Wheels
Both the majority of hard cases and soft bike cases, which may weigh up to 17 pounds empty, feature wheels to make them simpler to manage. Recessed wheels provide superior protection against damage, and replaceable wheels save your bike case from losing functionality due to a broken wheel.
So be sure to examine the cases’ wheels for durability before buying. Before packing it for a vacation, you should also inspect the wheels to make sure that none of them need to be changed.
Handles
Along with the wheels, you’ll need strong handles to move your case up and down stairs, over curbs, and over unpaved surfaces. To better disperse the weight and free up your hands, we advise looking for a case with both a strong top handle for carrying by hand and a strong shoulder strap.
In addition to making sure that the straps are strong, you need also inspect how they attach to the case to make sure that they won’t break with you.
Additionally, examine whether the straps are just as readily replaceable as the wheels. You will have something to hold onto if there are additional grips on the sides so you may roll the case through narrow spots. You should examine the handles before journeys to determine whether they need to be replaced, much as we advised with the wheels.
Locks
Locks must be TSA-approved or left unlocked if you’re carrying your case on an airline so that airport security may check the contents. Therefore, if the locks on the case you choose are not TSA-approved, get those that are.
Size
Decide how you want to load your bike after measuring it. You should be able to utilize the majority of cases with a typical 56-centimeter road bike and a typical seat post. Larger frames, integrated seat posts, and mountain bikes with full suspension all cause size concerns. Make sure the case you purchase fits all of your bikes if you are one of the riders who own more than one bike.
Considering the sort of vehicle you will need to travel to the airport and to your destination is another aspect of transporting a bike in a case. You won’t need a bigger vehicle since soft cases that have been partially disassembled may generate a smaller package than a hard case. Additionally, as previously indicated, hard cases provide a storage challenge both at home and when abroad.
Padding
You will undoubtedly be disassembling your bike to some extent, therefore you don’t want the pieces to be thrown into a bag and slam into one another. Quick-release skewers are used in many cases to secure the wheels to the case’s sides. Your new skewers are shielded from harm by using older skewers that have some cushioning on them. Wheel bags are in certain other cases. Along with cushioning your tools, removing the pedals and padding them is another precautionary action. Pipe insulation from a hardware shop is one suggestion for cushioning the different components of your bike travel case.
Airline restrictions and weight
Keep in mind that in addition to the other baggage you will be carrying, the weight of your bike and anything extra you place within the case will be added. All of it will be included in the luggage weight restrictions set by your airline.
We advise you to weigh your bike’s case after packing it with everything. Then, before booking your journey, review the various airline regulations and fees. Look into any airlines that provide complimentary bike travel case transportation. When you factor in luggage costs, certain airlines with higher base ticket rates may wind up being less expensive.
Before buying tickets, make careful to research the maximum baggage dimensions allowed by different airlines. Additionally, be sure the airline will take your bike by looking into any additional limitations, such as how far in advance to make a reservation.
You should make a copy of all of this information and bring it with you to the airport as evidence in case an airline staff doesn’t know the business policy since dealing with passengers who are flying with bike travel case is less often.
Budget
Buying a solid bike travel case involves safeguarding the money you’ve already spent on your bike and your vacation, as we’ve previously discussed a number of times. However, the cost of decent, protective cases still varies quite a bit. So you ought to be able to safeguard your bike while staying within your budget.
A more robust, protective case that is also simpler to travel will be provided if you pick a case at the upper end. Even if some of them could be smaller and need more disassembly of your bike, there are less-priced cases that provide appropriate protection. So, even while choosing a case based on price alone may not be the main factor, you may do so without having to fear that you could end up choosing a case that isn’t nearly as nice.
Conclusion
We still advise purchasing travel insurance that covers your bike for loss, damage, or misdirection and includes replacement so that you have a bike for the period of your trip where you intended to use it. When utilizing a soft case, you are then protected.
The Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 TSA has been selected as the winner after we compared the four soft cases. The foundation has movable bike mounting brackets that can suit various wheelbases and bike heights. With a chain holder that maintains tension on your chain and derailleur, it safely secures your bike in place. To protect your bike, the foundation contains sizable foam blocks that can be positioned anywhere using Velcro.