How To Choose A Bike Travel Bag + 6 Best Options

I travel a lot with my bikes, so I know the worth of a good bike travel bag. Flying with a bike isn’t exactly the easiest endeavor, so any extra feature or convenience to make it less of a hassle is a big plus in my book.

As bike travel has become more popular over the last few years, the options for bike travel bags and cases have grown. But how do you choose the right one for you?

If you are in the process of shopping around for one, I’ve got you covered. In this post, I share everything you need to know about the differences between bike bags and bike cases, what features to look for, and a few great options to consider.

Types of Bike Travel Bags & Cases

There are two main types of bike travel cases: soft-sided bike bags and hard-sided bike cases.

They both have their pros and cons:

Type	Pros	Cons
Soft-sided bike bags	– Typically fold or roll down to be stored when not in use – Decent protection – Have wheels for rolling	– Require more care and attention when packing – Large or heavy bikes may still be overweight
Hard-sided bike cases	– Excellent protection and durability – Can withstand rough baggage handlers – Have wheels for rolling	– Will almost always be overweight why flying – Heavy to lug around – Don’t fold or roll down when not in use – Expensive

I can’t answer the question of ‘which one is better?’ for you, but personally, I use a soft-sided Dakine Bike Roller Bag for my travels. I’ve flown with it domestically and internationally and haven’t had any problems or dealt with any damage. (That being said, I do take my time to pack it correctly and adequately).

A few considerations to think about when deciding whether you want a soft bag or a hard-shell case are:

Bike Travel Case Features

Surprisingly, there are actually quite a few features that bike travel bags and bike travel cases are designed with. Some of these features are standard – like rolly wheels – but others have to be sought out.

Here are the main features you can find across models and brands:

Rolling Wheels

Any bike case you get should have wheels. Hard stop. Don’t buy one that doesn’t or else you’ll be sweating and swearing at the airport!

But some bike bags, like the EVOC Pro come with an extra wheel that you can attach to the front of the bike bag that allows you to simply roll the whole package with one hand instead of towing it behind you.

The Thule Roundtrip Road and Thule Roundtrip Mountain Bike bags also have a removable front wheel.

Internal frame & bike stand

Some bike bags and cases come with an internal frame that helps keep the bike secure and anchored inside the travel case. If you travel a lot (or plan on traveling a lot) it might be a good idea to get a bike case that has an internal frame for extra security and protection.

Some internal frames can even turn into a bike stand to help you easily put your bike back together and break down at the end of your trip. The EVOC Bike Stand Pro is compatible with all EVOC bags and the Thule Roundtrip Road and Thule Roundtrip Mountain Bike bags also have internal frames that transform into bike stands.

Padding & Frame Protection

Most bike bags will come with some sort of frame protection and padding on the exterior. The Dakine Bike Roller Bag comes with several pieces of padding that you can use to protect your frame and components.

I always like to add extra foam and protection – it’s lightweight and adds more bulk to prevent my bike from shifting around.

Bike Bag Length

Length isn’t a ‘feature’ per se, but it’s important to note because not all bike bags are the same length. Some bike bags are designed for road bikes and gravel bikes that have shorter wheelbases while others are made for mountain bikes with a longer wheelbase.

If you know you’ll be traveling with several different bikes, you want to make sure that the bag you get is long enough to fit each bike.

Tip: To find the wheelbase of your bike, measure the horizontal distance between the center of the front and rear axles.

Best Bike Travel Bags & Cases

I’ve already mentioned most of these bags and cases above, but here are the top options for the best bike bags:

I have the Dakine Bike Roller Bag and I’ve flown with it dozens of times: to Peru, Mexico, and Africa as well as many flights domestically. I haven’t had any issues or problems with my bike getting damaged (knock on wood!). That being said, I do take care packing it and making sure it can withstand some rough handling.

After many trips, my Dakine bag is still in great shape. The outer material is durable and the included padding is still like new (I do add additional padding when I pack up my bike).

One of the main reasons I chose this bike bag is because it’s one of the lightest options available, so it’s easier to get it under airline weight limits to avoid paying overweight fees.

The Dakine Bike Bag is designed for mountain bikes but it also fits road bikes, gravel bikes, and fat bikes. Read my full review here!

