Bike boxes buying advice

spezial

Morning all, this is my first post on here, it's nice to be aboard!

Wanted some advice on bike boxes for air travel. It's first use will be to get me to the Etape Caledonia this year (carbon footprint alert!), but over the coming years will hopefully be used to travel to France, Italy, etc.

What brands/ types do you all recommend?

Also, are there any other issues I should watch out for when traveling with my bike on the plane? Nothing strange happens to carbon in the luggage hold for example!?

Thanks in advance...

JohnnyAllez

You do know that the resin in carbon softens at altitude, and usually solidifies again at sea-level. Most people never notice any difference in their bikes afterwards.

Oh, and welcome to the Radar

sherer

well the best ones are either Sci-Con or bikeboxalan which I have. BikeBoxAlan is a cheaper copy but still very expensive. What is your budget ? Mine was about £500 and it can be a pain putting it in the box, try it a few days in advance rather than waiting till the night before

bobtbuilder

Sherer is pretty much spot on. The best ones are pricy. I have a Sci-con Aerotech bike box. It's superb. Very rugged and well designed. It cost me £365 on WIggle 3 years ago. They are nearer £450 - £500 now though.

maddog 2

Edinburgh bike Coop had the 'DHB' case in the sale recently. Not as tough as the BikeBoxAlan versions but I picked mine up for £120. Wiggle have them for £160ish I think

willharris10

I have been dreaming about riding the coast road along the South of France for some time. Plan would be to fly to Nice, get the train to Monaco and then ride from Monaco to Montpelier along the coast, staying at hostels along the way. About a week's gentle ride.

Problems are all around logistics and cost. How to get the bike and the panniers to the South of France and then how to get back. My thoughts we along the lines of using a shipping company to send the bike box/bag to my final hostel from Nice on arrival, so it'll be there ready and waiting when I arrive at the end of the trip. With no support driver and car, how else, other than a round journey, can this all be accomplished.

Next, is how to transport the bike and panniers? Bike boxes mean you have to disassemble the bike, but then they cost a fortune, and what do you do with the front and rear luggage?

The train would be easier, but then the cost is just huge.

Any suggestions on boxes, bags, transport methods?

willharris10

Oooooooo you can hire BikeBoxAlan bike boxes. Now there's a thought!

:-)

mrushton

willharris10 wrote:

I have been dreaming about riding the coast road along the South of France for some time. Plan would be to fly to Nice, get the train to Monaco and then ride from Monaco to Montpelier along the coast, staying at hostels along the way. About a week's gentle ride.

Problems are all around logistics and cost. How to get the bike and the panniers to the South of France and then how to get back. My thoughts we along the lines of using a shipping company to send the bike box/bag to my final hostel from Nice on arrival, so it'll be there ready and waiting when I arrive at the end of the trip. With no support driver and car, how else, other than a round journey, can this all be accomplished.

Next, is how to transport the bike and panniers? Bike boxes mean you have to disassemble the bike, but then they cost a fortune, and what do you do with the front and rear luggage?

The train would be easier, but then the cost is just huge.

Any suggestions on boxes, bags, transport methods?

Eurostar to Lille, then on to Nice? Freight co. will be expensive. Train around Southern France.
Bike bus will get you down towards the Med

cougie

I use the Neil Pryde style soft bike bag. The bike inside is packed up like a bug in a rug though - pipe lagging round everything. I've flown every year with it for the past 6 years or so and its always been fine, and its a lot less bulky than a box, and a lot cheaper.

Will - leave the bike bag at Nice left luggage perhaps ? And ride from Nice to Monaco - thats not that far anyway, and get the train back at the end maybe ?

willharris10

Good suggestions.

What's a bike bus?

Soft bag would be cheaper, and yes, a round trip would mean any box can be used again without having to be shipped. Worth a thought!

mrushton

http://www.bike-express.co.uk/

willharris10

Thanks, have e-mailed them as to whether they ever drop off in Nice.

spezial

Thanks for all the advice.

Budget wise, I wanted to spend around £300 max, as I didn't want to spend half the value of the bike on a box! I'm sure I wouldn't be saying that if I arrived the other end with a frame cracked in half though.

Was looking at the Scicon and dhb models on Wiggle, as they are both in budget, and are both mentioned in posts here.

I'll report back when I've used whichever one I've purchased.