Bike Box

podsquad

Hey guys,

Just looking for some advice on Bike Boxes for traveling around Europe, a couple of destinations by plane and train.

Currently looking at the Bike Box Alan and the Evoc. The Alan does seem to be the stronger case, however its cost and storage size could be an issue. The Alan you can rent but I was personally tempted to just buy it and then sell it on after use, however I havent seen many knocking about so I am unsure if anyone would actually but it.

The Evoc also has great reviews, however I am unsure of how well this can actually protect a bike as it seems to rely on your expensive wheels to help protect the frame.

Any user experiences would be appreciated.

Pod

supermurph09

Check out the range that Polaris has, lots of my club guys have them, highly recommended.

podsquad

Cool, will have a look now.

drlodge

A few people (apparently) buy an Alan Bike Box and then rent it out when not using it. Might be worth enquiring at your local club to see if anyone has one for rent.

A chap in my club (Guildford) has just done exactly this and is offering it for rent.

apreading

I just used an Aerus Biospeed and found it really good: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/02/how- ... -bike.html £150 on Planet-X with the best pads I (or anyone else on my trip with more fancy cases) have ever seen.

I still cant decide if I would have been better renting a BB Alan but I certainly could not have justified buying one.

My Biospeed did exactly as it was supposed to though and was a good price and those pads are fantastic - even if I used a different case in the future, I would still use those pads.

podsquad

Hey, I did notice that there were a few for hire on ebay that were individual renters. I did actually consider just buying one and then renting it out myself! Not a bad idea to be fair as it would pay for itself easily enough.

slowbike

We've got the Evoc bags - they're quite handy - sure they're not a hard case, but they do use battens to stiffen the case.

We got them because we wanted easy storage as we'll not use them that often (why not rent then?!) plus they're lighter than the hardcases meaning we could put more kit inside.
The only place I was concerned was where the STIs sit as they're vulnerable to compression - so I just tied a shoe over each of them and all was fine (Ryan Air - Gatwick->Sardinia->Gatwick)

dav1d1

You can sold rent them if you don't want to buy http://www.bikebox-online.co.uk

mudsucker

I'm off to Morzine in a few weeks time and i have hired one from my LBS for £30 for a week. Better than buying one!

bernithebiker

Used an EVOC on about 15 flights now, and never a problem apart from retensioning a rear mech cable.

There's a new one called the Helium I think that uses inflatable cushions. A customer on a recent tour we did had one, looked pretty good.

slowbike

bernithebiker wrote:

never a problem apart from retensioning a rear mech cable.

I removed the rear mech - 2 minute job and gave peace of mind ... but I'll never know if it came close to being hit ...

podsquad

I have heard good things about the EVOC, but I had a look at one in Leisurelakes and it seemed abit feable. I suppose once there is a bike in there it should study up abit.

Just found a Polaris Pod Pro for £5 a day, at a local-ish bike shop. All the other companies I found including bikebox-online charge £50 for delivery.

gingerrob25

I can recomend the Thule Roundtrip Transition: http://www.thule.com/en/gb/products/car ... -_-1683469

I managed to pick one up off Ebay for £350 recently and although I haven't travelled with it yet but it seems really strong and well thought out especially how the bike is anchored in place within the box.

I also checked out the helium (http://biknd.com/en/products/bike-travel-case/helium) but was not happy the the wheels attached outside the air bags, meaning they didn't get much protection.

Strith

Best VFM bike box. Just as good as BB alan at a fraction of the cost. Just make more effort packing.
http://www.thebikeboxcompany.co.uk/deluxe.html

apreading

Strith wrote:

Best VFM bike box. Just as good as BB alan at a fraction of the cost. Just make more effort packing.
http://www.thebikeboxcompany.co.uk/deluxe.html

Looks like the DHB Elsted - loads of reviews from people who have bought it here: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-elsted-bike-box/

Generally good but a fair few seem to have found the catches to be fragile.

Strith

It is the same as the DHB one but about £10 cheaper compared to the one from wibble.
The catches have never been an issue for me.

podsquad

Not a bad looking case for the money. I always worrie about side impacts though and the flex in the side of these types of cases. Whereas the bike box alan as a anti crush pole. Could probably make one of these myself and rivet some steel plates on in the inside to distribute the weight.

kayakerchris

+1 for BB Alan

Flown all over Europe with never a problem. wouldnt trust my bike to anything else.

podsquad

Has any of you guys used the Polaris Bike Pro Pod, got an offer to buy a used which was an ex demo version.

Seems in good condition, tempted to buy then just sell after use.

Red Rider

It was only one flight (RyanAir - Girona to Bristol), but I cycled up to the check in desk, deflated the tyres, pushed it in to one of these http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ctc-plastic-bike-bag/, and tied it with duct tape and a zip tie. I left a pannier on it too, then carried the other as handluggage.

