Bike box or bike bag

Daz1214 · 09-11-2012 10:11pm #1

Hi

Im going to be travelling to Spain for a race next year and ill be flying the bike over with me. Just wondering what people think is the best option, a hard case or padded bag?

Thanks

letape · 09-11-2012 10:38pm

Daz1214 wrote: »

Hi

Im going to be travelling to Spain for a race next year and ill be flying the bike over with me. Just wondering what people think is the best option, a hard case or padded bag?

Thanks

A hard case if you have access to one. Bike bags feel like a compromise to me. When you use a proper bike case, you know your bike will arrive as it was packed.

rochefan · 09-11-2012 11:05pm

Was thinking of taking my bike there next summer and seeing about doing some races there. Do you know what it is like to get a licence to race there? Would love to do a few

Diarmuid · 09-11-2012 11:21pm

letape wrote: »

A hard case if you have access to one. Bike bags feel like a compromise to me. When you use a proper bike case, you know your bike will arrive as it was packed.

If you pack a bike bag such as the CRC one correctly then you shouldn't have any issues. The problem with the hard case is the weight. You are going to be far over the weight limit on AerLingus no matter how hard you try and over the limit on Ryanair. That could prove costly.

Daz1214 · 09-11-2012 11:24pm

Well with aer lingus you pay €40 per flight on short haul so weight isnt an issue as you've been charged for it

sherlok · 10-11-2012 1:00am

I used to be a big fan of a well packed bike bag, as they're so much easier to store once you get to your destination. While I've generally had no problems, the last time I travelled with a bike in a bag one of thee rear dropouts was bent. Luckily it was a steel singlespeed mountainbike, so it was easy to fix, but it would've been a bigger problem with a carbon bike.

I'll definitely be going with a hard case from now on.

rab!dmonkey · 10-11-2012 1:11am

I used to use a CRC bag, lined with a standard cardboard bike box that any half-decent shop will give away for free. Protected the bike fine, but after only two holidays (plane-train-taxi both ways, a fair bit of handling) the CRC bag was toast. I'd say you'll be fine just putting the bike in a standard cardboard box, unless you're going to have to drag it around a lot: that's when a dedicated bag/box comes in handy.

triggermortis · 10-11-2012 6:07am

My CRC bag has done me (and a few mates who have borrowed it) well over the last few years even without extra padding. If I was moving a carbon bike I might prefer a case, but I can get Aer Lingus staff tickets so weight is not an issue. (Also means I can't afford a carbon bike!!)

C3PO · 10-11-2012 7:10am

Daz1214 wrote: »

Well with aer lingus you pay €40 per flight on short haul so weight isnt an issue as you've been charged for it

Actually Aer Lingus have a 15kg weight limit! Not usually enforced in my experience but I've heard other people have not been so lucky!

07Lapierre · 10-11-2012 8:33am

Aer lingus have a 15kg limit. Ryanair have a 30kg limit!

Eamonnator · 10-11-2012 9:02am

Diarmuid wrote: »

If you pack a bike bag such as the CRC one correctly then you shouldn't have any issues. The problem with the hard case is the weight. You are going to be far over the weight limit on AerLingus no matter how hard you try and over the limit on Ryanair. That could prove costly.

Ryanair's limit is 30Kg. No bother keeping under that.

mel.b · 10-11-2012 4:01pm

My bike travelled to australia and back last year in a bike bag. I wrapped the bike in pipe lagging to protect the frame and then bubble wrap on the other exposed parts. I also made up two big pieces of carboard and covered then in foam wadding and out that on either side of the bag to give some structure and a little more protection. Might have been overkill but i'd only the bike for a couple of weeks at that point. Also don't forget to get a couple of spacers to put between the frame.

FISMA · 10-11-2012 4:44pm

Daz1214 wrote: »

Hi

Im going to be travelling to Spain for a race next year and ill be flying the bike over with me. Just wondering what people think is the best option, a hard case or padded bag?

