Any alternatives to S&S cases?

[Nags&Ducs]

I've got two S&S coupled bikes and in the summer, I'll likely be ordering a custom Seven Evergreen w/ couplers for my wife, to replace her non-coupled Seven Mudhoney. Currently, I have one standard size butterfly latch case (not the original grey case but the brown case) that I use for my Dean roadie that I've traveled with many times. I also have a coupled Lynskey Cooper CX that I use for commuting and touring but I have yet to break down the Cooper for travel. But when that time comes, I'm thinking that the 10" wide case might not be big enough for my Cooper since it has a rack, fenders, disc brakes, and fatter CX tires. The same will likely apply to the future Seven. This puts me in my current dilemma of needing two cases that will be larger than 62 linear inches. I know S&S has 26x26x12" cases, but they charge close to $500 for basically a plastic box with wheels and a handle. I'm looking for alternatives to the S&S monopoly. Anyone have experience with other makers? Out-of-the-box (pun intended) thinking is acceptable since I'm exceeding 62". Any problems with the Ritchey soft side case? Any B&W options? TIA!

[eddief]

If you have all the extra stuff that makes an S&S case at 10 inches wide not big enough to do the job, why hassle with coupling at all? Get a big hard shell bike case, stick it all in there, and pay the price to ship it. Or get a folding rack and race blades of some sort and cram em into a 10 inch case.

[Nags&Ducs]

Originally Posted by eddief

If you have all the extra stuff that makes an S&S case at 10 inches wide not big enough to do the job, why hassle with coupling at all? Get a big hard shell bike case, stick it all in there, and pay the price to ship it. Or get a folding rack and race blades of some sort and cram em into a 10 inch case.

Most folks that have used the Ritchey soft case, which happen to be more than 62" say they aren't charged for oversized luggage. So going by the odds, I want the 12" wide case. A full size bike case will definitely be charged by the airlines (even the one I happen to work for-UAL). But a 26x26x12 will often get by as most gate agents don't have the time or tape measure to check the luggage. So, that is why I'm looking for a 12" wide case.

S&S had a few discontinued 12" wide "designer" cases on sale for $200 but they've sold out (they haven't updated their website, so they say they still have some but they do not). I would love to know who the maker of that case was. Wonder if the maker still has some in their warehouse. Never know.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by Nags&Ducs

I've got two S&S coupled bikes and in the summer, I'll likely be ordering a custom Seven Evergreen w/ couplers for my wife, to replace her non-coupled Seven Mudhoney. Currently, I have one standard size butterfly latch case (not the original grey case but the brown case) that I use for my Dean roadie that I've traveled with many times. I also have a coupled Lynskey Cooper CX that I use for commuting and touring but I have yet to break down the Cooper for travel. But when that time comes, I'm thinking that the 10" wide case might not be big enough for my Cooper since it has a rack, fenders, disc brakes, and fatter CX tires. The same will likely apply to the future Seven. This puts me in my current dilemma of needing two cases that will be larger than 62 linear inches. I know S&S has 26x26x12" cases, but they charge close to $500 for basically a plastic box with wheels and a handle. I'm looking for alternatives to the S&S monopoly. Anyone have experience with other makers? Out-of-the-box (pun intended) thinking is acceptable since I'm exceeding 62". Any problems with the Ritchey soft side case? Any B&W options? TIA!

Ritchey. I have sold more than a few who have a S/S bike but wince at the packing or the price or both. Wrap the bike well with foam tubes, zip tie the whole thing together(for TSA) and you are good to go. No it isn't a 'standard' size but it works well. Racks, clothes, etc will fit in there as well.

[Nags&Ducs]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Ritchey. I have sold more than a few who have a S/S bike but wince at the packing or the price or both. Wrap the bike well with foam tubes, zip tie the whole thing together(for TSA) and you are good to go. No it isn't a 'standard' size but it works well. Racks, clothes, etc will fit in there as well.

Thanks for the rec Pete. Packing the S&S case isn't too bad IMHO, but I too wince at the price of those cases. They have us by the balls I tell ya!!!

I just bought a Brompton and have a B&W case on order. Waaaay less for a piece of gear that has a lot more manufacturing into it than the S&S cases. Btw, I also bought a full size B&W roadbike case on close out here for €195~ $230!!! Just in case I need to fly to a "race" on my plastic Colnago.

[mistermo]

Technically over the limit, but no fees here either. And no need for bike chopping. http://rustersports.com/product/hen-house/

[donevwil]

Originally Posted by Nags&Ducs

S&S had a few discontinued 12" wide "designer" cases on sale for $200 but they've sold out (they haven't updated their website, so they say they still have some but they do not).

Sad to hear this as I just received the spousal OK to buy one.

My Potts Ti has fat tubes, fat hooded rear dropouts and fat rims (HED +). All stacked as necessary they need a 10.5" box minimum. A full weekend of trial packing could not get the thing confidently enclosed in my 10" S&S box. Some have shared in previous threads (here and V'Salon) that all 10" S&S boxes are not created equal, thickness can range from ~9.75" to ~10.5" and mine is closer to the former. Interesting but of little practical value if one can't sort through a pile of 10" cases. The Ritchey bag appears to be the best solution short of finding another hard case source. I do have a friend who travels semi-regularly with a 12" case and he has been "caught" and charged for oversize a couple of times. My plan is to source a Ritchey bag to try prior to purchase, but I've yet to have any luck.

