Bike boxes - what would you do?

gabriel959

Hi chaps,

I am going to the Pyrenees in June and I have been thinking on renting a Bike Box Alan from the local bike shop at a cost of £50 for the week or the other option would be to buy a B&W Bike Box for around £175 and then sell it on after the trip without losing too much money.

Seeing as I am not going to travel with the bike for the foreseeable future (got a newborn baby and a 4 year old) what would you guys recommend me to do?

Thanks!

Octopus1

Rent it.

I used an Allen for LeJOG last year and no problems.

I'm likely to be doing more travelling now so will be investing in one of these

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/scicon-aero-comfort-20-tsa-bike-bag/

goonz

Rent.

sloppyschleckonds

Borrow from a friend

gabriel959

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Borrow from a friend

That was the original idea and what I was going to do. The only problem is the only one I managed to source was one that was 134cm wide which won't fit the boot of my car (max 115cm) as I can't flatten the seats down due to the kids!

Bike Box Alan and B&W Bike Box will both fit but it seems that the bike box alan is the favorite here so will probably go for that.

ClaudeH

Slightly tangential question. How much disassembling and assembling of the bike is needed when using a bike box?

dodgy

Cardboard box, free from your LBS. Easily up to the job.

gabriel959

dodgy wrote:

Cardboard box, free from your LBS. Easily up to the job.

I still have my cardboard box from when I bought the bike. That isn't the problem. As I said the problem is that it won't fit the boot of the car!

gabriel959

ClaudeH wrote:

Slightly tangential question. How much disassembling and assembling of the bike is needed when using a bike box?

With the B&W Bike box you need to take the handlebars off, the wheels, and the rear mech.

With the Alan bike box I don't think you need to remove the rear mech.

slowbike

er - bike rack on the back?

Took two road bikes & tent down to the SoF last year - put them all in the boot of an A3 with folded down seats - just removed the wheels and they went in upside down & upright against the door pillars - space in the middle was for all the camping gubbings ...
Getting a towbar fitted so I can take them on the bike rack outside the car this time - leaves the space in the car for other stuff ...

Only reason I'd use a bike box would be for when it's going via plane!

gabriel959

Slowbike wrote:

er - bike rack on the back?

Took two road bikes & tent down to the SoF last year - put them all in the boot of an A3 with folded down seats - just removed the wheels and they went in upside down & upright against the door pillars - space in the middle was for all the camping gubbings ...
Getting a towbar fitted so I can take them on the bike rack outside the car this time - leaves the space in the car for other stuff ...

Only reason I'd use a bike box would be for when it's going via plane!

I am going via plane but I need to take the bike to the airport!

On the roof of the car I have a roof box which is going to take care of the pram for the baby, plus two small suitcases plus a bigger suitcase in the boot with the bike box.

team47b

Rose do flight bags that fit the dimensions you require (one is 113cms), cost about 65 or 85 of your quaint old pounds

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/search/find/ ... BAG&filter[category][]=Bags_Flight+and+transport+bags

gabriel959

Yes, seen those thanks but as I said I would prefer not to use a soft bag for the carbon bike. A friend of mine can lend me a planet x deluxe bag which is similar to the Rose one but I have heard tales of horror when it comes to bikes on planes and soft bags. Or am I just being difficult?

team47b

yes you are!

fit two bits of hardboard inside using velcro to make a rigid case, add pipe insulation foam tubes on the frame and forks and more *bubble wrap

* bubble wrap is also water proof so will also stop the carbon frame from melting

il_principe

BBA or one of the Polaris Pod jobbies. I've used the BBS a few times and they are fantastic. You'd be nuts to rely on cardboard and lagging, you might get away with it, but is it really worth the risk?

slowbike

gabriel959 wrote:

I am going via plane but I need to take the bike to the airport!

Furry Muffs!

VTech

It depends how you value your bike.
If it needs to remain in perfect order then get the BBA, if a few scuffs are not important get a cardboard box and for anyone in the middle there is a host of cheaper-costly alternatives.

I got the bike box alan simply because I like things to be as close to perfect as possible.

rozzer32

Sorry to hijack but I find myself in a similar situation. I can borrow one but I'm off to Spain and France this year and I'd like to try and get away at least one week a year with the bike so I'm now thinking it may be worth buying my own.

