CTC bike bag - anyone have one?

[Stumpy]

We are flying off on our honeymoon cycling trip next Saturday, and were planning on packing our bikes up in the CTC bags for the flight. However, CTC apparently do not have any. Does any kind forum member have 2 (or even 1) that we could have or borrow in time. Alternatively, could you suggest or link to a good alternative we could use for this purpose? I haven't actually seen one of the bags, so I'm not 100% sure exactly what they look like. Many thanks.

[johnb]

Shops that sell beds and mattresses always have an amount of the clear plastic bags that mattresses come wrapped in. They are basically the same as the CTC bag.

[BeeKeeper]

Try a Garden Centre for heavy duty clear plastic on a roll. (The CTC bike bag is made out of the same stuff.) Be sure it is heavy duty, i.e. much thicker than the black plastic on a roll they will also sell. If it is 2m wide, which it probably will be, I would get a length equal to about 3 times the length of the bike, fold it in half and then tape up the bottom "join" so you end up with an envelope 2m high and 1.5 times the length of the bike, open along the top and at one end. Insert bike and then cut to length and seal the end and then the top, trimming off excess as required. 2" wide packing tape should be up to the job for the taping bit.

Prep tips: Cardboard is a useful thing for protecting the bag from the sharp sticky-out bits on the bike. You can chuck the carbboard when you arrive and hope you can forage some from airport bins for the return journey. Turn handle bars through 90 degrees and depending on brake levers, rotate the bar forward so the levers are protected. Reverse or remove the pedals and ideally remove the rear mech and strap to the frame with plastic ties.

Lessons from experience: It is likely the airline will ask you to deflate the tyres - do this before sealing the bag! Have tools to assemble bike readily to hand, e.g. in cabin baggage, except a the penkinfe to cut the ties of course and carry some disposable plastic/latex gloves so you don't get filthy assembling the rear mech when you arrive.

You will need spare tape for the return journey, a half used roll would be ideal unless you are sure you can buy some locally.

I have heard of people hiding their bike bags in bushes near airports but I folded mine up and stashed it in the bottom of a pannier. It does not take up much room if folded carfully.

[Paul-S]

Both of the above options will work.

Just a little note of caution on hand luggage, I had 3 Allen Keys and a Spanner confiscated last year at B-ham int, on the grounds that they could be used as a weapon. Not tour threatening but dull at the other end

Cheers,

Paul.

[Stumpy]

Many thanks for the responses folks. We will get creative and source ourselves a home-made CTC-style bag. Thanks for the useful tips too Beekeeper - I've only flown with a road bike in a dedicated bag in the past, and definitely want our shiny touring bikes to arrive in one piece

[trieste]

I got my CTC equivalent 1200x2050mm bike bag from

http://www.bikeadventures.co.uk/shop.html

[eileithyia]

Decathlon have bike covers, for dropping over a bike... we spread them on the floor, stood bikes on them and pulled them up over bikes and sealed up with gaffer tape... came in their own stuff sack so can be looped on to panniers at your destination ready for re-use.

[stevemb]

Wiggle had them recently at £7.99 each less discount but when I looked today they weren't there.
I managed to get 2 for my next trip so I know I wasn't imagining it!