Bike Bags 2 - Review of Ruster AHH

I decided I wanted a different case after twice using the Pica Packworks EEP to transport my 48 cm Cervelo P2C with 650 cc wheels.  You can read my case review and experiences with it and a hard-sided case here: Bike Bags 1 - Overview and Pica EEP review.  Admittedly, I'd purchased the EEP on the recommendation of a friend, without doing my own homework.  I wanted to do better for its replacement.

Top left - Sub 62.  Top right - EEP.  
Bottom - Armored Hen House wheel & frame bags.

Two things stood out about the Ruster Armored Hen House.  First the high density polyethylene "armoring" sounded more protective than a purely soft-sided case.  Secondly, the bag was advertised as being,

"the only bicycle travel case to meet the airlines standard of 62 linear inches to avoid excess and oversize baggage fees, which means you can save thousands of dollars simply by traveling with your bicycle in the Hen House" (ref).

Here's the truth, though.  If one measures only the length of the case that touches the ground (~30” if you omit the wheels), and the height (24”) and width (8”), one might conclude this was not an oversized bag (>62 linear inches).  While I’m happy to take advantage of that math, it’s disingenuous at best.  Contrast: Orucase Sub 62, to be covered in a future review.

Frame bag plus wheel bag

Ruster Armored Hen House (AHH)

This 700 cc wheel shows the bag is a bit shorter
Ruster measures bag length from pivot point
(obscured by bike wheel) to edge of bag.

Price then: >$500
Price now: $579

Pluses: Each bag is smaller and easier to handle, wheels on frame bag facilitate dragging it, wheel bag is not oversized, frame bag might slip through as not oversized, both are lined with high density polyethylene which adds some puncture resistance

Minuses: Frame shifts inside bag, chainring pokes bag, extra bike disassembly required

Packing specifics: More cumbersome than other bags I've used: 

• Take pedals off 
• Remove seat post
• Remove wheels
• Remove front brake, or cable from front brake
• Remove handlebars / stem from steer tube
• Remove fork, taking care to not lose or disorder the stem spacers, headset bearings / washers / etc
• Lay frame flat on a sheet
• Remove derailleur, place in provided pouch
• Apply drop out and fork cross bracing (both supplied with the bags)
• Wrap frame in pipe insulation (some supplied, additional purchased separately) 
• Use supplied velcro straps to secure the handlebars, fork, seat post, and pipe insulation to the frame, and secure the derailleur bag
• Open up the bags' peripheral padding and insert padded / bound frame & handlebars into case (top tube toward the bottom)
• Tuck the peripheral padding in, fasten velcro, and zip the case closed 
• Fasten straps and cinch down
• Slide wheels into wheel bag & fasten pouch straps
• Place wheel skewers into pocket, pedals might fit here too
• Zip wheel bag closed, fasten straps and cinch down
• = Everything in two cases

Cardboard spoke cover, this
one for the cassette side
of the rear wheel.

Random info: After having my 650cc Zipp 404 spoke broken in the Pica EEP on my trip home from Calgary I decided to fashion some wheel covers out of cardboard.  I'm sure I don't really need to use them with the AHH given the armoring supplied by the high density polyethylene inserts.  But I do so anyway.  And Ruster recomends it with disc wheels.

My experience(s): I've used the Hen House 3 times.
2016 - domestic on Southwest (PHL to SFO) with my Cannondale Slice (48 cm).  I had my helmet in with the bike, and shoes, bottles, tools, wetsuit in with the wheels.  No charge (2 bags fly free), though I worried about it asairlines seemed to be cracking down on this at the time and the frame bag is factually in excess of 62 inches.  These cases arrived with regular sized luggage in baggage claim and fit easily into cars.  I traveled with my clothes in a back pack, which I carried onto the plane with me.  I carried the wheel bag with the supplied shoulder strap (worn diagonally across my chest) and I pulled / rolled the frame case behind me.  Bulky, but easier for me to manage than the Pica EEP.

A rear skewer and fork brace come
with the AHH, but my painter threw the
fork brace out so I've made a substitute 
from a piece of quarter round (gets held
in place with painters tape.)

A padded derailleur bag and several
velcro straps come with the AHH, as
well as two segments of pipe insulation.
(I use a minimum of 9 pieces though.)

I've added foam padding over the
hubs to help protect the wheel bag. 
Large plastic bags keep it all tidy.

The wheel bag has a padded divider that's 
velcro'd to the case bottom, a zipping
pouch for skewers, as well as
extra space that accommodates items 
like shoes, water bottles, etc.

This case has flown twice.  Even with the AHH's 
protective HDPE sheets, the wheel hubs still lead
to bag wear (seen above the business card).
This is why I've added the foam
padding to the cardboard.

The peripheral padding is attached only at the  
bottom of the case, and doesn't stay in place  
around my frame very well.

