Airline Legal Travel Case

[mtyrrell13]

Is there any kind of Bike Travel Case out there that meets the Airline requirements of 62 linear inches. I have a standard (not floding road bike)

[cyclesafe]

You need a 26x26x10 suitcase and S&S Couplers that allow you to break your frame in half.  All the info you need is at:

http://www.sandsmachine.com/

I figure that it pays for itself after 10 trips.

[mtyrrell13]

so breaking the frame down is the only way to do it? I really do not want to do that, In fact I do not think I can. I have an Orbea carbon Frame, oh well I guess I will have to pay the $80 smokes

[RussellSeaton]

Yes, breaking the frame is about the only way its going to fit into a 62" linear inch case.  S&S couplers can be added to metal frames when built at the factory or by many custom frame makers.  And I would guess Calfee could add S&S couplers to a carbon frame too.  Not cheap though.  Other break apart frames include the Moulton bikes, Ritchey/Dahon Break-Away method, Bike Friday, and probably a few others.

If you had a very small compact frame, and 650C wheels, you could probably take the wheels, crank, fork, bars off the bike and probably get it into a 62" case without having the frame come apart.  Lot of disassembly and assembly but if the trip is long enough and not too often and your bike is small enough, this would be economical.

[ptaylor]

Have you considered a case that is shippable by FedEx or UPS: 48 x 30 x 11? Cost to ship is about $50 - $60. These cases are available for $200 - $300 from Performance and Nashbar.

Paul

[Mira!]

An offshoot to this conversation - I have a bike with S&S couplers and just transported it for the first time.  Even though my frame is small, I had a dickens of a time getting it in properly, and the derailleur hanger got bent coming back.  Also, I had problems with all the cables, necessitating visits to bike shops on both ends.  Anyone out there have any experience that might help me?
Nancy

[cyclesafe]

I have a 60cm frame with a 2cm headtube extension that I just barely fit into a 26x26x10 semi-soft bag.  I was able to reinforce all of the sensitive bits and I am hoping that everything will be intact at the other end.

If I have trouble with the cables or otherwise have problems with the reconstituted bike, I will be quite upset.  Figuring out how to get the bike into the bag took hours, but now that I know the correct way it ought to take minutes - as advertised.

One trick that made everything easier and for me was the key to packing was taking the tires off the wheels.  This allowed everything else to settle down so that the thickness of the stacked bike was close to 10 inches.  I don't think I could have gootten the bike in otherwise.  Also, I had trouble keeping the weight down to 50 pounds.  The bag itself weighed 18 pounds!

[Mira!]

I've disassembled and reassembled my bike 3 times now - practicing, going out (to the road touring course in Seattle) and coming home.  Not as easy as it was cracked up to be.  It does get easier, but still takes an hour or more for (slow) me.  I have the semi-soft sided case too - and struggled to get my little 46 cm frame in!  I deflated the tires on the return trip, but didn't think of taking them off.  Did you ship them in the case?  I'm thinking of foam padding - somehow.  You're right about the weight!  Weight of my bike and case:  47#.  Weight of my suitcase, with bike bag and tools, camping gear, and racks: 49#.  Wow, was that close!

Let me know how you fare!
Nancy

[cyclesafe]

Without the tires, but with seat bag, s/s bottle cages, spanner, pedals, and pump, I'm right at 50.0 lbs.  My BOB is in a large duffle and with much of the gear is also at 50.0 lbs.  My carry-on is of regulation size, but I will have to practice in the mirror not grimacing while seemingly casually picking it up with one hand.  It will be more than thirty lbs.

One reason my bike bag is so hefty is that I was very generous with foam padding and bubble wrap way above and beyond what was provided by the manufacturer.  I wasn't happy with the semi-soft bag recommendation, but I went with it because the LBS in theory knows more than me.  I know now that my bike simply would not have fit in the hard case.

I haven't tried to put the bike together again, but as I am a little bit handy I don't anticipate any trouble, but I'll keep my fingers crossed none the less.  I leave Wednesday and will be back in early September!!!  I am sooooooo excited!!

[Mira!]

Oh, my gosh!  Where are you going?  Sounds like an adventure of a lifetime!  

What kind of bike are you riding?  I had the same experience with my bike manufacturer highly recommending the semi-soft sider bag - and had similar reservations about it.  They insisted (counter-intuitively) that bikes were damaged less in soft bags than in the hard shell cases.

Godspeed - and happy cycling!

Nancy

[RussellSeaton]

Even though my frame is small, I had a dickens of a time getting it in properly, and the derailleur hanger got bent coming back.  Also, I had problems with all the cables, necessitating visits to bike shops on both ends.

For the derailleur hanger, in the future take the rear derailleur off the hanger.  Let it hang loose, wrapped in bubble wrap or some padding.  Leave it connected to the cable.

For cables, Da Vinci Designs makes quick disconnect cables for the brakes and derailleurs.  You just unscrew the connector and leave the cables attached to the shifters, brakes, derailleurs.

The cable splitters are listed on this website.
http://www.davincitandems.com/comp.html#split

[Mira!]

Thanks, Russell.  I will take the derailleur off next time.  I already have the quick connectors, so The cable problems surprised me!

[cyclesafe]

Nancy, I'll bet we were talking to the same guy.  Alan Cline at Co-Motion perhaps?  The explanation was something like, "the baggage handling people will not stack luggage on a soft bag".  I have an Americano and I'm off on the AC's North Star trip, but then will spend two more weeks in Alaska.

I think I'll take my deraileur off the hanger as Russell suggests.  Thank you Russell!

[cyclesafe]

Nancy, BTW what problems did you have with the connectors?

This message was edited by cyclesafe on 6-5-06 @ 6:24 PM

[Mira!]

Even though I had everything on the small sprockets, front and rear, both in disassembly and reassembly, and even though I checked every possible place to make sure cables were seated, every time I have reassembled it, at least one cable won't stretch long enough to connect.  And each time, there seem to be different adjustments that need to be made.  I'm learning, and getting better, but I'm still ending up in the bike shop.  Good thing I did.  I wouldn't have realized that the derailleur hanger had been bent.  Might have figured it out, but I hadn't yet.  And, by the time I rode my tour with a load, my wheels needed truing.  

It IS a new bike, after all.  And I'm a near-beginner tourist, myself.  

You forgot to tell me where you're headed!

Nancy