Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
  • STW Hive-Mind solution to the bike/plane conundrum?
  • Alex
    Full Member

    From the ‘dirty bike in a bag post’ ^^ there, it made me wonder if there’s a better way of packing my full-sus s for plane travel. Always used an old (and heavy) padded bike bag. Now there’s a 20kg limit on next trip in a couple of weeks and I think Rocket+Bag is going to be at or above that. No way to carry all the other stuff I normally chuck in there.

    Also it’s bloomin’ unwieldy, and I’m sure the baggage handlers must love chucking it about 😉 Is it better to get a box/duffbag/something unpadded, pad it out with pipe insulation rather than expecting a padded bag to protect it?

    What’s the current thinking then?

    BadlyWiredDog
    Full Member

    I stick a cardboard bike box inside a padded bag and stick pipe lagging on the tubes, rotors off etc. Short of a reinforced hard case, nothing is going to save the bike from a proper, cataclysmic impact that will cause real damage, you’re really just trying to stop bits like mech hangers from getting bent. Leaving tyres inflated adds some padding too.

    For road bikes, the Crateworks boxes are brilliant, sort of plasticised corrugated plasticised carbon, but I doubt you’d get a Rocket in one of those tbh. Shame they don’t do a mtb one.

    Mostly the issues are bent rotors, mech hangers etc. Serious destruction is rare or this forum would be rife with threads about it.

    Going anywhere good then?

    Alex
    Full Member

    Sorry been riding 😉 Off to tenerife with lavatrax for a few days. I’d quite like to see if my new bike works with dust on it. I’ve just been offered a wiggle bag from a mate which feels a bit lighter. I always think it’s a faff removing rotors, mechs, even cranks but it’s probably better than arriving and finding you can’t ride because something is bent.

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    tangent
    Free Member

    Alex,

    A possible solution if you have some “Blue-Peter” skills and time , is to make your own box from a material called “Corratex”…
    It’s like a plastic corrugated cardboard material–(similar or the same as estate agent signs?). A friend made some bike boxes from it for an event they were doing.

    Just in from a filthy ride…enjoy that volcanic dust!

    DavidB
    Free Member

    Al, I have a proper bike box you can borrow if you want.

    Alex
    Full Member

    Ta. It’s weight that is the problem. I’ve made things with Corratex. But nothing that big. I shall ponder a bit more.

    njee20
    Free Member

    To be honest the bigger issue is whether the plane is on a conveyor belt or not.

    crashtestmonkey
    Free Member

    Ive had an Alpine 160 with a heavy build in a padded bag with loads of extra cardboard and trail tools come (just) under 20Kg so you should be fine.

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

The topic ‘STW Hive-Mind solution to the bike/plane conundrum?’ is closed to new replies.