Choosing your bike cover

The online magazine I Love Bicyclette has just published a very interesting article on how to choose a bicycle cover. It helps to see things more clearly and make an informed choice from the plethora of bicycle protection options available, whether soft or hard covers: Article from "I Love Bicyclette" magazine, February 3, 2018: We've put a lot of work into this and are happy to present this guide entitled "How to Choose the Right Bike Cover" to help you navigate the enormous selection available online! We spent months testing and gathering a lot of information to be as clear and precise as possible, aiming to help and advise you objectively in this purchase. Based on these criteria, we've chosen an interesting brand to recommend to you on ILB! :-) To begin, you need to select a cover based on how you intend to use it:

lightweight transport case for bicycle (car/train)
bicycle transport case for airplanes
bicycle cover (for static storage in your garage/hotel/outdoors)

1 - SELECTION CRITERIA FOR LIGHTWEIGHT BICYCLE CASE

This bag must be: practical, lightweight, strong, well-balanced, high-quality, recyclable, compact before use, and easy to use. Let's review the essential criteria:

A - QUALITY OF MATERIALS "FREE PRODUCTS"

Warning: Many bike covers are made from materials that are not very durable or suitable for transporting a bicycle… and some even contain PVC, a material that is about to be completely banned in Europe because it is not recyclable! There's no point in buying a "disposable" cover after just one use. Choose covers made from PE600D or Nylon 400 or higher, with a washable lining such as recyclable TPE/TPU ! ( NO PVC or only PVC-FREE ) Hard, molded plastic versions do not meet the selection criteria for this category, and those offered are often misleading, with unsuitable dimensions (too small) and no real protection inside, or even made from materials that are not recyclable and are banned in more and more countries, so be careful!

B - ZIPPER QUALITY

Choose covers with double zippers Good quality: easier to open and close with the bike inside, a double zip also allows for a double closure option in case of a problem with one of the two!

C - PROTECTING THE DERAILLEUR REMAINS THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE

Almost all bicycle transport bags/covers require you to remove both wheels! It is imperative to secure the bike with a support that is positioned under the bike and extends up along the rear chainstays to protect your chainstays and derailleur ! Such a stand is very rarely sold with lightweight covers but you can find them as accessories for less than 19 euros on the internet.

D - COVER SIZES FOR MTB AND ROAD BIKES

Ensure the minimum dimensions: 125 cm minimum for MTB (130 cm for sizes L or XL) and 120 cm for road bikes on average. Below these sizes, only size S or BMX bikes (generally) are likely to fit, mainly due to the handlebars! For bike bags that meet the maximum dimensions allowed by SNCF (120/90) for train travel, you will most likely have to move or remove your handlebars, especially for a MTB ! https://www.sncf.com/fr/offres-voyageurs/voyager-en-toute-situation/velo-a-bord In any case, you can measure the length of your bike from the rear axle to the front axle if you're unsure, but also take into account the length of the handlebars when placed crosswise, which may extend beyond the vertical line of the front axle: if the shape is suitable, there's no problem; if it's a straight shape (rectangle), you'll have trouble closing the bag with the handlebars attached without removing them! Obviously, a bag that allows you to keep the rear wheel separate avoids all these problems and remains by far the best option for lightweight bags. Again, be sure to choose a bag with a shape suitable for accommodating the handlebars crosswise, if possible without removing them.

E - PROTECT YOUR FORK

Just like with the derailleur, protecting your fork is essential: a fork protector is all you need, which you can find in specialist shops or online. It helps maintain the spacing between the fork legs, thus preserving your disc brake adjustment, and also protects the rebound and/or compression damping settings. In short, don't miss out on this accessory for just a few euros!

F - WHEEL STORAGE

Here too, choosing the right cover is crucial : Only two options should guide your choice: - Dedicated pockets: You should have two dedicated pockets with reinforcement in the center to prevent damage to your bike. Each pocket should be positioned on one side of the cover for overall balance and maximum protection! Often, nothing is specified, and the bags only have a simple strip running the length of the bag (and only on one side!) to hold your wheels! The result: the wheels move around inside the cover and get damaged, potentially destroying your bike in the process!

- Independent wheel bag: It is essential that these bags have a central reinforcement. This allows them to be positioned correctly inside the bag. Of course, a bag with extra foam padding is even better. In all cases, pay attention to the dimensions of these pockets : as with independent bags, allow a minimum of 76 cm x 8 cm (width) to accommodate the largest 29-inch wheels.

G - LENGTH OF THE HANDLES AND BAG BALANCE

A detail that makes all the difference in practice. Bags often have handles that are too short, forcing you to carry them at elbow level. Make sure the handles have an opening between 30 and 35 cm!

H - SPEED AND EASE OF USE

Covers that protect the rear wheel are now highly recommended by users for this type of bag. Removing just the front wheel is simple and allows for easy, quick, and clean assembly/reassembly!