I'll be following this thread closely.

[bikefixe]

I'll be in the market for a case this spring. Have my eyes on the Co-Motion case
http://goo.gl/gUixRW

[Coluber42]

Have you actually tried to see if the Cooper will fit in the S&S case with racks and fenders and all? You might be surprised. When packed, the tires don't really fit into any space that anything else could reach anyway, so within the range of road and CX tires it might not matter at all, especially if you let the air out. Fenders can go in nested around each other and around the wheels, so they add hardly any additional space. The same might or might not be true of racks. It might be a slightly more difficult packing job, but it might actually still work.
My better half has a Ritchey breakaway and packs it in an S&S soft case with fenders and a rear rack. Having seen it pack, I'd guess that a front rack could squeeze in there too if it had to.

He's been pestering me to make him a new S&S case, and in any case (haha) I need one now too because I got couplers added to one of my bikes. So one of these times I'll get around to it, and then I'll probably offer it for sale.

[eddief]

I ride a tall approx 62 cm bike and while the fit is a bit of a puzzle, it goes just fine in a 10 inch case. And I can't imagine the quality control on the case dimensions would be unsolvable. Do you remove the crank and rear d?

Originally Posted by donevwil

Sad to hear this as I just received the spousal OK to buy one.

My Potts Ti has fat tubes, fat hooded rear dropouts and fat rims (HED +). All stacked as necessary they need a 10.5" box minimum. A full weekend of trial packing could not get the thing confidently enclosed in my 10" S&S box. Some have shared in previous threads (here and V'Salon) that all 10" S&S boxes are not created equal, thickness can range from ~9.75" to ~10.5" and mine is closer to the former. Interesting but of little practical value if one can't sort through a pile of 10" cases. The Ritchey bag appears to be the best solution short of finding another hard case source. I do have a friend who travels semi-regularly with a 12" case and he has been "caught" and charged for oversize a couple of times. My plan is to source a Ritchey bag to try prior to purchase, but I've yet to have any luck.

I'll be following this thread closely.

[Nags&Ducs]

Originally Posted by Coluber42

Have you actually tried to see if the Cooper will fit in the S&S case with racks and fenders and all? You might be surprised. When packed, the tires don't really fit into any space that anything else could reach anyway, so within the range of road and CX tires it might not matter at all, especially if you let the air out. Fenders can go in nested around each other and around the wheels, so they add hardly any additional space. The same might or might not be true of racks. It might be a slightly more difficult packing job, but it might actually still work.
My better half has a Ritchey breakaway and packs it in an S&S soft case with fenders and a rear rack. Having seen it pack, I'd guess that a front rack could squeeze in there too if it had to.

He's been pestering me to make him a new S&S case, and in any case (haha) I need one now too because I got couplers added to one of my bikes. So one of these times I'll get around to it, and then I'll probably offer it for sale.

I haven't tried it yet, but I can't see how the rack will fit. As it is, the Dean is pretty tight in the case. I can see how a soft sided case can accommodate better.

But, what did your better half mean by "making a new S&S case"??? Do you make a soft sided case? Please do tell!!!! Pics would be better.

[eddief]

https://www.bikebagshop.com/racktime...ck-p-1611.html

Originally Posted by Nags&Ducs

I haven't tried it yet, but I can't see how the rack will fit. As it is, the Dean is pretty tight in the case. I can see how a soft sided case can accommodate better.

But, what did your better half mean by "making a new S&S case"??? Do you make a soft sided case? Please do tell!!!! Pics would be better.

[eddief]

http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/co...-video-review/

[donevwil]

Originally Posted by eddief

I ride a tall approx 62 cm bike and while the fit is a bit of a puzzle, it goes just fine in a 10 inch case. And I can't imagine the quality control on the case dimensions would be unsolvable. Do you remove the crank and rear d?

My issue is resultant thickness of the primary stack: front triangle on the bottom (1.5 TT and 1.75 DT), rear wheel (25mm wide HED+), rear triangle (Paragon 1.5 hooded dropouts), front wheel (another HED+) all add up to more than the inside height of my 10" S&S case. Cranks, rear der, fork, stem, h'bars, cages and seat/post all get removed.

I travelled many times in the past with a steel bike that packed in the current case with no issue.

[eddief]

isn't it the end to end axle dimension that's the limiting factor with the wheels. The rims seem to be a skinny plane in my box. And are there not multiple positions you could use for the rear triangle so the immovable parts are not on top of one another? Just curious.

Originally Posted by donevwil

My issue is resultant thickness of the primary stack: front triangle on the bottom (1.5 TT and 1.75 DT), rear wheel (25mm wide HED+), rear triangle (Paragon 1.5 hooded dropouts), front wheel (another HED+) all add up to more than the inside height of my 10" S&S case. Cranks, rear der, fork, stem, h'bars, cages and seat/post all get removed.

I travelled many times in the past with a steel bike that packed in the current case with no issue.