Wiggle Ratings and Reviews
Product Reviews
dhb Elsted Bike Box
This is a fully wheeled, heavy duty bike transport and travel case which is designed to offer peace of mind against less than sensitive baggage handlers. Even on the rare occasion that the box is damaged, the bike remains safe and sound inside this rugged, resilient box. Its thick interior padding and solid, heavy duty exterior work hard to ensure your bike arrives at your destination in the same state it was packed in. Security is taken care of with key locks and an additional combination lock.
Average Customer Rating:
(127 Reviews) 127
Rating Snapshot (127 reviews)
5 stars
33
4 stars
60
3 stars
17
2 stars
3
1 star
14
101 of 127(80%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Review 1 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
Pierre
Age:45-54
Interest:Triathlete
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Featured Review
Triathlete
Date:November 1, 2009
Good Value For Money
Pros: Attractive, Comfortable, Durable, Good Fit, Great Value, High Quality, Rugged, protective
"A lot of reviewers complain that their bikes do not fit in this case but I've never had a problem - erm .... except for the first time I packed my bike. I own a 58" Specialized road bike and when I first tried to pack it, I had all sorts of problems trying to fit it in and closing the lid. What I did - and have done ever-since, is to do the following:
* Remove the wheels and place in wheel cover bags.
* Remove the seat-post, cover in bubble-wrap and secure to seat-stay.
* Remove the handlebar\stem and wrap it over the top tube.
* Remove one pedal and re-attach it to the inside of the crank.
* Remove the rear dérailleur, wrap it in bubble-wrap and secure it to the chain-stay.
* Wrap all the tubes of the bike in bubble-wrap.
* Turn the forks 180 degrees so they face backwards.
* Place frame in box - should be a nice snug fit.
* Ensure the items secured to frame are not trapped underneath.
* Place wheel bags one either side of pedals\chainset (with slight overlap).
* Close lid, secure clips. I also use a canvas strap with velcro that goes right around the case and secures on itself.
Job done.
You may think it's a faff but what would you rather have - guaranteed serviceable bike or a broken pride-and-joy? Once you've done it a couple of times and know where things go it's easy.
I've had the case now for several years. I travel approx. 24,000 per year with my bike and never had any damage. The case has got scuffs of course but I know it's going to last quite a lot longer.
An added bonus of the case is that it is quite heavy. I've seen baggage handlers throwing soft-shell type bike bags onto trolleys and conveyor- belts but they struggle to throw these cases."
9 of 9 found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
Quality:
Avg 4
/
5
from
Value:
Avg 4
/
5
from
Performance:
Avg 4
/
5
from
shorty36
City: London
Age:35-44
Interest:Triathlete
Level:Occasional
Gender:Male
Budget:Quality first
Featured Review
Triathlete
Date:September 10, 2009
Tight fit but good solid product
"As I am fairly new to cycling I wanted a bigger box so I wouldnt have to take too much of the bike apart.The box I wanted wasnt in stock,so I went for this item.This box is a pretty tight fit for my 56" racing bike frame but with taking off the handlebars,seat and wheels it works.I left the pedals on and this made it a little harder to close the box but it did fit.I reckon taking them off would make packing alot easier.
You can pack in a few other smallish items, but you will have to play about with it all a bit.Its worth practising packing your bike rather than leaving it to the last minute.Its not rocket science but as you have no instructions it can be quite frustrating.
The wheel covers are pretty useful.The solid cover and padded interior gave me enough confidence when in the hands of baggage people.The wheels worked well enough when moving around the airport and through town to the train.
I have only used this for one trip abroad so far and apart from one clip that is a little bit fiddly,(hopefully this isnt going to get any worse to use) I am pretty happy with this box.
I think I paid 160 for this which is considerably better than some of the pricier versions about."
You can pack in a few other smallish items, but you will have to play about with it all a bit.Its worth practising packing your bike rather than leaving it to the last minute.Its not rocket science but as you have no instructions it can be quite frustrating.
The wheel covers are pretty useful.The solid cover and padded interior gave me enough confidence when in the hands of baggage people.The wheels worked well enough when moving around the airport and through town to the train.
