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Looking at a travel bag for Europe this summer and keep coming across the Evoc, against a number of alternatives. I borrowed one of the older white CRC pro bags before and it was very good, padded etc and note that the newer one is £180 right now. Is the Evoc bag worth the extra money at £279?
I've been looking around also, they all seem pricey. I used the crc pro on an earlier trip and liked it so will likely end up with that if I can't find anything cheaper and as good.
EVOC you will definitely be paying something extra because it says EVOC on the side of it.
I've had an EVOC a few years now and its been great. Very little bike disassembly required (just peddles/wheels/bars) and good protection. Not used the CRC Pro but looks very similar
Evoc just did Hobart to Sydney then Sydney to Heathrow Via Singapore, then Heathrow to Newcastle so 6 sets of handlers and it's come out fine, I think that means it's been round the world 6 or 7 times so far and it's lasting very well.
For me I'm getting what I pay for, things to look for are the quality and size of the wheels and the stability, the ease of packing and the bracing and reinforcing. Also not part of the bike should move or rub once it's strapped in. If the CRC one does all that then it's probably worth a look.
It's the weight penalty that puts me off, add pretty much any bike and you'll be paying excess baggage charges
Used a simple soft sided bag for years with some carefully thought out foam pipe lagging and always get it under 23kg
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It’s the weight penalty that puts me off, add pretty much any bike and you’ll be paying excess baggage charges
It's 9kg, so you can get a 14kg bike (31lb) bike in there with a 23kg limit, pedals and rotors in the hold bag and it's easy unless it's a very weighty bike. (you also get an allowance of 23.9kg) I've never paid excess on any trip with the evoc
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Used my Evoc for 4 trips now, hasn't let me down yet and still in good condition. Expensive, but i've yet to see a better bag.
Dad has one too that's done 2 trips again, no problems and pleased with purchase.
If i was to buy again, i wouldn't be looking to go cheaper, i'd be looking at a hardcase box.
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When I flew with the old style Pro, I took pretty much everything off the bike - derailleur, handlebars, levers, pedals and bubble/lagging wrapped it. Then did the full rebuild on the other side.
With the Evoc does it protect more or am I going to be doing the same process?
The Evoc does a great job and if you plan to use it 2-3 times a year I think it pays for itself very quickly.
Mine mostly gets hoisted around Asia but I have not encounter any issues over the last 5 years I have been using them, the new ones are also a little lighter now which always helps at checking time.
Usually just pedals and handlebars for me when it comes to prepping apart from the wheels of course. Sometimes I take off the rear mech depending where I am going (Eagle,sometimes difficult to source spares) or coming back (nah).
Never use any additional packing material and the bike seems to still be OK.
Evoc is also really easy to manoeuvre, even when you've got another rolly bag with you.
As above, 23kg is perfectly doable, unless it's a downhill bike - just can't load all your other random spares into the bag too.
BikeBag-Hire.com also have a FB page will rent you an Evoc bag for £35 for 1-9 days and can post the bag to you.
If you dont plan to travel loads then renting each year saves large outlay to buy and also storing it when not being used.
This is what my packed evoc looks like, why did you take the levers off? What was the pipe lagging and bubble wrap do? Nothing in that bag can move or rub, bars are strapped into the bag and the head/top tube protector etc. The Wheels provide the vertical protection along with the platic supports, they form a triangle when loaded protecting the frame. The base is solid which prevents drop out crushing and the hanger is behind a wheel (which can't step in far enough) above the foam pad and far enough in that it can't be hit from behind.
<span style="display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue','Helvetica',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 14.4px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Evoc is also really easy to manoeuvre, even when you’ve got another rolly bag with you. </span><b></b><i></i><u></u>
Compared to what? an ocean liner?
My EVOC bag has been used and abused. It looks a bit sorry for itself these days, but it still works.
I don't wax lyrical about it, as IMO, having used one now, I wouldn't buy another, I would just go with a decent, cardboard box & a load of pipe lagging.
They are a PITA to wheel around, and you cant stand them up on a trolley on its end as it's a stupid shape. When you have a carry on, a hold bag & a bike bag, trying to juggle all 3 is a ballache. Putting an EVOC bag on a trolley is also a ballache.
The Evoc bag is great, you can pack a bike in 10mins, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one again.
Re: Why did I take the levers etc off, the cabling on my bike isnt that long. So when you detached the bars from the bike there isnt much room to maneuver without taking the shifters and brakes off. I think the lagging and bubble wrap protected my forks and the loose bits.
The Pro doesn't/didn't have a slot for the forks to sit in and keep the bike upright, so mine moved about slightly in the big bag.
They are a PITA to wheel around, and you cant stand them up on a trolley on its end as it’s a stupid shape. When you have a carry on, a hold bag & a bike bag, trying to juggle all 3 is a ballache. Putting an EVOC bag on a trolley is also a ballache.
Yep, but way easier than wheeling a cardboard box around the airport with 2 other bags, with practice the wheeled trolley case goes in the same hand as the evoc on the lower handle and then off you go.
It sat fine on a trolley yesterday, I did have to do the lifts out of T2 on an angle but it got me solo from T2 to T5 with no real hassle.
Evoc's are great.
Got a couple of them that have done two trips a year for the last few years and not had a problem with them.
Previously had a few bits of damage using a more standard soft case.
They even fit a longest Geometron in.
I can't find it now but there was a photo from BC Bike race a couple of years ago where I reckon 90% of the bike bags were Evoc and for good reason.
EVOC bags are well worth the money.
Pro tip - don’t remove bars from stem when packing, remove bars with stem attached and use spare headset spacers to fill the gap. Saves having to fiddle getting angle of bars right when you rebuild.
Even Proer tip.
Use one of these and just remove the stem and bar together and not have your fork fall out.
Definitely worth the money. Had one for 3 years of about 6-8 trips per year. Superb and easy to use. 10-20mins max to pack and rebuild. A 4" fat bike tyre (on 85mm rims) even fits in - just.
Or just use a seat post clamp