Bike Cases

Just wondering if anybody has any recommondations for bike cases.. I'm off to Europe in a couple of weeks and was wondering if anyone currently uses any specific bike cases or has any bad experiences in the past? ..
I was currently looking a Scicon Aerotech and a Bigfoot Elite series..
Thanks,
David

 

"dgarry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]
>
> Just wondering if anybody has any recommondations for bike cases.. I'm
> off to Europe in a couple of weeks and was wondering if anyone
> currently uses any specific bike cases or has any bad experiences in
> the past? ..
> I was currently looking a Scicon Aerotech and a Bigfoot Elite series..
> Thanks,
> David
>
>
> --
> dgarry
>
i used a bigfoot last year when i went to euro.
i didnt like the way the two halves join together and just have straps to
tighten it all up, plus there's no place to lock the case..
maybe its different with the elite series though?
Also the original case wheels lasted one journey and needed replacing after
being bent/broken during the trip.

 

dgarry wrote:
> Just wondering if anybody has any recommondations for bike cases.. I'm
> off to Europe in a couple of weeks and was wondering if anyone
> currently uses any specific bike cases or has any bad experiences in
> the past? ..
> I was currently looking a Scicon Aerotech and a Bigfoot Elite series..
> Thanks,
> David
>
>


I hired a Tri All 3 Sports Clam Shell Velo Safe to go to WA, and was not
happy with the depth of the case, because once you lay the frame and the
handlebars in the case and lay the wheels on top (separated by foam),
the area where the handlebars are situated was too high and did not
allow the case to close properly at that end, and I was having kittens
that it would bend some spokes or put the wheel out of true. If i was to
buy one I would definitely want to see a bike packed into it first. A
couple of tips that were given to me: mark the position of everything
with tape or Nikko before you take the bike apart, take the handlebars
off the stem but leave the stem attached*, take the RD off, use spacers
on forks and rear drop-outs. Be aware of excess baggage $, I have read
some horror stories of people just back from IM-NZ.

* some cases look like you can leave the handlebars attached.

 

dgarry enquires -

> Just wondering if anybody has any recommondations for bike cases..

Qantas bike box $15 from just next to their check in counter in Syd or Melb
(or free if someone has just unpacked and left a box near their special
luggage hatch).

They allow you up to 32kg in the box but I think that might be a bit
ambitious for cardboard. Much lighter than a hardshell, easier to carry than
a soft bag and as good or better protection if packed properly imho. Most
bike companies despatch their brand new bikes this way to dealers.

Front wheel off and in a wheel bag, undo the h/bars, twist and tape them to
frame, pedals off and seatpost out, protect chainwheels and rear der, bubble
wrap the frame and fork (remember to keep the wrap for when coming back or
for next time) lots of room left for clothes helmet shoes stinky lycra etc
to keep the bike in the middle of the box - lots of room for other stuff so
you may have less pieces of luggage overall.

Get some wide thick sticky tape to keep the flaps down and re-enforce the
edges. You may want to put some temporary castor type wheels on a corner so
you can wheel it along one handed. If it gets dirty or wet the cardboard
gets re-cycled and it folds flat when not in use
..
I've usually got the bike together and am exploring the strange new
environment (Adelaide!!) before the hard case guys have fully unpacked
theirs - they do seem to require a greater degree of dissassembly than the
humble box and getting back into the case when you find (as you inevitably
do) that you have missed packing something is way easier than undoing the
pain in the butt hard case closers.

Oh, and do make sure your travel insurance extends to bikes - bikes do go
missing and get damaged (in just about any container) sometimes.

Only un-solved problem? - where exactly do you hide that small sharp
box-cutter to re-open the kit and kaboodle at the other end? - airlines
still seem a tad sensitive about those ....

best, Andrew

 

Andrew Price wrote:
> dgarry enquires -
>
< a lot of sensible comments >
>
> best, Andrew
>
>
>

I can vouch for Andrew's comments. I took my carbon
framed bike to Adelaide this January (from Perth) and
was paranoid about it getting damaged. I got it packed
up by an LBS, they used a cardboard box with lots of
bubble wrap and tubular-foam-thingies that went around
some of tubes, stays and forks. When I got to Adelaide,
there was another chap unpacking his bike. He used the
qantas box with no special packaging. He opened the box
and had his bike together in about 2 minutes. All he'd done
was remove the saddle and tape it to top tube. Then, remove front
wheel and put the lot in the box. No loosening of bars
necessary, the qantas boxes are quite wide. I think he
still had his pedals on too. And his bike was a Colnago
C50 with full Record! I was amazed and will be doing it
that way in the future (maybe with a bit more packaging
though, eg wheel bag).

DeF

--
e-mail: [email protected] finger.murdoch.edu.au
To reply, you'll have to remove your finger.

