what one do you use to go on holiday ? & how much did you pay ? does it have wheels ?

Hi CJ, is this for Moab? I use both padded and unpadded bags. If you get a padded one make sure it has wheels because they are a bugger to carry. Also make sure the bike can't move around inside as the airlines just throw them around and you don't want things to get broken inside. If your not going to remove the derailleur pull it forward and tie it to the frame so it doesn't get snapped off or worse break the fixing point on the frame.

Unpadded the same rules apply, lag everything to stop damage. Prices vary but a good padded one with wheels will be about £100 and unpadded about £45.

You can get them custom made for very large bikes and there are bike boxes but you have to take the bike apart for those.

A lot of people still use a cardboard bike box from their LBS and you can also ask them for the spacers that fit into the frame where your wheels normally go. I always use an old hub and QR to stop the rear frame being crushed but use the front spacers they provide.

If you don't have a storage issue at the other end I would go for as rigid a bag as possible.

Planet X ones are good. They are padded but not too bulky to carry around. They don't have wheels but that only makes the bag heavier anyway. The Planet X ones weigh about 5kg and can be picked up from around £50 if you shop around on internet.

We've got OnOne bags with wheels and they're really good, and I think were pretty cheap - under £50 on a special offer they were doing. I like having wheels and the ones on our bikes don't seem to add much extra weight (bag weight is under 7kg) - they make it as lot easier to get the bike around, but prob not essential if you're not carrying it far. They come with bags to put the wheels in and some internal pockets.

We've had a few people come out with dhb bags and all have complained about them being too big and heavy - which is the last thing you need with airlines getting tighter about weight restrictions!

This bag seems to be selling pretty well, so must be a good bet...although I have no experience of it myself.

www.tottontrailbikes.co.uk/Bettybag.html

dhb = damned heavy bag!

Claire T is right dhb - dammed heavy bag but very durable ! I'd go for one with wheels having used mine twice it's tricky when you've a suitcase / hand luggage also.

dhb - this is the one I was looking at, has two sep. wheel bags inc, got 10/10 in MBR (do we believe?) cost about £75 with wheels. Don't want bike to get damaged, esp. as its brand new but don't want to cart about a flippin great heavy thing, will wheels make it OK ? www.wiggle.co.uk

Lisa - hi and yes it's for Moab woo hoo !

I've got a Neil Pryde one with wheels and it's great. I think the same bag comes in various disguises from several selers. The bf has a Planet X one and it's bigger than mine but then so is the bike.

The best tip I would give you is to use the cardboard the bag comes in to line the inside of the bag for a bit more protection. Next go to B&Q (or similar) and get pipe lagging and bubble wrap and make sure that all chain stays, brakes (handlebar and wheel bits) and fork legs are fully protected. Definitely take off the rear derailleur and the mech hanger and fold it so that it sits between the rear stays.

Also protect the bottom of the box/bag from chain ring damage using thick cardboard both taped to the outer ring ad on the bottom of the bag.

We've travelled to US and Europe and never had any problems with bike damage although the good folks of Geneva weren't going to let us come home unless we paid about £1000 in excess baggage (there were 5 of us). A good strop soon showed them the error of their ways!

CJ very envious of your impending trip, Colorado is fab. Have you booked it yet? Not going to White Diamond now, to much going on at the moment.

Hi CJ,
I have a DHB bag for sale for £55. I'm based in Sheffield.
It comes with wheel bags, so don't worry.

Hi Queenie - may be interested, why you selling pls? I am in Sussex tho !! What bike you got I have spec wsd stumpy..Am worried this bag might be too heavy for me to lug with bad back tho...

Lisa - booking trip tonight :-)

Hi CJ,
I'm selling it cos I have no where to store it and I'm not planning a trip abroad for a while.
I have a Turner 5Spot, so yours should fit easily.
It is a large bag, so it is important to avoid the temptation to over fill it. My partner had a smaller one, also with wheels, they were both a pain in the *rse. We put both our bike bags + luggage on an Airport trolley.
If you're interested, (it's got a small split mended with gaffer tape) and passing Sheffield, let me know.

Hi CJ,
I've tried all sorts of bags and boxes and my favourite is Crateworks box http://www.zoogz.co.uk/

It comes with a separate little wheel caddy and the bike straps securely to the inside of the box so thigs don't shake around.

Out of all the options I've tried it's the least hassle and has the best weight/toughness ratio. It weighs around 7kg and costs about £100.

See you at the weekend!

The Crateworks looks excellent, I've never heard of them before. I like the idea that is is fixed inside the box and the bike won't get shaken around and there's loads of room for all your kit. It is far less money than some of the other rigid boxes on the market.