anotherbrian

A Ritchey case with a rigid panel on both sides and S&S's "Compression Members"

would probably make the case strong enough.

But the Ritchey case is larger than 62" linear, and if a tape measure comes out at check-in (and I've seen it happen to people ahead of me in the last 5 years), may end up being charged the oversized rate. My S&S case has been measured once (depending on where you measure it, it is slightly more than 62"), and I think it's a matter of time before a Ritchey case user would get dinged.

As a BreakAway owner (and an indie-made S&S MTB), I'd skip the Ritchey case either way and either get the S&S hard case or source your own cardboard and get the S&S box cover (fabric cover goes over the cardboard box S&S sells) and a couple of the compression members. The box cover was what I was considering doing on a trip to Europe where I'd fly in and out of different countries (carry the bag/compression during the trip, then find/buy cardboard and tape before departure).

Machka 

Most of the time we've used cardboard boxes.

Fox Farm

I flew to Europe on Air Canada because of their reduced cost for checking a bike - fill size Serfas bike box. I think that I paid $75 in 2012.

rpenmanparker 

Yes we agree. The S&S case can be replaced by a corrugated box of the right design, but the compression members are still an important component of the package. They can be independently procured from S&S as can be the Velcro tube wrap for protecting the bike's surface. If you go with a custom corrugated box, I strongly recommend a fully telescoping one in which there are two pieces. The top slides down completely over the bottom. That design provides considerably added strength on the sides.

Rowan

Cardboard boxes have proved to be satisfactory for me on numerous domestic and international flights. But be cautioned to take the weight of the box into account when estimating how close the package is to the weight limits. A sliding telescopic one is going to virtually double the weight. And remember you have to find a place to keep it after your arrive at your flight destination. And how you might get it to your accommodation from the airport. The storage question is more an issue for touring cyclists, but it might need a little though for others.

rpenmanparker 

With a modern lightweight bike, even in a heavy duty corrugated telescoping case, I have never come close to the standard 50 lb weight limit in the US, let alone the 70 lb limit I enjoy due to airline status. Even with helmet, shoes, kit, tool kit, etc. packed into the same box. Nevertheless you are right, weight is one more consideration. And you are dead on about transporting the bike case from the airport. I don't know how folks do it with a full size, hard case. It is hard enough with a 26 X 26 X 10 inch airline compliant S&S suitcase or corrugated carton. Assuming of course you have other luggage and are renting something smaller than a Chevy Suburban. All in all travelling with a bike is a real PITA no matter how you go about it.

We haven't mentioned the cost of a break apart bike, which I think is the best solution. But honest and full disclosure requires saying you would have to pay a lot of airline fees on an oversize box to break even with the true cost of a break apart bike. Travelling with your own bike is just damned expensive.

Zou95

great suggestions. Thanks.

yak

You may be able to get it checked for free if it's under 50 lbs and you say it is a trade show booth. This worked for my buddy, It helps if the case doesn't scream bicycle with stickers, etc. This works better in larger airports where the TSA checkpoint is further away from the check-in counter so they can't see the TSA agent open it.

rpenmanparker 

I have had good luck with the truthful if not complete, "exercise equipment" answer for "What's in the box?"

flatlander_48

I bought the BreakAway listed below back in 2005. It is the same, except when I originally spec'ed it, I had a 10spd Centaur double set up. Between 2005 and 2011 it made maybe 16-18 round trips from the US to Taiwan. Each of those trips were 3 legs each way with baggage handling by Northwest/Delta at Elmira, Detroit, Osaka and Taipei. There was also on trip from Taiwan to Australia, with 2 legs each way, on Cathay Pacific.

There were 3 incidents with Northwest. Early on, the first was 2-3 scrapes on the frame. That was my fault as I didn't get the tube covers positioned correctly. In transit the covers moved around enough that the frame tubes were exposed and came in contact with each other.

The other 2 incidents were the same problem. The way the BreakAway packs, the rear derailleur winds up at the bottom of the luggage. If it is dropped, a lot of load is put on the little outcropping on the diecasting. Both were replaced under warranty, but it wasn't until I was waiting for the second derailleur to arrive that I figured out what had happened. My fix was to unbolt the derailleur from the frame, but leave the cable in place. Upon reassembly, no adjustment was required after installation as the cable attachment had not been disturbed. Pad and wrap the derailleur for protection.

