Packing Your Bike for a plane ....

[Ventoux]

Can anyone suggest the most cost effective cases for transporting an all carbon bike as hold-luggage (without it arriving as tiny shards of black stuff!)

Many thanks

 

[HLaB]

Ive never plucked up the courage to take my carbon bike on a plane but if I do I'm going to go for one of these.

 

[Ventoux]

Ive never plucked up the courage to take my carbon bike on a plane but if I do I'm going to go for one of these.

Good Price! ... but the review says it was pretty tight with a 57" frame ..... I am 60" .... so not sure it will fit .. ....

and just checked on BA.com .. the height exceeds their max (tho they would be pretty mean to bump it off as it is only a couple of inches and the other dimensions are well inside the max)

 

[frank9755]

I've taken my steel tourer and my mountain bike on planes, just in a plastic bag, but I don't think I would ever take my carbon bike on a plane. Whatever it is wrapped in, you have no way of knowing what impacts it has been subjected to.

I guess if I had to do it I would go for complete disassembly and pack it in a box like it came over from China in.

 

[andym]

dhb (ie Wiggle own brand) do (or did) a good hard case.

Alternatively I was impressed by the Cratewerx box (i think that's the name.

 

[rich p]

I used this one

http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/product/evabikebox.aspx?&id=13930

BA charge a fortune for bikes these days don't they?

 

[Ventoux]

I used this one

http://www.leisurela....aspx?&id=13930

BA charge a fortune for bikes these days don't they?

Many thanks guys

I think I am going to buy another bike for training in UK ..... almost as cheap ... and no pile of carbon dust!!!!

 

[L.E.D.]

I used something similar to this when i went to the alps this year, in fact 6 of us put our all carbon bikes into "soft Bike bags".

We went to the local lbs and asked them for some bike boxes (which they would have thrown away) and we put them inside the soft bags and packed our bikes that way.

Whilst I know you cannot be sure of what happens behind the scenes, all the bikes came away unscathed.

Plenty of Fragile stickers seems to work ! !

 

[L.E.D.]

Forgot to add we put plenty of pipe insulation over the frame as well.

 

[dellzeqq]

borrow Brixton Cycles hard box for twenty five quid

 

[soltour]

I was at Helsinki Airport on my return tour and had to make a plastic bag out of four of them ones some airlines use for wrapping around a pushchair..like Finair for instance. Well...EASYJET..refused to allow it on board and I didnt have time to look around for a box so had to leave it behind...I tried to get compensation from them on my return but they refused..saying it was the decision of the agents there.....I have never, ever had any problems with other airlines and I have flown with quite a few over the years, but will never ever fly with easyjet again........next time I will get a written exceptence from the airlines as regards wrapping in plastic.

 

[Kirstie]

I only took my carbon road bike overseas once, and made no compromises - I used a hard sided case, borrowed from a friend, and the bike was fine. The case was also big enough to pack other things around the bike too. The only problem I had was handling the case itself as it was huge.

On the way back the case didn't turn up, but was delivered to my house a couple of days' later (it was on Air Canada).

 

[onlineamiga]

Flew ryanair with mine. They only allow 20kg with a bike! Mine came to 37kg with panniers, tent, and other kit id shoved in there. Then told, I was only allowed the bike in the bike bag! Arghh. So had to put everything into a seperate case, check that in seperately. Still tho, the bike on its own in the case weighed 21kg - but they did let it on.
£40 for the bike (one way) £50 for the case + £35 for another case with the other bits in it. Cost more to take my luggage than it cost to take me!

It is a pain in the backside. Ive been offered a free bike service at the shop where I get my bike. but.. i now live in spain, and at £40 each way to book a bike on.. its just not worth it!

If youre not going too far, and can travel by ferry, do it! Its far easier! No dismantling of the bike, no worrying about it getting damaged. I did Caen to Portsmouth. Me, the bike, my luggage, and a room for the night for £99. Cycle on, cycle off. Fantastic!