S&S Bag recommendations

[sandyrs]

So it looks like I'm going to be taking the plunge on my second custom- an S&S coupled steel roadie with generous tire clearance and race geo (:banana:). I'm browsing options for bags that won't incur oversize charges on airlines and so far I'm seeing S&S's own bag and a solid-looking offering from Co-Motion.

Anyone out there have any strong recommendations for either of these options, or another?

[eddief]

I understand the logic of thinking gorillas will treat a soft bag with kid gloves. To me that is stinking thinking. I think either the traditional edge-pull gray or newer black cases from S&S work well and do not require a logical explanation.

[sandyrs]

I understand the logic of thinking gorillas will treat a soft bag with kid gloves. To me that is stinking thinking. I think either the traditional edge-pull gray or newer black cases from S&S work well and do not require a logical explanation.

I have no illusions about how the bike will be treated in airports and intend to buy a hard case (which the S&S one obviously is and the Co-Motion one seems to be, though I may have misread the description). I just wanted to know if I had overlooked any notable options. I'll most likely end up with the S&S case.

[eddief]

and it seems they have a tight hold are their niche.

[Lanternrouge]

I have the S&S hard case and would recommend it for better protection. No matter what, it will probably take some time to become proficient at packing and rebuilding the bike out of the case. If you travel a decent amount, being able to bring your own bike with you will really make it all much more fun.

[everbeek]

Co-Motion recommended their heavy Cordura (soft-sided) case to me in 2006. It is hardened at the corners and the soft sides give you a bit extra packing room that does allow for noticeably easier packing of a 59.5 C-T frame compared to my friends with hard cases. However, on 4 trips to Europe (8 flights), I have found two separate dings in the down tube and one completely tacoed wheel on a third leg. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone if you were putting a $3-4,000 custom frame in there but the extra give does have advantages for a more value- oriented travel bike.
-Mike

[Coluber42]

My better half has a soft-sided S&S case for his Ritchey Breakaway, which he likes because it facilitates doing point-to-point trips because it's easier to carry along on the ride. That means no logistics with bike boxes, storing travel cases, etc. He uses a trailer conversion kit and a hard-sided Samsonite suitcase for the rest of his stuff though when he does it, so I suppose you could pack the rest of your stuff in a soft bag and use a trailer kit with the S&S case and basically accomplish the same thing.

My holiday/birthday present this year is having Peter Weigle convert my touring frame to S&S couplers so I'll be able to do the same thing. I'll be making my own case, though. :) (it's not inconceivable that Dill Pickle Gear might offer an S&S case at some point either)

I guess from the standpoint of flexibility, a soft-sided case is more convenient because if it's a hard case you HAVE to use it as a trailer if you're going to carry it along; although a soft S&S case is not that small of a package, it is conceivable to strap it to the top of panniers, so you'd have the choice of which way to go with it.

If my goal were just ease of flying without worrying about point-to-point tours, I'd probably just go with a hard case for better protection.