Once we landed, I cut off the tape, inflated the tyres and cycled off.

Maybe I wouldn't have risked it with a more expensive bike, or at larger airports, but sometimes people might be worrying too much...

RR

podsquad

Thats a brave move! I personally wouldn't run that risk, a few weeks ago I flew from Manchester to Rome. Whilst eating lunch in Giraffe, which overlooks the runway I observed 2 "baggage handlers" at work. The amount of items/case's dropped on the floor was quite appalling, they even managed to knock a case off the back of the cages without even noticing for 20 mins. Next another vehicle pulled up with several items packaged and labelled fragile, they were wrapped in lots of "pallet wrap", card etc etc. Anyhow one of the baggage handlers dropped one of these items not once but three times. The third time he just missed the conveyor altogether. They then handled the pushchairs etc, these were thrown quite like a javlin would be.

On reflection of this, I took some of the guys advice and rented a Bike Box Alan.

bernithebiker

podsquad wrote:

Thats a brave move! I personally wouldn't run that risk, a few weeks ago I flew from Manchester to Rome. Whilst eating lunch in Giraffe, which overlooks the runway I observed 2 "baggage handlers" at work. The amount of items/case's dropped on the floor was quite appalling, they even managed to knock a case off the back of the cages without even noticing for 20 mins. Next another vehicle pulled up with several items packaged and labelled fragile, they were wrapped in lots of "pallet wrap", card etc etc. Anyhow one of the baggage handlers dropped one of these items not once but three times. The third time he just missed the conveyor altogether. They then handled the pushchairs etc, these were thrown quite like a javlin would be.

On reflection of this, I took some of the guys advice and rented a Bike Box Alan.

I witnessed almost the exact same thing watching our flight from Palma being unloaded whilst we walked down the conveyor belts.

Appalling! Makes me think I might have to jack my EVOC in for a fully rigid case, preferably armour plated.

podsquad

It goes right through you when you see them drop the cases!

The handlers were too busy chatting and not looking where they were placing the cases, hence them falling off all the time. I had a samsonite case destroyed 2 years ago going through Manchester airport, eventually when my case arrived 7 days later after they lost it in another airport I could inspect the damage. The wheels were all smashed through the bottom of the case, the handle smashed off and what looked like it had been run over. Items inside were fine though. If this wasn't a hard case everything would have been destroyed.



I was recommend the EVOC, but I wasnt keen on how the wheels are used to help protect the frame. The Alan just arrived about 5 mins ago, a few strange looks from colleagues at the office thinking what the hell is that beast/ugly box. Seems quite solid and takes my weight on its side. I wIll right a review up in a few weeks once I use it.

keith57

kayakerchris wrote:

+1 for BB Alan

Flown all over Europe with never a problem. wouldnt trust my bike to anything else.

I'd second that. Simplest packing around, very safe transport for the expensive bike, and the four wheels it runs on are great for handling in the airport. I pull mine on a bit of rope to make it easier! Also use this suspend the box off a digital scale for a weight check at either end of the trip.

Grill

BBA. I've used mine on 4 trips to the continent and 4 to the US. On 2 of the trips to the US Homeland Security opened the box and then closed it wrong (don't see how, Helen Keller could pack it) and my bikes suffered no ill effects. Considering I've experienced 2 broken frames in hard cases due to the same incompetence I'm quite pleased.

Traveller_Joe1

@mudsucker

I'm off to Morzine in a few weeks time and i have hired one from my LBS for £30 for a week. Better than buying one!

Nice, us too just in time for http://www.aiglonmorzine.com/index.php/news/2014-news/item/35-world-of-morzna-event-and-offer#.U76QWJRdVxE

podsquad

I paid £120 because I had to pay £50 delivery/collection for a courier which was abit annoying! No where near to me rents the BBA

freefall_junkie

I got a Bike Box Alan earlier this year and used it for the first time last week on a trip to the Alps. It is the nuts. I can get my 61cm Bianchi in without even removing the rear mech. Expensive but worth it. Previously I had one of the cheaper boxes from the Bike Box Company which was a royal pain in the ass - about an 2 inches too small in every dimension, which made shoehorning the bike in and closing the lid an exercise in swearing and frustration Just goes to show - you buy cheap, you buy twice....

podsquad

Hey guys, thanks for the advice.

Well as stated earlier I eventually just decided to rent the BBA for a few weeks, after 2 weeks of flying, trains, taxis, car, lugging this beast around I thought I would post my thoughts.

Packing the bike in the BBA was simple as everyone else mentioned, I may have got abit OTT with protecting the bike in the box as I was still abit unsure of its protection level. I dismantled everything as mentioned on the instructions, but I also removed the rear mech and cabled tied this inside the rear stays, cable tied the chain to the front cog, cable tied the chain to the frame to keep it all straight and nice and also removed the bottle cages.

