Fifty Plus (50+) - Need help with Bike Travel Cases

Anyone using cases to travel with their bikes using airlines or even shipping bikes to destinations? Any recommendations on models to consider and also those models to avoid? Some seem to be pretty expensive little rascals but if the additional cost is needed to keep the bikes from being damaged I guess you just gotta pay the piper???

Anyone using cases to travel with their bikes using airlines or even shipping bikes to destinations? Any recommendations on models to consider and also those models to avoid? Some seem to be pretty expensive little rascals but if the additional cost is needed to keep the bikes from being damaged I guess you just gotta pay the piper???

jp - i have 3 actually,all now in cebu. i finally bought a socom. very pricy but airlines usually don't charge the $80-$110 fee flying international (4xRT/year). money well spent:thumb:. It is well built, sturdy, easy to handle.
Others were OK but bulky, heavy, etc.

I have used bulky box to ship in US to US location I always go to a Fed Ex main warehouse location or office - it will be cheaper.

jppe, I bought this one:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=6000122&subcategory=60001134&brand=&sku=21032&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Travel%20Case

from Nashbar and paid $179 for it. It must have been on sale cause it's showing $199 now. BUT they threw in 2 high quality wheel bags with mine so it's a good deal.

I took my bike to Italy in it recently and it was fine. I had to tweak the latches to make them work right but it was no big deal. I'd recommend it.

I have the Thule bike travel case which is a clamshell type affair. I have used it on airplanes, on buses, on trains and have shipped via UPS. Never had damage to the bike - so it does it's job.

On the negative side, even with my light weight bike, the case, the bike and the minimal tools required to reassemble the bike come in very close to 50lbs, which seems to be a magic number for both the airlines and the bus lines - above that they wrinkle their brow and are more likely to want money from you.

I have had good luck with not being charged oversize baggage charges by the airlines very often - although I am a very frequent flyer (~100K miles per year), so the airlines tend to abuse me less than they abuse most of their customers.

To get the bike into the box I have to remove the seat post, remove the handlebars and remove the wheels. I have tape on the seatpost to show where it wants to be when I reassemble.

I read a long review of travel cases recently (can't remember where...) and I think they rated the Thule as the best. However, the Performance and Nashbar cases look plenty rugged, and Nashbar always seems to be putting theirs on sale.

Also, as the airlines get more difficult to deal with, I've seen more recommendations to just consider shipping in advance of your trip. Get a box from bike store, pack it well, send it off.

And...there are also a couple of companies that now specialize in delivering sports equipment around the country (golf clubs, ski's, bikes, etc.).

The first one that turned up in Google is:

www.sportsexpress.com (http://www.sportsexpress.com).

I just used their "quick quote" feature and got a quote of $80 to ship a bike one-way to the Midwest from Seattle; $59 San Diego to Seattle....I've kept this place bookmarked because if you're going somewhere that requires complicated travel at either end (say, driving to a smaller town after you land at an airport), then shipping the bike in advance looks better and better...

The sell boxes as well...

But I think there are others.

OK, I get my Thule or Nashbar, pack my bike and navigate the airline hassles. Now I'm at my destination in the Big City. What do I do with the bloody box until I'm ready for the return journey?

Most vans, taxis, family cars, etc are too small for the box to fit. I can upack at the airport and even assemble to ride to my ultimate destinatioin, if it weren't for luggage and The Box.

If I send it on ahead on a door to door basis with FedEx, et al I've lost a week of riding at home.

Buy another bike:(

I will start by saying I have an old Performance bike box which works pretty well-- however, if I were to do it again, I would probably follow the instructions in the attached link--

http://members.shaw.ca/boxyourbike/

the first paragraph reads as follows: You can buy an almost indestructible bike box for $500 or more. But, who wants to spend that much on a bike box? Rather pump that cash into your trusty steed! Here is a cheap solution to your bike transport problems. For those who travel once, occasionally or fairly often, this may prove to be the best answer!


train safe

My LBS frequently fly out to the Med with their bikes on training holidays. They now use The hard case forms after having damage done with a cloth type. And may be old school now but unpressurised hold at 30'000 ft with 120 psi in the tyres at Ground level? Drop the pressure way down in the tyres to save the carcase and tubes.

And if a one off trip- Then LBS will give you the cardboard container that all bikes are supplied in. If they can take everything that UPS can hit them with without damaging the bike- Then they are good enough.