Cycling in Sydney Australia
Bike Bags
Bike bags.
I am mixed about what to buy buy I definitely need a decent quality one. Which one should I get and why?
I do own a soft bag (double) but it is to big and made from the lowest level construction. (I got it because of train travel in Japan. It was a easy sleave to put the bike in but horrible to carry.
I will be hopping around the globe in July by planes trains and ferrys.
Looking forward to you points of view. Please consider the 20kg limit.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michael O'Reilly on -
Where you going in July?
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Permalink Reply by yogi on -
Amsterdam, Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest back to Amsterdam
I was thinking one of these.
http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/product-detail-TAR-BAG.htmnice and neat and not excessive
subtotal A$139 : freight A$7 : total A$146If i am feeling fragile I guess I can put the whole bag into a bike box.
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Permalink Reply by MadameBike on -
Hi yogi, I have not yet travelled overseas with my bike (and have only ever used a cardboard box for interstate. however, the topic has been discussed at length on the BN chat emails and here is what one seasoned traveller had to say:
""We used Ground Effect bags which worked fine. Wheels, seat and handlebars have to be removed and the frame then sits upside down in the bag. We were particularly careful about extra padding over potentially vulnerable extremities such as the top of the seat tube, handlebar stem and chainring, and also removed the derailleur hanger tabs. When empty each bag folds up into a package about A4 size and 8-10 cm thick which then just becomes part of your luggage, or if you are returning to the same airport you might be able to find somewhere to leave it. Ground Effect have two sizes of bike bags and we used the smaller one because the other one (rear wheel stays on) was too large to meet the dimension limits
on European trains. You need to have the tools and be competent at partly disassembling and (most importantly!) reassembling the bike.
Our companions used hard cases, which were HUGE, and create a problem of what to do with them at your destination. But they do provide much greater protection, at considerably greater cost. That cost might include shipping the empty cases from the start of your ride to the end if it isn't a loop."Hope that helps! One thing I did, even with my cardboard box travelling, was to buy a foldable luggage trolley (available for about $30 from Strandbags or similar). If the Ground Effect bag doesn't have wheels, you might find a trolley helps if you have to walk long distances. :-)
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Permalink Reply by yogi on
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the groundeffect has wheels..
I do not like the idea of a hard case..
Thanks MB
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Permalink Reply by baa baa on -
I would be happier with you using a hard case.
That way you can carry the mint 1985 60cm Puch Ultima (that you will find for me in when you are in Vienna) home safely.
But, all GE stuff is good but I never used the bags. I think a cheap foam sleeping/camping mat cut up to add some bulk around the wheels may help.
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Permalink Reply by Michael O'Reilly on
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I borrowed a version of their simpler bag http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/product-detail-BOD-BAG.htm from the saintly BikeSaint when I went overseas in 09.
Used a cardboard box for the flights to and from Zurich ... the rest of the time I was catching trains, and the bike bag was GOLD for that. You can carry it long distances using the shoulder straps; it gets onto trains easily. So if you're going overland between those destinations, that'd be my advice. Use the cardboard box for protection on flights.
That said, someone at Singapore put a big weight on my bike box on the return leg, buckling the wheel. It's made me wonder whether having the bike in a soft bag would make the baggage handlers treat it more gently. Much like the "motorists drive closer to cyclists wearing a xxxxxx" debate.
:-)
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Permalink Reply by Kim on -
Just put it into a bike box. Bike bags are too cumbersome and you still need to add extra protection like cardboard. Who are you flying with and how are you travelling between countries?
I have heard from a lot of other travelling cyclists that they don't pack their bikes but get the staff to wheel their bikes onto the cargo hold. I wouldn't do that. I have seen some amazing bike packing in my time, including a couple who just bubble wrapped their whole bike (including pedals). They didn't even turn their handlebars.
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Permalink Reply by Michael O'Reilly on
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I have heard from a lot of other travelling cyclists that they don't pack their bikes but get the staff to wheel their bikes onto the cargo hold.
I've heard of this but I wouldn't fancy trying it. Maybe on Lao Air but certainly not on Qantas etc.
"To be accepted for carriage, bicycles must be suitably packed in a bike box. Bike boxes can be purchased from most Australian Qantas Terminals. Customers can travel with their own bike box, however it must not exceed the dimensions and must be properly and securely packed."
http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/sporting-equipment/global/en
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Permalink Reply by Struggler on -
There is a comprehensive article on this subject in the latest 'Bicycling' magazine. It is marked Feb 2011 and has a picture of Lance on the cover. They have reviewed (amongst others) the Ground Effects products. Well worth reading.
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Permalink Reply by Bill Parker on -
Do you also have to remove front and rear racks to fit into these bags (or bike boxes)?
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