The B&W Bike Guard Curv is a large, relatively lightweight bike box designed to protect your bicycle when travelling. Made from flexible but tough polypropylene, it weighs 8.2kg and offers a semi-rigid shell to protect your bike from bumps and bashes in transit, meaning no nasty surprises when you come to unpack your bike ready for that cycling holiday or exotic sportive. At least, that's the theory...
There are many options for cyclists looking to travel with their bicycle. I've tried a few of them, from the CTC plastic bag (not recommended for nervous flyers) to a more heavy duty but still flexible option in the shape of the Brand X bike bag.
Both worked well (although the CTC bag was relegated to landfill after two flights), but for ultimate peace of mind some cyclists will settle for nothing less than a big hard box.
The Bike Guard Curv certainly ticks that, err, box. It must be among the largest bike cases on the market, at 131cm long, 91cm high (standing on its wheels) and 31.5cm wide. And almost every cubic cm of those dimensions is usable, too: there's scarcely any of the intricate bicycle-shaped cutaways seen on rival boxes here. Aesthetically and functionally, it could be described as basically a scaled up spectacle case, albeit bundled with some foam padding and kit bags instead of a microfibre cleaning cloth.
I entrusted my bike to the B&W Bike Guard Curv on a recent cycling trip to Mallorca. The first step was getting my bike into the case. No instructions were provided, just an A4 sheet with a picture of a packed bike; but that's all you need, as the design of the case means that stowing your bike is both simple and intuitive.
The Curv breaks down into two separate halves. One half is designated as the base, with some foam blocks affixed to Velcro strips, onto which you lay your frame. The Velcro strips allow you to reposition the foam blocks depending on the size and shape of your bike. Slots cut into the foam blocks allow you to secure the bike to them (and to the case) by means of some chumky velcro straps.
As with pretty much any bike case or bag, you'll first have to remove the wheels, lower or remove the seatpost, and undo the stem plate to remove the handlebars. Simply strap or tape the handlebarsbars to the top tube (or lay them down alongside the forks), pack the wheels in the provided wheel bags, and you're almost done.
A separate foam block rests under the bottom bracket or large chainring. Plastic chainring protectors are also provided, although I didn't use these.
Alongside the wheel bags, included with the Curv are four zipped bags for kit and accessories. These are wedge shaped, designed to fit in the spaces left around the frame of your bike. This clever design serves the dual purpose of allowing you to neatly stow your gear away from the grease and pointy edges of your bike, while also helping cushion the frame in transit.
The box is so roomy inside that I was easily able to fit my bike, helmet, shoes, two full sets of kit, tools, food and spares - with a generous amount of space left over. Loaded for my three-day trip the case weighed in at 22kg, which is within the bicycle weight limit for most airlines.
If packing the bike was a doddle, closing the case was only slightly more taxing. The two halves of the shell fit together using the fairly basic means of small slots cut at intervals along the edges. Using the flex of the case material, you line up the slots on each half of the case and fit the two halves together.
It's a bit fiddly the first time, but only takes a couple of minutes; then just secure the case with four straps that wrap around the box at diagonals, by means of two metal clasp fasteners and two Velcro.
Once it's all packed up and the clasps are fastened, the case feels extremely secure.
There are two handles at one end of the case: one padded and very comfortable, the other a more utilitarian strap. Wheels on the base (two in-line wheels at the back and two rotating casters at the front) mean that you can tow it along in your wake through departures like a pet elephant. It's actually very stable, and glides along beautifully - a huge upgrade from the soft case I've used previously.
On less than perfectly flat surfaces I found the belly of the case occasionally scraping on the ground. However, this is easily overcome by lifting the front off the ground using either of the handles and towing the case on the two rear wheels.
So, did my bike survive the trip? Of course it did; on both occasions I opened the Curv to find everything inside exactly as I'd packed it. As for the case itself, it bounced off the baggage carousel with nothing worse than a couple of superficial scuffs to show for its trouble.
Apart from the flights, I lugged the case on cars, buses and trains at both ends of the journey. It just about squeezed into an otherwise empty hatchback with the rear seats down; it was no problem on the train (I even took it up a couple of escalators); but on the airport bus in Mallorca I did feel a bit antisocial hogging the entire disabled seating bay.
The Bike Guard Curv retails at £650, and this is the one aspect that would make me think twice. Certainly, it's an effective product, and the design and accessories are cleverly conceived; but isn't this quite expensive for what is to all intents and purposes a big plastic shell?
If you don't absolutely need the huge storage capacity of the Curv, B&W themselves offer some tempting alternatives in their range of solid cases, including for example the B&W Bike Box. At £250 it's less than half the price of its bulkier brother, and only weighs a kilo more.
In conclusion then, the BW Bike Guard Curv is a rugged, well-constructed case with a comprehensive bundle of accessories that you can trust to protect your bicycle and probably all the kit you'll need for a fortnight's cycling holiday.
It isn't the most compact option out there, nor the cheapest; but, if it does away with the need for a second item of luggage then regular flyers may find it pays for itself.
B&W Bike Guard Curv, £650. www.b-w-international.com
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