i have a santa cruz v10 with a rox shox dual crown fork. any suggestions on a travel case that i can check on a plane without having to take the whole bike apart?
flight travel cases for dh bikes
- Thread starter jimmyfreefly
- Start date
Doesn't exist.
Sorry.
Your best bet (from my own personal experiences, and customers') is the Trico IronCase: http://www.tricosports.com/Site/Welcome.html
You'll still need to disassemble your bike (remove wheels, fork, stem/handlebar).
Sorry.
Your best bet (from my own personal experiences, and customers') is the Trico IronCase: http://www.tricosports.com/Site/Welcome.html
You'll still need to disassemble your bike (remove wheels, fork, stem/handlebar).
oh good, it must be summer time, this topic is back in bloom.
thanks for the info...sorry to be redundant but i'm new 
)
)
dakine bike bag. I have used mine for two years now and it it awesome. But as said before there are no bags that you don't have to disassemble your rig and this one is no exception to the rule.
that is true, the dakine is big. but that is also worthless if it violates the size and weight restrictions that airlines have for travel cases holding bikes and over-sized luggage. i've been held up for having bike boxes that were too heavy and they made me repack. the dakine violates many of the linear-inch measurement restrictions held by various airlines. i've also had my bike denied access to a plane because it was in a "bag" and not a box. the dakine is on the line with the issue of bag vs. box.
edit - the dakine bag is heavy too (though not as bad as the trico). it pushes you closer to the total weight limit. my position on this issue: pop your wheels and your fork off and learn how to pack a carboard box. then you don't have to store the dakine bag in a closet.
edit - the dakine bag is heavy too (though not as bad as the trico). it pushes you closer to the total weight limit. my position on this issue: pop your wheels and your fork off and learn how to pack a carboard box. then you don't have to store the dakine bag in a closet.
Last edited:
You'll find that the majority of the riders who travel a lot with bikes will use the good ol' bike box. Free at bike shops too.
Remove front wheel, bars & pedals and you're good to go. There is plenty of space to shove your armour & clothes too for added protection.
Squids use bike cases.
Remove front wheel, bars & pedals and you're good to go. There is plenty of space to shove your armour & clothes too for added protection.
Squids use bike cases.
If by squid, you mean a smart person who enjoys the peace-of-mind/security of their multi-thousand-dollar bike while in the hands of a complete stranger who's throwing it off an airplane cargo deck..............
Yeah, I guess that makes me a cephalopod.
That looks pretty slick. I am going to look into the overall dimensions of this versus the Dakine. I like the orientation of the wheels. It would make for a narrower wake as you plowed through an airport.
cephalopod would be a great name for a band...
That evoc one looks cool but it's well over the 62 inches if you're looking to avoid the oversized baggage charge. If not, I'd definitely go with that one.
because the word pod is trendy nowcephalopod would be a great name for a band...
i have never had a prob getting my bike on a plane with my dakine bag. if you guys are talking about trying to fly under the radar and avoid the bike charge that is a different story. but I have had zero problems *knock on wood* traveling with my bike in my dakine bag.
what do you think bikes are shipped in when they sell them complete? its the ol' cardboard box. bikes from $100 all the way up to $15k are shipped in cardboard boxes.
6 cardboard bike boxes went to Europe with me last week, and 6 came out fine.
not saying hard cases are bad, but cardboard is still more than enough
plus hard plastic bike boxes range from 30+lbs and up and put you right at the limit where they wont accept your bikes because its overweight.
Shaums March has this bike box that is super hard cardboard transport box that can fit a DH bike in it with no problem. ill ask my buddy at MMR which it is
Last edited:
thanks for all the info everyone!
Not to mention cardboard boxes are prone to pilferage. I'd hate to get to my destination missing a crucial piece of my bike.
Side note: last year I ordered a complete bmx bike from Dan's comp along with a few upgrade parts and some shirts. WHen I received it, half the upgrade parts were missing, as were ALL of the shirts. Dan's is pretty thorough with their record keeping and double checked and ensured me that everything was shipped. I had to file a police report with my local PD for Dan's to send me replacement items (which I'm assuming was at the expense of the shipping company - UPS).
Yea, and if you've ever seen the boxes that bikes at those price ranges are shipped in, there's a big difference in quality and the way the bikes are loaded and packed.
Also, with larger companies like Trek and Specialized - and larger bike shops - the boxes are shipped on a pallet as a unitized load, which will essentially prevent any major damage.
the boxes arent any different to what the cheap boxes are...maybe wider and have straps in them like theTrek Madone's do. i used a cheap bike's box and a expensive bike's box and there wasnt any difference besides size.
weight is the key hear pal. the trico, serfas or any other hard case puts you too close to the max weight limit for airlines.
From what I recall, the Madone boxes were a heavier duty doublewall corrugate than the cheap boxes (the cheap ones are standard BC flute, I think the Madone boxes used BB flute. its been a while since I've seen one, but I remember investigating them when I was a mechanic), and the way the bike was packed it was strapped to an insert that acted as an internal fitment.
