Bike Bag Recommendations?
#1
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Bike Bag Recommendations?
Looking for a bike bag for my track bike that I can fly with. Any suggestions?
#2
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I've owned a custom Pika Packworks bike and wheel bag before. Loved them. Sold them to a Paralympian who used them for her LOOK L96 and her Mavic Io/Comete for international travel. Pika was recommended to my by my coach at the time, she was a top international elite.
https://www.pikapackworks.com
I needed custom because the Tiemeyer seat mast is abnormally tall and too tall for a standard bag. Otherwise I would have paid less and got the standard bag. I traveled with the bag on planes a few times and even used it to ship my bike across country for moves (Atlanta to Virginia. Virginia to Atlanta. Atlanta to Portland, OR. Portland to Atlanta) all via FedEx. Everything arrived unharmed.
Not the cheapest, but Pika comes with high praise.
When I called to order my bag, the owner answered the phone. Very cool.
Also, since it doesn't look like a standard hard bike case, you can get away with saying, "It's business equipment." or "A tradeshow booth" with a straight face when checking your bags and likely pay a much smaller fee. TSA will open it later and look for banned stuff, but that's after it's been checked-in.
They did this to me once and pulled sh*t out and just randomly put it back in. After meticuliously packing for hours and opening to see a bag of randomness, I was pissed.
https://www.pikapackworks.com
I needed custom because the Tiemeyer seat mast is abnormally tall and too tall for a standard bag. Otherwise I would have paid less and got the standard bag. I traveled with the bag on planes a few times and even used it to ship my bike across country for moves (Atlanta to Virginia. Virginia to Atlanta. Atlanta to Portland, OR. Portland to Atlanta) all via FedEx. Everything arrived unharmed.
Not the cheapest, but Pika comes with high praise.
When I called to order my bag, the owner answered the phone. Very cool.
Also, since it doesn't look like a standard hard bike case, you can get away with saying, "It's business equipment." or "A tradeshow booth" with a straight face when checking your bags and likely pay a much smaller fee. TSA will open it later and look for banned stuff, but that's after it's been checked-in.
They did this to me once and pulled sh*t out and just randomly put it back in. After meticuliously packing for hours and opening to see a bag of randomness, I was pissed.
Last edited by carleton; 04-04-19 at 10:31 PM. Reason: Forgot the URL.
#3
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So, that brings up another topic.
If it's a one-time trip (e.g. moving across country) or hell, even traveling for a race and back, you could simply learn to properly pack your bike in a bike box and ship it via FedEx for cheaper than buying a bike box/bag and paying airline fees.
This is a common request at nicer bike shops. They will probably be able to quote you standard fee. And your stuff is easier being a track bike. No cables, derailleurs, brakes and brake levers, etc... that must be cared for when packing.
I've known athletes to FedEx their bikes ahead of them and have them delivered to a friend or the hotel front desk. Oddly, this may be more reliable in a race situation. I've heard more stories about bikes getting lost or delayed significantly by airlines than FedEx. A buddy from Atlanta had an airline lose his bike when he flew out to Masters Worlds in LA. He had to borrow a bike for his events.
So, if it's a one-time deal, maybe pack it yourself or pay a shop a couple of bucks to pack it for you. Then ship via FedEx. You'll come out a lot cheaper.
If it's a one-time trip (e.g. moving across country) or hell, even traveling for a race and back, you could simply learn to properly pack your bike in a bike box and ship it via FedEx for cheaper than buying a bike box/bag and paying airline fees.
This is a common request at nicer bike shops. They will probably be able to quote you standard fee. And your stuff is easier being a track bike. No cables, derailleurs, brakes and brake levers, etc... that must be cared for when packing.
I've known athletes to FedEx their bikes ahead of them and have them delivered to a friend or the hotel front desk. Oddly, this may be more reliable in a race situation. I've heard more stories about bikes getting lost or delayed significantly by airlines than FedEx. A buddy from Atlanta had an airline lose his bike when he flew out to Masters Worlds in LA. He had to borrow a bike for his events.
So, if it's a one-time deal, maybe pack it yourself or pay a shop a couple of bucks to pack it for you. Then ship via FedEx. You'll come out a lot cheaper.
#4
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So, that brings up another topic.
If it's a one-time trip (e.g. moving across country) or hell, even traveling for a race and back, you could simply learn to properly pack your bike in a bike box and ship it via FedEx for cheaper than buying a bike box/bag and paying airline fees.
This is a common request at nicer bike shops. They will probably be able to quote you standard fee. And your stuff is easier being a track bike. No cables, derailleurs, brakes and brake levers, etc... that must be cared for when packing.
I've known athletes to FedEx their bikes ahead of them and have them delivered to a friend or the hotel front desk. Oddly, this may be more reliable in a race situation. I've heard more stories about bikes getting lost or delayed significantly by airlines than FedEx. A buddy from Atlanta had an airline lose his bike when he flew out to Masters Worlds in LA. He had to borrow a bike for his events.
So, if it's a one-time deal, maybe pack it yourself or pay a shop a couple of bucks to pack it for you. Then ship via FedEx. You'll come out a lot cheaper.
If it's a one-time trip (e.g. moving across country) or hell, even traveling for a race and back, you could simply learn to properly pack your bike in a bike box and ship it via FedEx for cheaper than buying a bike box/bag and paying airline fees.
This is a common request at nicer bike shops. They will probably be able to quote you standard fee. And your stuff is easier being a track bike. No cables, derailleurs, brakes and brake levers, etc... that must be cared for when packing.
I've known athletes to FedEx their bikes ahead of them and have them delivered to a friend or the hotel front desk. Oddly, this may be more reliable in a race situation. I've heard more stories about bikes getting lost or delayed significantly by airlines than FedEx. A buddy from Atlanta had an airline lose his bike when he flew out to Masters Worlds in LA. He had to borrow a bike for his events.
So, if it's a one-time deal, maybe pack it yourself or pay a shop a couple of bucks to pack it for you. Then ship via FedEx. You'll come out a lot cheaper.
#7
Senior Member
I have flown a fair amount over the years with my bike both locally as well as internationally. My preferred bike case is still the Polaris EVA bike pod. It is the perfect compromise between weight vs protection. Especially helpful when flying to Europe and total baggage allowance is 30kg for everything!
Photo below is of my road bike packed for 4 weeks riding cols in the French Alps back in 2011.
Photo below is of my road bike packed for 4 weeks riding cols in the French Alps back in 2011.
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I've got an Orucase Airport Ninja and it's great, although it requires a bit more disassembly than most, routinely avoiding fees is nice.