow the directions if I were you. Do as I say, not as I do. ;)

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Amy Kloner

Thanks Amy. Now that I know there will be no shifting issues when I remove the rear de, I'll go ahead and take them off. My wife and I are traveling to IM COZ on Wednesday. What are the odds that we get both our Aerus travel cases checked in without a fee? I know we will have fun trying. Maybe having two identical cases will make it easier :)

J.J.

Isn't there a MASSAGE THERAPY CONVENTION in Cozumel next weekend???

... just an idea. Use your imagination when they ask what's in the bag. What airline are you flying?

I'll be co-announcing that race. Come say hello (or hola)!

Good luck and safe travels.

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Amy Kloner

We are flying Continential so I think its supposed to be $100 per bike. First we will try the 'distraction' technique and if asked yes we will be very creative. Maybe we'll say we are massage therapists and that there are massage tables inside. :) Still will still probably get charged for being oversize. Who knows maybe our ticket agent will still be groggy we fly out at ~6 am.

Look forward to see you in sunny warm Cozumel MX!

J.J.

I'm interested to hear from any IMAZ or IMCoz travelers with this bag to see if you were able to check it without the oversize and/or bike fees.

Keep us posted.

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

Dev's strategy for answering the "what's in the bag question" that has worked for me:

Flight Attendant: "So, what's in the bag?" (Or, "Is that a bicycle?")
Marty: "It's triathlon equipment, ma'am."
FA: "What's that?"
Marty: "Oh, you know, swim-bike-run."
FA: "I see. So, there's a bike in there?"
Marty: "There are bicycle parts in there, yes."

It also helps to (a) arrive WAY early, (b) be nice and friendly (but not flirty unless it comes naturally to you), and (c) don't lie.

BTW Dev if we ever meet in person I owe you a round, you've saved me a bunch of money by recommending this case to me.

I took three bikes to Kona during IM and only paid $80 because I had too many bags. When they asked what was it was, I replied "luggage". GREAT BAGS! With helmet and shoes, they were about 30 pounds. Well under the 50 pound per bag limit.

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Director - Checkmate Triathlon Team
Intelligent Racing
Draft, baby, draft.

Searched the forum and found this thread... I recently got the Aerus bag and will be using it for the first time this weekend to pack my bike. I have never removed the rear derailleur from my bike ... how do you all remove the rear derailleur and not have shifting issues? Thanks to anyone who can answer!

It's easier than you think: Just unscrew the hex bolt that holds the rear derailleur onto the the frame/hanger. Note that there is a little notch that a set screw rests on while the derailleur is attached. Be sure to have the screw on the right side when you bolt it back on (you will have to pull the derailleur back & up). No need to take off the cable, so your shifting should be fine.

Also do yourself a favor. After you detach the derailleur, zip tie it to the frame and put a bunch of bubble wrap around it. It helps

I think it's time to resurrect this thread. I really like the idea of going to a soft case, but I'm wondering how big of bike will go in. Will my 61cm P3 fit?

Bump. Same question.

My XL TTX fits just fine.

I ride a 61cm road racing frame (not tri, but still a big frame) and I use the Pika Packworks EEP, on which the Aerus case seems to have been based. Long story short: I love the case, it's managed to get me around airline fees quite a few times over the past 3 years, it's light and durable. I typically remove the rear mech, and I use the plastic "bones" between the dropouts (both front and rear) as extra support. I use the Stretch variant of the case, and it could fit up to a 62-64cm bike without any problems.

I highly recommend the Pika Packworks bag. The company is a tiny operation, and the founder stands behind his product.

How did you guys get it free? I literally walked up to Southwest this morning and the guy immediately called it out as a bike before I even had a chance to talk!

Getting the bike on for free with the Aerus bag is hit and miss - you never know when you're going to get an agent who simply knows what a bike case looks like and isn't going to play around with hearing it's "just luggage". But, I've been quite successful with it to date. Of the 4 flight segments I've had to check the bag for I have only been charged as a bike once. Twice on for free (with Air Canada who usually charges $50) and once charged just the regular $25 checked bag fee with Continental (regular bike charge is $200). The time I was charged was a no fooling around agent who said as I walked towards the counter "that's a bike and you'll need to pay the bike charge". The other times what I've done is take the bag to the counter over my shoulder and immediately place it on the scale belt. Then I say in a friendly way "hey, I know this bag looks a bit bulky but as you can see it's quite light and I was hoping I could check it as a regular bag, do you think it will fit on the belt or should I could carry it to oversize luggage? It's just a bit of my sports equipment for my holiday". To which the agent response has consistently been "oh, it is quite light, but it does look a bit big for the belt, I'll have you drop if off at oversize". No charge. I keep the packed weight to 35 pounds. So to date I've saved $275 by using the bag. I figure it will pay for itself in another year or so.

