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  • Evoc Bike Bag – Packing Tips?
  • KingofBiscuits
    Free Member

    I’m off on holiday on Saturday and have decided to treat my bike to an Evoc bag this year. I’ve watched a couple of vids and read through the instruction leaflet included and it looks relatively simple to pack.

    Do any regular users/travellers have any further packing tips?

    niceandy
    Free Member

    Used mine quite a lot. They are good bags, but not perfect, so I do a few things different to the instructions.

    I usually put pipe lagging and knee pads around the fork stanchions.

    They also say in the instructions to keep the brake discs on, but I’ve never had the confidence to do this, so I took them off and they fit nicely into the internal pocket.

    Also, I loosen the brake and shift levers slightly and stuff them in jiffy bags as the higher ones seem a bit exposed (I took them off completely one time just to be sure).

    After a few uses the plastic pipes that are used to stiffen the wheel compartments have split in a couple of places, which shows they have seen some abuse, so the tyres are always left fully inflated (despite what check-in staff say).

    As it weighs next to nothing I also use a fair bit of bubble wrap in the bag, more to hide the helmet and camelbak I have hidden in there than any additional protection it gives.

    Enjoy your hols!

    kilo
    Full Member

    The evoc bag was quite easy to use, usual things, discs off and put in between card to protect them and I put doubled up card between the brake pads

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    Scamper
    Free Member

    Was not convinced about the protection around the rear mech area, so simply unscrewed from the hanger and taped/bubble wrap to inside of frame.

    KingofBiscuits
    Free Member

    Cheers fella

    I was considering facing rotors inwards for protection? I may take them off. Not decided yet. I’ll have a packing trial run tomorrow night.

    Also considered loosening the controls on the bars and protecting them somehow. Maybe pipe lagging from a previous trip. I’ll use this for extra padding in the bag. Along with my Osprey and kneepads.

    sok
    Full Member

    There are a couple of straps that go over the chain stays. I thread the rear one through my (unattached) rear mech to stop it wandering about, it’s much easier and more secure than zip-tying it to the frame.

    KingofBiscuits
    Free Member

    Hmmm rotors off seems popular. Thought I’d remove both chain and rear mech.

    niceandy
    Free Member

    Forgot to say, I also take the rear mech and chain off. I reckon it would be ok as there is plenty of clearance, but it’s such a quick job I figured better not to take the chance.

    Dango
    Free Member

    I unbolt the rear mech and leave it loose with the chain attached in the bag (only because my frames are large and the mech presses against the bag wall otherwise), leave rotors on facing inwards, no pipe lagging.

    All has been well on three euro trips

    tomd
    Free Member

    I have one, it has been on 6 return flights. I’m not saying other folk are going over the top, but I don’t do anything fancy just chuck it in.

    I’ve always left the rotors on, and facing out which is what the instruction say (IRC). The way the wheel pouches are designed protects the discs quite well. Both rotos are still absolutely fine.

    I don’t do anything other than take the bars off, pedals and remove the seat post & saddle. Again, no issues at all. No additional wrapping or padding.

    gary
    Full Member

    Mostly as above here.

    Always remove rotors these days as I’ve seen too many bent in transit, fortunately usually on the way home! The one time I didn’t remove the rear one while using the Evoc bag (didn’t have a spanner to hand to remove a centerlock rotor), sod’s law meant it got bent somewhere on the way home. My extra paranoia is to slip my disk rotors into a card sleeve and tape that to the base of the bag, rather than have them more exposed to impact in a pocket.

    Then I unscrew the rear mech and tape it to the chainstay; remove the chain and pop it in a pocket. Otherwise all as per the Evoc instructions. Once you’ve done it a couple of times you can get very slick and packing your bike becomes almost a pleasure 🙂

    Milkie
    Free Member

    This is how mine was packed:

    Rear mech & hanger off, cable tied to chainstay.
    Cover stantions
    Discs off
    Inserts for the calipers (card or something between pads)
    Pedals off

    Cross fingers and don’t watch them loading on to the plane, although they weren’t as heavy handed as I thought they might be.

    andyrm
    Free Member

    Remove the rear mech and put it in an old sock to prevent it scuffing paint in the stays.

