Gavilan or Orucase Travel Bags

[UKBROOKLYN]

Has anyone used either of these bags which might be best. Before you say it I would love to own an SS coupled or breakaway frame. I dont.
Hard cases are gigantic and wont fit within British Airways free baggage guidelines and frankly are not easy to get on and off trains. So these two bags look to be the most compact options for a non coupled frame.
Are there any alternatives ?? The Gavilan measures 32 x 28 x 8 so my 53 frame will fit with fork removed. I have been looking at oversize luggage but have found nothing else and no hard case small enough.
Anyone have experience with either of these. ??

[AngryScientist]

have you looked at the Scicon soft bag offerings? they look like they might be a good compromise of soft bag and decent protection?

https://www.bike24.com/i/p/8/3/31538_00_d.jpg

[chiasticon]

no experience here but I know Dan Chabanov at bonedeth.tumblr.com has mentioned using the Gavilan a few times in the past. I believe a friend of his makes them (IIRC), but I'm sure he could still provide some insight as to it's utility. perhaps message him over there?

[EDS]

I do not personally have the Gavilian, but I know a bunch of folks who do and have nothing but good things to say. Plus, Gavi is a good dude who I am sure will answer any questions you have.

[AJosiahK]

Never have had a Gavilan, but have packed a fancy bike in an Orucase several times and was impressed by its construction and detail. That bike most recently went to Belgium and back with multiple TSA checks with zero issues.

[nooneline]

Has anyone used either of these bags which might be best. Before you say it I would love to own an SS coupled or breakaway frame. I dont.
Hard cases are gigantic and wont fit within British Airways free baggage guidelines and frankly are not easy to get on and off trains. So these two bags look to be the most compact options for a non coupled frame.
Are there any alternatives ?? The Gavilan measures 32 x 28 x 8 so my 53 frame will fit with fork removed. I have been looking at oversize luggage but have found nothing else and no hard case small enough.
Anyone have experience with either of these. ??

I've used an Orucase for ~3 years. Liked it so much immediately that my wife bought one, too - we loaned ours out to friends and a half a dozen of them also turned around and bought onen.

I've never gotten a second look at an airline counter. Never had a problem packing it. It's so well protected and cinched down, but there's also room to stuff a helmet, riding clothes, shoes, and water bottle in some of the spots in the bag.

[UKBROOKLYN]

Hey Angry yep I looked at a icon but it's really big compared to the ones I noted. For those who have an Orucase what sort of dimensions do they have and how tough is it to pack without the clamshell design. Seems no one on here uses the Gavilan.

[572cv]

Has anyone used either of these bags which might be best. Before you say it I would love to own an SS coupled or breakaway frame. I dont.
Hard cases are gigantic and wont fit within British Airways free baggage guidelines and frankly are not easy to get on and off trains. So these two bags look to be the most compact options for a non coupled frame.
Are there any alternatives ?? The Gavilan measures 32 x 28 x 8 so my 53 frame will fit with fork removed. I have been looking at oversize luggage but have found nothing else and no hard case small enough.
Anyone have experience with either of these. ??

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.

[UKBROOKLYN]

Thanks all for the info. Looks like the Orucase is very popular. I will drop them a line with my measurements and see what they com up with. I noticed hey talk about hard sided insets on their website.. I guess that makes a more protective sleeve than the padded only Gavilan.

[572cv]

Looks like the Orucase......I noticed hey talk about hard sided insets on their website.. ....

There is a sheet of poly with holes for hubs on the outside of the wheel locations on either side, which stiffens things up when the case is zippered.

[UKBROOKLYN]

They also say they make them to fit your own bike,,, And I still have my build sheet from when I had my frame made so can shoot that to them for measurements.. Looks like unless somebody hits me over the head with a big compelling reason why Gavilan is better I will go with Orucase.. $75 cheaper too...

[donalrey]

Pika is the way to go

[UKBROOKLYN]

Pika is too big.. outside the allowable limit for BA.

[donalrey]

It's definitely not as small as the Galivan but you don't have to take off the fork with the Pika case. I've used or tried using the Galivan for my bike (~53cm) and I couldn't get it to fit and was hesitant to start forcing everything in the case. It felt like something was going to get damaged. I've gotten away with bike fees from airlines using the Pika - I just tell them it's video or photography equipment. It's easier to get away with it with a Pika case because it doesn't look like a bike case. Just my 2 pennies. ;)

[UKBROOKLYN]

Yeah the Gavilan doesn't look like a bike case at all.. Taking off the fork is absolutely no big deal for me, since I build my on bikes up and self maintain them anyway. Wonder if it has poly inserts ??

[deepakvrao]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.