I emailed Bikeflights.com to ask about the possibility of adding the Scicon Aerocomfort 2.0 to their pre-populated bag list (shown in the “Dimensions” dropdown).
I received a quick reply that said:
*The Scicon AeroComfort 2.0 bag is a travel bag for traveling by plane. *
*However, the soft-shell case I do not think would bode well with handling of a shipping box. *
*From our experience, the cases on our list are the best to ship your bicycle in that have proven themselves to be reliable. In the past, softshell cases seemed to have a large amount of claims of damage to the bike. *
Just curious: have any of you shipped (not flown with) your bikes using a soft case, and if so what’s been your experience?
I have a Scicon Aerocomfort Triathlon case. Have flown to 4 different races. Damage has been minimal - and mostly due to inspectors incredibly poor job of “re-packing” my packing - so a few dings and scrapes on the paint. Also, the skewers on that bag might cause a bit of damage depending on what size your actual skewers are for your wheels - again, learned to simply use a bit of bubblewrap to protect the paint. I did have a bit of a dent in my disc wheel - but with a little heat from a hairdryer and it was good to go… I am sure it was from keeping my pedals on the bike and then they weren’t rotated enough to avoid contact with the disc wheel under pressure.
Most of the issues can be resolved by careful packing - using some excess bubblewrap or additional protective material around the frame.
The other thing to realize is that even though the bag is built to roll standing up - I am fairly sure they lie them on their side… so I’ve had my brake levers turned in a bit as well (and I’m sure this is what caused the ever so slight indention in my wheel)
I always try to fly a direct flight though - it is true - the most issues I ever had was when I flew to Lake Tahoe and had to use 2 different airlines… a bit tricky for sure.
I have the bag because my P5 is uber tricky to pack in a hard case … and I am not mechanically inclined. The Scicon bags take literally 30mins to pack and the bike is practically ready to go when you get there… having said that - I am always a bit uneasy - especially when I see a full flight… but I would like to think that when the handlers see a soft bag - they take a bit extra care… wishful thinking I’m sure.
Cheers and good luck with your search. Just my 0.02