Shane

theoretically it should not, in practice both times I've removed the rear der for traveling it has affected the shifting. This doesn't happen if I remove/replace the der in the workshop, so I am a bit puzzled. Working theory is that the TSA gets in there and twiddles around with the cables, screws etc to make sure the bike isn't a funny-looking bomb..

What did they charge you? On Southwest it's supposed to be free if it's under 62" and 50lbs or $50 if over.

Non-motorized Bicycles, including Bike Friday and Co-Pilot, will be accepted in substitution of a free piece of checked baggage at no additional charge provided the bicycle is properly packaged and the box containing the bicycle fits within the 62-inch sizing limit and weighs 50 lbs or less . (Maximum weight is 50 pounds and maximum size is 62 inches (length + width + height) per checked piece of luggage). The handlebars, kickstand, and pedals must be removed and placed inside the box. A $50.00 each-way charge applies to bicycles that don’t meet the above criteria. Bicycles packaged in a cardboard box or soft-sided case will be transported as a conditionally accepted item.

A friend ordered one of bags through these guys and loves it! plus they offered a 10% off coupon which pretty much covers the shipping cost. It may still work if any ST'ers try

LV9133

http://store.mpgear.com/...mpetiton-cycles.aspx

i'm leaving for zurich and grenoble in a couple weeks. are there any cases that fit under the 62 inch dimension? i'll be under the 50lb limit. i'm flying continental so it's gonna cost if it's not. unless they just charge me an oversized bag. i have been thinking of the scicon aerotech evolution b/c i would prefer a hard case and not worry with my bikes. the aerus bag seems nice. it's recieved good reviews and it would be nice to get by with just an oversized bag fee instead of the bike fee. it seems that that bag is over the 62inch requirement. i just don't know how i feel about the soft cases. i read the review of it by dcrainmaker. he said it's usually not a problem and has only been charged once. and i have read/reviewed all the bike case threads on the forum, i know how to use the search function. thanks.

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Fruit snacks are for winners

I've had mine for about a year and love it. The only time I've gotten nailed by a fee was with Delta in Atlanta. "What's in the bag, ma'am?" "Oh, it's scientific equipment. Carbon fiber testing components. You know, for aerodynamic research." I just got hit with the oversized fee. Leaving Kona last year the agent just said "please put your bike on the scale" and didn't charge me extra. Like people have said, it just depends on the agent.

You can easily fit in everything for a race in the bag. Slide the pump in at the bottom and stuff in your cycling and running shoes. Cram in tools and nutrition. Stuff a wetsuit on top. Still comes way under luggage limit weight.

My timesaver tip: buy a cheap foam mattress pad and cut it into pieces for parts of your bike. Sandwich your bike sections between the foam and duct tape together. Faster and IMO safer than bubble wrap. And it looks more legit if you're going with the "scientific equipment" line.

what wheels did you take? i never(rarely) ride my 303s and wanted to take them. i have other sets that i could take. it's an international flight with one stop each way. i'm not as much worried about my frame as i am about the wheels. thanks.
ben

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Fruit snacks are for winners

Just picked up this bag for 70.3 Hawaii this last week. Packed my 808s with no problem. +1 on the egg crate foam around the wheels. I also had some cardboard I poked a hole in and slid over the outside hub that was just a little wider than the wheel. I was travelling with another athlete who had a tank box and they had to pay the bike fees, I prepaid it as luggage (no free bags) and when the agent asked me what was in it I just told her wheels and parts. I'm not sold on putting the pump in there as my bottles I had in there ended up coming out of the pockets but this bag is so worth the investment. Plus to store it i just fold it flat and slide it under the bed.

what airline did you fly?
i flew united and the counter person charged me 100 to check it in.

It was on Hawaiian, I made sure to reiterate to the counter person that I was checking in 1 piece of luggage (biospeed) which was prepaid and 1 "bike box" which was prepaid as a surfboard (same fee).

I was recently informed that Continental has raised their bike fee from $100 to $200 for international flights...I was already considering buying an aerus case and now it seems even more worthwhile. I am having a hard time finding the dimensions anywhere online though...it looks like it must be both under 50 lbs and less than 62 total linear inches to avoid the bike fee. Does anyone know whether it is for sure? How in the world would they know that by looking anyway? If I am going to end up having to pay the bike fee either way, I'm not sure if it's a good investment for me. I don't fly with my bike too often.

From the continental website:

If the bicycle(s) are packed in a container that is over 50 lbs (23kg) and/or 62 (157 cm) total linear inches (L + W + H), a $100 service charge applies each way for domestic travel, and $200 each way for international travel. The service charge is in addition to any excess baggage charges that may apply, but first and second baggage service fees do not apply. Bicycle equipment over 70lbs (32 kg) will not be accepted as checked baggage.
If the bicycle(s) are packed in a container that is under 50 lbs (23kg) and 62 (157 cm) total linear inches (L + W + H), there is no bicycle service charge, but, if applicable, the first or second bag fee applies.