    I always use the big yellow pipelagging they use on scaffolding on stanchions and main frame tubes.

    🙂

    ononeorange
    Full Member

    Anyone know if 29″ wheels fit in one, please?

    singlespeedstu
    Full Member

    Anyone know if 29″ wheels fit in one, please?

    Yep they do.

    You just need to let a little air out of the tyres and they squeeze in fine.

    dantsw13
    Full Member

    I’m looking at a bag/box to do at least 2 flights a month with me to work. Would the evoc be up to this, or shall I just go the whole hog and get a bikeboxalan? ( I can go over the 23kg limit 🙂 )

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Rotors off. I also used some cloths to wrap a few bits up. Mech seems fine (will let you know tomorrow). Just packed up for me the big issue is I’m on 23kg piece allowances, a carbon bike and the bag comes in at 23ishhh with a lid in. Great bags just heavy!!

    Dan I’m lining up 1 trip a month currently and probably will get my own Evoc (this is a loaner)

    dantsw13
    Full Member

    Mike – so you reckon the Evoc will last a few years of 2/3 longhaul flights a month? £460 for a Bikeboxalan sounds a lot, but a lot of my fellow pilots have them and swear by them. If they will outlast the Evoc and protect my carbon road/carbon Mtb then it’s worth it. Is it the lightweight of the Evoc that appeals to stay under 23kg?

    lapierrelady
    Full Member

    I wouldn’t put any helmet in my evoc as it is a soft bag but do just follow the instructions and the bikes (road or mtb) have flown fine everywhere

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Probably a combination of weight and ease of packing. Bike shop here has 2 as loaners which have seen a lot of trips and lasted really well. Just checked it in and it was 23.5 with a blur LTc that is not that heavy and my ff boxed in it. If you can go 32 easy then the rigid ones make a bit more sense.

    I’ll let you know tomorrow how it comes survived a transfer tasman trip and rapid transfer through sydney.

    ononeorange
    Full Member

    Surely pilots can just park their bikes in the cockpit?!

    Thanks ssstu

    FuzzyWuzzy
    Full Member

    I’ve had my Evoc for a few years now although only done 6 or 7 trips with it, great bag but if you were using it twice a month I’m pretty sure it would get tatty pretty fast. A bikeboxalan is probably a better bet and would give a bit more protection – an Evoc is faster to pack/unpack though.

    tomd
    Free Member

    I agree with FuzzyWuzzy. Mine is still fine after 6 returns flights, but as it’s fabric it has a few scuffs and and I’m failry sure it would start to get a bit done in afer ~20 or so uses. The handles and rollers are good quality and should last though, and some strategic duck tape could prolong the life.

    One big plus about the evoc bag is that it can be folded down, vs a hard box. It’s handy for storing at home and in a hire car if your on holiday. It also weighs 9.5kg which is better than most of the hard cases. Some airlines are enforcing 23kg max weight now, rather than 32kg. 23kg can be hard to achieve if you have a heavy-ish bike and a hard case.

    ChunkyMTB
    Free Member

    Great bags. Luckily my LBS hires them so I think for my twice a year use it works out more economical.

    heihei
    Full Member

    Anyone know if 29″ wheels fit in one, please?

    Not easily in the older ones. Mate had to take his tyres off to get his to fit. Think the new ones are a bit bigger to be 29er compatible.

    rhyswilliams3
    Free Member

    I take my brake discs off, wrap them in bubble wrap and tape them to the base of the bag as its hard so they wont flex on anything. Also rear mech and hanger off in one and taped inside the rear chainstays. I think anything else i did might of been ott but the bikes in one piece anyhow

    dantsw13
    Full Member

    Thanks for all the advice – I’ll probably go with the bikeboxalan, as I intend using it a lot. The Evoc does look very good, but with the amount of trips I’m planning, I reckon the chance of something getting damaged is probably higher with a softbag in the long term.

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