I posted this on the BAIML forum but it’s private ......

I’ve got to take a bike to the UK (either a hardtail Stockli XC4 or a full sus Ghost AMR 5900), I’ve not got a bag for the flight. Does anyone have recommendations for one? Or better still, got one I can borrow?

Couple of options. How often do you plan on flying with your bike? If often, then the investment in a £100+ bike specific bag would be a great investment. It can also be loaned out to friends as people I know who have ones do.  There are various brands around, from cheap bits of material with minor padding to hard boxes on wheels.  But main things to look for are good padding, wheel bags are also good (remember to remove those disc rotors, space the pads in the calipers and brace the frame and fork where the skewer axle goes), as are actual wheels on the bag itself for wheeling around and of course size.  The bigger it is the less that needs to be disassembled, but its bigger to heft around.

Otherwise if you don’t plan on flying much can you get a cardboard bike box from a local shop? You can use it a few times or just get rid of it after one flight.

OliC - 03 April 2011 07:19 PM

Couple of options. How often do you plan on flying with your bike?

4 times I’m much obliged to the French for putting all the Brit’s running bike guiding out of business, I reckon I can get my MBLA quicker than they can get their IML it’s an ill wind etc etc

The guy at the bike store reckoned using a cardboard bike box was going to be just fine. Otherwise, I’m looking at the Evoc or the Chain Reaction own brand to buy. The Evoc I’m pretty certain I can just sell on Ebay/Ricardo/petitesannonces for 250 chf after using it a few times so that’s a tempting option.

The other option is rent a UK bike but I’m not keen, 35 quid a day seems pricey to me and I wanted to do a few days at Coed y Brenin as well so I draw the line at paying a few hundred quid to rent a bike; I reckon I’ll want 10 days at least over a few months. My other idea is to take my hardtail to the UK and leave it there for a while, in which case just use a cardboard box.

I have a none-padded bike bag you can borrow if you are in GVA on the 10-12th April (I’m on the train this week so it would be hard for me to shift it).

ok, thank’s for the offer, there’s no rush really, I’m not travelling until mid-May. Geneva would be no problem, I’ve got a GA so I could easily pop over. I’ll let you know!

ise - 03 April 2011 07:40 PM

4 times I’m much obliged to the French for putting all the Brit’s running bike guiding out of business, I reckon I can get my MBLA quicker than they can get their IML it’s an ill wind etc etc
.

I’m going for my IML (eventually), I’ve become a CTC Technical MTB Leader this winter with this intention for French bike guiding.

Have you booked your SMBLA?  cos the CTC course is fantastic for many reasons! oh and there is a company somewhere in Switzerland that does intensive bike guide courses. But i guess you want yours by the summer?

back on subject, those EVOC ones look pretty dam good!

bikeradar seemed to rate the EVOC and the other reviews are good. It could be a reasonable buy if I can sell it later.

I’d seen the intensive courses but I’m not a trustafarian I don’t have that kind of time really, too much other stuff to do.

There’s apparently a TCL that runs in Villars but after three months the guy can’t be arsed to get back to me. It’s actually a little vague what’s required for Switzerland but SMBLA should do it. I have booked part of the SMBLA but they’ve not properly confirmed it so they’re progressing steadily up my sh1t list right now.

i was recommended the CTC courses by my first aid tutor who was looking at transferring from SMBLA after similar issues to you.  I’ve also done my MIAS Level 2 which was ok, but CTC is great. The only downside is it takes two courses to get to Technical level.  But they are the best of all three, it doesn’t need to be renewed like SMBLA either.

Highly recommend EVOC bag.  Recently used it to transport carbon framed road bike with Ryanair - not a scratch.

Its reasonably light so bike and a few bits can be less than 20kg.  Check the small print of airline re transport of bikes as they are subtly different, also a good idea to print regulations from airline website and take to check in. Check in at Leeds Bradford wanted to charge mate extra baggage until showed the regs which stated bike bags could be 30kg. In Malaga they didn’t even weigh bags.