Bike boxes for occasional traveller

springtide9

OK potentially looking for a bike box for my holiday (flight) and ideally don't want to spend the earth.

Will be flying EasyJet so have no idea how rough they handle luggage. Also they only fly from Bristol to Cyprus once a week... and have heard some bad stories about bikes being left at the airport, but maybe this is for the more popular cycling destinations. I've also heard some bad stories about bikes getting trashed by the airlines.

It's a family holiday, so the bike isn't going to get a lot of use, I'm considering taking my cheap steel 'cross' as I'd not worry about it as much (and maybe better for the poor road conditions)

I see there are different types, but mainly EVA and Hard Plastic/Shell. Are EVA cases worth considering or are hard cases the only way to go?

I found this company:
http://www.thebikeboxcompany.co.uk/

Which seem to do both options at a decent price. I did think of hiring a bike while over there, but it's going to work out at around 250 Euro for the full two weeks as there is no local hire place where we are staying (and want the option to get up and d a few early morning or evening rides)

Their £150 EVA case from the above seem to get 'Best Buy' in one of the Tro mags, but without the review it doesn't mean a lot: http://www.thebikeboxcompany.co.uk/deluxe.html

And their hardshell version for £300:
http://www.thebikeboxcompany.co.uk/probox.html

Other options are:
Polaris EVA Bike Pod Suitcase £200 (Ribble)

I also see that CRC do a bag for £69:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... lID=106851
But assume this would be a very bad idea!

Any advice on either travelling with EasyJet or a suitable bike box/bag most grateful.

springtide9

Just looking some more.... the B and W Bike Box £240:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/b-w-bike-box/

One other requirement would be to be able to strap the bike box on the roof - so that I can get to the airport!

proto

I've got a B&W Bike Box, and I can highly recommend it. Bought mine from H&S Discount in Germany when they had them on special offer, much cheaper than Wiggle.

Even without the special offer they are much cheaper than Wiggle!!

http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k352/a ... black.html

Chrisrebbeck

Just got my B&W bike box through from Wiggle for my flight to Nice next week from Bristol. It looks brilliant so far.

Maxxypriest

7 of us went to the South of France recently with Easyjet and only one was a hard case. The remaining 6 had padded bags from a variety of sources.

They all performed very well and the CRC one (and equivalent models from Planet X) were absolutely fine and I trusted my CR1 Pro in it - http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/BAP ... e_bike_bag

The bikes were well lagged tho with insulating pipe and bubble wrap which, if you cut the pipe insulation correctly and label them at the time, it makes doing again a doddle.

A 40-50 minute jobthe first time but 10-15 minutes each subsequent time thereafter

Simples!

daviesee

If I was in your shoes then I would do what a guy in our club did - rent and take the good bike (roads permitting).

He got a Bikeboxallan for around £35/week. That box is about as good as you can get.

Obviously the more flights you make the more buying makes sense.
It all depends on how occasional, occasional is.

For what it is worth, I bought one like the hardshell EVA in the OP when on sale, £130 I think but I have flown 3 times already and plan quite a few more. No incidents to report so far. :P

nicknick

The airline you travel with is irrelevant they are all the same baggage handlers. I actually try and fly with Easyjet if i can because it is easy to book your bike on your flight and always goes smoothly.

I have recently replaced a generic soft bag with a Polaris EVA pod and I like it a lot more-almost more compact in that it doesn't sag like a bag does. It is easy to handle too. It is worth noting the generic EVA cases are quite a bit heavier than the 'genuine' Polaris one, which is a good weight of around 6.5kg. A fully hard case is obviously stronger but also heavier which is something to bare in mind if travelling on trains etc after the flight.

Only damage I've ever had is on the case/bag itself where they've got caught on the conveyorbelt system somewhere.

team47b

if I lived in your country

if I owned a bike box

you could borrow mine anytime


or

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/rose ... /aid:21916

arlowood

From what you say it's a family holiday so the time available for cycling may be limited. If I were in your shoes I'd seriously consider renting a bike when I get there. Not sure what area you're travelling to in Cyprus but this company based in Pahos get good reviews on TripAdvisor

http://www.mountainbikecyprus.com/Mount ... ntals.html

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserRe ... trict.html

They have Boardman road bikes available at 20 Euro/day for a minimum 3 day hire. Sound's a lot cheaper than buying a bike bag/box that you may rarely use in the future. Add to that the anxiety of trusting your bike to the vagaries of Easyjet's ground handlers.

