I am still trying to figure out which case/bag to buy for transporting my bike. Any experiences with one vs. the other would be appreciated. Also, if I were to decide to try and ship the bike by UPS or Fed-Ex, is this advisable with a bike bag compared to a case?
thanks
Allan
I certainly wouldn’t try shipping a bike in a bag.
I have a TriAll3Sports VeloSafe II hard shell case that holds 2 bikes. I get hit with the bike/oversized charge with it, but it protects the bikes very well. I did find out that the airlines will not accept any liability for damage to your bike or the case.
I would only consider using a bike bag for air-travel on a smaller domestic flight, however would probably not transport an expensive (= race-bike) with it. In the early days baggage gorillas would be more careful if they actually could feel the fragility of a road-bike. These times are long gone.
Shipping your bike in anything else than a box or case is not a good idea. If you are picky and are worried about your case getting scratched during shipment (cases are made to show signs of wear, right?) I would even consider to box your bike case for shipping. (most shipping companies won’t reimburse you for damage to the “shipping-container”).
Get a used solid bike case. Should last forever and it won’t hurt too much when you see all the new scratches.
ironcase
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Definitely get a case. You’re going to have to open it up at the airport anyway, and anyone who has flown knows how bags get treated, so a bag is a bad idea if you will be flying or shipping. Plus, you can put a lot of stuff in your bike case and cut down on checked baggage. I bought a couple lengths of the foam pipe insulation from the hardware store and cut it to fit the tubes, cranks, etc. and wrap that all in towels and the foam they supply with the case. No damage, no problems.
Good value, great protection.
Wouldn’t ever use a bag unless I could keep it with me. Ever seen airport handlers manually loading baggage. I have.
J.
The absolute bombproof case that the pros use is from Scicon. It’s not cheap but it’s really nice.
I have used a tri all three sports compact velo for the last two races I had to fly to…so far so good. No damage and not even a scratch. I think the Trico Ironcase or any of the triall3 are very good cases. I would not use just a bag. I have heard that if you ship the case UPS they will not insure the case itself along with your bike but I think if you then put a box over it you could probably get both of them insured. If you are ever going to UPS/Fedex it make sure you get either a compact velo or a trico type case…the difference in shipping is about $30 versus $90-$100 for shipping your bike one way UPS. Some of the Triall3 cases are quite big and are bumped up to I think code 3 oversized…not to mention more difficult to cram into a car.
I have only ever used a hard case for traveling with bikes, but I know that at least some pros use and prefer soft cases. I actually helped one of the pros pack his bike into a bag after the LIfetime Fitness tri so he could catch a flight out to go race the ITU race in Cornerbrook the next day. One reason a bag is nice is that because the sides give a little, you can cram extra clothing or whatever a lot easier than the “sandwich” type hard cases. And they are a lot lighter and easier to move than the bigger Tri-All3 type cases. Plus, supposedly it’s easier to not get dinged for the bike fee on airlines with a softcase because they don’t look like bike cases as much.
Just got back from France, used the Ironcase with great results, no damage to either my bike or my wife’s. Ran into a bunch of Brits at the airport who all were quite interested in/jealous of our cases. They all had soft bike bags, if that tells you anything. CST
depends on how mechanically inclined you are. Over the past twenty years of travelling with a bike, I have gone through one hard shell case, lasted about 10 trips before the bottom got busted in; a Bike Pro soft sided case, still have it, although I rarely use it now, but it has seen about 25 trips and still looks like new. For the past three years I have used a garment bag combined with a Wheel Safe (hard shell wheel case). I have a layer of foam on top and bottom as well as a sheet of cardboard top and bottom of the bag with the frame in between these layers. The disadvantage is that I have to basically strip the frame down to do this, but the payoff is that it flies free every time because it is within the baggage size requirements. One of the first trips I made with this system, the counter person in San Diego told me that it was probably the safest way to ship the bike because the handlers could manage the case so easily. Just think, the bigger and heavier the case is, the harder it is for a handler to manage, and easier for it to get dropped etc. So far in 12 trips with the garment bag, not a single ding. Over the past three years, I have now saved about $1800 in oversize baggage fees, and I don’t have to lie about what is in the case.
You save the oversized fees, but got an extra piece of luggage with the wheel case. Wonder what you payed for the extra luggage and how often your wheels did not make it?
Not to diss you, but for an international flight that sounds like a lot of hassle…
The friends I know who have wheelcases carry them onboard…
Having purchased the Bike Pro case and made 1 successful trip so far, it’s nice to hear Mike say 25 and still going strong. I chose it over the others because it can collapse down for storage better. On their site they show some “pedal pack” type’s that might pass as a suitcase and not a bike here: https://www.bikeprousa.com
<< You save the oversized fees, but got an extra piece of luggage with the wheel case. Wonder what you payed for the extra luggage and how often your wheels did not make it?
I’ve never had to pay any extra fee of any kind with this set up. You are allowed to check two bags, have a carry on bag (within size restrictions) and a second carry on bag that can be either a purse or computer bag.
With the bike frame in the garment bag, I also put my shoes in there with the frame, and then use outside pockets of the garment bag for clothing. Then in the wheel case, it can hold three wheels, but I only take two, which leaves room for the handlebars and helmet and some other items. One carry on for any extra clothing if I need it, and my laptop and work books in a backpack.
Most of my flights are domestic, but I have used this set up to go to Norway on two occassions and Canada for IMC. So far, knock on wood, never had a problem with luggage not arriving on time or together.
Since I get a lot of requests for information about how I do this, I am thinking about putting together a little step by step pictorial on my website in two weeks when I prepare for a trip to Hawaii. I’ll post something once it is up.
“The absolute bombproof case that the pros use is from Scicon. It’s not cheap but it’s really nice”
I have the Scicon - great case and I get everything in it, and only need a daypack for the stuff that I want on the flight. Only thing I dislike is it is a little awkward on the stairs which makes it fun to travel on the subway to and from the airport!
I have a soft bag and have made about 25trips with it and only once had a slightly bent rear derailer which in all honesty I think I did after I arrived in NZ putting it in the back of the hire car.
For the cost, why not. It’s so much cheaper.
You guys sound like pros when it comes to shipping your bikes. However, I’m new at the shipping game and have a question about packing my bike. Please tell me how much of the bike you have to take apart for it to fit in the hard case. Is it only necessary to take both wheels off or do you also have to lower the seat? Do you have to do anything with the handle bars? I have a Softride Classic TT bike. Please let me know. Thanks.
Ok heres my question . . . .
If I were going somewhere fairly long term(Australia for lets say 5 to 6 months) would it just be easier to ship my bike there as opposed to bringing it on the plane? It might be more fun to buy a tri bike(I have a road bike at the moment) there though:)
It depends on the case. The TriAll3Sports cases require the removal of both wheels and saddle/seatpost. You also have to loosen the stem and rotate the handlebars to the side and down. My VeloSafe2 also requires the removal of at least 1 pedal from each bike. Pipe insulation or other padding is highly recommended.