I have just ordered one too (Dogsbody). NZ$197 (£86 ish at today's rates inc p&p and VAT).
After my last trip I was determined to reduce my baggage weight - so the first thing I do is but something that will add 1kg to my load.
Nonetheless, I agree with the anxiety mentioned above about finding a box, etc at you departure point. For me, not only anxiety, but also often arriving a day or two early to give me time to scour the local bike shops.
I might use it in the summer for a short trip to France, otherwise it will be in Japan in the Autumn.
Bike bag light enough and small enough to carry on tour.
Re: Bike bag light enough and small enough to carry on tour.
simonhill wrote:IAfter my last trip I was determined to reduce my baggage weight - so the first thing I do is but something that will add 1kg to my load.
If you're travelling point-to-point, why not post the bag to the hotel you're staying at on the final night of your trip?
Re: Bike bag light enough and small enough to carry on tour.
simonhill wrote:I have just ordered one too (Dogsbody). NZ$197 (£86 ish at today's rates inc p&p and VAT).
After my last trip I was determined to reduce my baggage weight - so the first thing I do is but something that will add 1kg to my load.
Nonetheless, I agree with the anxiety mentioned above about finding a box, etc at you departure point. For me, not only anxiety, but also often arriving a day or two early to give me time to scour the local bike shops.
I might use it in the summer for a short trip to France, otherwise it will be in Japan in the Autumn.
Look forward to your reports back simon.
For I may get one in the future as a companion for my tardis.
Sweep
Re: Bike bag light enough and small enough to carry on tour.
My Groundeffect Dogsbody arrived a couple of days ago.
Firstly, I was confused when initially charged the lower price of £86. This went up to £101 just before delivery. I'm guessing that they 'hold' your credit card and add the VAT once charged by HMRC.
I was surprised how big the packed bag is and feels quite chunky. As advertised, it is the (plan) size of A4, but it is about 80 mm deep, squashable to 60. It weighs in at 1156gms.
The bag is made of stout, coarse weave nylon and seems well put together. The handles and shoulder strap look strong enough and are hopefully well secured with multiple stitching. The non removable shoulder strap may be a bit of a liability on automated baggage systems. Good long double ended YKK zip. The supplied front fork spacer is a plastic tube that you secure with the wheel's QR - good idea.
My bike is a 54 cm 26" Surly LHT with wide flat bars.
I removed my front wheel and pedals and dropped the bike in. I was able to close the zip over the back mudguard and Tubus rack with a little space to spare. Had to remove saddle/seat post to close over downtube. My seat post is too long to go right down, not sure even if it did if I could get my sprung Brooks in in situ. No problem as there is room enough to store them in the bag.
It fitted in with front mudguard on (no mud flap), which I might do if just Rinko-ing and carrying the bag myself, but wouldn't for flying. I would put mudguard around the (removed) front wheel for this. I couldn't be bothered to frig about with the handlebars, but I measured that I should be able to get them in the bag by loosening and turning the stem so h/bar parallel to frame.
The bag was more than long enough, but there was not so much spare room vertically. I'm not sure a big bike would fit in with rack.
My first impression after regularly using an LBS box is how vulnerable the bike seemed. Unprotected and the front wheel just lying next to the frame. The manufacturers recommend getting some cardboard to pack out the bag, I would certainly want to do this. Another option would be to get a roll of bubble wrap, wrap bike and then drop into bag (not too happy about using lots of bubblewrap). Both of these options present logistic problems in getting to an airport.
The shoulder strap allows easy carrying, but the whole thing is not a very baggage handler/trolley convenient shape, compared to an LBS bike box.
I have decided not to use it on an upcoming easyJet flight (flying out, pedalling back) but will take it to Japan for Rinko and a back up for flying home.
Overall it looks like a good product and well made. Its hard to say how competitive the price is because no one else appears to make a similar product. I am happy with purchase because it is what I wanted, all I need is to do now is pluck up the courage to use it in anger.
NB: Edited in a clarification and conclusion.
Firstly, I was confused when initially charged the lower price of £86. This went up to £101 just before delivery. I'm guessing that they 'hold' your credit card and add the VAT once charged by HMRC.
I was surprised how big the packed bag is and feels quite chunky. As advertised, it is the (plan) size of A4, but it is about 80 mm deep, squashable to 60. It weighs in at 1156gms.
The bag is made of stout, coarse weave nylon and seems well put together. The handles and shoulder strap look strong enough and are hopefully well secured with multiple stitching. The non removable shoulder strap may be a bit of a liability on automated baggage systems. Good long double ended YKK zip. The supplied front fork spacer is a plastic tube that you secure with the wheel's QR - good idea.
My bike is a 54 cm 26" Surly LHT with wide flat bars.
I removed my front wheel and pedals and dropped the bike in. I was able to close the zip over the back mudguard and Tubus rack with a little space to spare. Had to remove saddle/seat post to close over downtube. My seat post is too long to go right down, not sure even if it did if I could get my sprung Brooks in in situ. No problem as there is room enough to store them in the bag.
It fitted in with front mudguard on (no mud flap), which I might do if just Rinko-ing and carrying the bag myself, but wouldn't for flying. I would put mudguard around the (removed) front wheel for this. I couldn't be bothered to frig about with the handlebars, but I measured that I should be able to get them in the bag by loosening and turning the stem so h/bar parallel to frame.
