Also the soft cases like the SciCon pack down much smaller for storage - this can matter when travelling but even at home. They are easy to fit in a small car or store in a small closet etc. The hard cases are a PITA as they are just as big when they don't have a bike in them.

I recently purchased a SciCon Aerotech case for an upcoming summer trip to race in Europe. While I haven't yet used it, the breakdown is pretty simple - wheels off, aerobars off and strapped to fork, then put in box. The SciCon literature says pedals off, but a friend who recently bought the same case said he did fine w/leaving pedals on. I got mine for about 50% of the list price from Pro Bike Kit.

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Two warnings about the Scicon - in two out of five flights where we've used this box the skewer that holds the wheel in place ended up bent because of the impact from baggage handling during travel. It wasn't a huge deal, just needed to take a saw and cut the skewer to free the wheel, and wheel was fine, but that was an issue. Secondly, we never used the TSA travel lock that is built within the bike case, particularly because we knew it would just get unlocked and inspected. On the second to last trip TSA locked the case. Not a big deal until you realize you don't have the key, have driven 5 hours from a major international airport, and are in the middle of Argentina, don't speak spanish, and need to find an F'ing locksmith. Unbelievable nightmare, but great story. Lol. Lesson, ALWAYS bring the key.

I had this happen to me as well in the US. I didn’t lock the built in TSA locks and didn’t pack the keys. Tsa locked the bag On the way to a race and I didn’t realize it until I drove 2 hours away to my hotel. I had to drive back to an airport to get them to unlock it. I found a closer, smaller airport to help. Furthermore, after I returned I realized I had no idea where the TSA Keys were and it turned out they stopped making that particular TSA lock. I had to wait a month to get a new key made in China (through amazon).

No matter what kind of case you buy, I would take the pedals off as they tend to puncture the wheels when compressed. I would always take the rear derailleur off as well. I no longer place all my bike parts in the case as the more moving parts mean damage. Also always carry the unreplaceable things with you onboard (pedals, bike shoes, bike computer).

We are using the Scicon Aerosoft 3.0 TSA Tri and road bike cases. Easiest tear down (only wheels removed) and have had zero issues. They also have a derailer protector so you don't have to remove the rear derailer. They are charged as regular bags because they don’t go over the size or weight limits. They have wheels and are very easy to move in the airport. When not in use, they fold down nicely and have a storage bag. Chain Reaction Cycles has killer pricing and free shipping to the USA (ships from England),