Bike Travel Cases

[kjay]

Am wondering if anyone can recommend a hard-shell bike travel case. Perhaps you may already have one that you like or that you've heard about. I've read a bit about the Trico Iron Case and also a case made by Thule, but there may be others out there, too. Thanks . . .

[Grog]

Can't recommend a hard-shell case, but I've been recommended a soft-shell one and I've just ordered one, it was shipped to me Friday.

The motives for recommendation by two different people were:
1) Hardshell = extremely difficult to carry by yourself in many situations, like European airports with sometimes hard to find elevators, train stations, etc. Very heavy.
2) In airplanes cargo, hardshell boxes go at the bottom, bags at the top or in special compartments;
3) Once you actually arrive to your destination, you need to figure out what to do with the box, whereas the bag takes less room;
4) A good quality bag will totally protect your bike anyway.

I'm getting this:
http://www.cdisports.com/carrying_cases.htm (the black one at 219 CDN$).

The friend who recommended this to me, a sponsored Ironman triathlete who travelled quite a bit with a very similar bag, told me he loved it. He bought pool noodles from the dollar store and split them apart for added padding. All he does is take off the wheel, unscrew the rear derailleur, and probably take off the pedals, plus turning the handlebars of course.

Sorry I can't help more about the hard cases. (Although they have some on that page above.)

Good luck!

[DeniseGoldberg]

I can't help with the hard case question either, but in case it's useful...

I've used a soft case in the past. (OK, usually I travel with my Bike Friday now, which travels in a hard case - but when I travel with my "big wheel" bike with 700c wheels, it travels in a soft case.)

I chose the soft case (not a bag but a case with foam sides) because I could squash it down into a smaller space and ship it to myself at the end of the tour. The case I bought was made by Bike Pro USA (http://www,bikeprousa.com). The case has a steel frame on the bottom that the bike clips into. And my bike traveled quite happily in this case, no damage, and no problems at all.

Are you planning on more than one trip? The reason I ask is if that sometimes you can rent cases from your LBS. Or sometimes bike clubs have one or two cases that they will rent. Of course if traveling with your bike is going to be a part of your cycling life, buying a case makes much more sense.

--- Denise

[mommelisa]

kjay:

I just bought a hardcase, the one you mentioned - the Trico Ironcase. It is a bit bulky, but it has wheels and a handle, so it is actually fairly easy to maneuver around. I was able to get everything packed up in it. I did have to take off the wheels, my pedals and loosen the handlebars so they tilted forward, but that was it. I chose to ship my bike to my destination - we're on our way to Iowa for vacation (no stoplights or stop signs for MILES!) - so I sent it fedex which cost me (from AZ) about $50 and took 4 days. You can also take it on the plane with you - I believe the cost is about the same, but we were not going to have a car big enough to transport it, all our luggage and my dh and 2 kids, so that's why I chose to ship it.

I did my research here: http://www.adv-cycling.org/features/shippingbikecases.cfm

This sight provides lots of good insight on the case Denise recommends, too, the one from bikeprousa.com. I thought about that one as well.

If you like the Ironcase, you can find it here: www.coloradocyclist.com for under what the retail value is ($249 vs. $310).

[kjay]

Grog, Denise, and mommelisa, I can't thank you enough for your informative responses to my post. I have read and re-read your comments, and they are helping me toward making a decision. I do like the Trico hard case and would end up sending it via UPS or the like. Am also glad that it has rollers. That's a very reasonable price you found at ColoradoCyclists, mommelisa.

You all have made very good points that I must consider before going full steam ahead with any decision. Thanks very much !

[Pedal Wench]

I just borrowed a Serfas hard case. It was actually a bit tougher to pack up than I thought it should be. Had problems getting the handlebars positioned where I thought the shifters would be safe, and I'm still unsure about where to position the rear derailleur. It seems a bit vulnerable, so I packed a towel under it to provide support. I took off both wheels, saddle and seatpost clamp (it fit with the seatpost in, but just barely) and I took my handlebars off, leaving the stem/headset in place. I'll let you know in a few weeks if the bike got to Colorado successfully!

[kjay]

Good for you that you were able to borrow one, Pedal Wench. I am so hoping my LBS will have one for rent when I travel, but it sounded iffy when I last talked with them. Good luck with your Serfa to Colorado; it sounds as though it'll do just fine. Thanks!