Best bike bags and boxes for cycling travel
Rest assured, your bike is protected when travelling with one of these expert-tested best bike bags and boxes
Exploring whilst on a cycling holiday is one of the joys of two-wheeled travel. The same goes for a spot of warm-weather training, escaping the cold weather back home. However, unless you’re setting off on your bike from home, you’ll likely need one of the best bike bags and boxes.
If you’re travelling abroad by plane, then this is an obsolete necessity. This is likely to apply to trains or buses, although it’s worth checking with the operators before travelling. Even if you’re driving, one of the best bike bags or boxes can be a good option if you want to protect your favourite bike in transit.
Choosing between a bag and a box largely depends on three factors: your bike, your mode of travel, and your budget. If your bike is made from steel, titanium, or aluminium, it’s less likely to be damaged, and a good-quality bag will likely suffice. A bag is also a good option for those travelling by train, bus, or car, as well as those on a budget. Boxes are more expensive and require significant storage space, but offer superior protection. This makes them the best option for air travel.
We’ve tested a number of bike bags and boxes in the only way we know how, packing up our bikes and heading out on the road. Alternatively if you're traveling by car or van then why not check out our comprehensive guides to the best bike racks for cars and the best caravan and motorhome bike racks?
The AeroComfort's soft exterior houses a metal structure to which you fasten your frame so it's held securely. There is very little disassembly required and as the bag is pretty light there is plenty of potential to pack extra kit inside and still be within your airline's limits.
Through its clever design, you can have it both ways with the Evoc Road Bike Bag Pro. The protection you would expect from a hard case on the road, with the ability to collapse it right down for storage at home.
Thule's RoundTrip bike bag uses an internal frame that can also double as a workstand whilst on holiday, which is very handy. It's more of a reinforced bag than a hard case though and as such is quite pricey.
One of the heavier boxes available, the VeloVault2 provides very reassuring protection for your bike. Its quality construction and overall sturdiness will ensure that your lightweight carbon frame should emerge unscathed, but there might not be much weight allowance left once this gets on the scales.
Another light option, the Orucase B2 even includes rucksack-style straps which are handy if you have packed very light. There is a fair bit of disassembly required though and it can feel a bit lopsided when wheeling it around.
Effectively a massive carrier bag for your bike, the Scicon Pocket Bike Bag is a soft and very basic bike bag ideal for putting your bike in the car or on a train. It packs down into itself and only weighs 500g/1.1oz.
Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 Bike Bag
Our expert review:
Reviewed by Chris Marshall-Bell - Tech Contributor
We’ve selected the AeroComfort 3.0 from Scicon as our best overall bag for a number of reasons. It’s a breeze to use, and we found that we were able to pack our bike in as little as 15 minutes. The same is true when you arrive at your destination, with the bike easy to remove and the bag straightforward to pack down.
The knock of some bike bags is that while their soft structure makes them lighter and easy to store, it also means they can lack sufficient protection. But not so here. While the AeroComfort 3.0 is a soft fabric bag it also features an internal metal structure. SImply remove the wheels, loop the chain over a t-bar and stand your bike on the frame using the quick release skewers or thru-axles. Once in place the bike is secure and well protected, with the system having the added bonus of not requiring the handlebars to be re-positioned and keep the rear mech out of harm's way.
There’s plenty of additional padding throughout the bag and it also comes with separate pockets for the wheels and for other items, whether that’s components or items such as a pair of the best cycling shoes.
Packed and ready to head off to the Airport
Our expert review:
Reviewed by Tim Russon - Tech Contributor
Perhaps the most important aspect is that the Evoc Bag folds down to less than half its expanded size, making it ideal for fitting through a loft hatch for storage. The basic design is a zipped clamshell, with the top and bottom segments made of tough polycarbonate, internally supported by vertical fibreglass struts. These plastic sections are also wide enough so the handlebars don't need to be removed (ideal for modern bikes with internal cabling).
Building up the bag for its first use took about 30 minutes, with occasional glances at the instructions. It didn’t get off to a good start, as the fibreglass struts left a bunch of irritating micro-splinters in my hands during fitting. With everything needed to carry a bike, the Evoc bag weighed 11.5kg, which is heavier than an original Bike Box Alan but 2kg lighter than the more comparable Aero Easyfit box.
It was undeniably straightforward to get the bike in place, with a couple of caveats; while the instructions show a packed bike with the saddle & seatpost in place, there was no way that mine could remain. This is the same as Bike Box Alan, so no big drama, but it seems a little disingenuous to claim that the bag is “Bike Fitting Proof".
I’d also suggest using padded wheel bags instead of the basic ones supplied, since the wheels aren’t secured in the bag. Ultimately, the Evoc Road Bike Bag Pro did its job, since my bike survived the baggage handlers unscathed. It's certainly more polished and slick than my preferred BBA, and it's undeniable. It does a fantastic job of combining protection and storability.
