I don't put any gear in with my bike for two reasons. First, bike + case + tools is usually 47.5-48 pounds, perilously close to the 50 pound overweight bogey.


Second, TSA makes a mess of my nicely-packed bike and never repacks it right, leading to damage when some ape sits on the case to re-close it. So far the worst has been scratches and a bashed-in barcon that had to be replaced. Now I dismount the front tire and stuff it in the lid so they can see everything without screwing it all up.