Next in my list of questions for feedback from everyone… What are your recommended travel cases for a disc brake tri bike, and what are the trade-offs. I will be flying my bike a couple times this year, and I will need a case. A while ago I borrowed an Evoc soft side case, and that did fine. I am generally aware of hard side and soft side cases, but really no clue which ones are good and what the latest trends are.
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Bike Box Alan triathlon aero easyfit for very little disassembly
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I like the Evoc Pro Road Bike bag. I use it for a road bike but I would expect a tri bike to fit if the aero bars come off. Pro is minimal disassembly and packing prep. Con is the size needing a large cargo space for vehicle travel. Mid size suv works with all seats folded up but limited on passengers then. Has kept my bike safe.
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What size is your bike? For a ~ 54 or under, the Bike Box Allen is the safest and easiest. If larger, I’d recommend considering the Evoc or the Premiere.
Good question. It is a BMW Speedmachine size M. (They only have 3 sizes.) I am usually a 54 on bikes that use numbers for sizes.
I do like Bike Box Alan but it is on a large side! But it is very easy to pack and assemble later
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What is your seat height? Mine is 743mm from BB center to top of saddle. That is close to max if you want to take full advantage and only take off wheels and pedals. I am also 413mm from the back of the arm pads to the tip of shifters . . . that is also very close to max if you if you don’t want to remove the extensions.
Mine seat height is 734mm from BB center to top of saddle. But I thought I would have to remove the seat & post for whatever case I ended up with.
My back-of-pad to tip of shifters is 420mm. However, I figured that dimension’s sensitivity to case fit would be the overall combination of frame size, pad X, and extension length. My bike is 860mm from BB centerline to the tip of the shifters at the ends of the extensions.
I’ve had…SciCon TSA Aerocomfort; flew bike 5x, damaged 2x & BBA, flown 2x damage 0x. I don’t see myself ever going back to soft/semi soft case. You do have to be careful packing gear w/BBA, as I went slightly over weight last time with helmet, shoes, etc. inside with bike. Sweet talked front counter lady and she waived the extra fees…pulled the gear and stuck it in carry on on the way back and had zero issues.
I had an athlete (can’t elaborate more) who had a relationship with SciCon TSA Aerocomfort but didn’t use it because it was so prone to damage!!
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The good news is that seat and post should be fine, It wouldn’t not need to be removed.
I’m sorry I don’t have my overall overall combination of frame size, pad X, and extension length, but you are correct that you would need that to calculate. My bike is a 2025 Cervelo P5 with stock pads with the measurement above if that helps.
EDIT: Maybe I do I have that number - my X to back of pads is 445, and back of pads to tip of shirts is 413 = 858mm ?? Soooo I think you would be right at the limit because I am close.
I found their website that has easy measurements for confirming bike fit. But that raises a whole new issue I had not thought about until I saw it in pictures. I’m not sure where I would store that thing. It is huge. I don’t think it would fit through a crawl space storage area I have. And I can’t tell if I could get it in my attic storage area. It is too big to just leave out in my basement. So, that may push me to a soft bag that compacts down to a small footprint.
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I used a BBA to travel with my road bike and loved it. Not sure how one would travel with a disc wheel though. I did travel with a SciCon to Marbella and back with no issue whatsoever. Friend of mine I borrowed it from had pool noodles cut up to put on the fork, top tube, down tube, and chain stay just for added protection. With the soft bag, it does compact down but as with the BBA with a bike in it, you will have to get a vehicle large enough to put it in.
I am located in Westchester, NY and willing to rent my BBA Tri Box if you need it. I used it once for Kona a few years ago and now it just sits in my garage looking all pretty in pink.
Our daughter also has a BBA and lives in a studio apartment in San Diego. She slides it under her bed. You can probably get creative and get it done :-).
To answer another question in the thread, I also typically travel with the disc wheel (except to Hawaii). Again, that is no problem at all.
Back in the old days with a titanium or steel bicycle I had no problem fine with a soft case. I would not do that anymore. I have also been at too many races where there are horror stories.
Good luck as let us know what you decide.
Thanks and will do. My only prior travel experience was with the soft Evoq case with my carbon tri bike and rear disc wheel. No issues, but now everyone is scaring me.
If I suggested stuffing a big hard case under a bed, my wife would probably shoot me. Not loving any of the options. I do miss Tri Bike Transport.
Sorry…didn’t mean to scare you. A little more detail on my 2 bad experiences. 1) the shifters were snapped with the first accident. Ended up making little protection sleeves out of PVC and plugs. Didn’t have the issue after that. 2) was a rear derailleur and bent hanger issue. Instructions say it’s fine to leave on and a little protective cage is provided. ST says pull the rear derailleur and bubble wrap to rear triangle. Didn’t have another issue after that. Never had issues with damaged wheels including rear disc as @david points out…but I am so much more relaxed on the plane now knowing it’s in a BBA.
That’s exactly how I did it before… remove the RD from the frame, wrap it, and let it dangle. Remove the cockpit and orient it flat alongside the frame. Covering everything in the protection stuff, etc.
Are you near Chicago? You can borrow my bike box for free (if you pick up and drop off). One of a kind, hand made bike box, but built like a tank.
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Very nice!!!
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