Best bike bags and boxes for cycling travel 2024

Protect your bike and reduce stress when you travel with one of these best bike bags and boxes

best bike bags
The best bike bags

Riding new roads and exploring different places bathed in warm sunshine is one of the great joys of cycling, but getting you and your bike there safely can be the most stressful part of a cycling holiday. Some riders choose to hire a bike whilst on holiday, but for others, part of the attraction is the opportunity to ride their familiar bike up famous climbs or through beautiful landscapes - no one wants a week of cycling spoiled by an ill-fitting bike or uncomfortable saddle.

If you decide to fly with your own bike, then you have the choice of using a hard box or a soft bag, each with pros and cons which we will investigate below. If you choose to drive to your destination instead, however, you can read our guides to the best bike racks for cars and the best caravan and motorhome bike racks.

The quick list

Best bike bags and boxes for cycling travel: Our picks

Best overall

Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 Bike Bag with a bike packed away inside

Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 Bike Bag

(Image credit: Future)
Best overall

Specifications

Weight: 8.2kg
Dimensions: 115 x 95 x 28cm
Frame size: Up to 62cm

Reasons to buy

+
Makes travelling quick and easy
+
Very little disassembly required
+
Keeps frame off the ground
+
Lots of padding
+
Separate pockets for wheels and components

Reasons to avoid

-
Question marks over protection of the rear derailleur
-
Bulky so doesn’t fit into cars well

The AeroComfort 3.0 from Scicon is a firm favorite among the Cycling Weekly tech team. We've flown test bikes all over the world, and we like to use this carry case because it makes travelling by bike easy, hassle-free and incredibly quick. It takes just 15 minutes to pack the bike away, and even less time to put it back together.

How so? The outside is a soft, fabric bag, but inside you'll find a metal structure. You simply remove the wheels, loop your chain over a specially designed T-bar and use your quick releases to stand the bike on the metal frame, so it's immovable inside and thus a lot more secure. It couldn't be easier.

There's no need to remove anything aside from the wheels, the handlebars stay straight and don't need twisting. This does make the front end quite bulky, but we found that the protection is good, with a thick soft fabric, designated pockets for wheels, helmets and shoes, and most importantly the rear derailleur is kept off the ground. 

Read more: Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 Road Bike Travel Bag full review

Best for ease of use

Multi-coloured Evoc bike travel bag

Evoc bike travel bag

Best for ease of use

Specifications

Weight: 8.6kg
Dimensions: 130 x 80 x 27cm

Reasons to buy

+
Easy to use
+
Bike padding kit included

Reasons to avoid

-
Nothing

Whilst hard cases give the ultimate reassurance that your bike is well protected, they also take up a lot of room when out of use, and, they're heavy - limiting your ability to pack kit alongside your bike and stay within airline limits.

Enter soft cases, and this Evoc bike bag is an excellent option. Yes, it offers less protection - but the Cycling Weekly team has used it to transport press bikes on plenty of occasions (NB, we once even used a cardboard box for a personal bike, the theory is that baggage handlers will be more careful!).

This Evoc Bike bag excels in terms of ease of use, too. The side opening makes getting the bike in a cinch, and the handy Velcro makes getting the parts in the right place a piece of cake. The newer model reviewed here now has a reinforced front zip, meaning it should last longer.

Read more: Evoc bike travel bike bag full review

Best value

LifeLine EVA Bike Pod

LifeLine EVA Bike Pod

(Image credit: Future)
Best for value

Specifications

Weight: 6.5kg
Dimensions: 1200mm x 907mm x 280mm

Reasons to buy

+
Inexpensive
+
Fits a bike without too much disassembly

Reasons to avoid

-
Sides are quite flexible
-
Feet prone to damage

Although it's a reasonably compact bike box, the LifeLine Bike Pod will take a smaller-sized bike without too much disassembly. It rolls on two rear wheels, with two front feet to stand on. Quick-release wheels, although not wheels with thru-axles, can be secured to the outside of the case.

Our tester found that the LifeLine Bike Pod is relatively easy to move around, although since you have to lift the front end and the carrying handle doesn't let you wrap your hand through it, longer carries can be tiring. 

The sides of the bag are quite flexible, so it would be advisable to wrap wheels and frame well inside to prevent crushing. We were also concerned about how robust the feet would be and how well the zip would stand repeated use, but overall, the LifeLine Bike Pod is a relatively inexpensive option for the less frequent flyer.

