Does anyone have recommendation for a travel bag for a cycle, preferrably one that can be used on airplanes. Also, any recommendation on a store that sells them? Or would you recommend online purchase (is it cheaper/better selection)?

Chain reaction have a selection to choose from, as far as I remember. A few of us on the forum regularly shop at them and have always had good service.

Another option to look at would be Action sports.

Veloplus here in Switzerland do a bike bag for 99CHF or so, which is suitable for train travel but not for air travel.

Personally I usually go to the LBS and get a cardboard bike box off them and pack everything into that.

One option a friend has done is got a bike bag like the one from chain reaction and stuck the sides of a cardboard box to the inside. This then gives better protection. but still allows the bag to be at least folded flat.

I do the same as Eire: get a used cardboard bike box out of the recycling bin at your local bike store (obviously, talk to the guys in the store about it first), then put it in a recylcing bin at the other end. I wouldn't use just a bag for air travel because they don't provide enough protection. But on the other hand, having a solid box is a pain to transport and store, which is why the free cardboard box is often the best solution.

The proper solid bike boxes that provide full protection are pretty expenive. A slightly cheaper, but less durable option is offered by Crateworks, but I don't know if you would be able to buy one of those easily here.

I also second Eire on the mention of bike bags that veloplus sells which can be used for train, but no air, transport. For this topic, see this thread: Taking a bike on the train for free.

Regardless of how you transport it, wrap each tube of the bike with some padding for air transport. It doesn't really matter what you use for the padding, but a cheap old camping mat cut into appropriately-sized strips taped around each tube works pretty well.

I went whole hog and bought a BikeProUSA bag and am pretty happy with it. There's a couple drawbacks, namely that you have to do something with the bag once you're wherever you're going. But, depending on your plans, this isn't necessarily a problem.

The box comes with wheel bags and a gear bag and is very well padded. A metal 'post' (for lack of a better description) is built into the box...you attach your bike frame to prevent it from moving. There's plenty of room for your helmet, shoes, clothes, etc. The bag is also WHEELED, which I highly recommend. NOTE: For some reason, BikePro doesn't put a handle on the top of the bag, though they put them on all other sides. So if you order a bag, ASK them to put a top handle on the bag...makes steering a whole easier!

Good luck finding something! BikePro works for me b/c I travel with my bike for extended periods, the box gives me plenty of extra luggage space , and it offers the best protection I've seen. Cheers!

Another drawback of wheeled bags for air travel is weight.

In my experience of lugging hundreds of kilos of windsurf gear around the world, I gave up on wheeled bags because the wheel systems simply added too much to the weight of the bag. With airlines clamping down on excess baggage and the fact that most airports have nice slippery floors I now prefer to go without wheels and save my pocket a little on the excess baggage.

Same goes for transporting bikes!

For touring, I have one of these:

http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/produc...R&category=BAG

Just the right size for one bike and you can pack your helmet, a rear rack and some clothes around it for protection. Very sturdy bag, and you can use some bits of cardboard for additional protection on the plane and then discard when you get there. The main advantage is it is not a hard case, so it packs down small enough to carry in the bottom of a pannier for touring, plus you can carry it fairly easily with the bike in unlike some of the standard soft bags which could probably take two bikes...

The cardbox route as suggested by Eire works very well, secure everything to each other and all should be good, have done this trans atlantically many times and bike shops are usually happy enough to give you a box.

dakman - i think you have been given pretty good advice above, but in case you want a more permanent solution/are kind of paranoid about how baggage handlers will manage your pride and joy, i can highly recommend the Sci-Con Aerotech Evolution (http://www.scicon.it/aerotech.htm).

i have used it numerous time to move my bike transatlantically and from the uk to geneva. regarding weight - i packed it with loads of extra stuff (shoes/tools/track pump etc) and it was 31kg - which is still under the maximum allowed by most airline before you have to ship by cargo methods. without extra stuff, i reckon it comes in close to 23kg, possibly slightly over - dependent on how heavy your bike/wheels are! i've never tried it with a MTB, but apparently they will fit in too. i think the website will give more details.

it is expensive, i agree, but i also think if you have a bike you are really anal about keeping in pristine condition, this (or something like it) is your best option, IMHO. the case also complies with all luggage size limits - i have had it delivered out on the belt before in some airports, and not out of outsized baggage. it's a bit bulky to store and put in the boot of the car, but then any bike in a box is going to be bulky i think...

good luck in your search

Hi, I know great bags that you can use normally on airplanes, they are great for long-distance trips, easy to fix on bike and extremely water-proof. You can buy also on-line visiting web site: www.extrawheel.it. Enjoy your ride!

Hey all, I'm back once more for a spot of (mostly) related advice. Have packed the bikes in used cardboard boxes from LBS and am coming in 3 days, but I'm worried about disposal costs of the cardboard and paper used to pack the bikes. Is recycling free in the Zurich area, or am I going to pay through the nose (read: should buy bike bags immediately)?

Thanks for all prior advice and for impending advice. 4 more days!

recycling is free. Creating non-recyclable garbage costs money.