Hard Shell versus Soft Shell Bike Cases

[Old Derailleur-in-the-mist]

I've had my bikes bent, spindled and otherwise broken twice by the airline baggage folks in my 'hard' shell bike case........ both times deforming the case itself. Both times this happened in multi-stage flights where I had to get off one plane and on to another.

A good friend has a 'soft shell case' ...... basically a rack he 'skewer's' the frame to built into a canvas bag and has never had a scratch on his bike.

His theory is that it's so obviously fragile that it always recieves special handling even in multi-stage trips.

I'd be very interested in the consensus of all the veteran bike racer/travellers out there.

 

[steelciocc]

Hmmm, interesting theory...

I've had good luck the last half-dozen years or so travelling with two bikes to Sicilia each spring in hard shell cases.

I've never had any damage (other than the financial damage when Alitalia holds me up at gunpoint to get out of the country with the bikes - $475 this spring).

The biggest drawback I see with hard shell cases is that you have this big plastic box you have to do something with at your destination. We have had to rent a station wagon to transport the bikes and other luggage as well as take up significant space in our room for the duration of the trip.

A soft shell case might offer more compact transport and storage at your destination. I think the theory about the soft shell looking more "fragile" might have a psycological impact on baggage handlers but I'm not willing to risk my bikes to find out.

 

[elapid]

My vote is for hard shell cases as well. I've flown my bike from Canada to Colorado, Ireland and Australia in a hard shell case with no problems.

Steelcoicc highlighted the two major drawbacks - it costs a lot of money ($200+ per flight) and it can be difficult to find storage for your bag at the other end. Typically we can fit two hard shell cases on the back seat of most sedans, so it is not that problematic but still needs to be considered.

 

[Race Radio]

I fly with my bike 4-8 times a year. I had similar bad luck with hard shells. Switched to a soft bag about 6 years ago. At least 30 flights, not one scratch.

 

[James Huang]

What sort of hard cases are you all using? Shell thickness, quality and toughness seem to vary quite widely from brand to brand.

Regardless, it all still comes down to how well the bike is packed - hard case or soft. I personally have had very good luck with the Trico Iron Case and Thule Round Trip but I'm also exceptionally careful with the prep. Every tube is covered in thick foam pipe insulation, all wheel axles are capped with purpose-specific plugs (most new bikes come with them - ask your shop), and everything is strapped down inside so that absolutely NOTHING can move about independently. Those two cases are seriously tough and provided they're packed correctly, you could toss them around quite violently and the contents would still be fine.

With that being said, I also know lots of people who have had equally good luck with soft-sided cases, namely from Bike Pro or Pika Packworks, but again only when things are packed well. The soft cases are nice because they're substantially lighter, can be more easily stuffed with other gear and yes, are (slightly) easier to store once you're at your destination.

Don't be fooled, though. As far as the airlines are concerned, a bike is a bike is a bike and it doesn't matter what sort of container it's in (provided it's not over the weight restrictions). You could transport it in a plastic bag and it'd still cost the same as a hard case.

 

[elapid]

Trico Iron Case - other than the effort to tighten the straps, I have only praise for this hard shell. I tend to pack all my bike clothes and gear so it doesn't move around too much, but haven't wrapped the tubing etc in bubble wrap before. Good idea though. I initially bought the Scicon hard case - great case but way too big for both my car and maximum plane dimensions.

 

[James Huang]

Elapid: not bubble wrap; foam pipe insulation. Like this stuff:

http://www.renovation-headquarters.com/images5/foam pipe insulation.jpg

It's cheap, very durable, available in a variety of diameters and is easily cut to fit. If you generally always travel with the same bike, you can cut all of the pieces to fit your frame exactly, write right on each piece where it goes for later reference and then just keep it stored inside the case for later use.

 

[elapid]

Elapid: not bubble wrap; foam pipe insulation. Like this stuff:

http://www.renovation-headquarters.com/images5/foam pipe insulation.jpg

It's cheap, very durable, available in a variety of diameters and is easily cut to fit. If you generally always travel with the same bike, you can cut all of the pieces to fit your frame exactly, write right on each piece where it goes for later reference and then just keep it stored inside the case for later use.

