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Review Really Big Bike Bag

poi

Warming-Up
Sep 2, 2019
11
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Based on advice gained in my other thread,I am thinking of getting a regular full size bike and simply removing the front wheel and bagging it for train travel.However it seems difficult to find a bike bag big enough to easily contain a regular bike frame.Can anyone suggest an exceptionally large bike bag?
 
MontBell "Quick Carry" bags come in M and L sizes. The L size seems really big - I bought one once, by mistake, and it was preposterously floppy on my 51 cm road bike(s). If you go to a MontBell store on a quiet day, they might let you try it on for size.
 
Thanks.I would love to have the problem of a bag that is too big.For me it has always been the reverse.
 
What size is your frame? I have a 52cm frame and had no problems with the Tioga bag sold on Amazon.jp for 3,888 yen. You have to take the front tire off and strap it to the top tube, seat post and one of the rear dropouts with the included straps but I think that is pretty standard. The only thing that sticks out is the seat and I just wrap that with a plastic grocery bag.
 
What size is your frame? I have a 52cm frame and had no problems with the Tioga bag sold on Amazon.jp for 3,888 yen. You have to take the front tire off and strap it to the top tube, seat post and one of the rear dropouts with the included straps but I think that is pretty standard. The only thing that sticks out is the seat and I just wrap that with a plastic grocery bag.
Actually I had a carry rack over the rear wheel of my Dahon Espresso which made it difficult to fit in any bike bag.I have not yet decided on what to replace this bike with.I really prefer to have panniers because I don't like a backpack on long rides.
 
I really prefer to have panniers

In that case, MontBell "Quick Carry" L is the way to go. It goes on over the top of the bike like a poncho. Same with the Giant Super Light bike bag XL, but it's sized like the MontBell M.

Ostrich has some massive heavy bags, but afaik, they're all zipper type.
 
The Tioga Cocoon with a stretchy section to go over the saddle was really good and I was able to get my 60cm Trek Emonda in the bag most of the time first time.

I've realised how important a good bike bag is and how many new cycling options it opens up. A few friends were using hand made Fairmean bike bags but the price put me off for the longest time. After struggling with bulky, badly designed bags I did myself a favour and forked out for a Fairmean.

Jules was awesome, and the bag was super easy to put on and only weighed 155gm I think. I had some problems with measurements for my weirdly sized Fairdale with the flared handlebars so Jules is remaking for my gravel bike. It should arrive soon so I will give an update.
 
I have long used a poncho style bag but I am always a bit concerned that some JR employee will say it does not meet JR requirements since it is open on the bottom.It certainly is easiest to put on and take off.
I'm thinking to buy the Tern Carryon Cover bag to go with whichever Tern Verge I'll shortly buy. That is also a 'poncho' design with a draw string to cinch it around the bottom of the package. That design is also arguably not 100% JR compliant, but seems pretty good. Can anyone comment with any actual experience of JR staff in this respect?

 
Can anyone comment with any actual experience of JR staff in this respect?
JR Shikoku staff have been unabashed fanatics for the "must be completely covered" rule, every time I've been. Covering my protruding saddle with a piece of paper - a page from one of their tourism brochures - made everything fine. (It's a kind of origami magic.)

Never had any other problems on JR in 15 years of rinkō travel.

A few years ago, an Odakyū station attendant tried to give me a hard time. I threatened to take off my sweaty jersey and wrap it over the saddle. He backed down at the prospect.
 
What Giant sells (or anyway was selling a few months ago) as quote 輪行バッグ SUPER LIGHT BIKE BAG XL 631300008 unquote is very similar to the oft-recommended MontBell "bag". (Like the MontBell, it's only a cover.) It seems pretty durable: I've used it dozens of times and I don't see signs of wear. It came with absurdly many straps, of poor design. It cost 3800 yen (maybe including tax, maybe not, I forget), from the Futako-tamagawa branch of Giant. I splurged 500 yen or so on three good straps at Ishii Sports and the total is still cheaper than the MontBell. The bike I've used it with has a level top tube and a seat tube of 60 cm; I don't attempt to get the saddle or saddle-bag under the cover -- and don't want to, as I hold the covered bike by its saddle -- but I have no trouble whatever getting the rest inside. If I'm worried about complaints about the uncovered saddle, I carry a rejibukuro [What's this in English?] in my pocket.
 
