[Lelandjt]

I want a bag or box for flying with my DH bike. It must be very protective and not too much of a hassle to pack. It's gotta fit a size large (465ish reach) with dual crown fork, 29" wheels, and DH axle sizes. Bonus points if it can be used with my enduro bike that uses trail axle sizes. This summer I borrowed a friend's old DaKine bag and it worked but left some paint damage and the fork and a lot of other parts went in my suitcase. At my jobs I deal with a LOT of bike cases but they always have road or XC bikes in them and don't look like they'd fit a DH bike.

 

[djjohnr]

I've been happy with the Evoc Pro - the one with the internal bike stand/mount. It's long enough for a modern DH bike, is secure with the mounting frame, is stable when pulling it around (I've had bags in the past that constantly fall over when you're trying to pull them loaded) and can still sneak under the airline weight limits. There are more protective options out there with full frames around the bag, but all of those will put you into the "paying out the ass" in weight limit overage fees.

 

[Flo33]

Did you look into Evoc? https://www.evocusa.com/collections/bicycle-travel-bags-and-covers/products/bike-travel-bag-pro-2
I borrowed one from a buddy once and it was a breeze to store my Trailbike in the standard version. Pro should be larger.

Edit: sniped by djjohnr

 

[6thElement]

Wife and I each have an evoc pro, but haven't used them for a few years now...

Not even sure our current DH bikes will fit in them due to WB, or her new inbound trail bike.

 

[Jm_]

Tips:

Take the shock off, drill out a peice of PVC the length of the compressed shock, install on bike, much lighter, saves space. Also cut some PVC spacers for the fork and rear axle, so they can't be compressed with the axles installed.

Take spring out of fork if coil-sprung, so fork compresses down. Let air out of air fork.

Remove brake rotors and pack separately, like on carry-on.

And then weight. Many airlines will charge an outrageous fee above 50lbs, which is tricky with a lot of bikes. The biggest things you can't change on a DH bike are going to be the rims and tires, possibly the cranks if they are metal taper-lock fit. There is a lot of stuff you can take off to save weight, seat and seatpost, pedals obviously, stem can be taken of completely, chain if you have a quick-link. It's at least possible to get the mess down to around 50lbs with a lighter bag like an Evoc if you take a few tools with you. I've had no problem doing it with my metal GG with DD casings in the bag and bringing some of the other parts in my suitecase, the shock, seat+seatpost, etc. A lot of the bigger/heavier bike bags, like the solid ones, weigh around 30lbs or more just by themselves. There's no way you'll get a bike in there and be around or under 50.

 

[6thElement]

I've always used pipe in the dropouts to stop fork and rear being compressed and I'd been pondering what to use in place of the rear shock to help compress the bike. Hadn't thought of another section of pipe, thanks.

Our evoc pro weigh ~23lb and it was easy to get the 650b trail bikes to 27lb to fit under that 50lb barrier. Not sure how easy that will be with newer heavier bikes and 29er wheels.

I think the "new" evoc pro have an extra couple of inches in length. Still a lot better than hard cases, my Thule was definitely at least 30lb on its own, so you were struggling to keep that under 70lb whenever I flew with a DH bike before.

 

[djjohnr]

The newer Evoc Pro claims up to 1300mm WB. The removable third wheel they added to the front of the bag is really nice as well.

 

[Lelandjt]

Thanks for all the tips. I would definitely let the air out of my Fox 40 to help it fit (that's how I put it in a suitcase). The PVC shock spacer will work great to shorten the wheelbase. I've worked with a bunch of Evoc cases but haven't noticed if any were the "Pro". I assumed they could only fit road or trail size thru-axles but if they can take a DH bike that's probably what I'll go with. It helps that my bike (Gambler Tuned) is silly light, even with 29" DH tires and I don't mind putting the pedals, shock, rotors, derailleur, and chain in my suitcase.
So before I pull the trigger on an Evoc or Evoc Pro is there anything else I should consider?

Oh, my travel tip for you guys is to get a Fumpa pump or one of the Chinese knock offs coming out. Quick and easy to use, precise tire inflation that takes up almost no space.

 

[toodles]

The weight thing is a pain in the ass. A lot of airlines sting you for overweight baggage if you exceed 23kg on one bag, even if you have a second bag (clothes/etc) that is far under weight. The easiest way to shift weight from one to the other that I've found is putting the pedals and chain in a ZipLoc and putting them in the clothes bag. If you're taking your rotors off move them across too and they should avoid damage better if you pack them in the middle of the clothes layers. A coil shock would also be an easy to remove chunk of weight as well.

If you're doing one checked bag (bike) and the rest as carry-on it gets trickier. Some security checks aren't really happy with you taking multi-tools, pedals and stuff into the cabin. I even had one agent argue that I wasn't allowed to take a full-face helmet into the cabin but that was just one trip once and another agent came along and said it was fine.

I've got a Dakine bag which easily fits a 27.5 Enduro bike or DH bike. I reckon the wheel pockets would be stretched by a 29 tyre but I've let big-wheeled friends borrow it and they've never reported any issues. I've never had any damage to the bike with it either and it has seen about 20 flights now. I used to just use airline-provided bike boxes for the DH bike because it was too hard to get the DH bike and a good bike bag under the magic 23kg weight limit.

