What bike shipping case to buy? (XPORT or Trico)

I was curious if anyone can offer a recommendation on bike shipping
cases: I saw these two models and I'd like a comparison. I hope to
get something that will be very durable under repeated use. The Trico
case is more expensive but if anyone can vouch for durability issues
and/or ease of use/reassembly, that would influence my decision.

Thank you,



Trico Iron Case (Scroll down):
http://www.tricosports.com/

XPORT Cargo Case (this is also sold by Bike Nashbar as a "Nashbar"
product):
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=973

On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 09:56:59 -0700, Robert Hayden wrote:

[...Trico Iron Case vs. XPORT Cargo...]

I know nothing about the XPORT case. I have a Trico Iron case, in
which I've shipped a mountain bike twice. It has three large pieces of
foam. You remove the wheels and pedals (and, optionally, derailleur,
and, on a mountain bike, the handlebars--you don't have to disconnect
the cables), tie up the chain so that it doesn't whip around, put in the
axle spacers (two pieces of all-thread with four wingnuts each) and snug
them up, and put the frame, pedals, and pedal wrench in on top of a pad.
Wrap anything you don't want to bang around in an old towel (e.g., pedals
and pedal wrench). Put down the middle piece of foam. Put the wheels on
top of that (they will overlap--keep the cassette pointing up--if you have
discs, make sure the top wheel doesn't press on the disc of the bottom
wheel). Put the top piece of foam down. Put the cover on and sit on it,
making sure it lines up all the way around. Cinch the straps down all the
way around until the box is fully closed. If you use locks and will be
flying with the bike, make sure you get TSA-approved locks (I don't do
this, because even a well-meaning security agent might not be able to
re-pack the bike properly if the case is opened for inspection. Instead,
I ship the thing a few days in advance via DHL ground, which costs the
same as flying, and I can use whatever locks I want).

It is a bit of a hassle to get the case closed, as you are compressing
the three foam pieces on top of the bike, and that takes an
initially-distressing amount of force. That said, it's a tough case and
my bike came through unscathed. It has rollers on the bottom and a strap,
so you can wheel it through the airport, but as I said, I ship the bike
instead.

--
Chris BeHanna
'03 Specialized Allez Elite 27
'04 Specialized Hardrock Pro Disc


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Chris,

Thanks for the note and the advice. One other question though... how
do I ship the bicycle if I'm taking it to Europe?

Thanks,
Rob

On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 21:21:54 -0700, Robert Hayden wrote:

Chris,

Thanks for the note and the advice. One other question though... how
do I ship the bicycle if I'm taking it to Europe?

I believe DHL ships internationally, but that may be a lot more expensive
than flying with the bike in the hold.

I'd be interested in people's TSA experiences re flying with bicycles.

--
Chris BeHanna
'03 Specialized Allez Elite 27
'04 Specialized Hardrock Pro Disc


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I really like my Trico. Have used others including Pedal Pack and it is the best.

I lent it last summer to a friend bound for Italy. I have no details but they
said that it was no problem with TSA. I doubt if the used the padlocks I
supplied. Perhaps in bigger airports (like Seattle), they just run the thing
through the big xray and can see it is just a bike.

When I last used it to go to Italy, it cost nothing to take on Air France. Even
though in the US there was a extra charge pretty much anywhere I went, they
considered it one of my 2 baggage pieces.

Chris BeHanna wrote:
On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 21:21:54 -0700, Robert Hayden wrote:


Chris,

Thanks for the note and the advice. One other question though... how
do I ship the bicycle if I'm taking it to Europe?


I believe DHL ships internationally, but that may be a lot more expensive
than flying with the bike in the hold.

I'd be interested in people's TSA experiences re flying with bicycles.

I've taken my bike with me to Europe a few times. I've used everything
from a hard bike case to a plastic bag (forgot to get a box and was left
with no other option). My suggestion is a cardboard box that is easy to
store or discard once you are in Europe. If you take a hard case you
will have to find a nice place to store it while you are there. This
can be a real hassel. If you have a cardboard bike box the airline will
usually discard it for you (or recycle it to another customer), thus
allowing you to ride to your destination after the flight. In my
experience this has proven to be a lot of fun. Also, many airlines have
these boxes for sale once you return to the airport.

Hope this helps.

Chris BeHanna wrote:
On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 21:21:54 -0700, Robert Hayden wrote:


Chris,

Thanks for the note and the advice. One other question though... how
do I ship the bicycle if I'm taking it to Europe?


I believe DHL ships internationally, but that may be a lot more expensive
than flying with the bike in the hold.

I'd be interested in people's TSA experiences re flying with bicycles.