I'm trying to decide between making up some kind of foam padded cardboard box, or buying a hard case to use when checking my Mezzo D9 for a trip to Colombia. Does anyone know if the Brompton hard cases are big enough to fit a mezzo?

I guess if I went with a hard case I'd have to find someone from couchsurfing.org who I could leave it with for the duration of my trip.

I've already tried contacting the airline about gate-checking, but the customer service person (clearly reading from a script and speaking little english) seemed to have no idea what I was talking about (spirit air).

Anyone have any advise or relevant past experience?

No experience, but I've been thinking about a similar thing. I've been thinking about taking my bike next time I visit my parents. 24 hour flight (2 legs with a few hours layover), 20 kg luggage allowance. My bike kitted out the way I like it (pump, enormous saddle bag, tools, lights etc etc weighs more than 13kg. The lightest bag I've so far identified that would fit my bike is nearly 5kg. After I stowed my liquids, this means I'm lugging 2 weeks worth of clothes, shoes, presents, various gadgets etc etc on and off the air craft, and lugging it around Singapore airport at 3am, when I want to be stretching my legs and browsing electronics shops.

So, I think what I will do is take the 1 1/2 kg cloth bag I already have, a couple of luggage straps and some compression bags for my clothes, and use the clothing to protect the bike. I should be able to manage a fair amount of stuff and still come in under 20kg.

Am I mad?

ps. forgot to add helmet to my list, as they are mandatory at my destination

[QUOTE=Omiak;13191546a hard case to use when checking my Mezzo D9 for a trip to Colombia. Does anyone know if the Brompton hard cases are big enough to fit a mezzo?

Anyone have any advise or relevant past experience?[/QUOTE]

Sorry no experience on the Brompton hard cae, I dont think it will fit as I seem to remember they are tight fit. The main extra protrution compairing a folded mezzo to a folded Brompton is the width and the handlebar stem. I wounder If you remove the two allen key bolts holding the mezzo handle bar stem to the clamp to make would help it fit.

The mezzo can be made to fit an airline suitcase I would have thought this way?

Just a suggestion, leave the Mezzo in London, buy a well spec'd Brompton, BF, Birdy, or what ever, take it to Oz, enjoy riding it around whilst you're there, and then flog it at the end of you holiday for what I would imagine would be a healthy profit.

What's the cost if you exceed 20kg? It might be worthwhile to just pay it...

Thanks for the suggestions.

Diode, my time in oz is too precious to waste in selling. I want to spend time with my parents in their late 70s and my friends I only see every one or two years. Plus eating souvlaki and hokkien noodles. And Peking Duck.

alhedges, checked out the price on a random airline, Singapore. $US60/kg each way. Little I own is worth that. It would be cheaper to throw stuff away at the airport than to pay that much.

Oz? Where in Oz?

Sorry Jur, I thought I must have mentioned it here before. Your videos make me homesick :-)

My parents live near Camberwell Junction