Bike bag, box or cardboard for travel
kawaspresso
Posts: 106
Hi mates
I'm gonna bring my bike with me in Australia next year.
I was wondering what's the best between rigid box, bag, or cardboard box for the flight ?
Is the cheaper enough or a rigid box is really recommended ?
Cheers
I'm gonna bring my bike with me in Australia next year.
I was wondering what's the best between rigid box, bag, or cardboard box for the flight ?
Is the cheaper enough or a rigid box is really recommended ?
Cheers
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Comments
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I'm a big fan of the original EVA Polaris Bike Pod - offers enough protection if packed properly and is lighter than a full hard case. The main thing is that it has a flush, largely rigid surface, so nothing on the bike can get banged/snagged. It squashes a bit, but you can deal with that with proper packing.
<edit> it's also a lot cheaper than a hard case, although more expensive than a bike bag - Chain Reaction have them for £140.
<edit again> Sorry, that Chain Reaction one is "Brand X", but it looks almost identical to my old Polaris Bike Pod.0 -
Box.
No chance I'd go to the other side of the world with my bike in a bag or cardboard box.0 -
For European flights I've always used a soft bag with the bike padded to the nth degree. But for Oz I went bike box Alan. Cardboard - I'd just use that for recycling.
What are you doing with the bike in Oz?0 -
Training in my spare time, and maybe commute with it. I will be in Adelaide.Fenix wrote:What are you doing with the bike in Oz?0 -
Presumably you are out there for a while then?
And planning to come home?
A proper box (Alan or whatever) makes a lot of sense, but is clearly big money and you have to store it for the time you are there.
No reason why a well-packed cardboard box shouldn't work and takes away some of the headaches of cost and storage. Lots of pipe lagging, bit of threaded rod in the dropouts, remove and wrap the rear mech up well etc. You can then either flat pack the box at the other end and store, or just recycle it and then ask your local bike shop in oz for another when it's time to fly home.
Your choice. I've never bought a bikeboxalan, mainly due to storage space, but have hired them with success (equally, I have flown with bikes in boxes without issue. Including the time where me and my mate hid the boxes and packaging on top of a bus stop at the airport in spain for three weeks - that sort of thing would get you shot these days!).
Enjoy the ozzie sunshine!0 -
Oh you jammy thing. I love adelaide. If you're OK with luggage allowance go for it. Or you could buy out there and sell on? It's a bike friendly place.0
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The hard bike box is the safes option i the bike is packed correctly. I use a soft bike bag. The benefit has been that most girls at the counter don't recognize it as a bike and think it's a large bag. When weighing it and I lift it onto the scale then usually 1/3 of it is on the ground and the weight has always been half of what it actually is. 9 times our o 10 travels I've gotten by without paying for a bike as they just don't know what is it 0
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Depends on the airline. what if they said no bikes?0
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+1 BIKE BOX ALAN- BEST INVESTMENT I'VE MADE TO PROTECT THE CROWN JEWELS0
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relk wrote:The hard bike box is the safes option i the bike is packed correctly. I use a soft bike bag. The benefit has been that most girls at the counter don't recognize it as a bike and think it's a large bag. When weighing it and I lift it onto the scale then usually 1/3 of it is on the ground and the weight has always been half of what it actually is. 9 times our o 10 travels I've gotten by without paying for a bike as they just don't know what is it
That sounds like an excellent trick if you can get away with it.....!0 -
richievet wrote:+1 BIKE BOX ALAN- BEST INVESTMENT I'VE MADE TO PROTECT THE CROWN JEWELS
There is no way on earth I would put my Crown Jewels in an Alan. Just not my kind of thing, sorry.0 -
Depends on what your bike frame is made from - boxes get broken because they're heavy and don't bounce when dropped but are better for carbon frames. I've had more success with a soft bag, but frames I've travelled with are always titanium or steel. I have a CX bike like a Ritchey Breakaway in titanium that fits in a soft case that isn't oversize - no baggage fees!Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
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A fellow cyclist works at the airport and watches the handlers in action.
He recommends a hard case. Although I have used a UVA with success. So far.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
I made this last year, but due to injury didnt end up taking my bike on holiday.
viewtopic.php?f=40013&t=13030042
Fingers crossed for this year!
Once the luggage is on the plane then thats that, surely the distance traveled is irrelevant?My winter bike is exactly the same as my summer bike,,, but dirty...0 -
bernithebiker wrote:relk wrote:The hard bike box is the safes option i the bike is packed correctly. I use a soft bike bag. The benefit has been that most girls at the counter don't recognize it as a bike and think it's a large bag. When weighing it and I lift it onto the scale then usually 1/3 of it is on the ground and the weight has always been half of what it actually is. 9 times our o 10 travels I've gotten by without paying for a bike as they just don't know what is it
That sounds like an excellent trick if you can get away with it.....!
It's worked for me too! Once out of quite a few times though. Cardboard boxes are a pain to lug about, my bag was a pain too (no wheels on mine) so next time I would get a proper box. That said my DH bike was fairly resistant to damage...0
