Dakine bike bag

[stuart@nsmb.com]

It's big, it's padded, and it transports your ride. It's the Dakine bike bag (http://www.nsmb.com/gear/bike_bag_02_07.php). Enjoy.

[the Master Plan Dan]

I have an 2004 Shore and she arrived safe and sound back in Ontario. I was great and I felt all super cool with it in the airport. Tons of people asked what I was carrying.

Note: If you fly WestJet... the additional bag costs you nothing because they deem it "sporting equipment!"

Enjoy the bag! The only negative is that when you are not using it... it is hard to fit it in with the living decor!

Cheers!

Dan

[Ozibatla]

Im gunna need one of them for goin home, my stupid eyes didnt peruse across the price in that article although I suspect it was probably there. So how much is that big bugga?

[the Master Plan Dan]

Somewhere in the vicinity of $300.00 I think!

If you travel a lot, it is totally worth it!

Dan

[stuart@nsmb.com]

Cost is $350 to $400, but you could probably get it cheaper online.

[Dude]

Dan,

How big a bike do you immagine will fit in this?

I'll need one...last year went to France, and avoided bringing my own bike, but had I known this existed, could have brought my Slayer (as it was, had to "hire" an Orange). We'll be heading to Bali this year, so want to take my ride.

[stuart@nsmb.com]

Friend of mine put a medium Knolly V-tach with 888s in hers...

[the Master Plan Dan]

It will fit and big bike. I mean you are going to have to take it apart, wheels, pedals, and handlebar.

The thing with this bag is it was designed to fit triple crowns and big bikes, the hard cases don't fit these.

Plus I also recommend that you stuff your armor and your other biking gear in there to cushion the bike. I mean we know that baggage handlers are so careful with luggage... but just for added insurance.

Bali eh?... I know that I can fit in one... want a third wheel?!??!

HA!

Dan

[nouseforaname]

So at $350 - $400 with a hole in it after not too many adventures, how is it better than a "hard case" which can be easily had in Canada walking into your LBS for under $500? And probably even less "online".

[smoochy]

So at $350 - $400 with a hole in it after not too many adventures, how is it better than a "hard case" which can be easily had in Canada walking into your LBS for under $500? And probably even less "online".

weight
mass
poundage
kilograms
heaviness
lifting ability

oh yeah, that scuff/hole has not increased in size since the picture was taken - and it's been used several times since.

and another thing - the softness of the case probably saves the exterior from worse damage becuase of the "bend before you break" principle. i've heard from other users that hard cases can pop buckles and straps because they lack this ability. reciprocally, my little cordura-only, no frame super-sac has never suffered any harm after two years. pick your poison.

[Mountain Dewd]

Ive had one for awhile, its pretty sweet except it weighs to much, ive heard the next gen one is lighter. Basically you get the shaft at most airlines cause of the weight.

When i was flying home from van actually this summer it weighed in at 115lbs. fortunetly they didnt check the weight at the counter i was at and i go through without moving stuff around.

30pound bag plus 45 pound bike is bad, specially if oyu want to pack gear and tools and spare parts in, your screwed.

[nouseforaname]

weight
mass
poundage
kilograms
heaviness
lifting ability


I'm, not a user of either hardcase or dakine style. Strictly cardboard boxes for all of my trans atlantic wanderings. But this guy seems to have used one.

Ive had one for awhile, its pretty sweet except it weighs to much, ive heard the next gen one is lighter. Basically you get the shaft at most airlines cause of the weight.

When i was flying home from van actually this summer it weighed in at 115lbs. fortunetly they didnt check the weight at the counter i was at and i go through without moving stuff around.

30pound bag plus 45 pound bike is bad, specially if oyu want to pack gear and tools and spare parts in, your screwed.

The weight limit (to be carried AT ALL) is something like 85lbs?

P.S nice ninja edit skills :-)

[smoochy]

cardboard is fine, but rural USA doesn't carry them stock! and wheels are a nice addition.

[jamie-ee]

I have had one of these for the past year and here are a few notes if you buy one:

- I have a Transition Gran Mal DH bike in size large. In order to fit the bike you have to pull pedals, wheels, bars, rear derailer etc (obviously). What I have do to to fit the fork is slide the stantions up into the crowns to lower the stem heigth. I have to do this regardless of if I have my 888's or Dorado forks on the bike. Not a big deal

- It is VERY tempting to load the bag up like crazy with tools, extra parts, riding gear, shoes, ect. If your flying Air Canada they have a 70 pound
weigth limit. Sounds like alot but whith my DH bike and the bags weigth (about 12-15 pounds) you come close to 65-70 pounds with nothing extra in the bag.