Thanks

Hard case, if you like your bike.

07Lapierre · 10-11-2012 6:23pm

Diarmuid wrote: »

If you pack a bike bag such as the CRC one correctly then you shouldn't have any issues. The problem with the hard case is the weight. You are going to be far over the weight limit on AerLingus no matter how hard you try and over the limit on Ryanair. That could prove costly.

Not true...depends on the box and the bike.

Diarmuid · 10-11-2012 7:19pm

07Lapierre wrote: »

Not true...depends on the box and the bike.

Here's the best selling hard case at Wiggle. 10kgs alone. You're going to need some fancy bike to get under 15kgs. And forget about getting your shoes, helmet and track pump in at that weight.

Diarmuid · 10-11-2012 7:22pm

Eamonnator wrote: »

Ryanair's limit is 30Kg. No bother keeping under that.

Sure, if you fly Ryanair, though €100 way return for the bike alone makes Ryanair less attractive. Try keeping under 15kgs for AerLingus.

07Lapierre · 10-11-2012 7:30pm

Diarmuid wrote: »

Here's the best selling hard case at Wiggle. 10kgs alone. You're going to need some fancy bike to get under 15kgs. And forget about getting your shoes, helmet and track pump in at that weight.

I put my bike, shoes and helmet in a Polaris bikepod. 16kg. I've flown Aer lingus Dublin to Lyon and Dublin to Malaga... No problem

blorg · 11-11-2012 12:30pm

Diarmuid wrote: »

Sure, if you fly Ryanair, though €100 way return for the bike alone makes Ryanair less attractive. Try keeping under 15kgs for AerLingus.

Aer Lingus is only 10 EUR cheaper each way. I also thought Aer Lingus had clarified that the 15kg limit did not apply to bikes? FWIW I have had no serious issues with either carrier. Carbon always in a hard case (ends up around 17kg with just the bike and I can keep it under 20 even with a load of other stuff in there.) Aluminium or touring bike I just wheel it up and hand it to them. Sometimes there is a bit of an argument so arrive early.

Sean02 · 11-11-2012 6:48pm

This debate re bike weight must stop before sombody in Ryanair sees it and then we will have a problem. You pay for the bike in advance the lovely Ryanair lady who moments ago was a cow to someone with 2kg excess will smile and stick a tag on box and direct you to oversize conveyor.
Ok the small print might say something about weight,but I have never heard of anybody being challenged. In the new Terminal at Dublin the conveyor for oversized parcels and sports goods have a bit of packaging tape on side to indicate maximum lenght, I just about made it with tandem in cardboard bike box.Then again here your more lickely to be travelling Aer Lingus who attend a different training school when it come to civility and costumer care.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljRc0lRqo0g

blorg · 12-11-2012 8:48am

Ryanair used be unlimited- or at least unspecified- and I'll admit I completely took the piss, loading the bike box up with wine on the way back from France. I managed to hit ~48kg once... was pretty hard to carry that bike box. Then one day coming back from Grenoble they decided Health and Safety regulations meant a hard limit of 32kg. You would think this would mean they wouldn't take any single item over that, but no, it just meant we had to pay excess. I wasn't actually over that day for whatever reason but two other boardsies I was with were (I think by around 6kg each) and had to pay up.

Ryanair's small print now explictly says the limit is 30kg for bikes. It used be 20kg but they found that was often impossible for a boxed bike and to their credit they changed it.

Aer Lingus are the ones with the confusing non-policy on bike weight, although again most of the time you are unlikely to have a problem.

ibebanging · 12-11-2012 9:24am

Is it possible to fit a bike with a fixed seat post into a bike box ?

07Lapierre · 12-11-2012 1:23pm

ibebanging wrote: »

Is it possible to fit a bike with a fixed seat post into a bike box ?

