Chefe wrote:
Hi folks,
I need a new case to transport my bike, especially for races where I have to travel by plane.
It should have:
- good protection for the bike (lol, no suprise)
- a little bit extra space for some additional stuff
- easy to handle
-
not to expensive (perhaps)
Could you give me some suggestions or your experiences?
Unless you want to pay over weight fees, you need to keep the packed case under 50 lbs. So subtract the weight of your bike and anything else you want to put in the case to find the max weight of an acceptable empty case. You can pretty much write off almost all hard cases by that standard.
I traveled extensively for years with a Pika Packworks softside and never had any problems because I used fork locks, removed the DR, inserted plexiglass sheets into the sides and lots of bubble wrap. It typically weighed in between 32-35 lbs packed but was awkward to carry especially for anything more than a few hundred yards. I sold it a few years ago because I was getting too old to lug it around. I bought a Thule Roundtrip Pro XT which is a hybrid (hard bottom with wheels on one end) and it has been a delight since I can easily roll it through the airport. This one weighs in at 42-45 lbs packed.
I've never bought the argument that a hard case is essential especially after seeing one that slid off the baggage cart and was run over by a tug on the tarmac - crushing the case and the bike inside. But really, TSA is the greatest danger to your bike. If you have a hard case and your stuff moves around when the bag is opened for inspection, TSA can damage items inside when they force your case closed. From cyclingtips.com:
"Those hard sides may be good for protection, but it’s important to keep in mind that they’re also kind of slippery. According to
one baggage handler, hard-sided cases can slide off of baggage conveyor belts and get damaged, whereas soft cases are more likely to stay put. The more strictly defined interior dimensions of hard cases make them trickier to pack, too – and not just by you, but also by airport security and customs agents who probably won’t take as much time to put everything back just so. Despite the ample protection afforded by hard cases, the downsides are often too numerous for riders to justify."