Touring - Any experience with bike luggage?

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.



PDA

View Full Version : Any experience with bike luggage?

adlai
06-11-11, 09:00 AM
I'm in a foreign country right now and I seriously miss having my bike with me. I'm thinking the next time I will bring my bike in a case.

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_202420_-1_202859_10000_202591#ReviewHeader

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_522000_-1_200545__202591

what's the best case in approximately that price range? experience?

I looked at folding bikes, but from what I can tell they might save like 10 inches or so, which may not make a difference for travel.

mev
06-12-11, 09:39 PM
I've flown with my bicycle from US to foreign country more than half a dozen trips (not counting Canada). I've always been able to get by with an airline box or once with plastic bag coming back from Amsterdam. It has done fine so far w/o extra case.

I'm also currently overseas, on business instead of touring unfortunately. However, I did bring along a mountain bike on this trip so I can spend some weekends exploring the countryside. For the first time in over 30+ flights, including domestic travel, I found there were no boxes at a US airport where I departed (Portland). United Express made an exception and my connecting Lufthansa flights don't require a box. The bike made it through fine, with front wheel slightly out of true, but nothing I couldn't fix.

So depending on how often you plan to travel, you might be able to get by with bike boxes purchased from the airlines. Depending on the overseas country and whether you are doing a one-way leg, it can be useful to either save your box or find a replacement at local shop before your departure. I've bought them at the airport (Australia, NZ, Netherlands) and bought them locally (Malaysia, Russia) and saved them (India, China).