2_i 

Thanks, Pailin. By now I already bought B132H, deciding a bit in the dark. However, your comments can be useful for others and for me they demonstrate that I made the right decision, as the bag foldability turns out to be quite important for me. For others, though, the the apparent extra protection that B132C provides compared to a primarily soft bag might tilt the balance.

Additional items that I might pack inside B132H include trailer and/or bike tools, so no I do not need a garment bag, but thanks for mentioning.

gordonz

Thanks for the tread.
Is there a lot of difference in the construction materials of the B132H and the B132B?
I have a couple of B&W hard cases weighing in at 8Kg that my wife and I use to fly with but want something lighter and less bulky (our Bromptons are well used from previous world trips).
Just wondering if I am better off buying a couple of B132Bs and adding lightweight castor wheel rather than B132H and disposing of the heavy wheels is the B132H just a more solid construction?

2_i 

H has a lightweight rectangular box at the bottom to keep the bottom in shape, while B just has plastic rails and a plastic corner with wheels for the purpose. After 2 trips with B, one of the rails cracked and the corner was always deforming, with the effect of the bag dragging against the ground. Both of these are due to the whole weight of the bike pushing on one corner relatively close to the ground. I looked at the option of adding extra or other wheels to B and it just did not looked feasible in any straightforward fashion. Equipping H with lighter wheels is far more straightforward with bottom in H being better thought out - I think they just gathered more experience with the earlier bags.

However, I still have not traveled with H. In my memory @Hisamatsu completed his travel(s) with H bags successfully, maybe reporting on another forum.

gordonz

Thanks for that, I did read through the whole post but that bit didn't register, sorry, totally answers my question.
I will get a couple of the B132H for our next 2 month "round the world" trip starting late May and try remember to report back.
We started off with 2 soft bags from Germany several years ago so the Bromptons did get quite bashed up with lots of plane trips.
We bought the B&W hard cases in Japan 2 years ago as carrying 2 bikes through the huge train stations in Japan was too much for me at 70 years old. The hard cases are great for pristine bikes but overkill for our well used bikes.

2_i 

So from another forum @Hisamatsu seems to have flown 6 times by now with H, including 4 internationally. His bag, though, has the reinforcements described earlier in this thread. The Coroplast sheets he uses for the sides may play a role in protecting the bike.

Update: Oops, in more careful reading one of the frames got bent during these 6 flights apparently not seriously enough to make the bike unrideable but they had it eventually replaced.

Hisamatsu

Each trip I take 2 Bromptons, I've gone on 2 more trips since last reported, so total of 8. Only 1 of the Vincita bag had the frame bent on a flight, it is thin metal tubes so I don't expect it to hold much weight, as long as the corners hold up which it did; think of it like a car crumple zone. Brompton is made of tough steel so it would probably survive fine in the Vincita bag without extra coroplast or frame, but I like more protection just in case.

I could replace the frame tube with thicker ones but it adds weight. Could also do pvc which is flexible but also heavier. Might just replace the top two long tube because is the weakest point where things get set on top of and actually where it bent one time.

2_i 

Oh, OK, all is good then. I misunderstood thinking that it was bike's frame that got bent. My expectation too is of the bikes' frames being fine but I did not want to argue in this case misunderstood facts. In the role of extra protection I will presumably add a strap holding the bike immobile against the reinforced bottom. but will attach the ends of the strap to somewhat reinforced sides of the bag and run the strap over the top of the bike, differently from the inconvenient arrangement in the B bag.

Hisamatsu

I strap & anchor the Brompton to the bottom of the frame pipe I made. Prevents it from moving or bouncing around.

Another thing I do is put a printed page inside the bag showing what is inside, what it is, and step-by-step via photos how to take the Brompton out of the bag and disassemble the frame. I've heard stories of people getting inspected by TSA and they didn't put it back together securely. I've been inspected twice, they left a TSA slip inside indicating so, but don't think they bothered taking the Brompton out. My theory is that they peaked inside, saw the printed page, knew what it was and stopped there. That or my photo instructions made it tedious and a pain to do and brushed it off.

gordonz

Ordered two of the B132H bags on-line from the manufacturer, arrived in 5 days, looks well made and good design. Will report back in August once I have been on my world travels. Thanks for the assistance in helping choosing.

mingo

I know it's been a while since your last post, but I'm about to order this bag and wanted to hear from you or anyone else who's used the B132H bag to transport your bike in the airline's luggage hold.. How well does it hold up and protect the bike?

Thanks!

Hisamatsu

You can read my previous comments in this thread about how well the bag has kept up checking it with airlines.


https://imgur.com/a/5jYsS (more pictures)

I added coroplast boards to my custom built frame for extra protection. Might not even be needed, but why not.

Dozens of flights now checked in. It is holding up well. No damage to the Brompton. Bag still working great. One of the bars of my custom build frame got slightly bent and it was easily replaced.
TSA open'd and inspected it a hand full of times. I can tell because they left a note inside. They never took it out of the bag or appears so. I left a printed page with photos how to repack the Brompton step-by-step. Probably saw exactly what was inside and stopped there.

mingo

Thanks for the update and the pics of the colorplast.I'm going to attempt something similar.

Do you remove the wheels every time you check them in? Have you tried it with the wheels on?

