Wheeling your whip up to the airport check-in counter seems more harrowing than any mountain pass. I feel less in control of my bike than at any other time in my cycling life. How much are they going to charge me? Did I pack securely enough? Will my ride arrive in one piece or fifty?
Of all the things that could go wrong, trusting my two-wheel to the Thule RoundTrip Pro 100501 does not seem to be one of them. Their new soft sided, airport-approved, wheel-equipped wonder bag seems to be just enough and not too much at the same time.
I recently put it to best kind of test during a trip from San Francisco to Italy and still can’t believe how smoothly the whole thing went. It was a breeze to pack up because Thule includes a mobile “repair stand,” which you use to take apart and reassemble the bike. The stand is not a place I would want to do anything but the most simple of tasks, but it came in super handy for a last minute derailleur adjustment. It packs nicely into the rest of the bag for transport and gets the job done.
Beyond the fact that the bag kept my ride safe, I also like it because it rolls up and can be stuffed into a corner of the garage when not in use. That’s a real asset for someone who loves bikes, biking, travel and travel biking, but has a limited amount of space.
Just remember, although the Thule worked flawlessly for me on my international trip, and even though those lovely baggage folks went through the bag like a pack of gorillas and got grease on things which were not intended to be lubed, this thing is not ready for the riggers of actual shipping via UPS or FedEx. So don’t try.
The Elements:
- Soft-sided bike case that gets your whip to where you are going with minimal hassle
- Everything is thought out, from how the zippers allow one side to flop open to how the legs of the repair stand help add strength to the sides of the bag
- Roll on up to the ticket counter and try your luck