From what I have read all you need to do is take your own pedals and shoes.

if you are holydaying in Limassol or the east of the island then do a search for hire outlets there eg

http://www.discoverruralcyprus.com/Thin ... /Biking-(2)/Bike-rental.aspx

cougie

Renting sounds the better option I think.
I've flown many times with my bike in a soft bag but that's just my luggage and the biking was the main part of the trip.
Coping with everyone elses bags and packing for a bit of use seems to be almost not worth the hassle.
Hiring also sounds cheaper.

springtide9

cougie wrote:

Renting sounds the better option I think.
I've flown many times with my bike in a soft bag but that's just my luggage and the biking was the main part of the trip.
Coping with everyone else's bags and packing for a bit of use seems to be almost not worth the hassle.
Hiring also sounds cheaper.

I looked at hiring is going to be 250 Euro for two weeks. Staying to far from the hire centres to just rent when needed.... and also have the hassle of the pick up and return.

For 250 Euro's, I can take my cross bike and leave it there.... and it would still be cheaper!

Think I'll get a decent bag, but take the cross. And make sure the bag also fits my FS MTB so I have flexibility.
For my sins, if I do take something that is not considered 'for the family' - I have to carry it (and the usual suitcase). So ideally want something with decent wheels that is easy to transport.

Even if I took my 'best bike', it's only a PX Carbon SL, so it's no irreplaceable Italian super bike frame. I guess the worst that can happen is damage to the frame or wheels... which would I assume be covered on insurance.

bigdaveskinnytyre

springtide9 wrote:

Their £150 EVA case from the above seem to get 'Best Buy' in one of the Tro mags, but without the review it doesn't mean a lot: http://www.thebikeboxcompany.co.uk/deluxe.html

I've got 2 of these and they're pretty good; fairly solid and will take my 58cm bikes easily.

If you're interested; I'm moving back to the UK (Wiltshire) in the next week and I'm looking to sell one of them. They've only been used twice at the moment for moving abroad and now moving back. PM me If you're interested you can have one for £80.

springtide9

bigdaveskinnytyre wrote:

springtide9 wrote:

Their £150 EVA case from the above seem to get 'Best Buy' in one of the Tro mags, but without the review it doesn't mean a lot: http://www.thebikeboxcompany.co.uk/deluxe.html

I've got 2 of these and they're pretty good; fairly solid and will take my 58cm bikes easily.

If you're interested; I'm moving back to the UK (Wiltshire) in the next week and I'm looking to sell one of them. They've only been used twice at the moment for moving abroad and now moving back. PM me If you're interested you can have one for £80.

Sounds interesting.... Where about's in Wiltshire?

bigdaveskinnytyre

I'm going to be in Salisbury but if you're interested I can meet you halfway.

Edited to add, I've just taken a couple of pictures of one of them loaded, PM your E-mail address and I'll send them on.

neeb

I use the Polaris Bike Pod (EVA). IMO it's the best compromise between cost, protection and weight. Airlines differ in how they charge for bikes, but some these days allow you to take the bike as your normal piece of luggage as long as it's under the weight limit. With a 6.5kg bike pod and a 7kg bike, you can usually get all of your clothes and other stuff in the bike pod and still be under 23kg. Protection wise, the EVA is tough enough to protect against everything except severe squashing, so you just need to spend some time packing to make sure that things aren't going to get pressed together in a way that causes damage, e.g. wheel hub getting pressed against the frame, and wrap stuff in bubble wrap or foam cladding. But the pod is designed in such a way that it's not difficult.

Only problem I've had with the bike pod is wear & tear, e.g. the internal straps coming off other fittings that are riveted onto the EVA, but it's never seriously affected the functionality and I've had a few years use out of it now.

thegreatdivide

OP - I ordered a Bike Box Company Pro Box and I'm sure that it's a good design and it’s had good reviews hence why I went for one. But after a three month delay - call it the Canyon Effect - I cancelled and went for a Bike Box Alan. The company also took 3 weeks to refund me too. Not a good sign.

The Bike Box Alan is superb!!!

Hob Nob

Evoc.