Evoc is a company based out of Munich, Germany that makes high-quality bags and gear for mountain bikers. Their Evoc Bike Travel Bag is similar to the Dakine bag, but with a few key differences:

• It has a better (ie longer) rear triangle stabilizing block
• The outer canvas shell is a bit burlier
• It’s about 4 lbs heavier

But all that does come with a couple of pounds of added weight, which may put you over the weight limit at the airport. My friend Michelle has the Evoc bike bag and while she likes it, her biggest complaint is trying to get it under 50lbs with her (size large) mountain bike inside.

If you ride a fat or plus size mountain bike, check out the Evoc Bike Travel Bag XL.

If you travel with your bike a lot, it may be worth investing in the Evoc Bike Travel Bag Pro. It has a few extra key features that the regular Evoc bag and the Dakine bag don’t, namely the removable front wheel and internal frame that turns into a bike stand.

If you’ve traveled with a bike, you know how tiring and awkward it can be to haul your bike bag from one terminal to the next even though it has two rolling wheels. With the Evoc Pro Bag, the clip-on front wheel allows you to push it along without doing any work. Revolutionary.

It’s also designed with an internal frame for maximum stabilization. You can actually secure your bike on the frame outside of the bag and then transfer it to the bike bag. This frame also doubles as a bike stand, making reassembly a lot easier.

The biggest downside to the Evoc Pro, though is that it’s heavy. It may be really hard to get everything under the weight limit depending on what airline you fly, so be prepared to pay some overweight fees.

The Orucase B2 bike travel case is an interesting concept. It’s designed to make traveling with a bike as convenient and affordable as possible. With a compact design, a backpack harness, rolling wheels, and clever tool pockets, it’s ideal for the traveler who wants to be as hassle-free as possible while en route.

Part of the allure of choosing an Orucase travel bag is that it’s easier to get under the weight and size limits of most airlines. While they don’t guarantee a fee-free trip, the relatively low weight of the bag and compact design do make it pretty likely that you’ll be under most airlines’ weight and size restrictions.

The downside to an Orucase bag is that you do need to break your bike down quite a bit more than other travel bags including completely removing the handlebars and removing the fork. But if compact and light is your goal, this could be a great option. Check out Loam Wolf’s video on how to pack an Orucase bag.

The Orucase comes in two sizes. The B2-R is for road and gravel bikes and the B2-MTB is for mountain bikes.

You know the saying, “You pay for what you get”? Well, that’s true for the Thule Roundtrip MTB Travel Case. This travel bag has all the bells and whistles like an internal frame that doubles as a bike stand, a clip-on front wheel, a ton of padding, and two side panels that fold down completely (which makes it much easier to pack and unpack).

However, this bag is also the heaviest on the list. If you choose the Thule Roundtrip, opt for an airline that waives overweight fees for bikes (like Alaska Airlines), or be prepared to pay overweight fees.

This bike bag is seriously impressive if you can swallow the price tag and weight. It also comes in a smaller road bike option.

The Thule Roundtrip Transition Bike Case is a burly beast and if you’re really worried about protecting your multi-thousand dollar bike during transit, it could be a good option. However, despite providing the most protection out of all the bags and cases on this list, it definitely has some downsides.

Because it’s constructed with an ultra-protective hard shell, it comes with added weight. A lot of added weight. When fully packed with a mountain bike, the Thule RoundTrip Transition can easily be 70-80 lbs, which would be considered overweight for most airlines. Be sure to check overweight fees and weight restrictions on your airline carrier before choosing this case.

Another downside is that there is no front wheel. Do you want to lug a 70-80 lb bike down airport corridors? I don’t.

It also can’t accommodate longer wheelbases (46″ max), so some larger mountain bikes won’t fit.

Lastly, the Thule Case doesn’t come with any frame padding like the other bags on this list do. You’ll need to get creative with packing materials or purchase a frame padding kit.

Final thoughts

If you plan on traveling regularly with your bike, I highly recommend investing in a good bike travel bag or case. Not only will this make your travels easier, but a good bag (and a good packing job) will help ensure your bike doesn’t suffer during transit.

There are lots of options out there, each with its own pros and cons, so be sure to do your due diligence before settling on a case.

If you have questions, drop them in the comments!

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Do you own a bike travel bag? Which one and what are your thoughts? How does it perform on trips? Let us know in the comments!