Travel cases for e-bikes

[bike advocate]

I just purchased an R&M Supercharger and I'd love to figure out how I can pack it up and travel on an airplane with it. It's built on a mountain bike frame and has wide, 650 tires. Is anyone familiar with bike travel case brands that may have a case that will work for this e-bike?

 

[6zfshdb]

Before you buy an expensive shipping crate, be aware that most e-bike batteries exceed the 160 watt hour lithium battery limit imposed by the FAA. You can fly with your bike but you'll have to ship the battery separately.

https://www.wideopenmountainbike.com/2018/08/can-i-take-my-electric-bike-ebike-or-emtb-on-a-plane

See this post for more information:

https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/flying-with-lithium-batteries.24784/

 

[bike advocate]

Thanks for the link to this article! Good to understand the limitation on batteries. Sounds like the solution is to ship them separately, but how come I just can't put them in my suit case? Still looking for travel case options.

 

[6zfshdb]

Thanks for the link to this article! Good to understand the limitation on batteries. Sounds like the solution is to ship them separately, but how come I just can't put them in my suit case? Still looking for travel case options.

The FAA limit for carrying a lithium battery on a plane is 160 watt hours. Most ebike batteries are 500 wh or more. The TSA security check will spot it if you try and put it in your carry on bag. The same may happen if you put one in your checked luggage.

 

[owenwatts]

Someone, please suggest me any website or supplier to buy Travel cases for e-bikes, Actually, I have a shop in Dubai and I need this. I'm currently in USA Chicago and need a reliable supplier. I have air freight supplier as well that help us in shipping.

 

[JRA]

Someone, please suggest me any website or supplier to buy Travel cases for e-bikes, Actually, I have a shop in Dubai and I need this. I'm currently in USA Chicago and need a reliable supplier. I have air freight supplier as well that help us in shipping.

eBikes aren't that much bigger physically, if at all, than regular bicycles so any of the known travel case manufacturers should work given that the one selected is for the type of regular bike most closely resembling it? The problem as mentioned are the batteries themselves due to HazMat shipping restrictions. If your air freight supplier has no restrictions then just go with a quality case such as one found here: https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a27334144/bike-travel-cases/

 

[bike advocate]

JRA. Thanks for the link to the bike cases! Nice selection. I've done some additional research and it looks like the best way to travel with an e-bike is to ship it ahead using one of the shippers that specialize in shipping bicycles. So far I've found www.bikeflights.com and www.shipbikes.com. Both of these websites have information that is specific to shipping e-bikes.

I'm thinking that I could call ahead to a local e-bike shop close to my destination and work out an arrangement to have my e-bike shipped to their shop. Has anyone had experience with this approach?

 

[JRA]

It is not the destination that is the problem it is getting the bike accepted by a shipping agent at the point of origin.

There is an online course for $200 that will provide the paperwork necessary to send to BikeFlights or Shipbikes that will clear them of the legality of shipping an eBike that is packaged by the person certified that also provides the correct labeling outside the box/case.

Probably more than the casual "I want to take my eBike on vacation this summer" person wants to get involved with but if I was any bike shop dealing with eBikes I would pay the $200 and take the course as you could make that back in only a few instances for customers. Also if you want to do some online sales.

The only thing that is not clear to me is if a certification is good for a round trip which is what the typical vacation shipping would entail.