Gavilan or Orucase Travel Bags

[deepakvrao]

Originally Posted by 572cv

No experience with the Gavilan, but I am now using the Orucase. It is pretty easy and fast to pack the bike in the thing. The padding and organization are good. The easiest way to see the packing procedure is to go to their website and click on the 'packing instructions' header. The case only weighs about 10-12lbs, and so, fully loaded you can get into the low 30s overall. Very manageable. Also, if you have a swivel suitcase, it can sit right on top of the suitcase and you can roll the whole mess around the station or the airport.
Perhaps importantly, a 53 frame might fit into a legal sized Orucase (the 62 inch thing). You can contact the guys with your frame dimensions and they'll tune the bag for it.
The only thing I have found that is awkward is that the wheel location, while safe and sound for the wheels, places the hub right in the middle of my back if I am trying to carry it with the backpack straps. But since there is no need to do that (for me), it is not a biggie. This is a good product, imho.

Looking at switching from Pika to this.

Mailed them and they said that the standard was 69", and the 62 has less protection. My wife's is a small bike [50cm], and mine is a 54. What would you suggest?

I really dont want to have to buy the Oru and then still get caught on the sizing, but I dont want to scrounge on the protection either.

[572cv]

Originally Posted by deepakvrao

Looking at switching from Pika to this.

Mailed them and they said that the standard was 69", and the 62 has less protection. My wife's is a small bike [50cm], and mine is a 54. What would you suggest?

I really dont want to have to buy the Oru and then still get caught on the sizing, but I dont want to scrounge on the protection either.

My wife's bike is about a 52, a Ti and carbon Serotta Concours. If the Orucase for that has less protection it is hard to tell from my bike's larger bag. The cases are designed for a tight fit, so the bike doesn't flop around inside the bag. In packing up, I have only felt the need for a little extra protection in one location: under the large crank ring. Partially this has been for the ring, and partially to protect the bag, a little cleaner as well. I have a thin (3/16?) sheet of flexible, dense, grey closed cell foam cut with scissors to fit under the ring. That's it. The bag for my wife's bike hits the 62 standard, has been on a few trips overseas already and has performed as expected. I would expect the orucase guys are refining their product on some regular basis, and so there may be differences from what we got even just earlier this year.

I'm still very pleased with this purchase, is the best I can tell you.

[nooneline]

Originally Posted by deepakvrao

Looking at switching from Pika to this.

Mailed them and they said that the standard was 69", and the 62 has less protection. My wife's is a small bike [50cm], and mine is a 54. What would you suggest?

I really dont want to have to buy the Oru and then still get caught on the sizing, but I dont want to scrounge on the protection either.

I have 2 standard 62-inch Orucases (or rather, I assumed that 62" was standard...). My 52cm bike fits in one. My wife's 54cm bike fits in the other.

We've loaned it to friends with larger bikes, too - 56cm fits, and 58cm is a very tight fit with the cranks removed. Really it mostly depends on headtube size, IIRC. I've had friends who emailed Orucase, and Orucase asked for some bike dimensions and then recommended either standard or custom bag sizing.

[deepakvrao]

Originally Posted by 572cv

My wife's bike is about a 52, a Ti and carbon Serotta Concours. If the Orucase for that has less protection it is hard to tell from my bike's larger bag. The cases are designed for a tight fit, so the bike doesn't flop around inside the bag. In packing up, I have only felt the need for a little extra protection in one location: under the large crank ring. Partially this has been for the ring, and partially to protect the bag, a little cleaner as well. I have a thin (3/16?) sheet of flexible, dense, grey closed cell foam cut with scissors to fit under the ring. That's it. The bag for my wife's bike hits the 62 standard, has been on a few trips overseas already and has performed as expected. I would expect the orucase guys are refining their product on some regular basis, and so there may be differences from what we got even just earlier this year.

I'm still very pleased with this purchase, is the best I can tell you.

Thanks. I live in India and can't really return it if it does not fit. My wife and I ride Titanium Enigmas [UK bikes]. Orucase asked me to measure from rear dropout to top of head tube.

My bike is 37.5 from rear dropout to headtube if I remove the rd hanger and about 38.5 with the rd hanger in place.

My wifes is 37 and 38 without and with the hanger in place.

Do you think it would be possible to measure your wife's bike as well as yours? Would really apreciate it.

You think there is no difference in protection between the 62 and the larger one?

[deepakvrao]

Originally Posted by nooneline

I have 2 standard 62-inch Orucases (or rather, I assumed that 62" was standard...). My 52cm bike fits in one. My wife's 54cm bike fits in the other.

We've loaned it to friends with larger bikes, too - 56cm fits, and 58cm is a very tight fit with the cranks removed. Really it mostly depends on headtube size, IIRC. I've had friends who emailed Orucase, and Orucase asked for some bike dimensions and then recommended either standard or custom bag sizing.

Thanks. Have you measured yours as 62? Or might be you have the standard thinking it is 62 but it is actually 69?

Any idea what your wife's headtube size is? Also the rear drop out to top of headtube, if you could be kind enough to measure would be great.