The BikeBox Alan Triathlon Aero Easyfit Bikebox is a safe, easy to store and brilliantly designed thing. The wide handlebar section means there’s no need to start disassembling your bike, but that extra bulk can cause some issues with car trunks and records.

We did this to test it around January 2020, but you can probably guess why this review was delayed …

Almost two years later, the world is going perfectly fine (conditions apply), so I was very happy to fly to the south of France for a week with a brand new Merida Scultura Team E. I know , I know; it’s still a bit of a chore, but please don’t feel sorry for me.

> Buy it online here

Team E wore the new Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 groupset, and with the price of the set easily reaching five digits, I thought some serious protection would be a good idea.

The Triathlon Aero Easyfit immediately has a significant advantage over other boxes, because it does not require you to remove your handlebars. It’s not only a good feature for those who are picky about position, it’s also nice not to struggle with a built-in front end – something we commonly see on road racing bikes these days. .

To put the 54cm Merida in the box, I had to remove the wheels and pedals. That was it. The wheels go into clearly labeled slots and are held by Velcro straps. I thought it would be a little shaky, but soon realized that the wheels were going nowhere.

Then you tilt the bars in the large space in the lower corner and secure the frame with even more Velcro straps. Once again, I was impressed with the firmness with which everything was held in place.

Foam cutouts separate the wheels from the frame to prevent scratches, and an anti-crush bar forms when the box is closed.

There’s plenty of space left for a spare kit, tools and even a crawler pump. You just need to wrap and wedge it all neatly. Your pedals can also be secured with dedicated straps, although I prefer to carry mine in hand luggage with my shoes on. It makes renting a bike a bit easier, if the airline misplaces yours. Your own ten big bike …

Rolling the box from the parking lot to the airport through check-in is a snap. Even the tight corners of the rat-in-a-maze queues were no problem thanks to the steerable wheels up front.

The only problem I see is with the width of the base. Where I was, the base did not fit on the weigh belt at check-in. It wasn’t a problem this time – my box weighed only 8kg – but I can envision a scenario where a jobworth becomes funny not being able to weigh it with perfect precision. And by jobsworth, I mean “person responsible for stopping your overweight plane diving into a field”.

Still, you can still flip it over and place it on the narrowest edge (the box, not the jobworth).

The wide base was also the cause of a slight (ish) denting of the box in a Peugeot rental car, but I’ll gladly blame the designer of the wavy Peugeot boot for this one. The box is closed with a number of clasps, and they can be locked in place with a small combination lock if you’re worried they’ll snap open.

On the other end, the lack of assembly means you can smash a beer, order a pizza / fire up the barbecue, and build your bike in minutes. Remember to use pad spacers if you have disc brakes.

At £ 610, the Aero Easyfit is a bit of an investment, but the ease of use and sturdiness make it a potentially very good bike, especially if you have a great value bike. The lack of damage from this theft suggests that it will also last for years.

> The things they never tell you about flying with your bike

If you don’t need to keep your front end assembled, you can save a bit of money with a standard £ 438 Alan BikeBox, while The Savage by Douchebags is very safe and easier to store due to the fact that ‘this is a bag. It’s now called The Djärv and, at £ 519, is actually £ 106 cheaper than it was when we reviewed it in 2019.

The most affordable option we’ve tested recently is the £ 380 Merlin Cycles Elite travel bike bag, although it gets a constant discount that brings it down to £ 199.

Conclusion

Fittingly, the Easyfit is one of the easiest bicycle flight cases I’ve had the pleasure of packing. Its design is a bit bulkier than the others, but the benefits of not having to disassemble the front of your bike are welcome. If you have the money and want an easy life, this is a great choice.

Verdict

Easy to pack and very secure, with the added bonus of fully assembled front swallow ends