I have only used this for one trip abroad so far and apart from one clip that is a little bit fiddly,(hopefully this isnt going to get any worse to use) I am pretty happy with this box.
I think I paid 160 for this which is considerably better than some of the pricier versions about."
1 of 1 found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
KHQatar
Date:January 6, 2012
Space
Pros: Great Value, Rugged
Cons: Bulky
"Just purchased the bike box to take my 19" Rockhopper to Qatar. Had to strip the bike (remove the handlebars, disc brake calipers, rear derailleur wheel axles etc ) and it fitted in.
The tyres need to be deflated to get them into the bags.
The box survived being thrown onto the baggage belts at Newcastle Airport (we were watching it from the lounge) and is intact at the other end as well as the bike.
The clips and case weight are my only concerns. they seem to stick a little and I'm concerned that some airlines won't allow it on due to the weight (I put the pedals and a few other bits in my luggage to keep the weight down) but KLM allowed it as long as you pre book."
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Review 4 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
Spinnman
Date:October 31, 2011
Pros: Durable, Rugged
"It's an interesting jigsaw puzzle to get the bike in (54cm cyclocross bike), but the box protected it well against the baggage handlers!"
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Review 5 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
richebee
City: Melbourne
Country:Australia
Age:35-44
Gender:Male
Date:October 26, 2011
Fitting my bike into the DHB bike box
Pros: Durable, Great Value, Rugged
"Its a nice sturdy box with firm clips all the way round, but if like me you have a large framed bike, its nowhere near as straight forward to squeeze the bike into the box as the pictures suggest.
I had to loosen brake handles to rotate them and remove the rear mech because my frame wouldn't fit.
I also took the precaution of duck taping all the clips in case over enthusiastic baggage handlers cause them to pop open."
I had to loosen brake handles to rotate them and remove the rear mech because my frame wouldn't fit.
I also took the precaution of duck taping all the clips in case over enthusiastic baggage handlers cause them to pop open."
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Review 6 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
pritchardB
Country:United Kingdom
Age:45-54
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Road Cyclist
Date:October 11, 2011
Best value bike box
Pros: Great Value
"Only used this for one trip but worked well. Easier to fit in the box with the rear mech taken off (no great hassle). It can be fiddly to get it to close properly and the clips got jammed a couple of times. One person on the trip had an older DHB box and two of the clips had broken. Other people on the trip had the bikeboxalan, which was more solid and better made but it costs well over twice what the DHB costs, so this wins on value."
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Review 7 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
zerogravitas
Date:October 9, 2011
Cheap and nasty
Pros: Great Value
Cons: Bulky, Low Quality, Wears Out Easily, Poor Fit
"Not expensive and it will preserve your bike from the gentle attentions of baggage throwers but there are some significant problems.
Getting a bike in for the first time is an absolute chore, it's an extremely tight fit. Be prepared to waste at least a couple of hours of your life and use some very colourful language the first time you try and get your bike in. There are a million different methods on the Internet, none of them worked for me and the picture wiggle publish is a good laugh, the lid is a clear two inches away from closing with my bike (56cm Scott CR1) arranged like that. Once you've worked out a method it's repeatable but you don't want to be packing for the first time the same day you're intending to fly.
Quality is generally poor, the locks and catches feel cheap and short-lived and the wheels are apparently made out of cheese - they broke on the first use, rendering an already bulky and awkward piece of luggage even more difficult to maneuvre through airports. It's very heavy too, pretty close to BA's 23kg single item weight limit containing nothing but a carbon fibre road bike, pedal spanner and torque wrench.
For a hard bike box it is quite cheap. It is also quite nasty. You pays your money..."
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Review 8 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
Daveyboy98
City: Surrey
Age:25-34
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Advanced
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Road Cyclist
Date:September 28, 2011
A bit 50:50
"Initially I had problems with a box arriving damaged, Wiggle were A1 in their customer service to rectify the problems in time for my trip to Norway.
The box itself is fairly average and as commented a giant suitcase, leading to a comment from a dodgy bird in a West Ham shirt - "I've never seen one so big!" - Poor girl!
