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.
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 .
Rob K
I purchased the Roundtrip Transition so that I could take my bike with me when I travel by plane with work. I am pleased with how roomy the box is and that I was able to fit my touring/commuter style bike in the box when many other bike box manufacturers were not spacious enough. I did have to remove my fenders and rear cargo rack but they fit perfectly and securely in the box and I secured them with Zip ties & foam padding. A bike box is obviously large and weighs quite a bit with a bike inside but this box does a great job of easing the lifting with it's wheels. I would caution folks that the box does not fit in many standard size trunks and is tricky if not impossible to fit in the backseat of many sedans. I did pack along a pair of Cam Straps to secure to the roof of my friends car rack when I reached my destination and for my return trio to the airport. This brings up my single biggest feedback/suggestion for this product. Make the box comparable to attach to a vehicles car rack. Thule makes amazing car rack racks and car rack accessories and it seems only natural that they could design this product to attach seamlessly to a rack. I believe that would make this box PERFECTION! Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts.
Ryan
At 39lbs this is almost completely useless for travel by air. Airlines only allow 50lbs. That means you only have 11lbs left for a bike ... anyone riding anything that only weighs 11lbs? Nah, thought not ... the UCI limits bikes to like 13lbs.
sitzmark
After using the Transition case to fly from MA to Colorado and back, all of my initial doubts about the case were eliminated. A truly easy case to travel with! Yes, it is a bit larger and heavier than traditional clamshell cases, but not significantly. About 20 inches DIM larger (L W H) and about 5lbs heavier. My brother traveled the same trip with a clamshell case great case, but the Transition's vertical orientation and rail mount system proved to be much more travel friendly. Little disassembly of my bike was required to fit in the Transition case. The front wheel was removed and the forks locked into the fork mount rail. I pulled the rear wheel and swapped in a spare rear hub/cassette/skewer and left my rear derailleur mounted. This protected my rear triangle and tensioned the chain to keep it from damaging the frame. I also removed the saddle/post and handlebar/stem. Bar/stem was zip tied to top tube and forks. Entire frame was covered with pipe foam, but since the case does not contact the frame, this was for extra precaution only. Wheelset was placed in the provided wheel bags and the top cover was locked in place using the two ratchet buckles. I secured a TSA combination lock through the D rings. TSA opened and inspected the Transition case in both directions, but there was no evidence of inspection, other than the TSA information tag inside. Usually cases (ski, bicycle, etc.) are not repacked or sealed the same after TSA inspection. I assume because of the simplicity of closure, the Transition case was completely resealed exactly as I had packed it. Conversely, my brother's clamshell case had 4 straps left unsecured by TSA. The baggage handlers in Denver commented how easy the case was for them to handle when they returned it to me. The Transition case has a few very minor scuffs after travel, but unless inspected closely it still looks new. All hardware and handles remained securely attached and survived the trip with no damage. The vertical orientation of the Transition case makes it very stable and easy to maneuver. Most cases roll in a horizontal position, which can make navigating narrow spaces and crowded airport terminals challenging. The Transition case is about 6 inches taller than clamshell cases, but it rolled (upright) into the rear of a minivan with plenty of clearance. I did have to lay the case on its side to transport in a midsize SUV. Upon arrival at my destination, I slid the stem/bar back on the steerer, realigned, and set proper torque. Did the same with post/saddle I removed the hub/cassette assembly and fitted my rear wheel. Finally, I removed the bike from the rail mount and installed my front wheel. Ready to ride! For the parts of my trip where transportation of bike by vehicle was required, I used the open (top removed) Transition case as a rail mount carrier in the back of a mini van. A very stable and protected way to transport that only required removal of the front and rear wheels. Seeing how well the Transition case traveled to my destination, I no longer had ANY doubts about traveling with the Transition. Only suggestion might be a backup strap (rubber or velcro) to lock the rear of the rail into the bottom of the case just as a precaution in case the primary lock mechanism is dislodged by large impact. Perfect case Thule!! Thanx.
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