I examined the B&W Worldwide Bike Field II on my annual winter-busting pilgrimage to Mallorca, packing up my Fairlight Strael for a short-haul flight from Bristol. I’ve travelled an important take care of my bike throughout Europe and infrequently even additional afield during the last decade, often wrapped up in my trusty Evoc Journey Bike Bag or cardboard bike containers. I’ve been very intrigued to see how a hardshell bike field may examine when it comes to safety (primary concern) and ease of dealing with (often the primary trouble).
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Safely arrived on vacation trying kind of pretty much as good as new. (Picture credit score: Katherine Moore)
The wheels want a socket set to put in, however they do make it fantastically manoeuvrable (Picture credit score: Katherine Moore)
The handles are respectable, however it might do with a number of extra to help lifting. (Picture credit score: Katherine Moore)
The big central ratchet strap retains the entire thing collectively. (Picture credit score: Katherine Moore)
Design and aesthetics
The B&W Worldwide Bike Field II is a two-part composite shell that’s held collectively by a sequence of 5 webbing straps and transported on a set of 4 wheels. There are two smaller wheels on the entrance that spin by 360 levels, and two bigger mounted route wheels on the rear. There are 4 padded strap handles, two on the entrance (high and backside straps) plus two at reverse high corners on the edges of the field.
Moderately than hinge within the center just like the Bike Box Alan , the 2 sides of the arduous case come fully aside, so you could lay the field down on its facet to pack and unpack. Unhinge the central ratchet strap and 4 nook straps, secured by hook and loop closures, to separate the 2 halves of the arduous shell.
Internally, three layers of froth are provided, that are lower to the trapezoid form of the field. A rear derailleur pouch can be provided, manufactured from cordura cloth, plus one other strap, two tubular body protectors, two foam spacer blocks, two cloth wheel luggage, a foam block for the chainring and a set of ‘distance keepers’. Three webbing straps are connected to the within too, which clip to lock the body into place towards one half of the shell. A small mixture padlock can be provided.
The arduous exterior shell of the field is produced from ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), a completely recyclable polymer which is famous for its energy and influence resistance. The entire system weighs in at 10.6kg.
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My smaller body slot in simply, however something over a 58 highway body may wrestle, particularly with built-in cockpits. (Picture credit score: Katherine Moore)
As soon as the bike body is safely packed, the wheels sit on high in separate wheel luggage. (Picture credit score: Katherine Moore)
Preliminary setup took about an hour to affix the 4 wheels and correctly learn by the directions and become familiar with the field and how you can pack it. A part of that hour was spent discovering a socket set to be able to safe a number of the wheel bracket bolts, whereas the opposite screws solely required a crosshead screwdriver. Not an issue in case you have a well-stocked workshop, however one which took me unexpectedly a little bit.
Packing the bike is like making a membership sandwich. You begin by laying the underside a part of the case on the bottom, simply recognized because the half which bears all of the exterior and inner straps. Then you definately add your first slice of bread – a layer of froth, earlier than including within the bike body, a center layer of froth, then the 2 wheel luggage and remaining layer of froth earlier than the highest a part of the case is slotted on high.
The bike body is secured utilizing two diagonal straps and a high strap which secures the highest tube. The froth block is a straightforward however useful addition to guard the chainring from the underside of the field. You do must disassemble the cockpit to be able to match into the field, which can be extra of a difficulty for riders with built-in cockpits (who could want a design just like the Scicon AeroComfort 3.0 ). Foam blocks provided make attaching the bars to the body straightforward, whereas the rear derailleur pouch was easy to wrap across the chainstay and securely bundle the indifferent derailleur into.
I didn’t must take away my seatpost from my measurement 51R body (one of many uncommon benefits of being vertically challenged), however bigger sizes would wish to. The field itself seems to be small, so I needed to check whether or not bigger bikes would match too. My husband’s 58cm body nearly slot in, however I’d not be so positive about bigger body sizes. Definitely, you’d want bigger wheel luggage for packing a mountain bike, and with the slackening and lengthening of recent MTB design, I’d be hesitant to suggest the field when you had been planning on utilizing it for travelling with mountain bikes in addition to highway or gravel bikes.