Cool. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Race Radio]

The problem with the Trico box is is nothing to keep the box from compressing. If it is laying flat. I broke 2 derailer hangers using on.

The Pika bag is excellent. I have a well used one. I also used the SciCon bag. The internal frame is really nice. My favorite the Back pack bag that I use for my S&S coupled bag.

 

[James Huang]

Again, I think it comes down to packing. I always remove the rear derailleur from the hanger and wrap it up separately so that there's almost no chance of bending a hanger.

Alternatively, you could make something like the following for any hard case to prevent crushing if you want even more security:

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?...sion+Members&vendorCode=SANDS&major=9&minor=1

You'll have to punch holes in the foam layers for the strut to pass through but that's easy enough to do and well worth the trouble if you're concerned about extra-abusive airline personnel.

 

[Old Derailleur-in-the-mist]

Sorry. Duplicate post. Thought it'd not gone through.

 

[Old Derailleur-in-the-mist]

Thanks for all the good comments.
The case I've been using is an Italian "TC-1" that looks like a big suitcase. Pretty flimsey in retrospect.
First damage I had: Looked like it'd been lying on it's side and they tried to pick it up with a forklift ..... points of contact on the handle and on the middle of the bottom. The Large ring on my 60cm frame was bent over the small ring (seriously bent right over it) and the top of the seat-post tube was bent into an elliptical shape... and, the rear stays were out of true by a few millimeters. The frame of the box was similarly bent. Luckily this was my old Steel Cervelo SuperProdigy so it was straightenable. The airline paid for repairs and this is still my winter bike.
The next time (same airport change of flights) was damage only to the latches of the case.
I guess the consensus so far is either "armour the heck out of it" or "make it LOOK fragile"!
A friend has ordered the Pika softshell and I'm keen to check it out.
Thanks for the pipe-insulation tip. I've been using bubble-wrap to wrap the (removed) derailleur, bars, seat etc but that foam pipe-wrap is fantastic.
Thanks again.

 

[Archibald]

I use Sci-Con (soft case). The bag looks a wreck, but the bikes have all survived quite well, and that's both domestic and international travel.
Worst airline was virgin - they managed to rip off one of the wheels at the base of the bag!! It's attached to the metal frame inside the bag, so you can imagine the force necessary to do this. They then fed me some bull about the flight being "bumpy" and cases can move. I could do nothing but laugh at this because I was on the flight and there was no turbulance for the entire hour it lasted...
I've had a hole punched in the side of the bag from a pedal, which is probably more my fault for leaving the eggbeater (on the mtb) on one time. Have had no similar issues with the road bikes.
Rear deraullier is protected by the internal bag frame, so no issues there.
I do have large orange fragile stickers all over the bag, which seems to help, but i've seen them unload it onto the trolleys, which wasn't that pleasant... as well as some git thumping it to force it through the opening onto the regular baggage carousel!!
I do plenty of frame padding prior to packing, so each bike is fairly well protected.

 

[Race Radio]

Again, I think it comes down to packing. I always remove the rear derailleur from the hanger and wrap it up separately so that there's almost no chance of bending a hanger.
.

I always remove the derailleur as well. The challenge in the Trico box does not have anything to keep it from compressing. If the baggage guys stack stuff on top of it your rear triangle is screwed.

S&S has these compression members that can prevent this and they are pretty easy to use.

 

[James Huang]

S&S compression members

Race Radio:

Check out the link I posted earlier for those S&S compression members. They work, but everyone also needs to keep in mind that they're sized for the S&S case, not necessarily for the Trico or other cases.

Also forgot to mention earlier that it's a very good idea to either buy or construct your own dummy axles. The plastic bits that come with new bikes are ok but it's best to use a pair of gutted old hubs instead or something like this:

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=23329

Once they're in place you can basically stand on the rear triangle without any issues. Absolutely required equipment for bike shipping whether it's on a plane or with FedEx/UPS in the cardboard box.

 

[danyela]

Cases work well, except one thing is that they are quite heavy so often end up adding extra onto your baggage allowance.