I got caught once flying out of Toronto and the bag weigthed in at 85 pounds. I was informed..its going cargo...and you have to take it to Cargo.....on the other side of the airport. I had to repack the bags to even out the weigth. Pedals, tools, and seat/post with my cloths, let all the air out of my tires etc. to get it under 70

- It will cost you extra to check any bike bag AC is $50 Canadian, some are higher like US Airways which is $80 us......you pay that each way

- The bag guareented will get you alot of questions and comments at the airport

A few i have had:

that is the biggest bag i have ever seen.....I dont think I own enough cloths that would fill it.....

The most common question: What's in that bag.

Thats where the fun starts, but be carefull as comments can get you kicked off the plane if you scare some one (like "its a hang glider in case the plane blows up)

My fun comments have been:

Its a massage table...i'm going to the massage world championships in vancouver

Its a pool table, I take it every where

Its a minature trampoline...i work in a circus

Its a self erecting house for one


- Is it worth $400..... Yes it is. On my trips to BC in 2005 over $600 in damage was done to the bike (brake cables, routers, spokes, bent rear triangle, broken/bend derailer hangers ect) The Airline makes you sign a relese for saying "sorry we are not rsponsible for any thing that happens to your bike" if you dont sign....it doesnt go


Damage 2006.....NADA

[expert james]

I have had one of these for the past year and here are a few notes if you buy one:

- I have a Transition Gran Mal DH bike in size large. In order to fit the bike you have to pull pedals, wheels, bars, rear derailer etc (obviously). What I have do to to fit the fork is slide the stantions up into the crowns to lower the stem heigth. I have to do this regardless of if I have my 888's or Dorado forks on the bike. Not a big deal

- It is VERY tempting to load the bag up like crazy with tools, extra parts, riding gear, shoes, ect. If your flying Air Canada they have a 70 pound
weigth limit. Sounds like alot but whith my DH bike and the bags weigth (about 12-15 pounds) you come close to 65-70 pounds with nothing extra in the bag.

I got caught once flying out of Toronto and the bag weigthed in at 85 pounds. I was informed..its going cargo...and you have to take it to Cargo.....on the other side of the airport. I had to repack the bags to even out the weigth. Pedals, tools, and seat/post with my cloths, let all the air out of my tires etc. to get it under 70

- It will cost you extra to check any bike bag AC is $50 Canadian, some are higher like US Airways which is $80 us......you pay that each way

- The bag guareented will get you alot of questions and comments at the airport

A few i have had:

that is the biggest bag i have ever seen.....I dont think I own enough cloths that would fill it.....

The most common question: What's in that bag.

Thats where the fun starts, but be carefull as comments can get you kicked off the plane if you scare some one (like "its a hang glider in case the plane blows up)

My fun comments have been:

Its a massage table...i'm going to the massage world championships in vancouver

Its a pool table, I take it every where

Its a minature trampoline...i work in a circus

Its a self erecting house for one


- Is it worth $400..... Yes it is. On my trips to BC in 2005 over $600 in damage was done to the bike (brake cables, routers, spokes, bent rear triangle, broken/bend derailer hangers ect) The Airline makes you sign a relese for saying "sorry we are not rsponsible for any thing that happens to your bike" if you dont sign....it doesnt go


Damage 2006.....NADA

[the Master Plan Dan]

The most common question: What's in that bag.

Thats where the fun starts, but be carefull as comments can get you kicked off the plane if you scare some one (like "its a hang glider in case the plane blows up)



Yeah I was equally careful when answering... because "they" are watching (looking over shoulder!)

Most were just amazed that I would take the time to pack up my bike in such nice luggage!

The bag is worth it... bar none!

Way to go Dakine!

Dan

[Splan]

I have one as well. It served me very well the one trip I've used it for so far.

I rammed a Giant DH, with a Boxxer in there. Filled in the gaps with full body armor including a full face, riding shoes, large riding pack, spare parts, bike clothes, and a few tools. Pretty much everything I needed for a week of biking in one case. It weighed well over 100lbs.

I took it all the way to Switzerland and back (with two transfers) and all I had to pay was $80 for both ways. Not too bad considering the weight and size of the beast. The wheels and retractable handle definitely came in handy.

[gregzore]

This bag is really great. It got my Large Yeti ASX through planes and trains from Seattle to northern Sweden without any problems. My disassembly was about the same as the guy with the Gran Mal (handlebar, pedals, rear deraileur and sliding the fork up the stanchions). The lady at the airport did warn me that if it wasn't actually a bike it would cost me $400 for the extra weight (it weighed in at 45 kilos) but the bike rate was 100 euros which seems pretty reasonable for the equivalent of a small person in weight.

