Flying With The Bike - High tech or packing Box

You'll be in the lap of the gods whichever packing method you choose. I've used an Evoc bike bag a couple of times without issue, whereas my mate flew with a hard case on the same trip which was damaged when it arrived on the baggage carousel.

I can't help but think that, the more durable the packaging looks, the worse it gets handled. I mean, look at the CTC plastic bag - bikes survive long haul in one of those!

More than likely, your bike will be fine in a cardboard box, but if it's not, it won't be down to your choice of packaging.

In a bike box with plenty of styrofoam wrappers around the tubes is good (and axle spacers in the drop outs). I recently travelled to Aussie with a borrowed hard bike case. The bike case was badly damaged ($400) bit the bike was still fine. I considered making a bike box with 'laminated' layers of bike box, but ran out of time. I think it would be highley effective, and save on weight, as the hard case bike box I borrowed weighed more than the bike, and the bike and box came to nearly my entire luggage allowance.

I'd try and buy one off eBay, and if you're not going to use it again then you'll probably get back what you paid if you sell it. There are also places that will rent them out for not too much

I saw what I thought was a great idea once. Bike packed in a large flat screen TV box, handled much more carefully!

+1 for cardboard box. I just went to my LBS and they wrapped and boxed it for $10. It survived two flights, including a layover in Bangkok. No issues, the customs lady smiled, asked where I was planning to bike and said have a great trip (ka).

I've used a cardboard box ~10 times and been fine but if I take enough trips I know one day I'll be unlucky.