Anyway it does the job and having seen SAS airways literally throw it onto the ground with my carbon Wilier inside I feared the worse, but the product did a job and my bike survived with no damage. I would reccomend using household pipe insulation on your frame when packing and loads of bubble wrap around tools, shoes, pumps etc."
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Review 9 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
Thamessider
Date:September 24, 2011
Cheap for a reason
Cons: Low Quality, Wears Out Easily
"This may an inexpensive bike box but it is likely to only a few outings.
- Box is not wide enough, difficult to close
- Latches are shoddy and they stick open/close
- The little tyres on the wheels come off
- It's very heavy
- Latches are shoddy and they stick open/close
- The little tyres on the wheels come off
- It's very heavy
I've used it only twice now and I'm already thinking of replacing. Very poor value on a per trip basis."
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Review 10 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
slowtwitch
City: George Town, Grand Cayman
Age:35-44
Interest:Triathlete
Level:Regular
Gender:Female
Triathlete
Date:September 15, 2011
great bike box for small frame up to 54
Pros: Great Value, Rugged
"cheap and nicely made.
It weighs quite a lot though so by the time you get the bike int eh box you have to put the seat and pedals into your other luggage so you do not exceed 23 kg.
Will only fit up to 54 frame
good wheels easy to get round in aiports.
I live in the Caribbean and travle with my bike to events a few times a year. This has withstood American Airways luggage handlers!!! notorious for bike bashers!!"
Will only fit up to 54 frame
good wheels easy to get round in aiports.
I live in the Caribbean and travle with my bike to events a few times a year. This has withstood American Airways luggage handlers!!! notorious for bike bashers!!"
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Review 11 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
Dictionary
City: Tadley
Country:United Kingdom
Age:45-54
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Road Cyclist
Date:September 12, 2011
Good Value
Pros: Great Value, good protection, good built in padding inside the box
Cons: heavy, tight fit for the bike
"I brought two DHB bike boxes for myself and my wife for a cycling holiday to the Dolomites. I chose these boxes because they are compact and a reasonable price.
Packing the bike into the box takes patience and you have to have confidence and the knowledge to carry out the limited disassembly required, to get all the bits arranged so you can get the box closed.
The main challenge is getting the handlebars in the right position, as I had to disconnect the front brake. It could be an issue if you have deep bends in the handlebars as the top of the case narrows. An extra 2cm on the width of the box at the top end would make packing a lot easier.
In use the box is easy to roll and manoeuvre through airports, but if using trains/public transport which would require carrying the box, it is quite heavy with the bike in it ,which could be an issue.
We flew from Gatwick to Venice with a three hour transfer to the Dolomites, and the bikes were well protected with no issues on upacking and reassembing. Same story coming home, the boxes did suffer some minor scuffs from the baggage handling, but other than that are perfect.
In summary, if you have the pataince for the packing I think this box offers good protection and good value for the price. It is a bit on the heavy side, but this is compensated for by the hard case protection provided."
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Review 12 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
Slocs81
City: Brisbane
Country:Australia
Age:25-34
Interest:Triathlete
Level:Advanced
Gender:Male
Budget:Quality first
Triathlete
Date:September 8, 2011
Great value bike box
Pros: Durable, Great Value
Cons: Wears Out Easily
"I have used this box to transport my bike from the UK to France to Italy and then home to Australia. It is a little worse for wear after numerous flights and being dragged across Umbrian hill top towns but it has survived and ensured my beautiful carbon road bike is in tip top condition.
My only con is that the large fixed wheels are not very durable. They gave out about half way through my epic journey home, which now means I need a trolley to drag the box!"
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Review 13 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
morganite
Date:September 8, 2011
Pros: Great Value, Adjustable
"would recommend, bit of a tight fit, but all fits well"
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Review 14 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
Zulu
Date:August 25, 2011
Decent Bike box
Pros: Great Value, Attractive, Good Fit
Cons: Expensive, Low Quality
"This is a decent bike box and to be fair is pretty good value compared to the others on the market. The quality is ok... Its big enough for my freeride 18' Kona as well as my 56cm full carbon Avanti and it locks up really securely which is a plus. It looks good but I am yet to be convinced that its going to last as I said the quality is ok. If you are thinking about weather to buy a bike bag over this box, this box wins hands down, one thing is for sure this will keep your baby safe and secure."
