Best bike crates anybody?

[Duck on Wheels]

I need to take my trusty steed, RubySlipperz (a 20" men's frame Trek 7.6), to California and back twice this coming Spring -- early April for the Cinderella Classic 100k plus a training ride or two, to check on how my spin-class training is doing in terms of getting me ready for the next trip, the ALC8 in May-June. It seems there is no way to ship the bike ahead from here, so she'll have to travel with me as checked luggage. And on the first trip, she may have to travel in cardboard. But I could order a bike crate, soft or hard shell, and have it waiting for me at my Mom's for the next three trips. I've googled some info and am leaning towards the Pika Packworks EEP. Anybody have any experience with it? Any other recommendations?

[OakLeaf]

All I know is the Thule Round Trip (http://www.backcountry.com/store/THU0196/Thule-Round-Trip-Bicycle-Travel-Case.html?CMP_ID=PD_SMXP01&mv_pc=r141) case I bought this fall, but it's been from Ohio to Texas and back, and from Ohio to Florida, via FedEx with no problem (touch wood for the next trip). It's a bit short on cushioning material though IMO, so if you go that way you'll want to have one sheet of foam for the wheels and your usual pipe insulation/bubble wrap/foam rubber to keep bits from rubbing.

It's a bit unwieldy but I doubt any hard case will be very easy to maneuver through an airport... just plan on renting a luggage cart at the airport I think. It does have wheels on the short end, which may not be apparent from the ad copy.

[Mr. SR500]

I have the Thule case as well. It works fine, and a decent buy for the money. Better cases cost a fair bit more. However, airlines will charge you an extra $50 - $100 each way, plus you'll need to rent a mini van or larger car.

A better option might be to have your LBS box it and ship via UPS/FedEx. I know some shops in CA will accept bikes and build them up for you for a small fee. Overall still maybe cheaper then buying a case and paying the airline.

Also look into renting. I know Nytro will rent Cervelo's in SoCal. You can still take you seat, etc... But you'll get good service, and the LBS might have some tips for riding in the area.

[Veronica]

We have a Velo Safe. It has been to Australia, Hawaii and twice to Maine. It will fit in the back of an Explorer or in a mini van.

It has wheels and for its size it was not bad too difficult to manueveur on my own, even with my other luggage.

We have the version that will fit two bikes. They are a tight fit. But packing one bike into it is pretty easy.

If you are going to travel a lot with your bike, I think it's a good investment.

Veronica

[OakLeaf]

The only vehicle "trouble" you should have is your airport taxi - there, you'll have to get a minivan. Actually not a problem at all in the USA, not like it is in the European airports we've visited. Otherwise, the case packs smaller than an assembled bicycle, so whatever vehicle you plan to use to transport the bike will hold the case as well.

[DebW]

S&S Machine, the company that make S&S Couplers, sells velcro frame tube padding http://www.sandsmachine.com/ac_cover.htm and other packing accessories. Other pieces for shipping protection here http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=569637060718&c=Accessories&sc=Bike-Shipping.

[lunacycles]

I have a Trico case (https://shop.sunrisecyclery.com/item/34) that does the job nicely, that I would love to sell. I just don't travel with my bike much these days. (No, I actually just don't travel that much these days if I am not in my car:p.) Anyway, I used it once to get my bike to Oregon and back, and it has since been in storage in Colorado, where I will be for the weekend. I'd be happy to sell it for $150 plus whatever it costs to ship it to you. If that sounds in any way appealing, email me at margo at lunacycles dot com.

[Duck on Wheels]

I have the Thule case as well. It works fine, and a decent buy for the money. Better cases cost a fair bit more. However, airlines will charge you an extra $50 - $100 each way, plus you'll need to rent a mini van or larger car.

A better option might be to have your LBS box it and ship via UPS/FedEx. I know some shops in CA will accept bikes and build them up for you for a small fee. Overall still maybe cheaper then buying a case and paying the airline.

Also look into renting. I know Nytro will rent Cervelo's in SoCal. You can still take you seat, etc... But you'll get good service, and the LBS might have some tips for riding in the area.

