ok then watch for a hard case on sale or on ebay. I guess for me, if the box was significanlty cheaper and money is an issue, getting one for each way is a cheaper deal. But I know folks that reuse them numerous times with a little help from packing tape, assuming the airline doesn't trash it. and I also know folks that figure keeping thier $3K bike in a $229 case is a good investment. The one that Performance has is $50 off right now

Irulan