anyone know if they are out of business, on hiatus/vacation, etc.? I’ve placed calls the last 2 days, and get a v/m message, but no return call. I’m trying to determine delivery time, and I am inferring from the lack of a return call that it will be extended. Anyone bought one lately or know the owner personally?
I never even heard of them until you just mentioned them.
I’m surprised you’d pay 300 bucks for a bike bag 
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Competitive cyclist sells them.
I ordered from them 11Mar. Mark was great, custom built a smaller bag for my 650c TT bike. I haven’t use it yet, purchased for IMCDA, but the process was fairly smooth. Sent the company an email, exchanged a few, then a phone call with my VISA. I’m pretty sure this is a very small home business (not unlikely just Mark), so he may just be travelling. Try emailing him. He has a great rep, I researched quite a bit before selecting him/his product.
I think I received my bag within a week of my expectations.
just ordered one from Mark.
http://www.cyclingutah.com/july/july00/pika.html
Pretty cool dude, chatted for a while today, told him I would be using it for a tri bike he said he would include extra pads for the aero ext.
He works out of his basement and makes 800 or so bags a year and takes a few vacations when he feels like it. When I emailed him last night he responded in 10 hrs, called me and set up the transaction. Should have the bag by the end of the week. I’ll post a mini review when I get it in.
He sold at least 2 today since I also talked to him and bought one!
Can anyone speak from experience about this bike bag being able to avoid the horrendous airline bike baggage fee?
I have a couple friends who have them and I have the very similar Aerolus bike bag. It used to escape all bike fees. But now so many people are getting them that the agents are picking up on it. Especially flying out of places with heavy triathlete traffic. The first year I had the bag zero fees. Second year it was about 30% of the time I got charged leaving Honolulu or out of Kona. But when I was flying out of the mainland never got charged. This year I’ve been hit every time I fly out of a Hawaiian airport. But still not out of mainland ones. My friends who have had the Pika bag have had it for 2-3 years and say similar things. Having to pay more and more often. Especially if traveling with other people who have bikes.
Even w/ the charges it’s light and a lot easier to handle. Every race I’ve flown to with it I haven’t had to check a second bag. Just it loaded with bike and a lot of stuff and my carry on. I put wheels on one end and it’s so easy to pull through the airport with the cinch straps on the other end.
Thanks Maggs!
Yeah, it looks like a great product, too bad its popularity is starting to undermine the “secret!” It would probably fool a lot of the airline ticket agents here in Europe…
By the way, if you or anybody you know needs a condo in Kona, I have mine available again from 2-12 October.
I’ve found that if you check in & pay for it online, then get to the airport ahead of everyone else traveling with bikes, you have a better chance of not paying. In the HNL airport there are ticket agents that work for the airline and contractors who assist with baggage handling and putting baggage tickets on the bag. I always try to go to the non airline employee. The contracted helps just puts the tag on my bag and away it goes. The airline employees ask a lot of questions.
I won’t know if i’ll need a condo until after IM Louisville, fingers crossed I will. So if it’s available then I’ll take it. But I’ll ask around. I’ve got a few friends who got in to Kona via the recent lottery.
We started bringing these in and they have been awesome thus far www.evocusa.com
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50/50 so far. Home to miami - no charge. On the return flight I had an agent tell me it was too large and I couldn’t fly with it. I think she was just having a bad day. Then she tried to charge bike fee, oversized fee, extra bag fee, lousy day fee, etc. Sometimes being nice helps.