Shipping to the LBS is what I did when I was in Wisconsin, but they simply don't do that from Norway. So that's a no-go. Also, if I get a case shipped here, I'll have to pay sales tax and customs on the entire price including shipping costs, and then a service fee to process the tax and customs again. So that too is a no-go. It simply drives the price too high. That's why the first trip will have to be in cardboard and whatever case I order I'll have to pick up in California. I'll keep Margo's case in mind for now. I have a while to decide, tho'. 'Zat OK with you, Margo? If you find another buyer, go ahead. If it's still available when I decide, we'll make arrangements.

[lunacycles]

'Zat OK with you, Margo?

Zat's fine with me.

[DebW]

Duck, why are you not taking the Bike Friday? Is the gearing too low? Or the full-size bike just better for long events?

[Duck on Wheels]

Duck, why are you not taking the Bike Friday? Is the gearing too low? Or the full-size bike just better for long events?

Both. The bigger wheels, once they get rolling, are faster and easier. I've had an mb triple put on the front, so it now has pretty much the same gearing as Tuesday Weld. Small wheels accelerate easier, but bigger wheels build up more momentum. Also I think the geometry fits me a bit better, although both are pretty good. And the Trek is about half the weight of the Friday. Does this make sense to you as a bike mechanic? And do you or others at the BS have any suggestions on bike crates?

[Trek420]

You'd do fine on the Cindy with Ms. Tuesday Weld, fact is you'd probably be fine on ALC. I saw many Bike Fridays on ALC and I do not mean in the SAG wagon: on the road, in camp proudly resting in bike parking.

So if you don't find the perfect bike crate consider it. Also you really need to open up the first Trondheim, Norway full service LBS :D Maybe bike/ski shop but you need an LBS in town.

Mr. Duck can do that when he's retired. ;)

[Duck on Wheels]

You'd do fine on the Cindy with Ms. Tuesday Weld, fact is you'd probably be fine on ALC. I saw many Bike Fridays on ALC and I do not mean in the SAG wagon: on the road, in camp proudly resting in bike parking.

So if you don't find the perfect bike crate consider it. Also you really need to open up the first Trondheim, Norway full service LBS :D Maybe bike/ski shop but you need an LBS in town.

Mr. Duck can do that when he's retired. ;)

There are full service LBS's. Or nearly so. Don't know about fittings, but otherwise ... The shipping problem is not an LBS thing. It's a shipping thing. Just too dang expensive, I guess, especially post-911 when they had to invest in scanners. So now they simply don't do 1 box-shipments to the US from here. Except by mail. But the postal service doesn't do bike-size boxes.

[DebW]

Both. The bigger wheels, once they get rolling, are faster and easier. I've had an mb triple put on the front, so it now has pretty much the same gearing as Tuesday Weld. Small wheels accelerate easier, but bigger wheels build up more momentum. Also I think the geometry fits me a bit better, although both are pretty good. And the Trek is about half the weight of the Friday. Does this make sense to you as a bike mechanic? And do you or others at the BS have any suggestions on bike crates?\

People do very long tours on Bike Fridays. I believe Denise Goldberg prefers her Friday for most of the riding she does. But if yours doesn't have gears as high as a normal road bike, that would be a problem. And the weight may be as well. You're probably right about the feel of the wheels.

I haven't used any crates except the one my S&S Coupled frame fits into, and that wouldn't work at all for normal bikes. When we ship bikes for people from the bike shop, we use cardboard boxes and send them UPS.

[uk elephant]

Just one thing to keep in mind....I will also be checking into bike boxes to buy here in the UK. From what I can tell, they cost around £100 upwards, with hard shell ones starting around £200. If you want to order one here, you can just pick it up when you come over in March and then you'll have a case to take your bike both to CA and back each time.

As for airline charges, I don't know what SAS policy is, but Virgin Atlantic charged me $25 for outsized bag when I took my bike back from ALC last time. And although the box was large and a little cumbersome (and we had to hire a much bigger car than intended because US car rental places don't have hatchback cars), it wasn't bad. We even managed to make our way home across London on the tube and trains with the giant bike box without too much trouble.