I am in the market to purchase a travel bike hard or soft case. I have never been on a long distance bike trip. At 72, what am I waiting for? For 2023, I am looking at a couple of trips in the Southwest U.S. flying from New England. Does anyone have any suggestions for a case that requires minimum bike part removal from the frame and protection in airline handling?
I have Scicon aerocomfort 3.0 and it has served me well. It is a soft case, so I need to remove both wheels and both pedals. In addition, I remove the rear derailleur since eTap can be pricey. It does come with various pads for the top tube and uses an internal frame to secure the bike. I would say disassembly/ assembly takes about 20 minutes max.
BE WARNED - The fully loaded bag is quite large, I would say you need at least a full sized car or SUV for it to fit.
Another recent post on this topic.
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Thanks. I do have SRAM etap Red components. Good to know
I can recommend this one: Evoc Pro. It’s been overseas and back and numerous trans con flights with not a scratch to date. I bought this used for under $400. New is probably $700+ but, worth it.
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Pay attention to the specific airline policies with regards to baggage. Most are pretty good but a few have pretty restrictive policies.
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The really good cases are very expensive - $700+. So you might think about just getting a bike box (cardboard) from a local bike shop and using Bikeflights to ship the bike. Depending upon how many trips, this could end up being a cheaper option.
Before you buy a case, take a look at the actual flights you would take and the airplane type used. If any of the flights have a leg that uses a regional jet (e.g., Embraier), the chance of your bike not getting on the flight is pretty high. Regional jets have much more limited cargo space than a full-size (e.g., Boeing 737 or larger, Airbus A320 or larger).
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This is my T-Lab X3 in an Evoc Pro. Wheels go in side compartments with rods to protect them. Also HIGHLY suggested you put the plastic covers on over your axles and remove your brake discs.
You’ll need tools to remove/install handle bars, pedals, and brake discs. Also resist the urge to do as I did and put too much stuff in. 50 lbs or you get an overweight fee, rather than just a standard bag fee.
