Traveling With Bikes - A Two Case Review
I’ve tried five different bike case options for flying and shipping over the past two years. The case required is often dictated by the use case: shipping, flying, moving, sending to manufacturer or local bike shop (LBS), or storage of case after use. Case selection also factors in the bike type and size: carbon, aluminum, steel, or titanium, integrated seat post, small or XL frame. The experiences I’ve had traveling with bikes are based on a carbon ISP Giant Propel and a titanium Moots Routt while living in a small NYC apartment.
The pain of traveling with an Integrated Seat Post and the bike bag that worked
I first heard about the Orucase while researching bike case options ahead of my first Cali Camp in 2018. At the time my only bike was a Giant Propel with an integrated seatpost (ISP), which limited my case options. I knew an Orucase wouldn’t work with the ISP. I researched alternative hard and soft cases, sourced opinions from teammates, and read online reviews. I purchased two Thule hard cases, the RoundTrip Transition and Sport, to compare and test out if I could fit my bike. Living in a New York City apartment, where space is at a premium, the two hard case options were sent back immediately based on their size.
I settled on an inexpensive, soft case from Wiggle. In order to pack the bike I had to remove the saddle mount, chain rings, and handle bars. I also removed the rear derailleur and hanger for protection. I padded my bike with old, heavy quilting and sheets. The first use of the bag would be for Cali Camp. I had a work trip the week prior to bike camp in Ft. Wayne Indiana. I took the bike on 4 legs before touching down in LA. The bike and bag both arrived safe and intact. I would go on to fly or ship, with Bike Flights, the bike on a half dozen additional journeys. For the price, the Wiggle case more than fit the bill.
Pros:
Supports larger frame sizes
Price
Soft-sided case could be rolled and stored in small spaces
Individual wheel bags included w/ case
Plenty of room for kit
Cons:
Bag size leaves room for the bike to shift and move within the case making packing a challenge and leaving frame susceptible to damage
Wheels didn’t last
Fabric was not incredibly durable, but could be duct-taped
The size and lack of rigidity made the case hard to transport both on foot and in cars
I still had to take off my chain rings in order to fit the bike in the bag
Recommendation: Wiggle Bike Bag
A cheap alternative to a bike box that is best for shipping large frames. Not the bag to take on flights.
Orucase - an upgraded frame needs an upgraded bag
I recently acquired a Moots Routt from a teammate. I now had a bike for Road, CX, and Gravel rides. The Routt would be a more durable traveler than my carbon frame Giant. I bought an Orucase Airport Ninja to travel to Florida for the holidays and was not disappointed. I ordered the case on discount for Black Friday / Cyber Monday and it arrived the next week. The case was packaged as two pieces: the outer shell and an interior padded liner to surround the frame and fork.
Unboxing and Packing:
In order to get the bike packed I would need to disassemble the frame: remove seatpost, handlebars, fork, rear derailleur, and rotors. I used this as an opportunity to lube and clean various parts from the headset to the pulleys. Unlike the larger soft case from Wiggle, the Orucase would form tightly around the rims and frame. I didn’t have to worry about parts jiggling around within the case. Once fully disassembled, I was able to easily pack the frame and rims.
Traveling with the Orucase
I traveled with the Orucase as a backpack on the NYC Subway, LIRR, and Plane Train. I didn’t have any issues with the bag strapped to my back, though I did have to go through the emergency exits on the subway instead of the turnstiles. I also found it hard to carry two additional carry-ons in addition to the bike. The bike, bag, and kit I had stuffed into the bag as additional padding only weighed 38lbs.
Pros:
Easy and straightforward packing
Minimal extra packaging required
Incredibly easy to transport
Plenty of room for kit
Cons:
Orientation of the handlebars and fork is tricky when you can’t disconnect the hydro brakes. Orucase recommends removing the brakes from the frame when traveling with traditional rim brakes.
The “medium” size is a very tight fit and the headset is nearly poking out the top of the frame
The derailleur hanger / dropouts do not seem incredibly protected
The bag has rigid plastic side walls that limit the bags ability to be stored via folding
Recommendation: Orucase Airport Ninja
Ideal for traveling, but takes time and effort to pack especially if leveraging disk brakes.
Final Thoughts:
The five cases I have evaluated are:
Orucase Airport Ninja: avoid airline baggage fees, easy to store, and best for transporting
Wiggle: a cheap alternative to a bike box and great for shipping
Cardboard Bike Box: acquired used from your local bike shop and ideal for one time shipments (e.g. sending to manufacturer or when moving)
Thule RoundTrip Sport: great if you have a garage or extra storage space, super protective
Thule RoundTrip Transition: great if you have an even bigger garage and truck for transporting
Through my experience, my recommendation is the Orucase Airport Ninja if your bike is compatible and you don’t mind the disassembly required for packing. Be sure to measure out your bike dimensions and confirm the geometry will work with the case you select.
General Travel Tips:
Take off your rotors
Take off your rear derailleur and hanger (if possible)
ISPs are great, but not suited for traveling
Removing your chainrings can help save space
If you can ship to a local bike shop, or other destination, Bike Flights is an amazing alternative to flying — especially for airlines that charge fees and if you have two bikes
There are plenty of airlines no longer charging fees, e.g. Delta, Southwest, American, and United
Note: all of these bags referenced above were purchased (and some of them were returned) at standard MSRP.
NYC based rider working in Product. Predominantly road, but starting to dabble into Gravel and CX. Beer connoisseur and cat daddy.
Instagram: @mitchell_napolitano