As soon as my bike body was secured in place, there was then a little bit area so as to add small luggage of equipment and clothes, which meant that I didn’t must pay for maintain baggage for the flight. This can be a little bit of shady territory – most airways say that you simply shouldn’t pack something however the bike in your bike field or bag – however I’ve by no means been picked up on it. Even with all of that equipment, my bike field nonetheless weighed in at 27kg, considerably underneath the 32kg easyJet weight restrict.
To safe the field, the 2 halves of the case interlock and are secured by 4 Velcro straps on the corners and the central ratcheting strap. That is the difficult bit, when the bike-and-wheels foam sandwich inside is pushing the 2 shell halves aside whilst you’re making an attempt to interlock the 2 halves along with the switching exterior lip at every strap junction. With a little bit of jostling, a number of alternative phrases and a few persistence, I lastly obtained the cling of it. I’m positive that this interlocking design makes the case a lot stronger, however it did imply that after the bag was packed, I used to be very immune to opening it again up so as to add any final minute gadgets.
Heading to the airport, the B&W Worldwide Bike Field II’s unbelievable maneuverability got here to the fore; simply wheeling alongside the bottom both with a hand on the highest of the field or on the entrance padded deal with. No must carry half the bag off the bottom or wrestle with a cumbersome, fragile cardboard field. My one remark so as to add can be in regards to the variety of handles – a number of extra can be actually useful, particularly in terms of lifting the field out and in of automobiles or onto the particular baggage belt on the airport.
The field can be a great measurement for becoming behind a smaller rent automobile. No must max out on an SUV not like bigger containers such because the Bike Field Alan. As well as, that additionally means much less storage or shed area in terms of storing the field at residence.
Lastly, however most significantly, my bike was completely unscathed by each legs of journey, which in fact is the last word purpose. I’ve been impressed by the energy of the plastic field, which solely reveals a number of minor scuffs from airport dealing with. My gentle Evoc bike bag, then again, reveals the battlescars of years of journey, scrapes, materials tears and all. With such a great total expertise with the B&W Worldwide Bike Field II, I concern it’s time to retire the Evoc.
With a tough case this good for this worth I feel it is time to retire the gentle bag. (Picture credit score: Katherine Moore)
Worth
The B&W Worldwide Bike Field II is priced at an identical worth level to different bike journey gentle circumstances such because the Evoc Journey Bike Bag, however is among the many least expensive stable containers, providing unbelievable worth for the extent of safety and maneuverability supplied.
Verdict
The B&W Worldwide Bike Field II is a wonderful alternative when you journey solely with a highway or gravel bike, and are in search of nice safety and peace of thoughts. The field is much less prone to be appropriate for the most important body sizes and mountain bikes, riders which might be much less eager to disassemble built-in cockpits or those that find yourself needing to throw in a number of further fine details at check-in.
Securing the field is a little bit of a faff and it might do with one or two further handles to make it tip high, however in any other case this actually is a unbelievable stable bike field choice and a great worth, and one I’d be comfortable to suggest and use once more.
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Testing scorecard and notes
Attributes
Notes
Score
Packing expertise
Some primary bike disassembly required however closing the 2 field halves collectively may be fiddly
7/10
Rollability
Implausible maneuverability with one hand on easy flooring and outdoors surfaces alike
10/10
Bike safety
High-tier bike safety with no injury and minimal scuffs to field exterior
10/10
Weight
Mid-weight development means there’s loads of airline weight allowance to pack bike plus equipment and clothes
9/10
Worth
Retail worth gives good worth, at an identical or lower cost than different stable bike containers
9/10
Total
Row 5 – Cell 1 90%
