Be prepared for your next cycling expedition with the Thule® Roundtrip Transition Bike Case. Designed with the traveling cyclist in mind, the Roundtrip Transition has an integrated work stand for your on-the-go bike maintenance needs. Its hard shell, ABS construction can stand up to rugged conditions. The Rountrip can accommodate bikes with up to 46” wheel base and its aluminum click rail ensures that your bike is secure during transport.
REVIEWS
21 Reviews
Keep Calm & Cycle On
I wanted a hard side case for maximum protection and for the most part it delivers. I do like that the pedals stay on and the bike is mounted to an internal removable frame. Makes getting the bike ready easy. Some downsides though: - Weight: it weighs a ton, so you will never be under the 50# line the airlines charge more at. - Handles: Chincy is being too nice. First flight a handle broke off, 2nd flight a handle broke off, 3rd flight a handle broke off, 4th flight a handle broke off..... see the trend? - Mobility: a 3rd swivel wheel up front would be nice. The two rear wheel design means you carry the thing through the airport. From baggage claim to our rental van in Amsterdam was almost a 2 kilometer walk.
Dave.from.Sheffield
Like most of the MTBs out there right now, my MTB is also a 29” model. Being aware of the size I did call previous to my order two online bike shops to find out if there are any restrictions using the bike case. To be fair, both couldn’t say with a certainty there wouldn’t be any problem. At the same time, none of them said they did hear any complaints from customers (which makes me wonder afterwards). I did also check the THULE product description and couldn’t find any important notes about the size. “Fits most road, mountain, and cyclocross bikes” implies to me 29” are included. I did order the bike and was looking forward to my trip. Few days before my trip I did start to pack up my bike. Everything went well till the final placement of the bike in the case (instruction video at 01:45). To my surprise I couldn’t click in the bike holder into the mount system on the bottom of the case entirely, because the length between the front and rear axis is too big to fit into the bike case (my bike is L size according to the manufacturer). I was very disappointed about this fact, since that was the main reason for me to buy this bike case, namely, the bike is fix in a box during a flight! I had already few bikes on flights and the constant vibrations can cause severe damages to bikes, especially when the frame has contact with other parts et cetera or is stored together with other shipment goods. Being aware of that I additionally used cardboard to fix the handlebar & protect the fork as well to separate the wheels (even packed in the bags). I did also tight up the chain to the frame with old shirts to avoid scratches on the frame. The “trick” was in the end to use the saddle as a stopper/blocker to the upside of the case within the case. I think, everyone who was on airplane did experience some heavy turbulences. Same happens to your bike, so I tried to avoid this with the saddle positioning. In the end my bike arrived well at the destination airport (at this point on a side note: many airlines exclude any responsibility for damages on sports equipment). No real damages on the bike inside. TL;DR I don’t recommend the bike case for 29” models, if you like your bike to be really fixed in the case.
zbikes
If making sure your bike has the best chance of survival with baggage handlers, this is the case for you. The case has ample space for my bikes (gravel and road) and breakdown and set up of your bike is easy with the included stand. With this case being in the market for as long as it has, there are plenty of helpful videos showing you exactly how to do this. I do have two issues with the case that hopefully will be addressed if there's a revised version planned. One being that the case only has two wheels and you must lift the case in order to roll it. Ideally there would be two additional wheels at the front of the case for easier movement through crowded airports. This would mean a redesign of the case, but this is a feature that would be most welcomed. Second the durability of the handles. The front handle receives a lot of use since it's used to lift the case for transporting. It is also the focal point for TSA and baggage handler abuse. Recently, the front handle was just ripped out of the case. This is not THULE's fault, but it does speak to the need to reinforce these handles better. Fortunately, THULE makes parts available and it's a quick fix, but having to pay for new handles (airlines "might" reimburse you for fixing the case, but do check with your carrier as sporting goods cases are not covered by regular damaged baggage rules) and moving the case through the airport without this critical handle is difficult since you need the front handle otherwise lift the case so you can roll the case. This issue is why I gave the case 4 instead of 5 stars.
CathyB
I bought this to bring my mountain bike to Costa Rica. At the airport we discovered that the handles were loose, upon arriving at Liberia, one of the handles came right off! Shortly after the top handle came off as well and the front lock broke off as well. The concept is great and protects the bike but the hardware is cheap and horrible. It would be great if they had proper hardware on this that can actually stay on the case. I am very disappointed with this product and do not recommend it and am hoping Thule will allow me to return this cheap product and get a refund...Do not purchase.
lakepowell23
My Specialized Epic 8 size large bike does not fit into this carrier and no returns are allowed. The size medium does fit and so I thought the large would also fit. Frustrating.
First trip with case and a strap holding the portable stand legs ripped off, and the top handle ripped off in transit. I bought this for a world wide trip so I've had to make alterations. Not what I expected in terms of durability.
JackBurgeson
When I tell my wife it will only be 30 minutes to pack the bike, she believes me now. Used to take me a whole lot longer. One of the easiest travel cases I have ever worked with. Worth the cost. Safe, secure, and not a pain to take the bike apart.
Nicolas
Super simple to use and very safe for the bike. Much better than the competitor’s box.
JEstr57
I've had a hard time deciding between getting a soft padded case vs hard case for my bike. I went with a hard case because I want that extra peace of mind that my bike would be protected during the transport. Yes it is heavy, and I don't mind paying the overbaggage fee vs opening the case and seeing my bike wrecked. I haven't used the case yet for travelling but I can tell it is bullet proof enough to withstand the baggage handlers throwing it around and getting slammed around the plane's cargo area. If you want the peace of mind that your precious bike will be in one piece when you get to your destination, go for a hard case, and the Thule Transition is one of the best cases out there. I like how it has the stands to transform it into a bike repair stand, may need to put foam padding on where the straps would go onto the bike to avoid rubbing.
FactorBikeOwner
The hardshell RoundTrip bike case is extremely good at protecting your frame/components. Period. Tradeoffs are the following: 1. not great for rolling place-to-place on the back of just a set of small rear wheels 2. rear wheels cracked on cobblestone roads while traveling across EU 3. plastic handles for pulling case break off because the screws loosen easily 4. connecting the 2 halves of the case is lousy especially when airline baggage inspectors open and attempt to reconnect case 5. the internal bike stand has a thru-bolt that defaced the paint on the tip of my fork 6. bike case is extremely heavy and you'll probably pay airline for exceeding weight threshold
Kevin
Good bike box. Lots of room and seems to travel well. My Orbea front wheel skewer did not fit the adapters supplied. Had to pull one from an older bike in order to do a lock down.
Many trips with this case , it is worth the price , no body wants to have damage going to a cycling trip , it wont happen with this case
BC
We actually borrowed this case from a friend and are now looking to buy our own. Packing the bike was super easy having the stand included for maintenance was great. Plenty of room inside to pack helmet, shoes, pump and gear. Southwest has a flat bike fee so flying with it was easy. It is pretty large so you will likely need an SUV to transport it
JR
I travel with the case 3 4 times per year. I have never had my bike damaged in any way using this case. Its larger than other cases I have used, but airlines charge the same price so I would rather have a slightly larger case to know my bike is properly protected.
RCD
Borrowed case from a friend and was great because I did not have to pay for it........., BUT For the cost of the case it MUST be lighter and have 2 more wheels (preferably multi directional), but good protection .
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