I took my Brompton with me to a visit to Vietnam over the weekend. It was my folding bike's first international trip ever since I bought it in Taiwan late last year. I packed it in a Vincita B-132 Bike Bag.
I had no problems checking in the bike at the Cebu Pacific counter. They did not consider it as sports equipment and didn't charge me extra either. The bike, with the bag, weighed a total of 17 kgs (37.5 lbs). It was well within the 20-kilo check-in baggage weight limit I paid for (P500.00) when I bought my plane ticket last July.
The girl behind the counter didn't even ask me to deflate the tires (although I did). I just requested that a "Fragile" sticker be put on, and that was it. Left Brommie Skywalker there and boarded my flight to Vietnam!
The next day, Brommie Skywalker visited the Mekong Delta.
After the one day bike tour, I cleaned my bike and returned it in the Vincita bag. Mission accomplished!
I had no problems in our return trip to Manila. Again, no questions were asked at the check-in counter. I guess the bike drawing painted on the side of the bag gave it away. Like before, I requested for a "Fragile" sticker to be put on. And that was it!
When we arrived in NAIA Terminal 3, we waited for our bags to come out of the conveyor belt.
I think the Vincita B-132 Bike Bag performed very well in this trip. The foam padding provided enough protection to shield the bike from nicks and scratches. I like the fact that there was a handle/strap on the side of the bag, which I used to carry and fit the bike in the car trunk. And the skate wheels at the bottom were a life saver! Our car was parked at the end of the parking lot and I was glad I didn't have to carry the bike all the way there. I just pulled on the handle and the bag rolled with ease.
Nice work, Vincita! Thank you for protecting my bike in its first international trip!
Having said that, the B-132 Bag can still be improved. The most important one is to provide for a pocket where we can store the removable accessories of the bike. In my case, this includes the two hinge clamp assemblies, the rear LED light and the saddle rain cover.
Hey there - this is a really fun blog, I'm so glad I found it! I was wondering if you think the Vincita bag would fit on the back of a Brompton luggage rack. I am looking for a travel case that will allow me to bike to and from the airport, so it would have to be something that could fold down enough to lash to my bike's rear rack. What are your thoughts?
ReplyDeleteAgain, thanks for this great blog and keep up the good work!
Hi, AESchor! Thanks for the nice comments about my blog. The Vincita travel bag is kinda bulky. When empty, the top of the bag can be pushed down and collapsed since its just made of nylon and foam. So that should make it smaller. However the bottom is supported by a hard plastic shell that you cannot fold. You can probably secure it on your Brompton's rear rack with some bungy cords (that should do the trick), but it won't be the prettiest set-up. Still, at just around $60 it beats the Brompton B-Pod Hard Shell case in price.
ReplyDeleteHello.After reading your story with Vincita bag,I ordered 2 sets for my bikes,and I will order the brompton bikes ...later.Is true and funny,not?
ReplyDeleteThanck you for the informations.Please tell me if all air transport companyes charge for the brompton.I will buy this 2 bicyclets special for travelinc with airplane,