I did break a spoke once, but as it was mid-way during a 4 month stay, hard to say if it was related to shipping...

The only other thing that I do that is different is that I remove the chain. The 10spd used a Wippermann chain and Connex link. Since Wippermann didn't have a Campagnono-compatible 11spd chain, I am using a Chorus chain with a KMC Missing Link.

cderalow

FYI on a recent trip to Vegas I shipped my bike via bikelfights.com ahead of me. It was $100 each way with enough insurance to replace my bike and the case (around $2000) and the thing weighed 50lbs exactly in a thule roundtrip hard sided case.

It was $50 cheaper than the united fee each way and no worries. sucks not being with a bike for 7 days if it's your only ride... but definitely something worth looking into.

The shipped via fedex ground and there was 0 damage or issues.

metalheart44

Just curious for those of you who travel with an S&S case, have you ever been asked about what is in the case? The case looks to be similar to other hard-shell suit cases I have traveled with and no one has ever asked me what is in my suitcase.

The case in the image above is 26x26x10 and according to the Sandsmachine site, it meets airline size requirements.

anotherbrian

Have you not read the previous posts?

I've covered my case in fragile stickers ... provides abrasion resistance and the ramp monkeys don't throw it as far ... and it will lead counter agents to asking what is inside so they can disclaim responsibility for damage to certain items.

flatlander_48

Are you asking about airline personnel or the general populace?

roadwarrior

Sabena?

"Oh, here's another American who thinks he can ride with the Belgians...:

Even getting slaughtered, my guess is you came back with some good stories.

Funny thing, teenagers (as I am sure you saw) will race for a hundred miles. And not on a half mile crit course, either.

When I was in Europe we just used to pack up in a bike box. It was long enough ago that fancy bike carriers had really not been developed. Lots of bubble pack, but the European airlines are very used to shipping bikes.

indyfabz

+1. I have a corrugated plastic box from CrateWorks. It's a telescoping design. I have both flown and shipped bikes in it, including my large, heavy touring bike, with no problems. It's especially roomy but still "airline legal." I am 6' 2" so my bikes are larger than many. I can fit my 60cm. surly LHT, front and rear racks, stove and empty fuel bottle inside. Also nice is the fact that if, say, the top wears out or gets damaged, you can purchase a new top and don't have to buy an entire new box.

OP: For shipping, at least domestically, check out bikeflights.com. Had a very good experience with them last year. A wildly overestimated 70 lbs. of box and bike was $67 from Philadelphia, PA to Missoula, MT plus a $5 surcharge for pickup from a local shop. I could have saved that by taking it to a FedEx/Kinko's location. Shipping took four days. $72 was less than half what United wanted to fly with the bike.

carpediemracing 

Heh Sabena. Yep. This was back when any international rider had to do Elite races so I was up against basically "pre-pros". Apparently the better riders were signing contracts weekly.

On the way back the entire Panasonic team was there (Peter Post, Olaf Ludwig, etc), a whole bunch of PDM guys I didn't know (they were all sort of Dutch looking if you will), and then there was me with my bike bag. Only the pros paid attention to me, like who is this guy? Everyone else swarmed around the pros.

I used a Cannondale bike box, they were the best at the time, clamshell design, super tough cardboard. Lined the bottom with tape so I could just drag it around.

The thing that killed me was that my first race I hit 43 mph on a flat course and I got pulled in 5 km because I was so far off the back. I hit that speed and I went backwards the whole time I was anywhere near anyone.

My stories from there:
Sprinter della Casa: Story - Experiencing the Belgian Kermesses
Pro sightings:
Sprinter della Casa: Story - Experiencing the Belgian Kermesses - Pro Sightings
Some pictures, including the Sabena ticket folder thing.
Sprinter della Casa: Story - Experiencing the Belgian Kermesses - Pictures

indyfabz

As I just mentioned in another post, I used them last year. Had a great experience. Four-day shipping from Philly to Missoula was $72 with pickup at a LBS and no extra insurance. I wildly overestimated the weight ay 70 lbs. since I didn't have a scale. The bike arrived when they said it would with no damage. Return shipping was somewhat delayed due to weather problems. IIRC, there was some flooding or tornadoes in the Midwest that disrupted ground shipping for a few days.