It is by no means for sure that you will not have to pay a bike fee with the Aerus case. Using the case just tips the odds in your favor for not paying a fee. It's still oversized, and it's still a bike, but the Aerus case looks less like a bike and looks smaller when you walk up to the counter with it casually slung over your shoulder. It doesn't give you any leverage to argue against the fee, you're still at the mercy of the agent.

I have a PikaPackworks case - it is a great product. My advice is pre-pay your bag fees online or bring your bag to a kiosk and pre-pay for a regular bag before talking to the gate agent. They typically wont want to credit and re-bill you, it is a PITA for them.

If the bicycle(s) are packed in a container that is under 50 lbs (23kg) and 62 (157 cm) total linear inches (L + W + H), there is no bicycle service charge, but, if applicable, the first or second bag fee applies.

But it seems like they are saying that even if it is a bicycle, if it is packed so that it is less than 50 lbs and 62 inches, a bike fee will not apply. Unless I am interpreting that wrong somehow. I just want to make sure the case fits within the size requirements before purchasing.

less than 62 total linear inches

I don't even know why the Airlines even bother with this - it's impossible to pack a normal bike in any normal bike case and have it come out less than the 62 linear inch measurement.

Yes - you can do this by completely disassembling and a smaller bag( hockey duffle bag etc . .).

Yes - you can do this with coupled frames

Yes - you can do this with extraordinary other bikes, Bike Friday, some compact 48 size bikes etc . .

Yes - you can do this by disassembley and separate packing of wheels( but perhaps adding additional bag charges)

I have put this question to airlines many times, but I have never received a straight answer - why do they seem to have it out for cyclists?

I don't mind paying a reasonable extra bag few or a special fee for my bike. But it seems like a complete rip-off, when I do get charged $150+ when my bike is packed in it's Aerus bag. It weighs about 26 lbs and it's just slightly over the 62 linear each measurement. Why is this such a burden or arduous bag to handle?

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Yeah, there's no way to get a typical bike in a typical case to come in under 62", and there's no way to guarantee you won't have to pay the fee, unless you go with one of the atypical routes Fleck listed. With an Aerus, the weight is not an issue; mine weighs about 30 pounds. My hard shell case is 48-52 pounds with nothing but a bike in it (and for me that's usually without shoes and pedals.) The whole process is a crapshoot depending on the agent you get, their knowledge of the rules, how willing they are to bend the rules if they know them, and, with the soft case, how casually you approach the counter with an air of 'oh, yes, and I have this to check... here, let me lift it onto the scale using only two fingers...surely there's no need to charge an overweight luggage fee for this wispy duffle..."

That is so frustrating. Why DO they have it out for us??? It's great that with the aerus you at least have a chance to get off with no fee or just an oversize fee...but I kinda hate to spend $300 on a case when I don't really know what result I will get and might have to pay an extra $200 each way anyway. I can use a hard case for free so that probably makes more sense.

All of it is completely ridiculous though - and totally arbitrary that the fee for a domestic flight is $100 and international is $200. Is the bike that much heavier/burdensome to place onto an internationally bound airplane??

$, pure and simple. The combined measurements airlines use are designed to ensure that things that bulk out their belly cargo compartments will pay for the privilege of being there and although there are far more big golf bags than bike cases, there are more golfers who will revolt. Just a revenue stream to them.

Ship FedEx or UPS (never used UPS), but they're just as capable of smashing derailleurs as American, Southwest, United, USAir etc.

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The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -- A fake Albert Einstein "quote"

I know I'm going to get smacked down for this... but I'm leaving for a long set of trips and these are sold out everywhere. Anyone getting rid of theirs?

I travel to Australia 3-6x per year, and because of the length of each trip (7-21 days) I decided, after way too many $200+ charges (when I was flying 1st Class this was never an issue---times have changed), to invest in a S&S coupler bike. Problem solved. It literally paid for itself inside of 1 year, its a piece of cake to build/disassemble (avg about 40 min, have "packed" it in 10 min once in Brisbane when I got lost & barely made my flight), and best of all, I'm also saving quite a bit of $$ on flights b/c I am now very amenable to 6-8 hour layovers/transfers, as most international airports have lockers just outside the terminal & getting a 2-4 hour ride in the middle of a long flite, plus seeing a new city/country from the bike, is a fantastic experience.

I was lucky & found a custom Holland in my size on ebay for about 1/3 of what a new one would have cost, but for about $1800 you can send any steel or ti frame to Bilenky Cycles & receive back your "new" travel bike including case, in about 4-6 weeks.

No, you can't retro carbon (but Calfee & some others will build you a carbon S&S (but I wouldn't recommend)) so no P3-P4 conversions, and if you are really, really into aero you might by SOL, but for those who ride/race/travel/vacation alot, its a great way to do it.

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"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs." John Rogers

Try Pika Packworks: http://pikapackworks.com/