Build your own bike box?

YIMan

We're going away to the Canaries in November and I quite fancy taking my own road bike rather than shelling out £80-£100 a week on a hire bike which won't be as good and won't be mine/my fit.

I've been looking at hard bike boxes but a) They seem to cost a fortune and b) Weigh a tonne. I already have padded wheel bags from a huge soft bag that I took my MTB to the Alps in a few years ago.

I started to wonder why the boxes cost so much when all seem to be is a hard case with some foam in and a few internal straps......so has anyone made their own? I reckon I could pick up a large hard suitcase relatively cheaply and could then probably buy and shape two thick bits of foam to fit in it.

Anyone done this and/or can point out obvious flaws in this idea?

YIMan

You can't get a standard suitcase big enough maybe for a medium-large frame?

Schobiedoo

Have you also asked at your LBS to see if they have any rental boxes. One of the shops here do a rental for around 20 pounds a week for a hard shell bike box.

Monty Dog

Bike cases are a lot bigger than an regulation airline case. I have a Ritchey Breakaway case - that's smaller than any bike box, but still bigger than any suitcase.

Flexisurfer

Get a cardboard box and packaging from your local bike shop. I did this when I went to Italy this year and it worked a treat, came in at 19kg with bike, cycle clothing, shoes, trainers track pump and a few other bits. I spend money at my LBS so they were more than happy to help. Have a look on the Internet to find the different ways that people pack but I simply left the rear wheel on, took the front off along with the handle bars, loosened the stem and turned it back towards the top tube, I hooked the bars under the top tube and put the front wheel (which was in a wheel bag) to the right hand side of the frame. I packed the frame with pipe lagging, which is cheap enough from Wickes or any hardware store. One thing I did different on the return trip was to take the rear mech off and hang it from the rear right brake shoe in a bag, it just gives a bigger margine for the box getting cases placed on top.

Take your time packing as there's a lot of trial and error involved.

Have a great trip

YIMan

Thanks all...does that mean that bike boxes will not be "regulation" luggage and will have to be booked as sports equipment regardless?

Flexisurfer, cheers, I should have added I'll be going with the Mrs and toddler, so need something as small and manouevrable as possible - I already have a huge soft bike bag that I took my MTB to the Alps in a couple of years ago (packed as you recommend), but it's totally unwieldy.

cougie

Hire a bike box Alan ? Its on four castors so much easier to transport around. If you have all the family luggage too you'll struggle.

TBH - hiring a bike for £100 would work out cheaper and be less hassle.

simona75

YIMan wrote:

Thanks all...does that mean that bike boxes will not be "regulation" luggage and will have to be booked as sports equipment regardless?

Most airlines will count a bike box as regulation luggage provided it doesnt exceed the allowances (a typical allowance is 23kg and about 158cms in length). Therefore if you can get your normal gear in carry on baggage then there is no cost (unless you are on a budget airline with check in baggage charges)

For what its worth I always hire a bike box if I'm taking mine with me (can get a Bike Box Alan one for about £40-£50 a week)

YIMan

I did actually start off looking at buying one, then looked at hiring but the ones I first looked at were £40 to despatch the box to me plus the hire cost - haven't found a local hirer so far.

So it's a toss up between just hiring a bike, asking LBS if they rent them out or my Heath Robinson large suitcase and foam affair.

whoof

Most airlines do not class bike boxes as standard luggage and require you to book them separately as sports equipment and pay extra. I think Easyjet is about £25 each way and they don't allow you to put anything other than the bike in the box.
http://www.easyjet.com/en/sports-equipment
Have used a cardboard box from a bike shop on many occasions. If doing this cover all the tubes in pipe lagging and remember to put spacers between the forks and rear end, these can also be picked up from a bike shop for nothing. Also worth putting the chain in the big ring and cable tieing it in place and put stoppers on the ends of your axles on to stop the teeth ripping through the bottom of the box and axles sticking out the sides.

term1te

I'm half tempted not to use a box at all next time I take the bike on a plane. I flew back from Nice last year with my bike in a big bike box. I had to collect it at the oversized luggage belt, I could hear a loud bang as my box was dropped onto the belt before it emerged from behind the rubber curtain, the box handle was broken and one corner had a dent. Next out were two bikes which the luggage guy carefully carried out and handed to their owners. No packing, and as far as I could see, no damage.

smidsy

There is someone on here who made one using polystyrene blocks, put pictures on and everything. Possibly Mallorcajeff? Can not remember.

Anyway if you can find the post it is worth digging out.