I - COVER STORAGE BAG

This storage bag, which initially contains the cover, should be used to store dirty clothes, shoes, etc. when the cover is in use: many "budget" covers are delivered in a cardboard box that is unusable after unpacking!

J - WHEELS OR NO WHEELS

After numerous tests and discussions with users and manufacturers, several things consistently emerge and should therefore be remembered:

Only offset wheels are recommended! Bags with wheels inside the bag are not stable and, even worse, "break your wrist," deteriorate too quickly (often poor quality on bags under €150), and ultimately render the bag unusable very quickly. Choose simplicity for this type of bag!
Completely useless for lightweight carrying cases! These wheels actually prevent folding and compressing this type of bag, which needs to be as compact as possible when not in use!
The "integrated" wheels on the width are often small, so the edge of the bag touches the ground and wears out prematurely, especially with the weight of the bike and the overly narrow angle used to roll it!

K - CONCLUSION

In summary, taking these selection criteria into account, we have chosen:

Scott Classic cover + seat stay support (not included) + fork protector (not included) - disassembly of both wheels!
Scicon Travel Plus MTB + seat stay support (not included) + fork protector (not included) - two wheels can be removed!

Our "ILB" pick for sale: BUDS ROADBag (for road and gravel) and MTBag for MTB , with their unique and innovative concept (rear wheel retained), each available in 3 models of different quality:

ROADBag Original and MTBag Original with two dedicated pockets
ROADBag Race / MTBag Race and ROADBag Pro / MTBag Pro with independent wheel cover + fork protector included!

Our "ILB" accessories selection:

Fork guard
guy wire support
Independent wheel covers BUDS Also available for sale, you won't find them anywhere else!

2 - SELECTION CRITERIA FOR LONG TRAVEL AIRLINE COVER/BAG FOR BICYCLES

All quality and dimension criteria are the same as for transport cases (with removal of the two wheels):

A minimum size of 130 cm x 85 cm is ideal for all body types.
Double ZIP
Fork, frame and seat stay protectors are mandatory.
Wheel protection in pockets or independent wheel covers: minimum 10 mm foam lining with mandatory central protection
Handlebar attachment system
Offset wheels (wider than the bag to maintain the balance of the loaded bag)

In this case, it is important to (re)discuss the other selection criteria:

A - RIGID OR SOFT SHELL

A good, high-end hard case is obviously the ultimate solution, provided it meets the above specifications. However, when all factors are considered, a soft case (nylon or 600D) can prove more practical and almost as protective if the bike is securely held inside!

Rigid base support in a rigid case: the fixed support that allows you to fix the axles is recommended in this case! Indeed, the bike does not move and remains protected by the case.
Rigid base support in a soft shell: it is obvious that in this case, if the bike is completely fixed with this support, it risks being subjected to lateral stress in a violent impact and therefore having serious problems (other than paint chips) with possible frame deformation or even tearing.

In this case, you should choose a cover WITHOUT this support to allow the bike to "live" at least inside, where it will be protected by the foam and the wheels on each side!

B - WITH OR WITHOUT WHEELS

With wheels: in this case, they absolutely must be offset to avoid straining your wrist and having to lift your bag every three meters. You'll most often end up with a bag that only folds partially, more or less, or not at all, and which, when not in use, often remains a real storage problem, especially in a hotel room or apartment.
Without wheels: a soft cover with protective foam is perfectly suitable. Based on experience in airports, we often use a trolley because we have to carry luggage in addition to the bike cover, so we just put the soft cover across it. Furthermore, this bike cover must be left in the "large items" area located near the check-in counters.

Important: Keep in mind that wheels will often be unusable in the field (stairs, rough outdoor terrain, etc.), so it's best to carry the cover! Therefore, a portable cover, even for air travel, can be the right solution as it's more versatile for your travels.

C - CONCLUSION

In summary, taking these selection criteria into account, we have chosen:

Evoc Travel Bag Pro

Our "ILB" pick for sale:

Buds ROLLBag, foldable travel bag for all types of bicycles

3 - SELECTION CRITERIA FOR BICYCLE COVER/BAG

In this case, we determined that it was preferable to opt for "full covers," meaning those that completely enclose the bike, rather than a simple top cover that doesn't prevent dust from getting in and infiltrating the very areas that need protection, such as the derailleur, chain, sprockets, and other bearings, not to mention the cables, etc. Therefore, choose covers that enclose the entire bike (no wheels removed) or a cover where you only remove the front wheel, like our choice of the " ROADBag Light " for road bikes or the " MTBag Light " for mountain bikes. MTB which also allows for carrying or suspension, in addition to being extremely compact when not in use, therefore easy to carry around :-)

We also considered the Evoc "Bike Cover," but while it's easy to install, it doesn't offer complete protection and comes at a relatively high price. Happy shopping!

The ROLLBag: the best airplane cover currently available at the best price.

The MTBag range: the best carrying cases for MTB of the moment at the best price.

The ROADBag range: the best road bike transport bags currently available at the best price.