Impressive case behind a giggle-inducing name
As a regular traveler and someone who once drove the transfer shuttle between Geneva’s airport and a certain Morzine chalet, I’ve seen some impressive airline-induced bicycle damage. Nobody enjoys spending the first day of a mountain bike holiday or the night before an event searching (and paying over the odds for) replacement components. The team behind the Buxum line of boxes (not buxom, OK?) has been there- and are now selling what look like the most fortress-like flight cases on the market.
Sure, the Ventoux model’s empty 15kg (33lb) weight will incur airline fees and baggage handler rage, but the case’s construction looks set to take the latter. A $900 (£540) cost of entry means that the former is probably not an issue for Buxum customers either.
No mountain bikes are pictured – and thru axles may present challenges – but the system does appear well thought out. At least for road bikes, packing only requires wheel and seatpost removal. A cross-brace means that Buxum Boxes can be stacked on their sides without crushing the bikes inside. So that users aren’t blindsided at the ticket counter, Buxum even has a handy guide to airline fees on their website.
Based in Hong Kong, Buxum will even make custom cases- “within certain physical limits and the limits of physics.” Custom decals and logos are also available. Insane, maybe- but for regular travelers these cases might make traveling with a bike a bit less stressful.
Comments (7)
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ChunkyMTB March 31, 2014 at 11:23 am
I’ll stick with my Evoc I think..
Mad Pierre March 31, 2014 at 12:07 pm
As it weighs about half your average airline maximum empty I can’t see it being much use a for a DH bike?
hatter March 31, 2014 at 12:43 pm
Make sense for those traveling regularly with a £5,000, 6.8 KG road bike though.
Worked at the Bolton iron Man a few years back, came across an American guy who’d paid the extortionate entry fee, gained a few thousand dollars of Charity sponsorship and trained like mad for 18 months, only for the baggage handlers to write his bike off and there wasn’t time to get it fixed.
Distraught doesn’t even cover it.
andyl March 31, 2014 at 3:22 pm
Probably makes more sense to send your bike as air freight to your hotel and buy a huge Pelicase or audio equipment box. You get tracking info then which is probably more reassuring than normal baggage handling.
Northwind March 31, 2014 at 8:36 pm
Forget about excess baggage, with that much weight you can look forward to some airlines just refusing to carry it full stop.
vinnyeh April 1, 2014 at 7:43 am
Haven’t you broken a press embargo here? Surely it wasn’t to be posted before April 1st?
Speeder April 1, 2014 at 11:31 am
Looks lovely but as mentioned above, it’s for road bikes or light xc only at that weight. No way 750mm bars are going to fit in there without taking them off.
Nice kit if you can afford it.