I’m looking to get a bike box in which to put my SL7 (size 58). I want a solid box, not a bag, to try to minimise the risk of damage. The less dis-assembly the better.
I’ve heard great things about the Bike Box Alan Aero Easyfit. Apparently, just take the wheels off the bike and it will fit (pedals, bars, saddle on) but this is a bit too big to fit into my shed where i’ll need to store the box.
Does anyone have any experience of these? Has anyone put a 58 SL7 into either of them? Ideally I dont want to be removing the bars (would be ok if I had to loosen and rotate the bar).
From the pics and description on the web, it seems like the Scicon is doable without full handlebar removal (by rotating the bars down). The Bike Box Alan says you need to remove bars fully.
I wouldn’t do either of those. How are you going to get those boxes loaded in a rental car? You’d need a van. They are huge and heavy . This is a 12kg box, while a normal bike bag is 5kg. That’s an extra 7kg you need to lift on top of an already heavy load - to the car, around the airport, to the rental car bus, into the rental car, up stairs… you’re likely going from a 22kg(50lb) → 29kg (65lb) bag. That will radically impact your shipping cost (like $100eur each way extra) or prevent you from packing something like a pump.
The Alan bike box- it looks like you still need to take your bars off. If you can take your bars off, don’t get a bag/box wider than 12in (30cm) because of shipping…and your hotel room space.
I’d actually do the box if you ship your bike rather than fly with it- besides being $850 cheaper, it’ll protect your bike better, be easier to handle and pack, you can ditch it if you want, it’ll be easier to load on top of a random car, and won’t attract any attention. You can buy pads from whomever if you want those.
I travel with my SL7 (58) about 10 times annually. The EVOC Travel Bag Pro has been amazing for flights. It’s light, has a built-in frame, and I’ve had no issues with airlines nor damage. One trip last year, I had my family with me, and devised a ratchet strap technique to secure it to the roof of a rental Tesla model Y. It’s a large bag but does break down for easy storage. It requires handlebar/RD removal, but the bag accommodates this easily. I also have a set of “custom” cut 1" foam pipe insulation that I made, and secure any points on my bike that might experience rubbing or contact with other parts.
I also stuff the bag full with all of my other cycling gear/a pump, and have never exceeded weight limits (but YMMV - I often use my military status to make flying easier).
I also own the ORUCase B2 Bike bag but cannot disassemble the SL7 enough for it to fit - disc brakes are an issue in taking off the fork.
BikeBox Alan are great - fit everything you need in for a cycling adventure and absolutely bullet proof. Can easily fit two in a black cab. Car wise a VW Golf also fits two with the back seats down, no problem.
I don’t have an SL7, I have an old Colnago, but I do have the Scicon case so here’s some thoughts on that.
My frame size is a 52S in Colnago-speak, so roughly a 54 I think and smaller than yours.
I don’t travel regularly with my bike but have used the box a few times. I’m therefore going to suffer from forgetting how to use it between uses and having to remind myself. I would say it’s fine to get your bike into, but I find it a bit of a shag for two reasons. First, all of the pedal removal, handlebar rotating, etc is a bit of a pest and usually results in my skinning my knuckles. Maybe that’s just me. Second, it is SNUG. I always feel that the rear mech is nudging the inside of the case, no matter how much I jiggle the frame around. Not sure how much bigger frames get inside the thing.
On the plus side I’ve found it super sturdy and actually pretty light for wheeling around. I’ve also had no trouble getting it in the back of a hire car, provided you check all the measurements of what you’re hiring and, when I’ve done this, I’ve been on my own so nobody else’s stuff to put in the car.
You can also always get it on sale.
I’d also say I’ve got an old mechanical groupset, so rotating bars and such like is easier I believe than with disc brakes, internal cabling, etc. Also, the new breed of integrated bar/stems just won’t fit in these boxes, so you have to look at the Alan I think.
Personally, I would never risk my bike in a soft bag, having seen how some cases come off the belt. If you want to take your own bike abroad I think it has to be a hard case, otherwise you’re going to have to hire locally, which can sometimes work out fine if you can find a good standard of bike and take your own saddle.
I’ve used both there isn’t much difference in either. Its been a while since I used the scion but with the bike box alan I had to unbolt the stem face plate and detach the bars. Whilst I can’t say for certain I think it was the same with the Scion. My bikes are 54cm though which might make a difference.
Edit: Car wise both have went in the back of my Toyota Yaris with the rear seats folded down.
I also wouldn’t travel with a soft bag having seen the mess of my mates Colnago after a flight to Mallorca.
I use the scicon, and overall I quite like it. But you definitely have to do some work to take it apart and put it together, but after a couple of times I’ve gotten quite fast at it.
My new bike (size 58 emonda) has the one piece bar-stem, so it does have to be taken off the headset, but there is enough slack in the brake lines to make it work. I also remove the rear derailleur, again not a big deal once you’ve done it a couple of times. And even with the seat mast setup on the emonda, it fits fine with the integrated “post” the sticks out from the frame (seat gets taken off of course).
With a conventional stem and bar, I was able to just loosen the stem bolts and rotate the handlebars a bit without actually removing them.
Moving around with the box itself is good, easy to handle and wheel around. Fits into most car trunks with back seats folded down.
I’m also on team hard case, I work for an airline and also worked the ramp many years ago….while you’ll get away with a soft case for a while, it’s likely only a matter of time before you get damage due to inadequate protection.
I just packed my Aeroad into a Bike Box Alan standard (not the easy tri) and it came to 19kg. Plenty room to store a few other items but I really dislike anything heavy bouncing around there accidentally so I keep it light. I travelled with a North Face duffel which fit my floor pump comfortably. Worked quite well for me.
The easy tri fit is super easy and comes at a minor extra weight (I’ve one as well). Fits fine inside a hatch back (Golf) with plenty room for other luggage.
Personally owning both, I can say you won’t go wrong with either. I prefer how wheels attach to the easy tri box - no need to deal with bent QRs.
I’ve had a Buxum Box Ventoux for 8 years, used at least three times every year, and it’s still going strong.
It’s got a fair few battle scars, courtesy of the “oh so careful” baggage handlers, but the bikes haven’t suffered at all.
Slight tangent, but when travelling I take a very neat little Lezyne floor pump with a digital readout. It’s tiny, well made and works well, particularly these days when people run lower pressures.
The QR’s attach the wheels to the base, with the ends on the outside , the best idea is to use a old/cheap set to do the attaching, and put the ones you want to use in the box
It took two bent sets before I realized what happens. I am actually considering adding velcro straps to the top shell so wheels attach in the same way as in the easy tri box, and don’t need the QRs.
Would also help if/when TSA removes the wheels, which they did on my last trip. Left the front wheel loose as they couldn’t get it back in - they put rear first, front no longer fit
