That looks pretty nice, especially if you only want to put your bike in it.

I've always used the Pika Pack though, and it's saved me hundreds of dollars.

They're expensive but the benefit to using a Pika Pak over something like in this video is that you can shove almost 15-20 pounds of extra shit in around your bike (clothes) and so if the baggage person looks inside, they won't see the bike right away. You also only have to take the front wheel off turn the handlebars, and in some extreme cases, take off your rear derailleur and seat post.

Last time I used the Pika pack was back from Puerto Rico with 5 gallons of rum, 10 pounds of clothes and other stuff, and my bike with wide cruiser type bars. Didn't have to pay an overize bike or baggage charge on Jetblue (though it was my only checked bag).

(Pika pack has not paid me to write this summary)

Also, you have to take your bars off to get your bike in this bag. Shit! Especially sucks if you rub a front brake. I would be screwed. Which sucks because this bag looks great...

(you can't really ride anywhere with the pika pack)

Unless you have drops on your bike, I don't think removing the bars with a brake lever is that hard to do.

Call him back!
He forgot his messenger bag on the ground!

HAHAHA Yeah, I caught that after I watched it again.

I've never really traveled with my bike, but hope to do so in the future. I've looked at hard cases a bunch in the past and I think that will be my route. I guess my question is, is this really going to protect anything? I feel like it's just some huge cordura bag with maybe a little padding. Let me more direct - Prolly, would you have trusted your Bruiser in this bag and not that case that MKE kicked you? Looks like a cool idea, but I think I'd be a wreck from check in to actually opening the bag at destination point.

I've brought my bike in a nylon portfolio case before. It's all about how you pack it. If it's your baby, wrap it with pipe-insulation and tape padding to things like axle-ends on your wheels and take your cranks off. It's simple enough. I would totally put my Bruiser or even my Merckx in that bag, just packed properly. If they fit of course...

that is a nice case! would be a bonus if wheels were add to it so you don't have to lug on your shoulder as much.

I think a hard case or a well-packed box is the only way to ensure your bike won't get damaged in transit. A track bike is a much more solid piece than a road bike, usually both in sturdiness of parts and lack of delicate appendages.

When I went to New York in April, I used a box cut to the airline's maximum total dimensions and didn't get charged for the bike. Most of my other stuff was also in that box. On the way back the box swallowed 19 Brooklyn bagels no problem.

I flew with my track bike and no bag or box whatsoever earlier this year. The airline gave me a transparent plastic bag, and had me turn the bars and remove the pedals. It came through the tube at the other end just fine. Wouldn't do that with any of my other bikes, though (maybe my BMX).

My girlfriend uses a soft bag for her road bike, and it comes home with more damage every time. After the first time I make sure she pulls the rear derailleur off. I think some sort of high-density foam cut to fit and protect certain parts would be a good idea, while it would make the small and light solution more cumbersome.