I took my S&S bike to France in a regular size case because I got it ready too late to buy a case. It was free on the way back, same price as a second bag on the way there. I built a rack that comes apart. Some of the Nitto rando racks have adjustable struts so they will fold up. Getting both my suitcase and the bike underr 50lb was a pain. An S&S backpack is probably lighter than a hardshell case, but offers a little less protection. The main damage comes from other parts of the bike, most likely.
I was a bit shocked when I put the couplers on the tubes. What had been a nice, light tube turned into a much heavier assembly. Overall, it's probably not that important, but I have not totally gotten over my weight weenie stage.
Can't believe anyone would cite a veluminati rule in this forum unironically. I have come to the conclusion that those guys were trying to get people to do stupid things, like ride a long distance with over-filled jersey pockets. I recently saw a video of a pro road cyclist with a giant bikepacking seat bag. I thought I saw something where the original authors expressed regret over ever publishing them.
Last edited by unterhausen; 12-24-19 at 02:04 PM.