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Best Bike Travel Case?

tdicustdicus
in Community Forum 🏠

Interested in recommendations for a bike travel case.  I'm particularly interested in those that require the least breakdown/assembly.  Removing wheels, pedals and the seat post are easy, but I get nervous when removing the handle bars.  Thanks!

Todd

Comments

  • Al TruscottAl Truscott

    Posted By Todd Dicus on 06 Dec 2013 11:19 AM
    <p...t I get nervous when removing the handle bars.  Thanks!</p>
    <p>Todd</p>
    No way around it, if you want to use a bike travel case instead of, say, on-car transport or Tri Bike Transport, you have to learn how deal with handlebars. Issues depend on the bike, drop vs bull horns, stem to handlebar configuration, etc. if you can deal with pedals, you can handle the bars. I take apart/rebuild my TT bike 20 times a year (4x each for five round trips by air). All that's usually needed is a 4 or 5 mm allen wrench. Just like marking the seatpost for proper height, a mark is needed on the bull horn for proper angle.
  • Dino SartiDino Sarti
    I have a hard and a soft. I like the soft best because it is just easier to store and move around. Plus, in a pinch you squish it a bit.

    Hanlde bar removal is easy…. Just four Allens.
  • tgarsontgarson
    I have a Pika Packworks EEP, I think last time we had this discussion the Pika and some other near identical model of softcase came in as the crowd favorite despite the vocal warnings you will get from the hard case believers.

    That said, I don't discredit the people who prefer hard cases, I've just never had a problem with my soft case that would prompt me that hard case is worth the weight and hassle.

    http://pikapackworks.com/
  • mtlarsonmtlarson
    Here is a great review from DC rainmaker on travel cases.

    http://www.dcrainmaker.com/tag/bike-case

  • kimmydctkimmydct
    Todd- this isn't a permanent solution but might work if you don't travel a ton w your bike. Shipbikes.com AirCaddy. I used it for an IMFL training camp and it worked great for someone like me who wanted to do as close to zero disassembly. Also, if you ship with them, their FedEx ground rates are like 1/2 price.

    http://www.shipbikes.com/Whatis.html
  • rwsmith96rwsmith96

    FWIW: the only real crash I've had on my bike came after a disassembly and travel.  I was climbing an overpass at about 20mph and pushing pretty hard in bullhorns.  The bars broke tension with the stem and pointed straight down.  I veered into the guardrail and went up and over...big crater in the front of a brand new aero helmet and some excellent new scars.  I thought it was tight enough when I put it together but it clearly wasn't.

    I bought a torque wrench for future travels so I can reassemble and tighten my carbon bars all the way to 4Nm.  I don't want to go smash again.

    Crash was at the 30 mile mark:  http://app.strava.com/activities/51992058/analysis

  • Paul HoughPaul Hough
    x2 on the Pika Packworks. 3 trips to Europe with it, and more in the U.S. Never had any issues putting the bike together and doing an IM afterwards.
  • baprince15baprince15

    I've had great luck with the Team Pro from Performance Bike:

    http://www.performancebike.com/bike...74__400174

    FWIW, the off season is a great time to get comfortable with bike repair.  As others have said, it is quite simple to take a bike apart for travel, but it is certainly something you don't want to do the first time as you prepare for a big event.

  • Dino SartiDino Sarti

    Posted By Richard Smith on 08 Dec 2013 06:07 PM

    FWIW: the only real crash I've had on my bike came after a disassembly and travel.  I was climbing an overpass at about 20mph and pushing pretty hard in bullhorns.  The bars broke tension with the stem and pointed straight down.  I veered into the guardrail and went up and over...big crater in the front of a brand new aero helmet and some excellent new scars.  I thought it was tight enough when I put it together but it clearly wasn't.

    I bought a torque wrench for future travels so I can reassemble and tighten my carbon bars all the way to 4Nm.  I don't want to go smash again.

    Crash was at the 30 mile mark:  http://app.strava.com/activities/51992058/analysis

    Ouch!  That is terrible.  I had an elbow pad come off once.  I hit a bump and the thing snapped off.  The bike had only 10 miles on it from when the LBS put it together.  Turns out it was only grabbing by a thread or two.  It needed longer bolts...

    Nothing like the satisfying click of a properly torqued bolt.

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