YIMan

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40003&t=12848113&p=17568658#p17559399

Found it....interesting stuff.

smidsy

I knew it was some foreign username :-)

Well done finding it - I tried and failed.

navrig

If this is a family holiday during which you might be able to get out for a few miles then hire a bike. Look at the hassle you are giving you and the family:

Obtain/build a bike box Dismantle bike Pack bike box Get to airport (don't forget these are big bags) Drag it along with the other luggage to the check-in Get it on to the transfer bus Rebuild bike Then do all the above (apart from the first thing) in reverense to get home

The alternative is:

Take of pedals Pack cycling gear and pedals in family suitcase Collect hire bike Cycle Return hire bike

No brainer.

shmooster

Term1te wrote:

I'm half tempted not to use a box at all next time I take the bike on a plane. I flew back from Nice last year with my bike in a big bike box. I had to collect it at the oversized luggage belt, I could hear a loud bang as my box was dropped onto the belt before it emerged from behind the rubber curtain, the box handle was broken and one corner had a dent. Next out were two bikes which the luggage guy carefully carried out and handed to their owners. No packing, and as far as I could see, no damage.

Mate of mine did that on Marmotte this year. Easyjet snapped his carbon frame on the way back. They admitted liability but they have a limit to the payout which wasn't enough to replace the bike.

YIMan

Navrig wrote:

If this is a family holiday during which you might be able to get out for a few miles then hire a bike. Look at the hassle you are giving you and the family:

Obtain/build a bike box Dismantle bike Pack bike box Get to airport (don't forget these are big bags) Drag it along with the other luggage to the check-in Get it on to the transfer bus Rebuild bike Then do all the above (apart from the first thing) in reverense to get home

The alternative is:

Take of pedals Pack cycling gear and pedals in family suitcase Collect hire bike Cycle Return hire bike

No brainer.

3 suitcases to airport/in transfer bus is not significantly more difficult than 2. Dismantle bike - you mean take the wheels/pedals off and take the face plate off the stem i.e. 5 minutes max? Collecting and returning the hire bike is a hassle in itself - certainly more than the 5 minutes to dismantle/reassemble the bike. You've neglected to factor in the hire bike cost and the benefits of riding your own bike.

It's not a no-brainer, it's a complex set of pros and cons. As a one-off I'd agree with you it's not worth it but if you do it once or twice a year I wonder if taking your own (as long as you can get a light and cheap bike box) might be net beneficial.

mallorcajeff

Yeah that tutorial was pretty cool. But didnt really cater for the wheels. Im in essex and have a bike box allan sitting here doing nothing for the moment as im in the uk with my bike. Your welcome to use mine if your local. I have also done the cardboard box job but the alan is so much better.

navrig

YIMan wrote:

Navrig wrote:

If this is a family holiday during which you might be able to get out for a few miles then hire a bike. Look at the hassle you are giving you and the family:

Obtain/build a bike box Dismantle bike Pack bike box Get to airport (don't forget these are big bags) Drag it along with the other luggage to the check-in Get it on to the transfer bus Rebuild bike Then do all the above (apart from the first thing) in reverense to get home

The alternative is:

Take of pedals Pack cycling gear and pedals in family suitcase Collect hire bike Cycle Return hire bike

No brainer.

3 suitcases to airport/in transfer bus is not significantly more difficult than 2. Dismantle bike - you mean take the wheels/pedals off and take the face plate off the stem i.e. 5 minutes max? Collecting and returning the hire bike is a hassle in itself - certainly more than the 5 minutes to dismantle/reassemble the bike. You've neglected to factor in the hire bike cost and the benefits of riding your own bike.

It's not a no-brainer, it's a complex set of pros and cons. As a one-off I'd agree with you it's not worth it but if you do it once or twice a year I wonder if taking your own (as long as you can get a light and cheap bike box) might be net beneficial.

Remove the rear derailleur, protect various bits of the bike.

I have factored in the not using your own bike.

I've done both. A family holiday in Fuerteventura - didn't take my bike. Managed 3 rides in 7 days, packing my bike not have been worth it.

8 days, 7 riding, in the Alps, took my bike.

Both decisions were right, for me.

binsted

shmooster wrote:

Term1te wrote:

I'm half tempted not to use a box at all next time I take the bike on a plane. I flew back from Nice last year with my bike in a big bike box. I had to collect it at the oversized luggage belt, I could hear a loud bang as my box was dropped onto the belt before it emerged from behind the rubber curtain, the box handle was broken and one corner had a dent. Next out were two bikes which the luggage guy carefully carried out and handed to their owners. No packing, and as far as I could see, no damage.

Mate of mine did that on Marmotte this year. Easyjet snapped his carbon frame on the way back. They admitted liability but they have a limit to the payout which wasn't enough to replace the bike.

How on earth did they do that, you need a serious amount of force and given it must be pretty obvious what it is you would think a bit of care would be part of the job unless of course they enjoy trashing peoples luggage.