Dakine Bike Roller Bag Review (6 Years of Use & Counting!)

I’ve been using the Dakine Bike Roller Bag for over six years now when traveling with my bike across the country and internationally. From Mexico to Africa, East Coast to West Coast, this bag has done a great job keeping my bikes protected during transit and against disingenuous baggage handlers. The only issues I’ve had are because I didn’t take enough precautions packing it (hello bent rotors…).

I know that some people choose to use a cardboard bike box when traveling, which is fine if you’re only planning on doing a few mountain bike trips that require airplane travel, but if you know you’ll be flying with your bike multiple times in the coming years, a bike bag is definitely the way to go.

There are a number of bike travel bag options out there and they each have their own pros and cons. If you’re shopping around, hopefully, this review will help you decide if the Dakine bike bag is the best option for you!

Note: This blog post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I get a small commission at no cost to you. I stand by the products I recommend and greatly appreciate your support!

Dakine Bike Bag pros

Dakine Bike Bag Cons

Protection & Padding

As would be expected, the biggest concern I have when flying with my bike is protection. Mountain bikes are not cheap and the thought of trying to get any sort of compensation through the airlines if something gets damaged just sounds like such a headache.

Thankfully, after more than a dozen trips using my Dakine bag, I can say that it does a great job protecting my bikes during transit (when packed correctly). After numerous trips, the only ‘damage’ I’ve had was bent rotors because I should have taken them off in the first place…

The reason I don’t give it 5/5 stars is because the “360° padded protection” is a bit of a stretch because there really isn’t a whole lot of protection in the side panels. But, the exterior bag is made from really tough material that has yet to be ripped during my travels and there is a small amount of padding in the bag itself that does help against blunt force.

It also comes with several ‘padded’ bags and frame protectors including:

Secureness & Stability

Bikes can be well-padded, but what if everything shifts around inside during transit? The Dakine bike bag has a few features to prevent everything from moving around inside:

Rear triangle block

The foam block is designed to keep the weight of the bike off the rear triangle. The upper part of the block fits between the two chainstays and allows your frame to rest on the block. The block is secured to the bag by velcro, so it can be moved forward or back depending on the length of your frame.

I highly recommend removing your derailleur and securing it to the chainstay. It’s quick and easy and will save you the headache of dealing with a bent broken derailleur hanger, or worse a broken derailleur.

Stabilizing straps

My biggest issue with the Dakine Bike Roller Bag is that if you pull too hard on the rear triangle straps, the screw that fixes it to the bike bag pulls out and you need to reattach it with a screwdriver.

Ease of travel

At the airport

Traveling with the Dakine bike bag is, for the most part, pretty easy. It has two rolling wheels and a front grab handle so you can roll it along behind you at the airport. It also has three handles near the top to help load it into a car or maneuver it around when you need to.

I will say that it’s best to not have to wheel the bag for long stretches, though. It is bulky and awkward and I definitely get forearm pump if I have to tow it for more than a few minutes. If I do need to carry it a distance (say I’m walk to another terminal), I get one of those airport carts so I don’t have to wheel it all the way. Its makes transfers a lot easier!

If you know you will need to wheel your bike bag for longer distances, you may want to check out the Evoc Pro bike bag. This bag has a removable front wheel that makes traveling with it a lot easier.

In the car

If you have a hatchback, the Dakine bike bag will (usually) fit nicely either upright or on its side. I have a Honda HR-V and I can fit my Dakine bag upright or on its side. If you have a lower-top hatchback like a Subaru, you may only be able to fit it on its side.

If you have a sedan-style car, it’ll be really tight to fit a bike bag. I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say whether it’s possible or not, but I have a feeling it would be a bit challenging. If you have a sedan, you may need to call a friend or get a ride to the airport.

Weight

Let’s talk baggage fees. Flying with a bike can be really expensive if your bike/bag is overweight. Most airlines charge several hundred dollars if your luggage is over the weight limit.

The Dakine bike bag weighs just under 18 lbs, so if the weight limit is 50 lbs, that means your bike must weigh ~32 lbs. If you have a gravel bike or a lightweight cross-country bike you should be fine, but if you have a burly Enduro bike it might be close. All this being said, the Dakine bike bag is one of the lightest bike travel cases on the market. Evoc bags are great, but they weigh several pounds heavier.

How it Compares

There are a handful of other options when shopping around for a bike bag. Here are two others to consider or head over to my post on Bike Travel Bags and Cases for more info and choices.

Is the Dakine Bike Bag for you?

I have flown with my Dakine Bike Bag across the country multiple times and internationally a handful of times and I have not had any issues with damage to the bike or bag (don’t worry, I just knocked on wood…).

The bag itself is very durable and the bike is secure when packed properly. It’s also easy to get my bike(s) under airline weight limits so I don’t have to pay hefty overweight fees, which is really appreciated.

Other bike bags may have nicer features like an integrated bike stand, more protection, or a front wheel, but they’re also heavier (and more expensive) which will make it harder to fly without paying extra fees.

Overall, I’m super happy with my Dakine bike roller bag and if you’re looking for a simple but safe bag, I think you will be, too!

Where to buy

If you’ve found this review helpful and you’re thinking about buying the Dakine Bike Roller Bag, consider supporting Two Wheeled Wanderer by purchasing it through the links in this post. The price stays the same for you, but I’ll receive a small percentage of the transaction, which allows me to continue riding and writing Two Wheeled Wanderer. Thanks for your support!

Have you used the Dakine Bike Roller Bag for travel? What has been your experience with it? Have you tried a different bike bag? Leave a comment below!