Travel Rant - Best Bike Case for You?
For our third installment of Kevin’s Rant and Raves, we will focus on travel bike cases.
Why, did you not ask?
Well, this post is very applicable as I am on a flight home from Colombia with my bicycle still in one piece, up to this point of course.
First off, I have traveled a couple of dozen times with a bike case. Once by train and the rest by air. Both domestic and international.
There are basically two kinds of bike cases available to the consumer. These are hard cases and soft sided cases.
Shall we start with the rant? Yes, we shall.
Benefits of a soft sided case.
Very easy to pack. Basically, take a sledgehammer to your bike, reduce it to small pieces and throw it in zip lock bags. If that does not sound like a good idea, that is okay. Your bike will be in this condition upon arrival at your destination.
On a positive note, if you are renting a small car, they are easier to transport than a hard sided case.
There are certain models that allow you to travel with a 29” Mountain Bike. Currently, there are no hard case options for this.
Benefits of a hard sided case
Protects your bike from both side and top impact in a way superior to a soft sided case.
Price is not that much different. In fact, both models we recommend, are less expensive than several soft sided options.
My favorite case comes as an upright hard sided case with four wheels, making the navigation of a crowded airport much easier.
Some airlines will only take responsibility for damage if the bike is packed in anything other than a hard sided case, including corrugate, and soft sided cases. Most insurance policies are similar.
Again, you did not ask but here are my suggestions:
TOPEAK PAKGO (four paws down the best case I have ever used)
Benefits
Meets TSA Size Requirements
Hard Sided Case
Zipper Closure
Four Wheels and Upright closure (makes navigating an airport and check in area much, much easier.
Ample Additional Storage (I packed a week worth of cycling clothes in it which not only saved space in my other checked baggage, but it also provides additional padding.
Drawbacks
None. Maybe the fact that it retails at $899. In my opinion, it is the best deal out there.
THULE ROUNDTRIP
Benefits
Meets TSA Size Requirements
This hard sided case is basically indestructible (I had one for 15 years and it still is undamaged, in not filthy. There are a lot of cool stickers on it though.
Some Additional Storage
Drawbacks
Rolls in correlation with its width. Combine this with a rolled piece of luggage and you are going to piss off a lot of people. Also, navigating the velvet ropes at an airport is impossible.
In conclusion, if you are traveling with a bike, there are two main reasons for my suggestions above.
If your trip is about biking, why risk ruining your trip before you land. The best-case scenario is that you can find a rental. In this case, make an appointment to see a chiropractor after your return flight, and bring some antibiotic cream. Why? Because the bike will not fit your properly and the rental saddles is going to rub you raw.
Your bike is a major investment. If you looked at getting ever bang for your buck on the bike, why not expand this thought process to the bike case process?
Best.
K