Quite tempted by the Evoc bike bag.

But then there is this similar Scott one for a little cheaper http://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/bags-racks-c229/bike-transport-c125/scott-premium-bike-transport-bag-p207517

Also this Scicon one for £30 more than the Evoc http://www.wiggle.co.uk/scicon-aero-comfort-20-tsa-and-wheel-bag-bundle/

Apparently you don't have to take the handlebars off with that one, but not sure how much protection you'd get if you did that.

But then Merlin sell this EVA bike pod which I think is very similar to the Polaris one and I don't know if the others are worth the £100+ more. http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/accessories/bike-transport/bike-and-wheel-bags/eva-bike-box.html

gabriel959

Yes, saw your call for help on Twitter.

For you I think the best will be to buy as you are going to be using it on a regular basis. But I woulld buy the one I have suggested if you are on a budget, the B&W Bike box
http://www.amazon.co.uk/BW-Bike-Box-bik ... W+Bike+Box

As advantages, it is very popular in Europe, apparently the most popular box there. It is smaller than some which will allow you to fit them in a boot of a medium sized car and most parts are replaceable and can be bought separately. It is also considerably less than the ones you have quoted and it comes with 2 quality wheel bags.

The merlin box looks very good but it is bigger than the B&W, more expensive, out of stock and also it is not a hard box.

The Scion looks like a great bag but at that amount of money I would be looking at the Polaris Bike Pod (not the EVA one) or the BBA.

bigpikle

EVOC soft bag is brilliant - it's very well padded and with struts in all he right places the bike is well protected. Good layout and pockets for all the small stuff and after numerous trips all over the place mine is doing brilliantly. Used a Polaris Pod before and it was crap - hard to get the bike in properly, all the little D rings around the box just pulled off and bent when tightening the securing straps and there is zero padding inside to actually protect anything. Its just a hard case like a plastic suitcase and the bike just bumps around inside unless you add all the additional packing that comes in a bag like the EVOC. I hear the BBA is excellent though but costly.

Get pipe lagging and cut to size for all the tubes of your frame and remove the rear mech and wrap in bubble wrap between the seat stays. Remove chain and put in a small bag and just fill around the bike with sheets of. Bubble wrap - the stuff that gets rammed into every parcel you ever receive is ideal.

lc1981

VTech wrote:

It depends how you value your bike.
If it needs to remain in perfect order then get the BBA, if a few scuffs are not important get a cardboard box and for anyone in the middle there is a host of cheaper-costly alternatives.

I got the bike box alan simply because I like things to be as close to perfect as possible.

I second this. If your bike is valuable or your trip would be ruined if it is damaged in transit, then rent a BBA (or buy one and sell it on).

Grill

After written off frames from two previous hard shell bike boxes, I bought a BBA. Really happy with it so far, and the fact that it's so easy to pack means that if any monkeys in customs want to take a look at least thy can close the box without crushing your bike.

rozzer32

Just come across this. Seems very similar to a BBA but cheaper. Think this could be the ticket.

http://www.thebikeboxcompany.co.uk/probox.html

gabriel959

Ok, you have convinced me and I will go for the Alan. Just one question,.I have heard that if the stabilising pole slips then it will probably brake the frame. Had anyone heard about this happening?

Grill

I don't actually see how it can slip, and even if it did it would be more likely to take out a spoke of your wheel as it sits between the toptube and downtube.

lc1981

Yes, I don't see how the pole could break your frame. Both ends fit into deep recesses in the box sides, so the only way it could come loose would be if the box was opened, but even then it's fairly lightweight and I doubt it could do any real damage.

lc1981

rozzer32 wrote:

Just come across this. Seems very similar to a BBA but cheaper. Think this could be the ticket.

http://www.thebikeboxcompany.co.uk/probox.html

There's a review comparing the Probox to the Bike Box Alan here. The BBA comes off best.

gabriel959

Ok, box reserved.

Now I need to wait till Tuesday to see if the box will fit the boot of my Ford Focus without the seats folded!

Measuring of boot returns the following - 115cm width, 95cm depth and plenty of height.

ilm_zero7

rozzer32 wrote:

Quite tempted by the Evoc bike bag.

buy it - I have had other soft cases, and a hard case, but the EVOC is the best, not least as you can put it in a car without trashing the upholstery