 

--
Frank
[email protected]
Drop DACKS to reply
"Andrew Price" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]
>
<SNIP SENSIBLE STUFF>

> Only un-solved problem? - where exactly do you hide that small sharp
> box-cutter to re-open the kit and kaboodle at the other end? - airlines
> still seem a tad sensitive about those ....
>
> best, Andrew

Easy - you put it in the box

Frank

 

Plodder wrote:
> --
> Frank
> [email protected]
> Drop DACKS to reply
> "Andrew Price" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]
>
> <SNIP SENSIBLE STUFF>
>
>>Only un-solved problem? - where exactly do you hide that small sharp
>>box-cutter to re-open the kit and kaboodle at the other end? - airlines
>>still seem a tad sensitive about those ....
>>
>>best, Andrew
>
>
> Easy - you put it in the box
>
> Frank
>
>

I promise you melbourne customs will open the box for you. THis is not
a bad thing. Once they see its a roady they will wave you thru

Dave

 

On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 04:56:58 +0000, Andrew Price wrote:

>> Just wondering if anybody has any recommondations for bike cases..
>
> Qantas bike box $15 from just next to their check in counter in Syd or Melb
> (or free if someone has just unpacked and left a box near their special
> luggage hatch).

I don't want to seem negative about this, but Qantas bike boxes suck!

They're a non-standard size (whatever that is), and to get 700C bikes
in, you have to remove both the front and back wheels, including any
sort of mud-guards. You've got plenty of width - they're about 40cm
wide, this allows your bike to wobble around inside the box.

I'd get some of those 'pool noodles' (about $2 from $2-shops) and glue
sections of them in the box as cross-members, because inside the plane the
boxes will be put atop each other (hopefully not under other luggage).

If you've plenty of time, hanging around the airport and getting a 2nd
hand box is a good option, but we've never come back with a box that was
in good enough condition to use again. Maybe you'll get lucky.

The boxes alone weigh a few kg 5? So watch your tickets weight allowance.

Oh - and *always* remove your rear derailleur too.

-kt

--
Kingsley Turner,
(mailto: [email protected])
http://MadDogsBreakfast.com/ABFAQ - news:aus.bicycle Frequenly Asked Questions

 

Kingsley wrote:
>
> On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 04:56:58 +0000, Andrew Price wrote:
>
> >> Just wondering if anybody has any recommondations for bike cases..
> >
> > Qantas bike box $15 from just next to their check in counter in Syd or Melb
> > (or free if someone has just unpacked and left a box near their special
> > luggage hatch).
>
> I don't want to seem negative about this, but Qantas bike boxes suck!
>
> They're a non-standard size (whatever that is), and to get 700C bikes
> in, you have to remove both the front and back wheels, including any
> sort of mud-guards. You've got plenty of width - they're about 40cm
> wide, this allows your bike to wobble around inside the box.
>
> I'd get some of those 'pool noodles' (about $2 from $2-shops) and glue
> sections of them in the box as cross-members, because inside the plane the
> boxes will be put atop each other (hopefully not under other luggage).
>
> If you've plenty of time, hanging around the airport and getting a 2nd
> hand box is a good option, but we've never come back with a box that was
> in good enough condition to use again. Maybe you'll get lucky.
>
> The boxes alone weigh a few kg 5? So watch your tickets weight allowance.
>
> Oh - and *always* remove your rear derailleur too.
>
> -kt


I love my bike box.

I bought a Qantas bike box and promptly ignored the "how to use"
instructions. I took off the front wheel and put a fork guard thingy on
it, that I had from when I bought my bike. I loosened the handlebars,
steered hard right and folded the bars under the top tube (so I didn't
need to take the profile bars off, yes I was a triathlete at that
stage). I took the seat out but only because my extra bidon cages behind
the seat didn't fit, but seeing as the clamp for them marked how far I
should insert the seatpost, it wasn't a concern. I didn't pack the box
with anything else except for a towel and some paper. I didn't take the
pedals off, because I didn't need to, I just put some towelling around
them to ease the pressure points on the box. The whole thing was quite
snug but still easy to carry and fit into the boot of my car (with the
seat down). I taped up the box with good packing tape.

It emerged in Cairns lookin' fine, no damage to the box. Had I wanted to
ride my bike from the airport, the total time to get it ready would have
been about two minutes. It would have required a 5mm allen key and
nothing else. (But I didn't). It did fine on the way back to Brissie
as well.

I had friends who swore that Virgin took good care of their bikes as
well. Something people may not know is that you can claim to be an elite
athlete and they might just give you an extra baggage allowance.

Of course, if I was planning on racing in lots of different countries,
I'd buy a hard case, and my team's mechanic could just pull my bike
apart every time I fly, and all the tools could go in his baggage, not
mine.

Tam