I’m looking for a new bike box for my ISP bike and I’m wondering if anyone has any experience with the Scion Aerotech or Bike Box Alan?
I have the BikeBoxAlan, and its pretty good. But I don’t use it that often, as I have the Scicon Aero Comfort which I find easier to use, and much quicker to pack/unpack bike or tribike!
BikeboxAlan is aasy to use, as long as your bike is not massive. I have a P5-Six, in size 58, and that does not fit into Bikebox Alan. Especially as I don’t want to take the whole headset apart to fit handlebars and so on. Roadbike size it fits really nicely up to Size 58, but you might need to take fork out of the frame to fit.
They are both good options if your looking specifically for a hardcase. But ever since I gotten the Aerocomfort from Scicon, I only seem to use that one.
p.s. if your UK based, I m willing to sell my Bikeboxalan 
Can’t speak to the Scicon Aerotech but I have a Bike Box Alan. It’s definitely a very solid bike case and you won’t worry about your bike getting crushed in the cargo hold of a plane. That said, it’s a little pricey and the ordering process is a little bit of an adventure…
When I ordered mine, at first the payment wasn’t processed because my credit card company flagged the transaction. Once I realized that and got it sorted out the order went through but once a while passed without any update I got a little nervous. They don’t have much of a customer support channel (it’s a pretty small operation from what I can tell) so I could only get an answer by finding the shop number and making an international call to talk to someone in person. It turned out the paperwork for my order got lost in the shuffle over there and they hadn’t even shipped my box yet (this was a few days before I needed the case to travel to IMCdA).
To their credit, once they figured out their mistake they overnighted the case to me at no extra charge (can’t imagine shipping a giant bike box from rural England to Virginia is cheap…) and it arrived just in time.
No complaints since I’ve had it though.
Scicon Aerotech user here. Case is a TANK. Easy to pack and space efficient in general, however, check the dimensions to be sure it will fit in your car.
I bought the Scicon aerocomfort triathlon bag this year. Flew with it 6 times domestic and international and so far so good. love the bag and you can pack/unpack your bike in few minutes.
I bought the Scicon aerocomfort triathlon bag this year. Flew with it 6 times domestic and international and so far so good. love the bag and you can pack/unpack your bike in few minutes.
Absolutely agree. I would do it again in a heart beat. Sooooo much easier to pack/unpack and the protection has been excellent so far.
I recommend the Scicon. I think the Alan needs a central stiffening post. One more thing, if you buy the Scicon, make sure it has the “Made in Italy” stickers. There was a run of boxes made in China, and they had substandard molds and plastic that cracked. Scicon honours the warranty, but its a pain if it happens. The Made in Italy ones are indestructible.
I like bike box alan’s velcro straps as they keep the contents secure, without bouncing around which is what causes damage. but on the other hand i dont like the middle post which has to go through the spokes, as the TSA employees do not really understand the concept if putting this post back in place, and potentially can damage the wheels!
Tri Nut - Based on the dimensions what has your experience been with airline fees with Scicon Triathlon?
I’m picking up a Sci’Con Aerocomfort Triathlon bag tonight. I’ve done roughly 6-10 hours of research on the subject and for my needs it trumps all else. Sure it’s a softshell case, but these items aren’t just thrown in the cargo end of the plane with the other bags. These are considered “large” or “delicate” items, which are placed in a different area of the cargo zone. This usually includes skis, gold bags, firearms, etc so the baggage workers typically (not always) treat them with a little more care and concern. For that reason I went with this as there is no bike parts to disassemble, it has a great reputation and in the many videos online it takes less than 10 minutes to pack and unpack.
I’m sure there are others that are more protective but at a certain point it’s just paranoia talking. I want to ride my bike not learn how to be a bike mechanic!!
I’m looking for a new bike box for my ISP bike and I’m wondering if anyone has any experience with the Scion Aerotech or Bike Box Alan?
I think they are both good. I’ve had the bike box alan for maybe 6 years and I’ve never had any issues. It seems indestructible. If I had to buy a new box, I’d probably also consider the Armored Hen House because of the flexibility of packing and avoidance of airline fees. When I lived in Europe, bike fees were never an issue with the bike box, but in the USA it’s just daylight robbery…
Tri Nut - Based on the dimensions what has your experience been with airline fees with Scicon Triathlon?
Southwest charged me $47 (I think) each way. AA charged me $45 from Cleveland to Cozumel with an over night connection in Dallas. I think the travel agent didn’t know what to charge. They tried to charge me again in Dallas but I showed them the receipt that I paid in cleveland and they didn’t bother.
On the way from Cozumel, they charged me ~$160 which is the charge listed in American Airline’s website for international travel.
When asked what’s in the bag, I just told them it’s a bike. The bag is big enough to be noticed so no point in trying to hide it.
Tri-Nut -
Thank you for the information.
I’ve been using my Scicon for a year now and I like it. I flew to Zurich last year and the bike came in one piece, with no damage. I travelled 3-4 times with it without a problem.
Last night I got back from IM 70.3 California and had the unpleasant surprise to see both brakes bent. I don’t think there is any damage to the frame, but I’ll need to take a closer look tonight. I can’t help but question how “safe” and “well-protected” my bike is now when travelling with my Scicon bag. My main concern is around the handlebar/aero-bar.
I wanted to know if anyone had any tips on how to better protect the bike from potential shocks. I use bubble wraps, but is there any creative solution someone can share to protect the handlebar, rear derailleurs and aero-bars…any advice would be very, very appreciated!