Also, when it comes to corrugated boxes, the size actually DOES impact overall strength.
many have said good things about the products from these guys
http://crateworks.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=Bike-Boxes&Store_Code=crateworks
oh yeah, i use a carboard box with a skateboard under it (i pop the skateboard into the box just before i hand it over to the baggage check). the board is a decent set of wheels and it is easy to pivot it for a 90* turn. i'd also suggest pulling some parts from the bike and punching them into your other bags (pedals and saddles/posts are easiest). some try to pack as much as they can into the box, but i say go the other way and pack it as light as you can manage. the handlers will be less likely to bash your box if it is easier to for them to lift; they hate having to hoist boxes that are at the max size and weight limits and tend to be less gentle in those cases.
http://crateworks.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=Bike-Boxes&Store_Code=crateworks
oh yeah, i use a carboard box with a skateboard under it (i pop the skateboard into the box just before i hand it over to the baggage check). the board is a decent set of wheels and it is easy to pivot it for a 90* turn. i'd also suggest pulling some parts from the bike and punching them into your other bags (pedals and saddles/posts are easiest). some try to pack as much as they can into the box, but i say go the other way and pack it as light as you can manage. the handlers will be less likely to bash your box if it is easier to for them to lift; they hate having to hoist boxes that are at the max size and weight limits and tend to be less gentle in those cases.
Last edited:
As the former shipping & receiving manager (read: I am PRO at packing bikes into cardboard boxes) of one of the biggest bike shops in the nation, I still stand by original recommendation.
No matter how great of a job somebody does packing a bike into a double-wall cardboard box (53 x 29 x 11), somebody, somewhere between the truck and the plane, always figures out a way to damage something. Trust me, I've worked first-hand with representatives from ALL of the major shipping companies, and it's simply unavoidable.
I've traveled with my bike packed in cardboard and a hard case. You're free to do whatever you want, and you're free to disagree. But having witnessed airport employees THROW my bike box off the cargo bay of a plane, and having heard countless horror stories from customers/friends about their bikes getting trashed, I don't see why you would want to risk it -- especially if you're a Ridemonkey racerboy and you travel all over the country with your bike. The cost of the hard case will pay for itself over time.
No matter how great of a job somebody does packing a bike into a double-wall cardboard box (53 x 29 x 11), somebody, somewhere between the truck and the plane, always figures out a way to damage something. Trust me, I've worked first-hand with representatives from ALL of the major shipping companies, and it's simply unavoidable.
I've traveled with my bike packed in cardboard and a hard case. You're free to do whatever you want, and you're free to disagree. But having witnessed airport employees THROW my bike box off the cargo bay of a plane, and having heard countless horror stories from customers/friends about their bikes getting trashed, I don't see why you would want to risk it -- especially if you're a Ridemonkey racerboy and you travel all over the country with your bike. The cost of the hard case will pay for itself over time.
I'm with Ray. My degree is in packaging and I've extensively studied both corrugated (as a material and in box form) as well as distribution/transit environments (which includes airplanes), and their associated ASTM standards. I am also currently working extensively with both.
Corrugate boxes are NOT something I would trust my bike in. I'd rather pay an extra hundred dollars for an overweight bag and have peace of mind than take the chance that my bike will get there intact. There's quite a few parts on a bike that cost more than what an overweight bag fee is, and if one of them breaks than you more or less are immediately losing both money and time by having to hunt down and buy replacement parts at your destination. That's not a chance I wanna take or a situation I wanna be in.
Sure some of you may have transported your bikes in unharmed, but you got lucky.
Corrugate boxes are NOT something I would trust my bike in. I'd rather pay an extra hundred dollars for an overweight bag and have peace of mind than take the chance that my bike will get there intact. There's quite a few parts on a bike that cost more than what an overweight bag fee is, and if one of them breaks than you more or less are immediately losing both money and time by having to hunt down and buy replacement parts at your destination. That's not a chance I wanna take or a situation I wanna be in.
Sure some of you may have transported your bikes in unharmed, but you got lucky.
This is completely incorrect. A heavier box is harder to throw. I've studied and seen enough distribution environments to know this is a fact, and there are case studies out there that prove it.
yeah but the lightest bike box full o bike isn't "throwing weight" either. heavy boxes (i'm speaking carboard) don't have good handles for the handlers and the times that i've maxed out my box weight the handles have ended up ripped from the handlers having to muscle it around more. since ive adopted the policy of keeping the box as light as possible i've noticed that my box comes out the other side in better shape.
Something needs to be done about this bike bull****, I went to check my bike and they charged me 150$ (flying first class and using my dads united card so I had almost 500,000 miles) then the lady behind me checks 4 bags 2 of them bigger then my bike and they charge her nothing. LAME.
I have travelled extensively with my bike, and never have had a problem with cardboard bike boxes. They are good for a 1 time back and forth flight to your destination of choice. All the boxes I have used didnt even require me to take the fork off. You really need to know how to use a cardboard box correctly and you will have no issues.
To buy a carrier is great too, just more dismantling of the bike and you nedd to have the room to store it somewhere.
All bikes will be opened and tampered with if it looks fishy, cardboard or case you bought. The airports require you not to lock anything.
Save your money and get a cardboard bike box.
Cannondale makes a nice wide one!
To buy a carrier is great too, just more dismantling of the bike and you nedd to have the room to store it somewhere.
All bikes will be opened and tampered with if it looks fishy, cardboard or case you bought. The airports require you not to lock anything.
Save your money and get a cardboard bike box.
Cannondale makes a nice wide one!
After seeing the kinds of things I've seen from transit/distro environments, a bike box is definitely throwing weight. Also, because they are heavier, they tend to not get dropped from greater heights, which is a major source of damage (generally the most damaging in a distribution environment, with the exception of resonant frequencies, but that's a rarer kind of damage).
edit: just for clarification, throwing and dropping will submit a package/box to nearly identical forces.
I work at UPS as a package handler and a damage clerk among other things, I would not trust my bike in a cardboard box, with the people I work with. As irregulars they get the worst of treatment, because they cause the most annoyance. Dropping, throwing, kicking, you name it people will do it to boxes when they get mad. A bike case would be more annoying, but it would hold up to the abuse.