orcanova

I read somewhere that Postal used them. On the Sci-Con website theres a pic of a baggage handler with several stacked up on a dolly and the caption says its the Navigators team bikes being transported.

As far as durability and damage, maybe they are more durable than we think. Of couse I think there's the possibility of damage, but so far it hasn't happened, and I'm willing to accept that risk in order travel with my bike, since I do travel to some cool places for work. I mean what is the worst that could happen? Once out of twenty times I had to pay for a wheel repair, and maybe I couldn't ride that trip? Well, I've already got lots of rides in on trips, so I am ahead of the game. If it happens I just take it to a shop and put down a credit card and, viola, problem solved.

The weels are tucked outside the frame so they are the most exposed, and I think the wheels actually act as padding and are more durable than you think to sideways stress. A wheel is more likely to go out of true hitting a pothole or just from a loose spoke than some sideways pressure. Spokes have high tension but can absorb a little weight. We probably put way more lateral stress on a wheel sprinting than a box would leaning against it temporarily.

The way the bag is designed it tends to sit up rather than lay on the ground. If it is on the ground, it is not flat, and the cordura nylon is slippery, and it would take some effort to balance cargo on it without it sliding off. Think about it, a bagggage handler wouldn't put boxes on something unstable because he knows it would make more work to go pick them up after they all tumble. He would more likely toss the bike bike bag on top, and I think the padding and design is so good that the bike won't get hurt tossing it. Therefore, the bag is most likey to wind up on top of other stuff, not under it.

It is also bottom heavy so if tossed it would probably land on one or more of the caster wheels first then either tip over or stand up. The exterior padding is very thick. I don't know about cargo holds in planes but I think cargo is secured pretty well with netting or pods and whatnot to keep it from shifting, so I don't things are tossed on top of each other when loaded. The only tossing would likely be on and off the loading belt, and maybe on the baggage claim belt, but its actuall easier to just place this bag than toss, because of its weight and shape and the slippery cordura exterior. I am confident the bike is well protected for this kind of minor tossing. However, I do think handlers in general would be more gentle with something like this. If it is light, it takes less effort to handle it gently, and more effort to handle it roughly. They would be more rough with something heavier. If a handler wanted to move it ten feet up to the next guy, since it is sitting on caster wheels, he would brobably give it a shove and let it roll forward to the next guy.