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As I will be flying with my bike fairly frequently in the future, I decided that it's probably wise to invest in a bike bag.
It seems that the Evoc Bike Travel Bag is a popular choice these days - is it the one to go for?
My only concern is that it is a soft case, so is it protective enough to handle regular airport abuse?
I fly with mine all the time and have yet to have an issue.
Obviously nothing's foolproof, but as long as you pack it correctly you should be fine.
Yep. Mine have been on loads of trips, still good as new. No surprises when opening up after any flights
Bomb proof IMHO.
Been to Australia and back with mine, plus trips to Alps, Spain etc. Both carbon and Alu bikes, no issues so far!
It's the defacto choice for a reason. Well thought out packing system and protection in the right places.
Mine is looking a bit battered from being dragged/thrown around but so far no damage to the bike.
Lost count of the number of flights mine has been on but it's up over 40. I can have the bike packed in under 15 mins these days and back together in about the same. Very well thought out, the rigid base covers you for crushing drop outs, the wheels form the protection from above. The number and position of the handles make it really hard to pick up badly. The wheels are solid and it's easy to tow around an airport. Weight is about 9kg for the bag, with a heavier bike rotors and pedals have gone into the other hold bag to balance it for the 23kg limits here.
Love mine. Been using it for 7 years and countless flights now. Never had an issue with damage. Fits my DH bike no problems. It may seem pricey but you will find it an excellent investment.
8 flights (3 holidays) old bike bag pro.
The bikes are fine but the bag itself it now looking decidedly less able to do its job. Base runner unattached at one end, holes in the outer material and areas inside with reinforced plastic have been punctured by forks and wheels.
I'm glad I replaced the plastic reinforcing rods for the wheel pockets with aluminium tubes as well otherwise it might have been a different story.
I dint know if it's significant, but all that damage was done on a transatlantic trip rather than the European ones. Maybe it was bad luck, maybe American baggage manglers give less of a shit.