Read more: LifeLine EVA Bike Pod full review

Most portable

Orucase B2 Bike Travel Case

Orucase B2 Bike Travel Case

(Image credit: Anne-Marije Rook)
Most portable

Specifications

Weight: 6.8kg / 15lbs
Dimensions: 74 x 86 x 23cm / 29 x 34 x 9"

Reasons to buy

+
Highly portable
+
Great for multimodal trips
+
At 15lbs, it's one of the lightest bags on the market
+
Compact in size and storable
+
The backpack strap is pretty unique
+
Cute "Therapy Equipment" tag

Reasons to avoid

-
You have to be comfortable taking your bike apart to pack your bike
-
You have to take off your fork
-
It's time-consuming to pack and reassemble your bike
-
A little lopsided when packed, making it prone to tipping
-
These days, airlines charge per weight more than size
-
You're going to want to purchase the frame protection kit also

We've taken the B2 bike case on several domestic and international flights and were left impressed. It sports many welcomed features, including backpack straps and a rollable chassis. Combined with its compact, space-saving size it makes for a sleek, highly portable and trustworthy bag that we think is a great option if space is limited or you'll be traveling on serval modes of transport during your trip.

We did find that it's not the easiest to pack, and required some disassembling of your bike - so you'll need to be confident of putting your bike back together once you've arrived. It's also far from cheap, but in our opinion, it's likely a worthy investment given the ease of portability and the posibbility to save on extra fees due to its smaller size.

Read more: Orucase B2 Bike Travel Case full review

Most versatile

Thule Round Trip Pro XT bike bag

Thule Round Trip Pro XT bike bag

Best with built-in stand

Specifications

Weight: 8.6kg
Dimensions: 126 x 89 x 30cm

Reasons to buy

+
Doubles up as a stand
+
Integrated wheels

Reasons to avoid

-
More expensive than other options we've tested and liked
-
Does have weak spots

The Thule RoundTrip Pro XT falls into the not-quite-a-bike-bag category. It's a softshell but has some structural implants that should keep your bike safe through the worst of it.

However, the bag does have some weak areas and for the price you pay this doesn't induce confidence. But, maybe we're being picky. This is a solid purchase, undoubtedly, and we always add extra bubble wrap around our frames, whatever we're packing them into.

The base, which holds the bike static in the case, can have three legs added, transforming it into a workstand for when you get to your destination - which is a rather 'nice to have' too.

Read more: Thule RoundTrip Pro XT review

Most robust

Blue Velovault2 bike box

Blue Velovault2 bike box

Most robust

Specifications

Weight: 12.5kg
Dimensions: 122 x 90 x 30cm

Reasons to buy

+
Spacious inside
+
Quality fixings
+
Sturdy
+
UK made

Reasons to avoid

-
Heavy at over 12kg

We really liked the VeloVault2 bike box when we had it in for test. It's big and robust, which is what many cyclists need to achieve peace of mind when flying with a bike.

However, weighing in at 12.5kg means it should sneak under most airline weight controls. The company has sweated the small stuff, too: the clasps are quality, it's easy to close and it rolls well.

VeloVault2 bike box has a new carrying handle, longer wheelbase, improved strut design and it is roof box ready. Oh, and it's now bright blue... other colours are available if that's not to your liking.

Read more: VeloVault2 full review

Advice

How do I pack a bike into a bike bag or box?

Packing the bike into the bag or box sometimes takes quite a bit more effort than expected. The process may differ slightly depending on the specific box or bag, but the general process goes something like:

- Remove the pedals
- Partially deflate tires and remove the wheels
- Remove the seatpost and saddle
- Remove the handlebar from the stem or remove the handlebar and stem together from the steerer
- Undo rear derailleur (but leave it on the chain)
- Secure the frame and components in the box via the manufacturer-approved method
- Pack the tools required to rebuild the bike!

There are a few more mechanical adjustments you might make, and if you’re handy with a spanner they shouldn't cause too much grief. For example, you might have to remove the chainset. This will keep it protected en route but it’s worth bearing in mind that you’ll have to reassemble it when you arrive on your hols, so if you're no spanner wizard it might be best to avoid this. It may also mean packing extra tools, which means extra weight to carry around.

Best bike bags vs best bike boxes: which is better?

You might think this is an easy question: it's surely a box, right? However, that's probably before you’ve taken weight into consideration.

A lighter weight bike bag influences two things: how comfortable it is to carry and lug about but also how much of your baggage allowance it eats into - and how much the baggage supplement might be.

The trade off is in the level of protection: a hard flight case like box is going to take the knocks better than a soft bag. That said, soft bike bags will usually protect your bike from the worst of it and they also tend to be cheaper than bike boxes.

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.

Do I need to add extra padding to my bike bag?

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.

A road cyclist riding with a mountain in the background

Riding in the mountains

How we test

A good bike box or bag has to tread the line between providing the best protection for your bike and yet still being light, easy to carry and simple to pack. These boxes have been used to carry various bikes on multiple flights, being packed and unpacked several times each. They all protected the bikes from any transport damage and none were particularly difficult or awkward to pack but each has its advantages and disadvantages that may clinch the deal for you.

Simon Smythe

Simon Smythe is a hugely experienced cycling tech writer, who has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2003. Until recently he was our senior tech writer. In his cycling career Simon has mostly focused on time trialling with a national medal, a few open wins and his club's 30-mile record in his palmares. These days he spends most of his time testing road bikes, or on a tandem doing the school run with his younger son.