Would you be able to post the instructions of assembly, etc for the benefit and discouragement of TSA agents?

Do you deflate the tires prior to air transport, or can you leave them fully inflated?

Thank you very much!

Hisamatsu

I don't remove the wheels. As a Brompton it already folds up neatly

TSA inspect when they are confused what the xray shows. Most likely the pictures give enough insight to what is inside. The paper is the first thing they see when opening the bag and don't think they bother removing any corroplast boards after seeing it. https://i.imgur.com/i5SmrS6.jpg my instruction isn't special, likely they don't even read them.

I don't deflate the tires.

mingo

Thanks a lot for all the tips and the link to your instructions sheet. I was going to print off 2 pages from the owner's manual PDF on how to fold and unfold the bike.

My question regarding the wheels referred to the wheels on the Vincita bag. I read you initially removed the wheels of the bag prior to checking the bag in. Have you tried checking it in with the wheels on?

Thanks again.

Quiksetz

mingo

Did you remove the wheels when you checked the Vincita? I just received mine and will be using it to transport my Brompton. I built a C-PVC frame around the bike to make the bag more rigid. Next, I'll be adding some coroplast sheets and will take it with me to France. I'll post pics when I'm done.

Hisamatsu

You can leave the wheels on, but it is advise by Vincita to remove. Wheels are the #1 thing broken from luggage. I took mine off when I went to France last year.

Curious how much does your PVC frame weigh?

mingo

I will post pics and weight once I'm done. My machinist friend is finishing the ends on a lathe so the PVC pipes slide in and out of the triple joints with ease.

mingo

I used PVC pipes and elbows and coroplast. The entire package with the Vincita case weighs 16 kg. The PVC frame weighs 1.6 kg. I have MKS pedals and both have been removed, the seat will also go in my carry on, I have a titanium seat tube and no luggage rack. My Brompton is the 6 speed H model. The bike in the Vincita bag weighs 15.5kg. I have LED clip on lights, back and front, as well as the double wheels on the rear fender and the expanding wheels bracket on the rear triangle. I also have the Vincita carrying handle mounted to the top tube and the Brompton air pump on the rear triangle.

The coroplast for the large sides are good protection, I'm not sure there's a need for coroplast on the narrow sides. I will be flying to France in September, so we'll see. I will also remove the hinge clamps.

I purchased the PVC pipes from Home Depot in the plumbing department and the corner joints from Lowe's. The pipes are 1/2" in diameter and quite thick.

Hisamatsu

I'm assuming you used schedule40 pvc?

I thought about using https://formufit.com/ schedule 80 pvc, they have nice colors, which is stronger so I could use thinner tubes. Didn't like how heavy it was estimated to be. My current metal tube frame only weigh 330g which is pretty light.

One of the plus side of pvc is it is flexible so it will bend back into shape if stressed. My frame is metal it got dented a little on one trip, I just had to bend it back with a rubber hammer.
Might look into aluminum tent poles used in this https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Lence-Ul...dp/B00Y2A78T0/ and add bungee strings inside to assemble the frame fast.

mingo

yes, it says schedule 40 on the pipes. I'm under the 23kg limit so I'm good to go. I'll repot back how will it traveled my trip to France is completed. I never check luggage as I usually travel light, so all my travel clothes will fit in my carry on.

mingo

I spent 3 weeks in France with my Brompton. It was the smartest thing I did. The bike made the trip. The Vincita bag held up quite well with my above arrangement. I removed the clamps and padded the handlebar stem hinge, as I have the H version, so it sits higher than the other versions. I did, I saw and I explored more than if I was on foot. It made accessing all the small towns and villages much more enjoyable.


A long way to St. Lô



Sword Beach Memorial to UK troops



Juno Beach Memorial to Canadian soldiers



Memorial to Allied troops near Omaha Beach




Sainte-Mère Église, the first French town in Normandy liberated by the 101st Airborne Division.



Utah Beach Memorial



One of the Omaha Beach memorial to National Guard troops.



Enjoying a scenic ride through the Normandy countryside



Explored Paris without using the metro




Thank you Vincita and Brompton!

2_i 

Congratulations! Did you use trains for longer distances? Rental car? Bus? All by bike?

mingo

My original plan was to ride from the village where I was staying 2 km to the train station. Take the train to various towns and explore them by bike. What I ended up doing was renting a car and carrying the bike with me. As soon as I reached the outskirts of any town, I'd find a free parking spot and head in by bike. A lot of the old towns have pedestrian (and cyclist) only streets. The rental car cost me $17 a day, so I figured it was probably cheaper and more convenient than the train. I managed to drive 4900 km during that time and saw a lot of lower Normandy and upper Brittany and being fully fluent in French was a great help. From now on, I will always take my Brompton with me when I go to Europe, and I do so about twice a year.



Dinan, Brittany



A town from the 12th century


American Cemetery near Omaha Beach



All gave some.. some gave all. RIP.

2_i 

Nice pictures, with some locations I recognize, having done Omaha Beach with an excursion bus. However I also moved around the surroundings on a rented city bike, including Arromanches-les-Bains on the coast, another landing site. My base then was Caen and the reach was wherever I could get back and forth within a day. On another occasion I took along a Brompton there myself but lacked time then to get out of Caen. Still it was great for getting anywhere in the city in no time.