The only problem is that it is so easy to load it up with everything, and even though it has great wheels and an excellent handle, maneuvering through train stations with such a huge piece of luggage can be just a little difficult and often a little demoralizing as well. This is especially true if you have a pair of skis and boots as well as two backpacks full of clothes as I did. I recommend finding the elevators. All in all, an excellent bag and the only thing that fits a size large freeride bike (I looked at all of them before getting the DaKine).

[Dude]

Sounds good. Will be putting an order in soon.

[ESHER SHORE]

still not sure...only fly once a year?

found the cardboard "hybrid" bike (700c wheel) box perfect for big freeride bikes (Devinci Ollie last time)

bike took no damage on last visit to Whistler from UK, and about 1/5th of the weight of the Da Kine bike bag when i checked it out

bike bag looks pretty though, and match my Apex and Split Roller bags!

[Dude]

Once or twice a year adds up over time, especially if in your travels you need to lug this around a lot.

Had I had this bag, I would have brought the bike w/ me to Europe last year, no problem.

Even as I think about the spots over the past 3 years where the bike would be handy:

Maui (had to rent a DH Bike)
French Alps (bike "hire)
Hualtulco, Mexico (unreal mountain ranges and trails there for the finding)

That alone makes it worthwhile. Plus, this year to Bali...should come in handy.

[expert james]

I forgot to mention that to fit my large DH bike i also have to remove the rear shock so I can compress the frame to make it shorter.

[Mic]

Master Plan Dan, thanx for the nice read. Maybe I should use that one for my teenagers when we are dealing with short stories and poetry....:)

If i should ever be in the position to have money, i am going to get one of these. considering some posts here...these babies seem to rock. and i am not in favor of cardboard things. not enough "safety" imo. anyways, thanx again and good to read that they take big bikes with triples. :)

[gregzore]

One thing (a huge downside) that I forgot to add in my post is that when I got the bag last year, it was on backorder. I had to wait a couple months before it came in. I am not sure if DaKine underestimated the popularity of the bag or not, but if you want to get one, I recommend talking to your local bike shop well in advance.

[Spaz]

... let all the air out of my tires ...

Great post but this gave me a bit of a giggle. Letting the air out of tires will do zero to bring the weight down. Sorry, couldn't resist :lol:

[smoochy]

Great post but this gave me a bit of a giggle. Letting the air out of tires will do zero to bring the weight down. Sorry, couldn't resist :lol:

nope, nothing for weight, but it's gotta be done for the volume. even then big bike tires are a bastard to fit in.

PS - glad you liked the article Mic - ahem, authored by moi, not Dan.

[the Master Plan Dan]

PS - glad you liked the article Mic - ahem, authored by moi, not Dan.

Yeah I was a mere character in this poetic master piece! Max is the great author!

If I wrote it, probably would have sounded a bit more like...

Hi.... I like bikes! Oh and the Dakine Bike Bag!

Thanks!

Dan

[Slyfink]

Are weight and volume truly the biggest difference between a hard case and the DaKine case?

Other reviewers out there have an opinion?

I've got an Enduro and an A-Line and will be doing trips with both (but not at the same time). I had a hard time fitting my Enduro in a hard case last year, and was worried a hard case simply wouldn't fit the A-Line in.... Is the Dakine a viable solution?

thanks for the input,

Sly

[Nobody]

I've taken bikes through Malaysia, New Zealand and now Switzerland and I still use a standard cardboard bike box. They're cheap (free!), strong enough for a one way trip (I usually reenforce them with more cardboard) and you can fit more than enough stuff in them. I don't see the point of paying that kind of money for a bike bag. If you pack the box well enough you're bike won't get damaged. For example, I usually wrap all the tubes in cardboard and pack the box with clothes.

You mention in the beginning of your article that you were sick of the carrier fees implying that the Dakine bag does away with them but then you fail to explain. As far as I've experienced, an extra bag or box is just that, and you usually have to pay extra for it, whether it's cardboard or canvas.

When I moved to Switzerland I took my road bike and my Torrent, both in separate cardboard boxes. In total I had 120 kgs and Air Canada charged me $350 on top of my ticket for that. All I did was re-enforce the box handles with extra cardboard so they wouldn't rip. Upon arrival the boxes were in perfect shape.

When I flew to Malaysia I tried fixing small wheels to a bike box to make it easier to move around, but they quickly broke off and I just used my skateboard instead.

So I see two benefits to this bag: the wheels and ease of packing. But for me, that's not really worth the money. I'll stick to the free cardboard boxes.