Bike Travel Case

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Product Information

You need a bike travel case if you cycle and go on sporting holidays (for example a triathlon event), or are simply travelling by train or bus to another city. It’s true that some trains have compartments with slots to hold bikes, but if your bike is expensive, there’s a chance it could get damaged. If you are traveling by airplane, then you definitely need a good quality bike travel case to protect your bike in the cargo hold.

What You Should Consider When Buying A Bike Travel Case

There are two types of bike travel cases – the hard sturdy types that look like suitcases, and the soft type that has a shoulder strap. The soft bag has an unusual advantage – it’s lightweight and looks like a normal bag that you would put clothes in. As a result, you rarely get charged a bike fee by the greedier airlines who see dollar bills when they encounter the more robust bike cases. And soft cases are also cheaper to buy than hard cases in the first place (by several hundred dollars).

You are probably wondering whether soft cases protect your bike as well as the sturdy cases. The answer is, it depends on how well you pack it. First remove the wheels from your bike and slot them into the two side pockets of the case and pack foam or towels against the spokes for cushioning. Next, get some cheap bubble wrap, pipe insulation foam (available from most DIY outlets like Home Depot) and some velcro.

Remove the seat and pedals and wrap them in bubble wrap. Wrap every other part of your bike with the pipe foam and use the velcro to hold the foam and bubble wrap in place. Then pop it into the bag and fill all the remaining spaces with towels to prevent any part of the bike from shifting around within the bag. In addition, choose a soft case made out of coated tarpaulin for added protection.

If you can’t bear the thought of a soft bag, and go for the hard bag, be aware that the chief danger with hard cases is the bike banging against the sides of the case and getting scratched. Most hard cases come with some sort of padding or foam inside, but make sure that you add additional foam or towels inside the case to fill in all the gaps and make sure the bike doesn’t move about in the case.

Most hard cases are made from polyurethane, but you get some made from tougher materials like triconium. Finally, when choosing a hard bike travel case, try to get one that doesn’t say “bike” on the outside (you don’t want to advertise that you are carrying a bike).

It’s also possible to get hybrid cases with a firm base and steel frame, but with the rest of the bag being soft. If you don’t travel much and feel buying a case for a one-off travel trip is too expensive, you can rent a bike travel case for the journey instead.

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