JR Shikoku staff have been unabashed fanatics for the "must be completely covered" rule, every time I've been. Covering my protruding saddle with a piece of paper - a page from one of their tourism brochures - made everything fine. (It's a kind of origami magic.)

Never had any other problems on JR in 15 years of rinkō travel.

A few years ago, an Odakyū station attendant tried to give me a hard time. I threatened to take off my sweaty jersey and wrap it over the saddle. He backed down at the prospect.
This is good info, thanks Mike. So can we conclude that the drawstring bottom (as illustrated in the Tern video, linked above) is likely to be acceptable, even though it is strictly not entirely JR compliant?

And secondly, was this subject maybe worth a thread of it's own somewhere ? I'd suppose it's of interest to others likewise.
 
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drawstring bottom
That feature has never been an issue. Only the seatpost/saddle poking out of the top has caused the brows to furrow.
was this subject maybe worth a thread of it's own somewhere?
This was it, wasn't it? Although there was this a while back.

Five of us (count the naughty saddles) about to smuggle our bikes in non-compliant bags through the gate at JR Kōchi in 2016...

20160504-162722-GW-Shikoku-Akira.JPG
 
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In general I've found that if the bag is mostly covered up, and specifically the 'dirty bits' are covered you'll be ok the vast majority of the time. It really depends on whoever sees you in the station and their understanding of the rule. I mostly use a tube-shaped bag that doesn't reach far enough forward to enclose the handlebars and front fork. This has never been an issue except for one time at the shinkansen station in Shinagawa where a JR employee absolutely would not let me on the train with the front exposed. Thankfully he ran into the office to bring out some trash bags and tape with which we covered front to his satisfaction and we were on our way.

I believe that the rule is designed so that grease and grime from bikes is not rubbing off on the train and other passengers or their bags. However, I don't know if the reasons behind the rule are adequately explained and in addition I don't think that JR employees are empowered to make judgement calls about what they should allow on the train or not. So whatever bag you use, if the bike is not completely enclosed and sealed up, you run a risk, however small, of encountering someone who's only interested in applying the letter of the law. But then adhering to the letter of the law can also work in your favor, as in Mike's situation using the travel flier to cover the seat.
 
In general I've found that if the bag is mostly covered up, and specifically the 'dirty bits' are covered you'll be ok the vast majority of the time. It really depends on whoever sees you in the station and their understanding of the rule. I mostly use a tube-shaped bag that doesn't reach far enough forward to enclose the handlebars and front fork. This has never been an issue except for one time at the shinkansen station in Shinagawa where a JR employee absolutely would not let me on the train with the front exposed. Thankfully he ran into the office to bring out some trash bags and tape with which we covered front to his satisfaction and we were on our way.

I believe that the rule is designed so that grease and grime from bikes is not rubbing off on the train and other passengers or their bags. However, I don't know if the reasons behind the rule are adequately explained and in addition I don't think that JR employees are empowered to make judgement calls about what they should allow on the train or not. So whatever bag you use, if the bike is not completely enclosed and sealed up, you run a risk, however small, of encountering someone who's only interested in applying the letter of the law. But then adhering to the letter of the law can also work in your favor, as in Mike's situation using the travel flier to cover the seat.
Good post, thank you. I guess the issue with the Tern Carryon Cover (link to video above) is whether it's enough to cinch the bottom of a bag to fully enclose but not entirely seal the package. I think you're right that the JR rules are (quite rightly) about courtesy and protection for other passengers, and the poncho-bag-with-cinch-cord solution is going to meet that requirement very well. The only challenge would be if the bike were wet, because water would tend to drain out of the bottom, and so whether the most vigilant staff stopped you or not, you'd be inconveniencing other passengers to some degree. I'd think that'd also be manageable with a lightweight towel to wipe down and plug the hole, so on the whole the Tern bag seems like it would be a fine solution.
 
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