 

[Jm_]

The weight thing is a pain in the ass. A lot of airlines sting you for overweight baggage if you exceed 23kg on one bag, even if you have a second bag (clothes/etc) that is far under weight. The easiest way to shift weight from one to the other that I've found is putting the pedals and chain in a ZipLoc and putting them in the clothes bag. If you're taking your rotors off move them across too and they should avoid damage better if you pack them in the middle of the clothes layers. A coil shock would also be an easy to remove chunk of weight as well.

If you're doing one checked bag (bike) and the rest as carry-on it gets trickier. Some security checks aren't really happy with you taking multi-tools, pedals and stuff into the cabin. I even had one agent argue that I wasn't allowed to take a full-face helmet into the cabin but that was just one trip once and another agent came along and said it was fine.

I've got a Dakine bag which easily fits a 27.5 Enduro bike or DH bike. I reckon the wheel pockets would be stretched by a 29 tyre but I've let big-wheeled friends borrow it and they've never reported any issues. I've never had any damage to the bike with it either and it has seen about 20 flights now. I used to just use airline-provided bike boxes for the DH bike because it was too hard to get the DH bike and a good bike bag under the magic 23kg weight limit.

I take as much weight as I can carry on, basically on my body, haha. Pedals, rotors, bolts, tools that don’t have blades, pumps, etc. it must look interesting on the baggage scanner. No one has ever said anything tho and it’s definitely not prohibited to do this. Frees up weight. Sometimes I connect one of my camelbacks to the larger pack, etc. I do this about 4x a year.

 

[toodles]

I take as much weight as I can carry on, basically on my body, haha. Pedals, rotors, bolts, tools that don’t have blades, pumps, etc. it must look interesting on the baggage scanner. No one has ever said anything tho and it’s definitely not prohibited to do this. Frees up weight. Sometimes I connect one of my camelbacks to the larger pack, etc. I do this about 4x a year.

Its risky though - if security has an issue with it, often its too late to try to get it into checked baggage and you can lose it or miss your flight. I've had vernier calipers (work trip)taken off me for a domestic flight once and a friend had to run back to check-in to put his SPD shoes and pedals in checked after a guard said nope. Another buddy travelled about 10 trips with the same multi-tool before an agent veto'd it.

 

[Jm_]

Its risky though - if security has an issue with it, often its too late to try to get it into checked baggage and you can lose it or miss your flight. I've had vernier calipers (work trip)taken off me for a domestic flight once and a friend had to run back to check-in to put his SPD shoes and pedals in checked after a guard said nope. Another buddy travelled about 10 trips with the same multi-tool before an agent veto'd it.

If it's not on the list of prohibited items, ask to see a supervisor. Ask them to show you where and provide the reference.

 

[Jm_]

If it's not on the list of prohibited items, ask to see a supervisor. Ask them to show you where and provide the reference.

And make sure to be as white as possible when you do this.

 

[6thElement]

To lighten my bike case I had my coil shock in my carry on once and security wouldn't let me through. Had to go back to check-in and check my camelbak and then just hope it made it out the other side...

 

[buckoW]

To lighten my bike case I had my coil shock in my carry on once and security wouldn't let me through. Had to go back to check-in and check my camelbak and then just hope it made it out the other side...

I like the look they give when they first see a shock in the carry-on.

@Lelandjt My old Evoc bag is a little small in the wheel pockets for 29 but works and the wheelbase is a tiny bit long for the bag but it does fit. Maybe the Pro is better?

 

[Jm_]

I like the look they give when they first see a shock in the carry-on.

@Lelandjt My old Evoc bag is a little small in the wheel pockets for 29 but works and the wheelbase is a tiny bit long for the bag but it does fit. Maybe the Pro is better?

I have one of the original bags and 29x35mm rims would be tight, as it is with my 29er I have to let all the air out of those tires to get them in there.

 

[buckoW]

I have one of the original bags and 29x35mm rims would be tight, as it is with my 29er I have to let all the air out of those tires to get them in there.

Yep, same here. Is the new lighter one longer? My derailleur hanger is always rolling the dice.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

I made up a pair of plywood crates in 2007, one sized to frame and one to wheels, as big as I could make them while staying under the circumference rules, packed my clothing and whatnot around the bike parts. If airline asked, contents were "clothing and personal effects", in response to which I'd get an odd look.

I got one TSA callback, they asked me to open one crate, examined the contents briefly, and the show went on.

 

[slyfink]

I made up a pair of plywood crates in 2007, one sized to frame and one to wheels, as big as I could make them while staying under the circumference rules, packed my clothing and whatnot around the bike parts. If airline asked, contents were "clothing and personal effects", in response to which I'd get an odd look.

I got one TSA callback, they asked me to open one crate, examined the contents briefly, and the show went on.

Any chance you could share pics of said crates? I've got a buddy looking to travel soon. He's quite crafty and has the means to make such things quickly...

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Any chance you could share pics of said crates? I've got a buddy looking to travel soon. He's quite crafty and has the means to make such things quickly...

Cover was held on by crossed ratchet straps.

 

[konastab01]

Flew all over the world for years with dh bikes and cardboard boxes are the ones.