I also used my spare wheel skewers to secure the wheels to the case, just incase one of the skewer ends went AWOL intransit. Each wheel was placed into a bubble wrap sleeve, again abit OTT but I didnt really want anything to be scratched.

I then used pipe insulation around most of the tubes, the main issue here was the bulk. It did seem impossible to find insulation with a bore that would fit my oversized frame. Anyhow I just forced it on and it did the trick, I then cable tied this into place. I then secured the frame into the box using the supplied straps, again I didn't want these to rub my frame so I tied these over the foam tubing or over bubble wrap. Next I cut the pipe insulation in half and placed this under my front cog to make it tighter in the box.

Next was to secure the seat and seat post, my concern here was that the seat surface was facing outwards, so could get scuffed. I wrapped this in bubble wrap, and then placed a resealable bag over the saddle then cable tied it just below the rails. This was to stop oil getting onto the leather.

Shoes, clothing, gels, bottles etc etc where then put into resealable bags and placed in areas near the base of the case to keep the weight at the bottom. Again to stop oil getting everywhere.

Even though I had fully stripped my bike down a few days prior and relubed everything, you do get oil and greese everywhere in the box. And because this is a rental box, people didnt really clean up the box, so there was quite abit of oil everywhere. I used a far load of cable ties and bags to protect items.

I stored tools and wrapped in my cloths, and under foam on the base of the BBA.

I even printed off a warning message just incase the box had to be opened if I was not there, instructing them how to close the BBA. This was because I found the steel pole if not guided into the correct position did hit my spokes on several occasions.

To finish the box off, I cable tied the outer latches, placed a bike lock though one of the external holes and then used a canvas yoga strap as a handle. This double up as a shoulder strap for when you got to stairs or lifting into a car. When it came to the plane, I did remove the lock and the strap as it may have been caught and well cause damage to the case and bike.

A few members mentioned just taking the bike naked, well TBH I don't think I will ever do this simple because I did see a smashed up bike in Toulouse Airport. A young man had taken his beloved Dolan in pallet wrap and fragile stickers. What I can only describe as a rear wheel which looked like a half moon! And it would appear his rear stays where also damaged. This probably happened when transporting on the back of the luggage trucks, the wheel was sticking out a foot from the edge and got caught on a concrete bollard or something? Anyhow, everyone else had BBA, Polaris and even card boxes and they all seemed to survive.

Moving the box around was easy with the strap, the size was only an issue when trying to get a taxi and watching the drivers try and fit this thing in was quite entertaining. But again no real issues. You do get some odd looks thought, why people try to work out what it is.

My only real concern and stress was in the airport, I got stung 120 on my return journey as I was 4kg over the limit. Slightly annoying as I had also paid for a suitcase but didn't have one with me. At the time it was panic so I just paid the fee, but later on thought I should have just unloaded some gear and put it in my spare bag which I had in the BBA and then put this as my hold luggage. The panic was simply because the check in desk was at one end, this is where they weighed it and didn't warn me of the weight, and the pay desk was at the other end of the airport a good 20 mins walk.

The french baggage handlers seemed to be more careful with the bike box as I could see them from the Gate loading it on, however it was tricky to get into the plane as it was only a 2 x 2. When landing in the UK, again I could see the baggage handlers unloading the plane. This time a burly bloke decided he wanted to pick the box up on his own, he struggled for a minute or two to get a grip, turned and actually launched the BBA at the luggage tow truck....... :evil:

The BBA hit the tow truck, then bounced back onto the towbar, he then went over and just flipped it onto the tow trucks rear rack where it was simply balancing. When he then drove the cases off, you could see the thing rocking back and forth. I was nervous, very nervous!

The case was the first item off the conveyor, so I cut the cable ties to check that my bike was in one piece. I removed the frame and checked it with the trusty iPhone torch and all seemed fine.

So, to conclude after that quite long post. I would recommend the BBA, it seemed to do the job really well and it was treated exactly as we have all come to expect from the baggage handlers - Like S~@T! So protect is as much as you can and don't trust people to handle it nicely no matter what anyone says! For future journeys though I would buy myself a BBA after this good experience.

I rented my BBA from Bike Box Online, they were very helpful.

PompeyPaul

Bike Box Alan all the way 10 year guarantee, all parts available for purchase many sites hire.

http://www.bikeboxhireeasy.co.uk

They even deliver

rc856

I've hired BBA and it all went smoothly.
Bike was fine after the trip.

For my next trip I plan to get a large bike box from our sponsor and then get wood or hard plastic that's 3 or 4mm thick to line the inside of the box.
Sections of plastic pipe inside the box to act as crush poles and a lot of duct tape will hopefully make it secure enough

In theory anyway....I'll do a practice one first

Ryanair are generous with a 30kg weight limit.