Bike Boxes for Travel

[Lesli Larson]

I'm in the market for a new or used hard shelled bike case for international travel.  I have a smallish, honjo fendered bike that is a little tricky to box up.  Rack and rear fenders need to stay on.  I've had some luck with a Trico box... but I'm also looking at the Thule and/or maybe one of the soft sided cases.

Let me know if you have any recommendations and/or are looking to sell a neglected box stowed away in your basement, etc.

Best,

Lesli Larson
Eugene, OR

[Eric Norris]

This one looks like it would accommodate a bike with fenders:

http://www.aircaddy.com/instructions-details.shtml

–Eric N

Sent from my iPhone 5

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[Lesli Larson]

Looks promising.  Air shipping rates are quite high through that company but the box itself looks super sturdy/well designed.

LL

[dougP]

For any air travel, the weight of the case becomes an issue.  In general, airlines charge a premium over 50 lbs, in addition to the charge for shipping a bike.  A hard shell case is in the 30 lb range.  There are several cardboard ones in the 20 lb or less range.  When I shipped my Atlantis to Europe, I wound up stripping off the racks and carrying some parts (pedals, cassette, ??) in luggage to get under the 50 lbs limit with my hardshell case. 

If you are considering a specific airline, check their regulations.  Some of the European carriers will accept a bike as "roll on" with no boxing req'd.  Other airlines require boxing.  There is no standard.  The cost even with the same airline can vary considerably, i.e., free on one leg & US$300 on the return. 

dougP

[Lesli Larson]

Doug.  Thanks for your comments.  Any idea which airlines offer bikes as "roll ons"?

That would be ideal!

LL

[Jay B]

Hi Leslie,

I've used the AirCaddy Eric mentioned a few times - flying on Frontier with my 56cm QB twice and shipping a 58cm Betty Foy: both with fenders and fender-mounted taillights.  I seem to remember one of them being just a hair too long with the fender/lights (but I squeezed it in anyway), and I definitely had to remove the small front Nitto racks (Mini and Mark's racks) in order for the bikes to fit.  Rear racks are ok.  Front fenders may pose a problem, as these are fork-mounted bike boxes. 

Overall, I'm very happy with the box.  The company suggests the boxes are good for 4-6 uses, but I think I'll get several more than that (at least).  Both bikes are in the >30 lb range, and I was able to stash other gear in the box before incurring the overweight airline penalty (>50 lb).  I recommend reinforcing the handle cutouts with packing tape.  

-Jay

[Joan Oppel]

Here's the box I've used a number of times:  http://crateworks.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Pro_XLC

It's a good bit lighter than the hardshell plastic cases and it's got hard angles so has more inside volume than cases like the Trico.  I have taken it on airlines and shipped it via UPS with no issues, and no overweight charges (to date!).  There are independent reviews online if you search on the company name.  I haven't used the wheels that are sold separately.  The box is a little difficult to maneuver but since it isn't that heavy, it can be carried easily by two people, and even by one (a friend of mine lifted it right up out of the rental car, up the steps and into the motel after one flight).  Oh, I should mention that the shape makes it harder to get into a car, but I've done it.  The one time I shipped a bike with a rack, I did take the rack off, maybe it could have stayed attached but it actually seemed easier just to remove it and store it in the box.  I use pipe insulation on any parts of the bike that are going to touch other stuff.   I tie down everything loose that I put inside the box and I zip tie the derailleur to the pipe-insulation covered chainstay.  The pipe insulation is cheap, protective, can be cut to size easily and stays in place - or just needs one zip tie.  

Hope that helps.

Joan

 

On 01/07/13, Lesli Larson<lesli....@gmail.com> wrote:

 

Looks promising.  Air shipping rates are quite high through that company but the box itself looks super sturdy/well designed.

LL

On Monday, January 7, 2013 2:16:45 PM UTC-8, Eric Norris wrote:

This one looks like it would accommodate a bike with fenders:

http://www.aircaddy.com/instructions-details.shtml

–Eric N

Sent from my iPhone 5

On Jan 7, 2013, at 2:12 PM, Lesli Larson <lesli....@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm in the market for a new or used hard shelled bike case for international travel.  I have a smallish, honjo fendered bike that is a little tricky to box up.  Rack and rear fenders need to stay on.  I've had some luck with a Trico box... but I'm also looking at the Thule and/or maybe one of the soft sided cases.

Let me know if you have any recommendations and/or are looking to sell a neglected box stowed away in your basement, etc.

Best,

Lesli Larson
Eugene, OR

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[dougP]

In the past, both Lufthansa & British Air would accept bikes.  The last time I shipped internationally was 2008 so that's stale information.  Best to check current regs. 

Another option is bike rental.  I have rented bikes in Spain, Portugal, Thailand & France.  It's a bit of a gamble but with some diligent investigation it's possible to get serviceable equipment.  It adds another factor to the adventure.

dougP