Hello!
I’m off on holiday in April and I’m allowed to take my bike, so I’m after a budget bike bag to protect it on the flight.

It’ll need to protect a large full suspension bike and DH wheels.
It would also be great if it could accommodate a helmet, shoes, bike bag / tools (to keep that out of my other luggage).
Oh and also it would be great if I could squeeze a bike carrier in there too (just a very small & basic fold-down cheap halfords one, like this: http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-racks/rear-mounted-bike-racks/halfords-essentials-rear-low-mount-cycle-carrier).

Am I asking too much?

Any recommendations at all? Looking to spend < £100 I guess – I’ll use it very rarely.

Oh and before someone suggests hiring a bike instead…no, I don’t want to

Cheers!

cardboard box does for me every time.

cheers, would like a bit more protection really, but I will think about it.

Cardboard box, that’s what they leave the factory in to travel on a plane/boat/back of a van to get to the bikeshop.

El_b,

Where are you in the country? More than happy to lend you one if you like if you can get to Hampshire.

Dogsby

I’d go with the cardboard box over a cheap bag, The ones that are just a bag offer no real protection to the bike at all. A box does.
For a bag I’m in the Evoc camp.

Bikes are packed in bixes when transported with other bikes in boxes. Also if it arrives broken it can be fixed, if your holiday is ruined its a differemt matter.

OP if your budget is just £100 either rent or borrow a box or just use cardboard box and lots of bubble wrap and pipe lagging. I flew once with bike and the shock got scratched when a wheel moved inside the bag, I should have removed the razor sharp disc rotors then I would have been fine. I prefer driving for this reason.

Bikes are packed in bixes when transported with other bikes in boxes.

I shipped 7 half way round the world, most had 5 or 6 stops en route via the couriers but as they were well packed all arrived well.

I flew once with bike and the shock got scratched when a wheel moved inside the bag,

With a quality bag that can’t happen, or a well packed box. Sorry to say that one is user error.

On the side of flying my bike comes with me 6 or 7 times a year which results in about 30 odd trips in the hold of a plane and various baggage handling systems come out fine every time.

I’ve got an old Dhb you can have for a token gesture or £20.00, collected in Wigan. Inside linings a bit ripped in places but Gaffa tape will fix it. Outside is fine. Served me well on 7 or 8 trips. Never had a damaged bike anyway.

Probably better than a cheap bag anyway.

Cheers for suggestions all. Luke, any chance you could be bothered to courier the bag to me? I might be interested. No worries if thats too much faff though

el_b – if luke cant get his bag to you and you’re anywhere near Malvern, I have a couple of DHB style bags that anyone is welcome to borrow if they come to get them.

We’ve had a CRC one for the last few years and it’s still going strong.

It’s the bright blue one

I’m near Bath and have got an Evoc bag with a small tear in it that I bought for a trip which never materialised. Yours for £100 collected if you want it.

I got this bike pod just before Christmas for taking a large Liteville 301 to Spain. It was a bit of a punt as I wasn’t 100% sure I would get a mountain bike in but I liked the idea of something in between a soft bag and a heavy hard case.

It was a bit tricky to work out how to get the bike in but once done (and photographed) its quite easy to replicate. It was excellent – great protection and managed to get the bike, all my gear and alot of my girlfriends gear in the bag and well under the 30kg weight limit.

I am very annoyed as I payed the full £189 just before Christmas, I still think that’s good value but £130 is a bargain.

Used cheapo crc one for 3 trips
Carboard box would probably be better. Bubble wrap pipe insulation essential. Bought Evoc one as price of bike increased and easier to move about.

Decent box, with shrink wrap & spare tape for when they inevitably ask you to open it.

I’m still undecided whether my Evoc bag is any better than a decent box. They all end up on a trolley anyway.

If you’re still in Leeds I can lend you an On One bag. We used to ride together on the N Leeds / Bikemagic rides many, many years ago (Jules, Steve, John Hooper, Badger etc).

Email: timsellors@googlemail dot com

Now then Tim! Long time no see! great days, think we were riding around 2003/2004 ish, then North Leeds group riding kind of had to dry up for me when I got a house to renovate & then kids arrived shortly after.

Yes I’m still in Leeds, thanks for the offer – where are you based nowadays? I think you were around Yeadon way previously?
Are you still digging with SingleTraction?

PS I’m not going ’till April so loads of time.

PPS also thanks for the offers of bags everyone. If anyone not too far from Leeds has one to sell then let me know. PS otherwise it looks like a box and bubblewrap is the way forward (box being about a tenner, if I can’t scrounge one).

Cheers!