IMO No

Lusk Doyle · 12-11-2012 1:49pm

07Lapierre wrote: »

IMO No

Hold on. Surely it depends on the size of the bike?

07Lapierre · 12-11-2012 1:55pm

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

Hold on. Surely it depends on the size of the bike?

I suppose it would, but It would have to be a small bike and a big box.

ibebanging · 12-11-2012 2:12pm

Even with saddle and bottom bracket removed ?
Best send measurements to bike box manufacturer before purchase I suppose !

letape · 12-11-2012 3:17pm

ibebanging wrote: »

Is it possible to fit a bike with a fixed seat post into a bike box ?

I have definitely seen bike boxes made specifically to accomodate frames with integrated seatposts. Just can't remember where, but they do exist!

Lusk Doyle · 12-11-2012 3:20pm

07Lapierre wrote: »

I put my bike, shoes and helmet in a Polaris bikepod. 16kg. I've flown Aer lingus Dublin to Lyon and Dublin to Malaga... No problem

Is that all? I've shoved in clothing, tools, etc and got through on the outward leg with 18kg and then got back home no problem with an extra set of wheels in the bag!

07Lapierre · 12-11-2012 3:27pm

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

Is that all? I've shoved in clothing, tools, etc and got through on the outward leg with 18kg and then got back home no problem with an extra set of wheels in the bag!

Good for you..:D

Lusk Doyle · 12-11-2012 3:38pm

07Lapierre wrote: »

Good for you..:D

Raam · 12-11-2012 3:59pm

I have fit a 58 sized frame with ISP into this box with the chainset on...

bw.bike.box.5.jpg

I have long legs so there is a lot of post there.

Sean02 · 12-11-2012 8:02pm

Pardon my ignorance but what has the bottom bracket to do with the height of frame? Also with a fixed seatpost how do you adjust saddle height?

C3PO · 12-11-2012 8:09pm

Sean02 wrote: »

Also with a fixed seatpost how do you adjust saddle height?

You don't ..... you cut it to the (hopefully) correct length and when the time come to sell you look for the only guy in the country that has exactly the same size inside leg as yours!!

P.S. it's not really quite that bad .... there is a little adjustability in the bracket that that fits the saddle to the seat post!

ibebanging · 12-11-2012 8:54pm

Sean02 wrote: »

Pardon my ignorance but what has the bottom bracket to do with the height of frame? Also with a fixed seatpost how do you adjust saddle height?

If the chain set was removed it just squeeze into a standard bike box !

Sean02 · 12-11-2012 9:10pm

Thanks for that CP. Interesting recently bought new Orbea and on advice changed carbon seatpost to Alu for my Coppi. The reason for change was to attach panniers for a c2c tour a few weeks ago. i could´t believe the lenght of Orbea seatpost it weighed more than Alu so much for Carbon parts.

letape · 12-11-2012 10:35pm

Sean02 wrote: »

Pardon my ignorance but what has the bottom bracket to do with the height of frame? Also with a fixed seatpost how do you adjust saddle height?

15mm of adjustment on the Scotts that had integrated seat posts and you can buy a longer seatpost topper that gives 35mm! You just need to measure very carefully and then measure again - before you take out the saw!! I've done it and its pretty nerve wracking!

boege · 13-11-2012 2:06am

07Lapierre wrote: »

Aer lingus have a 15kg limit. Ryanair have a 30kg limit!

I travelled to Geneva by Aer Lingus this year with two bike boxes. We also had bags to check in. Weight was checked only coming home.

I dont know of this was Swiss efficiency or Aer Lingus cunning. In fairness they added all the allowances together and we were slighly under the limit. My recollection is that the bike box was allowed 20kg.

I would agree that it is hard to get bike box packed to come under 20kg and I recollect the lightest of the two was 24kg with bike shoes and helmet and a few tools tools inlcuded.

Would not use anything other than bike box for carbon frame bike. .

Bike box or bike bag

Comments