Personally, unless you're going to be flying very often with your bike, I would just get a bike box from your local shop, wrap your bike in an old blanket and bubble wrap and tape it up really well. I've always travelled like that and never had a single problem. And you can just get rid of the box once you're there and it can also has extra space for clothes etc. if you don't/can't put them in your suitcase.

 

[elapid]

Also forgot to mention earlier that it's a very good idea to either buy or construct your own dummy axles. Once they're in place you can basically stand on the rear triangle without any issues. Absolutely required equipment for bike shipping whether it's on a plane or with FedEx/UPS in the cardboard box.

+1. My and my wife's Trico cases both came with dummy axles for front and rear forks.

 

[Race Radio]

Race Radio:

Check out the link I posted earlier for those S&S compression members. They work, but everyone also needs to keep in mind that they're sized for the S&S case, not necessarily for the Trico or other cases.

Also forgot to mention earlier that it's a very good idea to either buy or construct your own dummy axles. The plastic bits that come with new bikes are ok but it's best to use a pair of gutted old hubs instead or something like this:

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=23329

Once they're in place you can basically stand on the rear triangle without any issues. Absolutely required equipment for bike shipping whether it's on a plane or with FedEx/UPS in the cardboard box.

These are cool. Thanks for the link. I used the dummy axles that came with the Trico. The challenge it they provided little protection for the hanger, which is my case it was broken twice and bent often.

You make a good point about the compression members, they would not work with the Trico. I am surprised Trico has not made a similar solution yet as they would solve a key flaw in their design.

With the Airlines now charging $200 each way I don't see myself traveling with anything but my S&S bike anytime soon.

 

[The Executioner]

I've used both hard and soft-shelled cases. There is no right answer. Here's my take on this.

Hard-shell case:
- Used to have a Pedal Pack and a SciCon. The Pedal Pack was bombproof. Superb latches. Easy to open close. Much like a big suitcase. Not only is the outer shwell hard, there is ample foam padding inside. The big downside is that it is HEAVY! It is really easy to go over the weight limit with airlines shrinking weight restrictions and they charge you alot when you do go over. The SciCon hardshell really sucked in comparison. IMO, it's way overpriced. Unless you live in Italy and can get a deal, I wouldn't bother. The latches are not as good and there is very little padding compared to the Pedal Pack. In fact, I got back from an overseas flight once and one of the latches on the SciCon case was damaged. I had to bend it back with some pliers, but after that it never worked well. If you only want major protection for your bike and don't pack alot of other things in your bike case (like clothes, shoes, etc), then the Pedal Pack is the best. However, as soon as you pack even a few shirts and shorts in their, the weight really adds up and puts you most times over most airlines weight limit. Also problematic is that I am not sure if Pedal Pack is even in business anymore. It would be cost-prohibitive for most people outside of the USA also as it is an American case company.

Soft-shell cases.
I have used two. One of them (can't remember the name) where there was a bottom steel rail system to hold the frame and wheels. Worked pretty good. The big advantage is much lower weight compared to some heavy-duty hard cases, so you can stuff some more stuff in there. My latest case is the Pika case. It's a soft-shelled case made in the US. A bit expensive for a soft case. Truthfully, I am a bit underwhelmed. It does have good padding, and better than my old soft shelled case, but for the price it isn't much better than the other soft-shelled cheap case I had. I also found that even though the Pika is pretty tight, it you don't pack the frame in their just perfectly, then the frame will move inside the case slightly. This happened to me and I got a nice scratch right over the down tube and seat tube. more my fault, but still not happy about that. The other soft case had the rail system at the bottom that seemed to hold the frame more rigidly inside the soft case. If I had to do it again and get a soft-shelled case, I would get the cheap one with the bottom metal rail system, and buy extra pipe insulation at eh hardware store for extra protection.

In summary, there is no one best case. Baggage handlers will screw up anything. Hard or soft.

 

[Morati]

I use a Thule hard case. I remove the rear derail and wrap the tubes in foam pipe insulation. Never had a problem. A buddy of mine has a softcase. Shifter was bent in about 30 degrees. Also the rear derail hanger pulled the screws from the frame. Frame threads were stripped. Big problems. Go hard.