[Closed] Avoiding your worst nightmare - Which bike bag?

Hire one? I think Evans do bike case hire..

I'd probably avoid going altogether. Lets face it, no bike bag is going to protect you from your 'worst nightmare' of having your material possessions damaged, so probably best to stay home and not risk it.

So you read a thread where someone used a top of the range bike bag and got their bike trashed and you thought I need a bike bag, maybe a cheap one 😆

Just use a cardboard box. It will get dragged so reinforce the corners with gaffa tape. Take the roll of tape and you can collapse the box for the hire car then rebuild it.

I did think I needed a bike bag before seeing that thread, just reading it prompted me to get on with organising something!

So, basic CRC bag for £69 or worth spending a bit more, if so where should my pennies go? Would need a lot of convincing to go over £150 or so.

I would say buying a cheap bag with less protection is only likely to contribute to your worst nightmare becoming a reality?
I'd echo others and hire one or buy an Evoc Bag and sell it for £50 less than you paid when you get back.

Mine goes in a box inside a cheap decathlon bag (think it was c£30)

Have been on 20+ flights like this. Bag is now very tired and will not last much longer but has done its job.

Only issue on mine is no wheels so you have to drag it or carry over the shoulder.

never bothered with any additional insurance.... famous last words

ps - DO NOT watch them load/unload your bike - bag was once drop out of the plane to the tarmac - no ramp just thrown out

Where are you? I've got one languishing doing nothing that you could use if near Leeds.

Minimal protection really though 🙂

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I've seen two approaches suggested:
1. minimal packing so it's obviously a bike and will therefore be looked after (yeah right) and if that doesn't happen you can easily see the damage
2. buy/hire a bike box

I tried #1 in the past. I put pipe lagging on the frame, crossed my fingers, and got away with it. It was an mtb that regularly got thrown down hillsides by me so I didn't care about a few more scratches.

On my last trip I took my road bike and went for #2. The box was £40 to hire and it was all far less stressful. It does take up more room in the car but less than you think. And because it's a box it's easier to pack on/around in the car.

All depends how much you value your bike.

EDIT: there are lots of places to hire bike boxes. Look on ebay and you'll probably find someone near to you who's trying to recoup the money they invested in buying their own box.

I've still got one of these for sale, Based in South Yorkshire

[url] http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/mtb-bike-bag [/url]

I have a basic CRC bag and an EVO bag.
The EVO is great. Easy to pack, don't even need to remove the saddle and a wide stable base for moving around and it folds down when not in use.

The CRC bag works fine. BUT you need to strip the bike down more and use plenty of pipe lagging. Once you have done this protection is similar. My bag probably gets used 4/5 times a year so the EVO makes sense. One off trip and I'd go for the CRC

Evoc owner, it's been on over 50 planes so far bit scuffed zero bike damage and really easy to handle. As said in other thread I have away from home insurance to cover any issues.

I have only ever used bike bags and never had any problems .I make sure that there is extra padding around the cranks,forks and areas that might rub and always take the chain off.The rear mech then gets unbolted and taped inside the frame.
I also have two sheets of polycarb (1.5 mm)down each side to give it a bit protection from impacts.

I have been in groups where it was the hard cases that got the worst treatment, and some took a real battering.
There is never going to be any guarantee about which group of primates deals with your bike,but I like to think that there is less chance of them 'launching' my soft,delicate looking bag in to the hold.
So far,so good. 😉