# Ordered a Pika Packworks travel bike bag



## llama31 (Jan 13, 2006)

Lately I've been wanting a way to take a bike with me when I travel. I travel a few times a year for work, often to fairly interesting places like Albuquerque, Monterey, and, next year, Hawaii (!!). Plus my wife and I take adventure vacations once or twice a year. Renting a bike is okay, but I'd rather have my own bike. So I thought about getting an S&S bike--either retrofitting my steel hardtail mountain bike, or getting a steel cross bike and having that retrofitted. I did get a steel cross bike (a Gunnar) but decided against the S&S retrofit, for now. Then I considered a Ritchey Breakaway, but I wasn't terribly impressed.

So, after some research, reading one positive review here and getting positive feedback from the friend of a friend, I ordered a bag from Pika Packworks. It's a soft bag with lots of padding and evidently a nice design that really protects the bike. Mine will get it's first test at Christmas, when I plan to take my Gunnar with me on my holiday travels. I hope it works. I'll post a review afterwards.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

I sure hope it has wheels. A full size bike bag/box can be a real PITA if any significant ground transportation and/or storage are required.


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## Chris H (Jul 7, 2005)

There is a Surly Cross Check frame that has S&S couplers on it now. Called the Travellers Check. Not sure of the price, or how competetive it would be for a similarly equipped bike.

Can't really Google images at work... so you'll have to do that legwork.


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## llama31 (Jan 13, 2006)

*No wheels*



FatTireFred said:


> I sure hope it has wheels. A full size bike bag/box can be a real PITA if any significant ground transportation and/or storage are required.



Nope, no wheels, so that will be a bit of a challenge. Not sure how I'll handle that--I guess i'll just lug it around using the shoulder strap. I wasn't too concerned about that, but wheels would be nice. maybe I'll use a cart.


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## llama31 (Jan 13, 2006)

Chris H said:


> There is a Surly Cross Check frame that has S&S couplers on it now. Called the Travellers Check. Not sure of the price, or how competetive it would be for a similarly equipped bike.
> 
> Can't really Google images at work... so you'll have to do that legwork.


I've heard about that and saw some pictures. It's a nice idea, but it's not available till spring and the early info I've heard about price doesn't make it very attractive. I've heard it'll be around $900 just for the frame/fork. You'd still need to spend around $400+ for the case, compression members, TSA net etc. So probably $1400 for the total package after shipping and all. I'm not crazy about Surley so I'd rather spend an extra few hundred and get a custom Curtlo with S&S. But for now, I'll try this pack and travel with a regular bike. Maybe S&S sometime later...


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## ARP (Mar 7, 2002)

*Used mine several times*

I always seemed to put too much stuff in it and the shoulder strap is not comfortable. Go to a luggage store and buy yourself a packable luggage dolly. Trust me, the outside of the bag will get dirty from transit, and when you have to pick it up and lug it, your clothes will also get what was on the bag.


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## bigpinkt (Jul 20, 2006)

Pika make good bags, I used/abused my for years and it held up... now I have an S&S Ti bike,


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## Guest (Nov 29, 2007)

I have a soft bag and like a great deal, Luggage carts are great - every airport has 'em.

The only thing I do with my bag, for a little extra peace of mind is to use some 4 mm corrugated plastic.

comes in 2 x 4 sheets at Home Depot.

Fit it inside the Bag, cut two pieces - one for each side and put them in last before you zip up the bag.

Nothing has ever penetrated the bag or the plastic.

Cost - about $7.


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## llama31 (Jan 13, 2006)

*What do you do with the dolly?*



Lone Gunman said:


> I always seemed to put too much stuff in it and the shoulder strap is not comfortable. Go to a luggage store and buy yourself a packable luggage dolly. Trust me, the outside of the bag will get dirty from transit, and when you have to pick it up and lug it, your clothes will also get what was on the bag.


Sounds like a good idea, but what do you do with the dolly once you've checked your bags for your flight? Did you fit it into the bike bag?


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

llama31 said:


> Sounds like a good idea, but what do you do with the dolly once you've checked your bags for your flight? Did you fit it into the bike bag?



if it has plastic/rubber feet on the bottom, you could replace 'em with casters/wheels available at big box home stores... that's been done on many trico cases


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## ARP (Mar 7, 2002)

*Yes*



llama31 said:


> Sounds like a good idea, but what do you do with the dolly once you've checked your bags for your flight? Did you fit it into the bike bag?


It folds up almost flat and I stow inside the bike bag.


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## jh_on_the_cape (Apr 14, 2004)

llama31 said:


> I've heard about that and saw some pictures. It's a nice idea, but it's not available till spring and the early info I've heard about price doesn't make it very attractive. I've heard it'll be around $900 just for the frame/fork. You'd still need to spend around $400+ for the case, compression members, TSA net etc. So probably $1400 for the total package after shipping and all. I'm not crazy about Surley so I'd rather spend an extra few hundred and get a custom Curtlo with S&S. But for now, I'll try this pack and travel with a regular bike. Maybe S&S sometime later...


1100 for those surly frames.


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## stinkydub (Aug 5, 2004)

*It's light weight*

You probably saw my reveiw but just in case - my bag including Litespeed Tuscany (61cm), additional padding (pipe insulation for frame and fork) and Silca pump (steel barrel) was just under 34 lbs. and fairly easy to lift and move around. It fit in the trunk of my old 98 accord. It was lighter than any of our other pieces of luggage - however, if you cram it full of stuff, then YMMV. I believe he started making better shoulder straps (mine is different and better than the version i saw). 

Toomanybikes - great suggestion - I'm off to Home Depot.

Stinky


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## llama31 (Jan 13, 2006)

*I think it was your review...*



stinkydub said:


> You probably saw my reveiw but just in case - my bag including Litespeed Tuscany (61cm), additional padding (pipe insulation for frame and fork) and Silca pump (steel barrel) was just under 34 lbs. and fairly easy to lift and move around. It fit in the trunk of my old 98 accord. It was lighter than any of our other pieces of luggage - however, if you cram it full of stuff, then YMMV. I believe he started making better shoulder straps (mine is different and better than the version i saw).
> 
> Toomanybikes - great suggestion - I'm off to Home Depot.
> 
> Stinky


I think it was your review...was yours the one about the trip to Mexico? If so, that was the first time I'd heard of the Pika. Mentioned it to a friend who travels with bike, and he know a guy who had been using one for a while and really liked it. So now I've got it and will try it out at Xmas. I'll try TMB's suggestion about the plastic as well.


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