The bag was more than long enough, but there was not so much spare room vertically. I'm not sure a big bike would fit in with rack.
My first impression after regularly using an LBS box is how vulnerable the bike seemed. Unprotected and the front wheel just lying next to the frame. The manufacturers recommend getting some cardboard to pack out the bag, I would certainly want to do this. Another option would be to get a roll of bubble wrap, wrap bike and then drop into bag (not too happy about using lots of bubblewrap). Both of these options present logistic problems in getting to an airport.
The shoulder strap allows easy carrying, but the whole thing is not a very baggage handler/trolley convenient shape, compared to an LBS bike box.
I have decided not to use it on an upcoming easyJet flight (flying out, pedalling back) but will take it to Japan for Rinko and a back up for flying home.
Overall it looks like a good product and well made. Its hard to say how competitive the price is because no one else appears to make a similar product. I am happy with purchase because it is what I wanted, all I need is to do now is pluck up the courage to use it in anger.
NB: Edited in a clarification and conclusion.
Re: Bike bag light enough and small enough to carry on tour.
Many thanks for the update simon.
Yes, I must admit I too have been puzzled as to why no one else seems to make anything like the ground effect tardis and dogsbody.
Odd in this day and age.
Are they actually made by Ground Effect in New Zealand?
For of course much stuff these days might be designed in whatever country but is actually made in China.
One question on that pricing oddity - revision - do they wait for a confirmation to extract the money from you after sending you the "revised" pricing?
If not, sounds fraught.
Look forward to a report after you have dared fly with it.
In connection with one of your concerns, do airports tend to have a load of old cardboard they would let folks have access to?
After all, they must be taking delivery of stuff by the hour in cardboard which they then just dump.
Yes, I must admit I too have been puzzled as to why no one else seems to make anything like the ground effect tardis and dogsbody.
Odd in this day and age.
Are they actually made by Ground Effect in New Zealand?
For of course much stuff these days might be designed in whatever country but is actually made in China.
One question on that pricing oddity - revision - do they wait for a confirmation to extract the money from you after sending you the "revised" pricing?
If not, sounds fraught.
Look forward to a report after you have dared fly with it.
In connection with one of your concerns, do airports tend to have a load of old cardboard they would let folks have access to?
After all, they must be taking delivery of stuff by the hour in cardboard which they then just dump.
Sweep
Re: Bike bag light enough and small enough to carry on tour.
Sweep wrote:In connection with one of your concerns, do airports tend to have a load of old cardboard they would let folks have access to?
After all, they must be taking delivery of stuff by the hour in cardboard which they then just dump.
They really should have a Cardboard Stash, you're right! But I've never managed to locate it. (I suppose it's probably inside a secure cordon somewhere...) My usual method when travelling with the Ground Effect bag, is to do a spot of dumpster-diving on the way to the airport: supermarkets and bars are esp. good places to find piles of cardboard boxes. (My best ever find was in Greece, though: a perfectly proportioned flat-screen tv box.) When I haven't been able to find boxes, I've used newspapers. (And on the couple of occasions when even that hasn't been possible, I've just taken a Deep Breath and let the bike fly 'naked' inside the Ground Effect bag -- no disasters so far!)
Re: Bike bag light enough and small enough to carry on tour.
In reply to Sweep:
They clearly state that it is made in China. I don't remember seeing that when I nearly bought one a couple of years ago, so maybe that is new. Obviously no reason why a UK company couldn't source such a bag. It would probably be a bit cheaper.
I rarely rely on getting anything at an airport and certainly not something important. Most airports have cleaners constantly patrolling the bins, etc, so any dumped cardboard is not likely to last long. Also you can't wander round the nether regions of the airport with your bike and that raises the problem of what to do with your bike while searching (if solo).
Apart from the plastic waste, I like the idea of bubblewrap. Not only would it protect the bike, but also is a very visible protection, cover, barrier, etc if the check in staff want to peer into the bag. Also not too hard to carry a roll of bubblewrap on a bike.
Re the taking more off your card at a later date, no, they didn't need any acceptance or authorisation. This is common practice with hire cars, hotels, etc. I was initially surprised that it was much cheaper than expected, but about right on correction.
They clearly state that it is made in China. I don't remember seeing that when I nearly bought one a couple of years ago, so maybe that is new. Obviously no reason why a UK company couldn't source such a bag. It would probably be a bit cheaper.
I rarely rely on getting anything at an airport and certainly not something important. Most airports have cleaners constantly patrolling the bins, etc, so any dumped cardboard is not likely to last long. Also you can't wander round the nether regions of the airport with your bike and that raises the problem of what to do with your bike while searching (if solo).
Apart from the plastic waste, I like the idea of bubblewrap. Not only would it protect the bike, but also is a very visible protection, cover, barrier, etc if the check in staff want to peer into the bag. Also not too hard to carry a roll of bubblewrap on a bike.
Re the taking more off your card at a later date, no, they didn't need any acceptance or authorisation. This is common practice with hire cars, hotels, etc. I was initially surprised that it was much cheaper than expected, but about right on correction.
Re: Bike bag light enough and small enough to carry on tour.
There are a few other easy precautions you can take. I'm just packing my bike to fly, and have chopped down some old aluminium pipe that is held in by the qrs for example
Supporter of the A10 corridor cycling campaign serving Royston to Cambridge http://a10corridorcycle.com. Never knew gardening secateurs were an essential part of the on bike tool kit until I took up campaigning.....