Does anyone have experience with the Trico Sports Iron Case? Any problems with it? I’m looking into getting one for my '04 Caliente. Thanks!
I’ve got one. It will hold your bike and ALL your other exstrainous gear you usually bring along (floor pump, helment, shoes, some tools, clothes, running shoes, water bottles, etc etc).
You have to take pedals, and seat post off and remove handlebars from stem. Wheels go on one side of the thick foam frame on the other. everything else can be padded and stuffed just about anywhere. I padded and zip tie alot of the loose stuff
The only caveat I will add is this: I haven’t flown with is since 9/11 so I don’t know what kind of damage TSA bubbas could inadvertently do in the process of openning eveything up to take a look-see and reclosing box incorrectly.
Might be worth UPS’ing it instead of flying with it. but that is another topic
Jim
I’ve had good luck flying my bike in a case…not this case…different one where you don’t have to take off the pedals… when the security goons took a look at the case and then proceeded to open it I would stand there and watch and offer, as politely as I could, to help them with the reassembly of the case. Most smiled and said fine and appreciated the help putting the cover back on and relatching all six latches and the two nylon straps as well. No bike damage…flew to three races this year.
I’ve had two of them for years and like them a lot. I’ve also flown with them twice this year, once internationally. I’ve flown with them at least once a year the past several years too. In each case the baggage people just wheel the bike boxes away. I’ve never had them stop and open it right there in front of me. Still, I’ve started not packing much extra stuff with my bike, so it will be as easy as possible for them to reclose them if they should decide to take a peek.
Our club has 5 of them and they are great. I’ve used one probably 7 or 8 times and have never had a problem.
clm
I’ve had one for a long time. It has gotten much more use by others than by me, but I haven’t had any real troubles with it.
One of my friends is a tri-pro and she used my case to go to World’s somewhere, Switzerland maybe? I dunno, but she said that bike case made her cry. She hated it so much that she wanted to leave it there and buy another one to transport the bike back and pay me for leaving my case there.
She said it was too big and bulky to move around easily with all of her luggage, etc., and prefers a hard shell case, shorter/more narrow but longer that is more stable.
I haven’t taken it too many places but I never had a problem with it.
have it, love it. sure you have to take your bike apart, but I’ve travelled all over with mine and no problems whatsoever. Like the previous poster said, it can be kind of bulky. I’m 5"2’ 120 lbs woman, and yeah, it’s kind of a pain, but hey when I’m travelling for tris I tend to have so much other luggage you get carts/skycaps/taxis whatever. I’ve had friend’s who have used smaller boxes, but they’re not so much smaller that it is a big difference.
Anyway, absolutely no probelms with security or damage. And you can cram so much into that box.
I’ve had a Trico since '95 and it’s great. I always take my rear derailleur off, just to make sure the hanger doesn’t get bent or snapped off (I’ve got an aluminum bike).
As far as the airport security stuff, no sweat. I’m an airline manager, and ALL bike cases go through what’s called the “CTX”. It’s basically a CAT-scanner. Just don’t utilize those little lock-cables at the each end, and the TSA folks won’t have to cut off your lock or call you down to the CTX room to open it for them.
If you use some zip ties, they’ll replace them with their little blue seal tabs and usually stick a form in your luggage telling you that they’ve rummaged through it. Usually.