Thule RoundTrip bike bag
Our expert review:
Reviewed by Anne Marije-Rook - North American Editor
I’ve taken a handful of flights using the Roundtrip bag and it’s proven to be a valuable asset each time.
It’s best described as a hybrid solution, offering more padding and greater rigidity than a soft bike bag, but with a smaller footprint and a lower weight than a hard shell box. It features rigid, reinforced side panels, a moulded base tub and a metal rail to secure your bike to. There are also some large wraparound panels that envelop the entire frame, and a few pockets and sleeves to store any components that you remove from the bike. The outside is made from a robust polyester material, and comes with three large wheels to allow you to navigate airports and train stations with greater ease.
The aforementioned rail also doubles as a workstand, handy when it comes time to re-assemble your bike on arrival. All told, it adds up to a meticulously designed bag.
I found packing my bike into the bag quick and easy. There is an online guide available via a QR code but the process is intuitive enough that you might not need it.
Packing the bike is also surprisingly quick. There’s a QR code inside the bag that links to an instructional video, but after one go, you won’t really need it; the process is remarkably intuitive. Once your bike is packed, the bag makes for a sleek and secure package that inspires confidence.
In practice, the three wheels made rolling in a straight line a breeze, but the bag isn’t quite as adept at handling tight corners. It’s also pretty heavy and I opted to leave the stand at home to help avoid having to pay any additional overage fees.
Ultimately, though, the bag has proved its worth. Each trip my bike has arrived unscathed, with no movement of any of the components. In short, the bike and my kit turned up at my destination exactly as I packed it.
Blue Velovault2 bike box
Our expert review:
Reviewed by Michelle Arthurs-Brennan - Digital Editor
If you’re travelling abroad with an expensive carbon bike, then a sturdy bike box provides you with some additional peace of mind compared to a bike bag. Take the VeloVault2.
Its hard case design is robust, and it features a long wheelbase, quality clasps and an internal design that we found spacious and easy to configure your bike within. These 122x90x30cm/48x35x11.8" dimensions also mean there is plenty of room for accessories such as shoes, bike tools, etc.
Despite its impressively solid construction, it weighs less than you might think, making it just light enough to escape additional charges from some airlines. We also found that the carrying handle made navigating the airport a breeze, aided by its ability to roll along with ease.
Orucase B2 Bike Travel Case
Our expert review:
Reviewed by Anne Marije-Rook - North American Editor
The B2 gets the thumbs up for the most portable bag we’ve tested. We’ve used it on domestic and international flights and loved just how easy it was to move around the airport. It features a compact shape with a rollable chassis that, when combined with the bag’s impressively low weight, makes it easy to manoeuvre. There’s even a set of backpack straps you should require.
It’s not perfect, however. We found that packing your bike did require a degree of disassembly, which means it's not best suited to those who aren’t confident with their mechanical skills. That said, if you’re looking for a bag that’s easy to get around and can be comfortably stored away when it’s not in use, then the B2 is a solid option.
Our expert review:
When a bike box is unnecessary and even a larger, padded bike bag is overkill then the Pocket Bike Bag from Scicon could well fit the bill.
It’s ideally suited to shorter journeys by car, train and ferry as well as for those who need a bag to pack away into nothing once they have arrived; at 500g or 1.1lbs it really is light enough to stuff in a bikepacking bag or backpack. We’ve used it for a trip to the Tour de France, with the bag carrying our bike across the channel before it being folded away as we travelled from one tour stop to the next on two wheels.
Unsurprisingly for a bag that weighs the same as a bag of sugar it’s slightly lacking in the protection department. We’d suggest using bubble wrap to protect your frame and rear mech, for example. Still, if you want a bag for specific journeys as mentioned above and don’t want to spend a fortune on a bag, this is well worth your consideration.
Folding bikes make for great travel companions
You might wonder why you need a bag for the best folding bikes. Well, quite simply, they aren't always that light. Sure, Brompton makes some that weigh well under 10kg/22 lbs, but they can also cost well over £ 2500/$3000. So, it certainly helps to be able to carry it on your shoulder and, of course, keep it protected while you travel. In the UK, not all trains have storage by your seat, so a bag helps hide your bike away, too.
Bikes are just great tools for exploring new places, full stop. So, wouldn't it be great if you could just take your bike with you, and thats where folding bikes are really rather handy. Most of them can be carried in checked luggage at no extra cost or weight, and some can even be taken as hand luggage. Just like travelling with a full-size bike, you will want to protect it, especially in the hold.
Brompton actually makes two excellent options for their bikes. They make a bag similar to the Scicon Pocket Bike Bag, but designed for Brompton-sized bikes. This is essentially a premium carrier bag, ideal for transporting your bike in the car or carrying it to the office, and can be stored on your bike. They also offer a more sturdy suitcase-style for those looking to travel further afield with their folding bikes or even on a plane.
To test the bike bag and boxes in this guide we took them on our travels. Many of our writers and reviewers take annual trips to cover races or to escape the British weather, and they bring their bikes with them. This means that each of these products has been used in a real-world scenario be it on a plane, train or ferry.
Taking these journeys allows us not to only to evaluate the degree of protection offered by the bar or box but also to assess just how functional they are with regards to packing and unpacking, storing and getting around airports and stations
You can read more about How We Test in our full guide.
As Cycling Weekly's North American Editor, Anne-Marije Rook gets to travel a lot with her bike, whether it’s for a gravel event or to visit her home country of the Netherlands. This gives her ample opportunity to test and assess the merits of various bike bags and boxes.
A freelance sports journalist and podcaster, Chris has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2013. Now living in Valencia, Spain he’s often travelling to cover races, taking his bike with him. It makes Chris ideally suited to not only test out the best bike bags and boxes but to also deliver insightful reviews of their pros and cons.
Tim Russon is a writer and photographer who has worked in the outdoor and cycling industry for over 20 years. He can’t remember a time when he didn’t own a bike and has road, gravel, mountain and retro bikes in the shed. His favourite place to ride is the Dolomites, a simply stunning area with breathtaking views and incredible roads, combined with lovely food and great wine.
He prefers long, hot climbs in the big mountains, and reguarly pops his bike in a box to 'enjoy himself'.
Packing the bike into the bag or box sometimes takes much more effort than expected. The process may differ slightly depending on the specific box or bag, but the general process goes something like this:
In some cases, it might be useful, especially if you are particularly worried about damage, to remove other items from your bike to ensure it fits properly in your bag. This may include computer mounts, power metres, tri bars, or extensions. Also, remember to almost certainly remove any batteries and place them in your carry-on.
There are a wide range of bike bags and boxes available. To help you choose the right option for you, we've listed a few of the main factors you’ll want to consider when shopping for one of the best bike bags and boxes.
Bag or box?
The answer to this question rests entirely on your needs.
If you're traveling on a long haul flight with an expensive carbon framed bike then it makes sense to use a bike box. While they are heavy and cumbersome when it comes to out-and-out protection they can't be beaten. If you travel infrequently or don't have much room to store a box when it's not in use then hiring a box is an option.
A bike bag could be a better option for those who need something that's light, portable and easy to store. Bike bags are a good choice for train, bus and ferry journeys especially. They also make sense if your bike is of low value or has a durable steel frame. And you can always bolster the level of protection by using bubble wrap or similar.
There is an in between option. The best bike bags tend to have some more structural inserts inside but retain more of a bag's lightweight nature. Other bike bags can have nifty, in-built storage techniques. For example, some have built-in dropouts that allow you to stand your frame upright and hold it tight.
Dimensions
You’ll need to make sure that your bike will fit the bag or box you’re considering. While most are designed to accommodate bikes as large as mountain bikes, it makes sense to check the maximum wheelbase of the bag or box and compare it with your bike.
Features
Some bags offer additional features such as a bike stand. Typically this is a metal structure that secures the bike in transit but then doubles up as a work stand to help you assemble your bike on arrival. Other features to consider include the number of wheels, and whether one of these is a removable swivel wheel, and the inclusion of additional storage for components - some bags keep this to a minimum while others are well-equipped with sleeves and pockets for a variety of components.
Degree of disassembly required
Some of the best bike bags and boxes require little disassembly of the bike, while others do require you to adjust and even remove components, from wheels to handlebars and more. If you’re a confident mechanic then this is unlikely to be an issue, but if you typically leave any adjustments and repairs to your local bike shop then you might be best to opt for a bag or box that sees the bike remain largely intact when it’s packed.
Size
It's worth remembering that you'll need to store your bag or box when it's not in use. If space isn't an issue then you can pay this no mind but if you're struggling for space in your garage or spar room, then choosing a bag that can be packed down, rather than a sturdy box that can't, might be wise.
Regardless of how tough your bag or box might be, you’ll definitely want to pad the important parts inside it. We’d recommend bubble wrap and foam piping. If you’re lucky, your local bike shop might have excess from all the bikes they get sent in. Don't forget to put it around the frame in places where other items in the box might rub against it.
We've used this method to safely transport a bike on two transatlantic flights, added both bubble wrap and cardboard to a softcover bike bag.
Riding in the mountains
If you are travelling by land or sea, we see no harm in this. However, if you are travelling by air, it's worth checking with the airline, but their general guidance would be to remove them and put them in your carry-on. At the very least, you know you will have them when you reach your destination.
This very much depends on the service provider and how they account for bike bags and boxes. For most airlines now, there will almost certainly be additional charges, and you will need to have sorted that before you reach the airport. For some EU train services, you will have to book ahead and won't be able to travel if you haven't, as spaces are limited. However, these generally incur much smaller charges.
For Amtrak and Via users, it is worth checking the route you wish to travel, as the rules seem much more relaxed, and services more regularly include baggage carriages.
Generally, yes, as most cover all luggage; however, the value is down to individual policy, and not all will cover excess baggage. We recommend looking at the best bicycle insurance, as these are much better tailored to dealing with these scenarios and will handle any claims made more effectively.