Their customer service was very responsive. I had a few questions before I purchased the outbound shipping. Someone answered my email in maybe 30 min. For shipping home, I didn't have computer access until the end of the trip so I couldn't purchase return labels until then. I went to the Missoula public library and purchased return shipping. As the website promised, the labels were emailed to me about 15 minutes after purchase. I printed them and was good to go.

I plan to use bikeflights.com for my South Dakota/Nebraska tour next month.

roadwarrior

Sabena: Such A Bad Experience Never Again

I was staying in Diegem, near the airport. They had been working on one of their 747's (you could see it parked by maintenance). early evening they apparently wanted to test out whatever they had been working on which must have been an engine. At the time I was at the Holiday Inn across from the airport and when they used the runway that faced the hotel you could practically touch the bottom of the plane when it went over (exaggeration). Anyway, the plane flies over and this big flume of flame comes out of one of the engines. A hard right and back to the airport. Scared the crap out of all of us.

The speeds are pretty nuts, and when I was there all those guys were doped to the gills. Guys would shoot up amphetamines on the bike during the race. For them, as I am sure you saw, it's all or nothing. Bike racing or back the factory.

I got a kick out of your links. remember the rule on Kermesses...a lap had to be long enough for the Belgian guys to smoke a cigarette and drink a beer. The funny part was the gambling...they bet on the riders.

Highlight...one of the guys on our team was friends with Lucien van Impe. He had not yet won the Tour, but was a perennial King of the Mountains (Eddy was still racing and didn't live too far from us when we finally moved into a house) so we'd occasionally ride to the west side of Brussels and ride with Lucien. It was a really good way to see how insanely talented a rider like that is.

flatlander_48

I still have a plastic CrateWorks box that I bought close to 15 years ago (before I bought the BreakAway). The problem is that if you travel in Asia, the taxis are usually compact cars (e.g. Toyota Corollas) or smaller. A CrateWorks box is just too difficult to handle in that situation and part of my thinking that led to buying the BreakAway.

indyfabz

True. I had that problem when I landed late in Sevilla, Spain one night. There was only one taxi in the cue that was large enough to hold the box. Combine that with the fact that I only needed to get to a campground that literally bordered the airport and the driver had be by the balls. He would accept no less than $30 for what amounted to about a 10 min. ride. It's actually a struggle to get the box into my GF's Toyota Camry because the interior has lots of curves. You need a car that has a more boxier interior. Though it was smaller overall, my '95 Mazda Protégé could accommodate the box more easily.

When I was done with the tour, I ended up abandoning the box at the Sevilla campground rather than trying to arrange for a large enough taxi at 5 a.m. At the time, Iberia and British Airways accepted bikes unboxed. I rode the bike to the airport and the bike went in a plastic bag supplied by Iberia. The bike made it relatively unscathed through three flights home. The rear wheel got tweaked a little, but that was it.

Darth Steele

I wouldn't want the word "Bike" printed on my bike case, that just seems like an invitation for trouble. Also that case is $450

KantoBoy

Ah, it's pretty common knowledge at the airports that what's inside those things are precious bikes.

As for the cost I got $80 in credits buying the case. Also used some money by selling my Pika + cashbacks. I pretty much ended up buying the thing for $20 when it was all said and done.

Darth Steele

I don't know that it is common knowledge, otherwise why would they ask "what is in the luggage?" I am a little apprehensive about labeling my luggage with a sticker that says "expensive bike equipment inside".


My issue is that I have to take multiple airlines when I travel to the Caribbean, that means paying a fee at each transfer point on my flight. And lately airline employees are on the look out for extra fees

carpediemracing 

FYI my bike bag (soft case with a metal frame at the bottom) has weighed 49.5 lbs at check in. I put a floor pump and two helmets in there, a second set of wheels, leave the pedals/stem in there. My shoes go in my regular luggage, ditto tools (into a checked bag).

Older picture. The second set of wheels would sit on the close side of the bike.


Sprinter della Casa: How To - Packing The Bike, Soft Case