2018 - domestic on Southwest (PHL to Ontario via Las Vegas).  I was asked in Philly if it was a bike.  I replied it was exercise equipment for my hip as I'd had surgery, which was a handy version of the truth as my hip was bothering me at the time.  No charge, but I am not comfortable with the experience of carefully explaining myself while verbally tip toeing around the B word.

The much thinner padding in the AHH (red) 
contains a layer of high density poly ethylene, 
which would provide nice protection if 
weren't flexible enough to slip out of 
position.  I find the thicker padding of the 
EEP (grey) stays in place better.

2019 - domestic BikeFlights transport via FedEx (outbound) and UPS (inbound).  This was the wrapped frame and fork only, sent off for re-painting.  No issues, but it's clear the bag is very much larger than it needs to be to transport my small bike.   

Final opinion: I'm unhappy my frame shifts within the bag, and that the peripheral padded HDPE strip doesn't stay put over my chainring.  Unless one or the other situation is avoided, I'm afraid the bag is going to get torn or worse, my skinny chain and seat stays get damaged.  Additionally, as I ride a tiny bike and this was before some airlines began revamping their bike policies, I was interested in finding a case that would legitimately fall within the dimensions for standard baggage. Bonus points if it could be carried like a backpack.

Unlike with the EEP, the frame goes top tube down and crank up in the AHH.
Overall, this is another case that is quite a bit larger than my frame.

Bike Bags 1 - Overview and Pica EEP Review

Over the years I've had a bike in 4 different versions of luggage, and I have some opinions on each of them.   This summer I thought I'd write a post on that but before I could get to it Dan of Slowtwitch acted on the same idea.  His reviews seem prompted by recent changes in baggage policies for some airlines.  Mine are based on a desire to find the best fit for my frame.  You'll probably find his reviews more authoritative, but mine will be more specific to my experience as a 5'3" cyclist traveling with small bicycles.  If you're also a smaller cyclist traveling with small frames, maybe what I write will be useful to you.  Maybe.

I'm going to divide this into 2 or more posts in an attempt to avoid writing a novel.
The cases I can write about are:

• A generic rectangular hard-sided case
• Pica Packworks Exercise Equipment Pack (EEP)
• Ruster Armored Hen House (AHH)
• Orucase Sub 62

 

Back left - Sub 62.  Back right - EEP.  
Front - Armored Hen House wheel & frame bags.

Generic rectangular hard-sided case

Price then: Est $500, based on memory
Price now: Varies widely

Pluses: Good protection, low effort for bike disassembly

Minuses: Bulk, weight, cumbersome

Packing specifics: The easiest of those I've used: 

• Take pedals off 
• Remove handlebars from stem, or stem from steer tube
• Loosen seat post, or remove if needed
• Remove wheels
• Lay frame into case, lay handlebars flat
• Cover with layer of foam
• Lay wheels on foam
• Close case, latches, fasten straps
• = Everything is in one case

My experience(s): I used this case in 2001 to fly from Austin to Denver with my road bike (Giant TCR1, size small).  I was able to borrow the case from a cycling buddy, which was good as it cost more than my airline ticket.  Case leaves lots of room to include cycling shoes, helmet, tools, but damn, was it heavy.  I don't recall whether the case I used had wheels (maybe 2?), but I was lucky to have one friend drop me off at the airport and carry the case in for me, and another pick me up from the airport at the gate.  The Austin friend borrowed his roommates SUV, and my Colorado friend had a hatchback with seats that folded down.  I paid for the privilege to get this on the plane, $75 each way?  Don't remember for sure now.

I pride myself on being self-sufficient when I travel, and pack so I can carry my own bags.  Meaning I wouldn't want to use this case again.  To lay it flat on an airport cart would make it really wide, but it would not have stood up on a moving cart without being held there.  I'm sure I could have gotten it into the automobiles that were used by myself - it was heavy but not impossibly so - but it would be an all-body experience and I surely would have scratched the bumpers in the process.  Storage of the case during my vacation wasn't an issue since my friends apartment had plenty of room, but in a small hotel, or in my apartment / house if I owned it, would have been annoying.

Pica Packworks EEP (soft-sided case)

Pica Packworks EEP
Strip of padding around the case perimeter is ~2" thick
(Picture from https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/fashion/12physical.html)

With almost no markings, the bag is fairly unassuming.  
The size, however, may not fool airline staff who
seem to recognize, Probably Contains Bike.

Price then: ~$335 as per this 2008 NYT article.
Price now: $406

Pluses: Light, reasonably easy to carry & to store, packing is fairly simple, has some chance of getting through airport check in without being recognized as a bicycle

Minuses: No way to fix / secure the bike frame to the case, no zipping pockets for small parts

There are handles on the top of the 
bag and also on each side, where 
reinforcement protects the bag 
from the wheel hubs.  The D-rings 
(two on each side) accept a shoulder 
strap if you supply one.

