What airline bike case to buy? (Trico Iron Case or XPORT Cargo Case?)

[Robert Hayden]

I was curious if anyone can offer a recommendation on bike shipping
cases: I saw these two models and I'd like a comparison. I hope to
get something that will be very durable under repeated use. The Trico
case is more expensive but if anyone can vouch for durability issues
and/or ease of use/reassembly, that would influence my decision.

Thank you,



Trico Iron Case (Scroll down):
http://www.tricosports.com/

XPORT Cargo Case (this is also sold by Bike Nashbar as a "Nashbar"
product):
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=973

 

[Jeremy Parker]

"Robert Hayden" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I was curious if anyone can offer a recommendation on bike shipping
> cases:

I don't like bike cases at all.

Bike cases are big. Therefore they will be at the bottom of all
piles, with all the other baggage piled on
top.

Bike cases are big, and therefore difficult to handle. Baggage
handlers will tend to throw them about.

Bike cases are a nuisance to deal with at either end of the flight.
They make it impossible to ride a bike to or from the airport, or to
land at one airport and take off from a different one.

I prefer a different solution, a transparent polyethylene bag.
American Airlines used to use them. Do they still? At any rate they
are easily home made. The wheels can stick out of the bottom, so you
can wheel the bike about. The bike will go on top of the other
luggage, not underneath. Baggage handlers can see, and grab, the
frame, making it easy to handle gently. If you leave the wheels on,
damage to dropouts and derailleur hanger is less likely. If it looks
like a bike, it will be treated like a bike. When getting to and
from the airport, the folded bag takes less room than your rain gear.

Inside the bag, do the usual things to the bike: take off the
pedals, turn handlebars sideways, lower the saddle. Actually my bike
just about fits through the outsize x-ray machine without the saddle
being lowered - I'm 5' 11" tall.

Remember, the airlines have no interest in protecting your bike, the
packing requirements are to protect other people's luggage from your
dirt, oil, and sharp edges That's reasonable, and also sufficient.
Traffic engineers are another group with no interest in protecting
you, but putting yourself in a large box when on the road is not the
answer there, either.

Jeremy Parker

 

[Buster Mudd]

Jeremy Parker wrote:
> I prefer a different solution, a transparent polyethylene bag.
> (snip) The wheels can stick out of the bottom, so you
> can wheel the bike about.
> (snip) Inside the bag, do the usual things to the bike: take off the
> pedals, turn handlebars sideways


Sure is gonna be fun wheeling the bike around the airport with the
handlebars turned sideways!