Dan,
Re: B&W Case.
My wife bought a slightly used one in a bit of a fire-sale from a rider in our club who was quitting cycling. I think she paid $100 for it. We thought we would give it a go as an experiment.
We used it for the first time back in January for a quick trip to Florida for some cycling.
A few observations:
- Yes it may be one of the smallest "normal" cases out there, but this makes it tricky to fit the bike frame in there. Every bike will be a bit different. My wife rides a "51" and I found it challenging trying to get it and the other stuff in there. Not sure how I would my (or your) "58" frame in the case! How the bike and all the other stuff fits in is HIGHLY specific and propreitory (and takes some fiddling around to figure out on pack up). If TSA opens it up, which they almost always do, how do we know they will be able to pack it all back up properly?
- Speaking of other stuff - these cases are not light, which is good-news/bad-news scenario. Good news - probably very protective. Bad news - you'll be very limited in terms of packing extra stuff in the case, to keep it under 50lbs.
- Case does have wheels, but front wheels do not pivot at all, so fine walking along going in a straight line in the airport towing it behind, but a PIA, when you have to turn or move over while walking (which is frequently in airports). I'm comparing this to my Biknd Helium case, that does have a pivoting wheel on the front and is HIGHLY maneuverable.
Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog