Bike boxes—so you can take your bike along

This is very cool: a company that makes boxes specifically for transporting bicycles when you fly to some destination. The corrugated boxes last for 10 trips, the plastic boxes indefinitely. Good idea. Note that they even have boxes intended for tandems or recumbents (see the menu at the right when you click the link).

UPDATE: Josh sends a note to add:

First: Ship ahead with UPS if you can. Cheaper, safer. Hands down.

Second—Go Green: The boxes you showed are very nice pieces, but I’m no great fan of disposable *anything.* A couple of arguably greener options:

–Go to a bike shop and recycle a shipping box. If the bike is packed properly, it’s not a bad way to go, if you’re shipping UPS. That’s how the bike got to the shop in the first place.

–Get a proper hard case, like a Trico Iron Case.  Reusable, indestructible, and it’s got wheels. This is much more significant when you’re running through O’Hare with your $6,000 Carbon Fiber WonderVelo.

–Rent a hard case at a local bike shop.

–Join a club or advocacy organization. In DC, membership in Washington Area Bicyclist’s Association gets you discounts in shops, and they have loaner hard cases. And they fight the good fight…

And, later:

I would underscore—Hard case is really the way to go for max security. And insure the living daylights out of the bike—if you’re using the airlines, your homeowner’s/renter’s insurance may cover it. Airlines baggage handlers are notoriously hard on bikes, and the airline may only cover it to a set amount—$500 is typical. Nightmare stories are legion…