Packing specifics: 2nd easiest of those I've used: 

• Take pedals off 
• Remove handlebars from stem, or stem from steer tube
• Loosen seat post, or remove if needed
• Remove wheels, and skewers from wheels
• Remove derailleur, place in provided pouch
• Supply and apply drop out and fork cross bracing
• Use the single supplied pad to wrap either the top tube or down tube, and wrap the remainder of the frame in pipe insulation (purchased separately) 
• Use velcro or zip ties to secure the handlebars to the frame, secure derailleur bag
• Open up the bags' peripheral padding and insert padded / bound frame & handlebars into case
• Slide wheels into side pockets & fasten pouch straps
• Slide seat post into side pocket
• Place wheel skewers, pedals, other small parts into a ziplock or something and tuck into bag
• Tuck the peripheral padding in and zip the case closed
• Fasten straps and cinch down
• = Everything can be in one case

The wheel pockets have reinforcement
for contact with the hubs.

Foam blocks provide cushions for the bottom
bracket and rear dropouts.  The chainring 
sits in the groove, keeping it from sliding.
The pictured buckled strap secures the 
peripheral foam to bag, but isn't long enough 
to secure the bike as well.

A padded wrap for the top tube or
down tube is supplied, along with a
pouch for the derailleur.

My experience(s): I used this case 3 times.
2014 - domestic flight on Southwest (PHL to Denver).  In line at curbside check in for my departing flight, one of the baggage handlers asked if this was a bike.  I replied, Who would transport a bike in a soft sided case?  He asked where I was going, went away and came back with my bag tag, and I handed him a $20.  I don't think he was fooled.  On the return flight I checked in at the counter and the agent didn't even ask - just took the bag and weighed it like it was any other.  And this is why I prefer Southwest Airlines, especially when traveling with sporting equipment.

The bag and contents - 48 cm Cervelo P2C, cycling shoes, helmet, water bottles and wetsuit (which was draped over the frame in the event I had to open the bag for inspection) - were light enough to carry with a shoulder strap while I dragged my roller suitcase behind me.  But as a shorter person this wasn't exactly easy.  Still, I managed the shuttle service to the rental car area, and was able to slide the case into the trunk (rear seats folded down) of the economy sedan without issue.

48 cm Slice pictured on top of Standard sized EEP gives an idea
of the extra space available for including additional gear.  
(Disclaimer - I've never used this case to transport this bike.)
Note: It's best to use protective drop out & fork bracing (not shown),
and to remove the derailleur since the soft-sided case provides
no protection against crushing.

2015 - international flight on United (PHL to Vancouver).  They didn't care it was a bike, they cared the case was oversized and the manager came out with a tape measure to confirm that.  $200 plus $35 for it being my 2nd bag.  Boo.  My return flight, on Air Canada, started as domestic (Calgary to Montreal) and this is actually where the troubles came.  Because the x-ray machine at their domestic terminal was too small to take the packed case, I had to unpack it and send the contents through individually.  This was a pain in the ass, and they were not at all happy to have the derailleur hidden in a pouch so made me pull that out - greasy, and dangling by the chain and shift cable.  On initial packing I'd taken lots of care to stowe things securely but now, I was just trying to comply with their wishes as quickly as possible.  Turns out things may have shifted during baggage handling, and I ended up with a scratched helmet, frame, and a broken spoke.  While it's nice Air Canada only charges $50 (CAN) for a bike, I can't say the entire experience was a win.

Cardboard spoke protection, w/ 
foam padding over the hubs.
Large plastic bags keep it all tidy.

2019 - domestic BikeFlights transport via UPS.  This time I was transporting my carbon road bike, a 50 cm Trek Domane with 700 cc wheels.  Three things made this a difficult fit in this case.  1) Unlike the Cervelo, the seat post of my Trek is integrated with the frame, and therefore protrudes upward from the top tube.  2) The cables were a bit short, making it really difficult to rotate the handlebars around enough.  3) This time around I included cardboard on each side of both wheels, to protect the spokes.  UPS transported my bike without damaging it, but I'll note they did not honor the requirement for obtaining a signature on parcel delivery in either direction, handing the bike to my Dad on its southbound leg, and simply dropping the bag off on my exposed-from-the-street front porch for its northbound journey (double gasp).

I've recently learned FedEx damaged the bag of another user, reportedly putting "a giant piece of metal through" their case, amazingly not damaging the bike but leading to the loss of some small parts that were contained in a plastic bag.  And this folks, is the clear down side to this soft-sided case, the sides of which are not reinforced with any hard plastic.

Final opinion: I think this case would have worked well-enough for my earlier aluminum road bike, but I'm uncomfortable with the lack of protection against piercing - particularly for carbon bikes.  I also don't like that there's no way to secure the frame to the bag, or any zipping pockets for smaller items like pedals & tools (which I recommend packing inside of bubble wrap and fastening to the frame to prevent shifting).  Additionally, I wouldn't want to continue risking paying an oversized bag fee, though lately some airlines have relaxed these.