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Review 15 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
trickyx
City: London
Country:United Kingdom
Age:35-44
Interest:Triathlete
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Quality first
Triathlete
Date:August 23, 2011
Not on your nellie
Cons: Bulky, Low Quality, Poor Fit
"After 3hrs finally got my 58cm carbon frame and Shimano rs80 50mm clinchers to fit - and I did refer to the diagram on Wiggle. Had to pull out foam on one side of case which I tore up and used to pad out box.
Probably ok for a small cheap bike but mine is x large and high spec. Am using on this occasion as flying tomorrow. Definitely do not recommend as reckon you can do more damage to your bike trying to get it to fit in this box than any baggage handler will."
Probably ok for a small cheap bike but mine is x large and high spec. Am using on this occasion as flying tomorrow. Definitely do not recommend as reckon you can do more damage to your bike trying to get it to fit in this box than any baggage handler will."
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Review 16 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
Youngie
City: Leatherhead
Country:United Kingdom
Age:45-54
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Road Cyclist
Date:August 21, 2011
Bit of a squeeze.....but a good buy
Pros: Great Value, Attractive, Rugged
Cons: tight squeeze
"Bought for trip to Italy. Took several hours to get a 56cm Specialised Secteur Elite paked away but the secrets were (1) roll the handlebars under the stem to flatten the handlebars (2) move 105 levers inwards and tie to handlebars to flatten the handlebars (3) realize that your wheels are being squeezed against a good deal of heavyweight thick foam and won't come out like bananas. Very pleased with box - good for price - British Airways and Italian handlers were either very gentle or found it hard to chuck this around. Managed to get it just under 23kilos on the way out and a smidgin over on the way back with noone bothered. Went in the back of a Fiat Punto easy as you like. No scratches no dents on either bike or box. Very pleased will happily use this again even if the first attempt at packing felt like a dismal failure.
Casters/wheels are great.
It could be a bit wider inside to save all that messing with the handlebars, and an inch or so longer would mean I would not have to remove the rear mech.
Make sure anything in the box is tied down or squashed in against something. Be patient!"
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Review 17 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
eduk
Date:August 21, 2011
useless
Pros: none
Cons: Unadjustable, Low Quality, Wears Out Easily, Poor Fit
"absolutely useless. Extremely difficult to pack, poor build quality and falls apart after a couple of uses. Buy a bikeboxalan and save yourself wasting £160!"
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Review 18 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
daithiobroin
City: Dublin
Country:Irish Republic
Age:35-44
Interest:Triathlete
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Triathlete
Date:August 20, 2011
Disappointing
Cons: Low Quality, Wears Out Easily
"The first trip I used the box for ended in disaster - one of the front wheels came off while I was wheeling it.
They are far too flimsy. So now I'm left with a box that I've used on one trip, that I can no longer wheel properly... very, very disappointed."
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Review 19 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
toecap
City: Harrogate
Country:United Kingdom
Age:45-54
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Road Cyclist
Date:August 10, 2011
Great value bike box
"Have taken 4 flights so far with the box, bike fully protected. A bit fidly to pack - and the closing the lid takes, shall we say, some practice but am absolutely delighted."
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Review 20 for dhb Elsted Bike Box
Overall:
Sudor
City: Leeds
Country:United Kingdom
Age:45-54
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Quality first
Road Cyclist
Date:August 9, 2011
I'd recommend you buy something else.
Pros: cheap
Cons: not fit for purpose, fell apart on second use
"I ride a 58 cm compact carbon frame road bike. The first time I used the Elsted box it took me over an hour to try and squeeze my valuable frame and carbon wheels into this box (as per packing instructions). The box is narrower at the top than the bottom and as you close the two box halves you have to force the two halves together against the resistance of the bike and wheels as they are crushed together. It's an epic struggle to get the two halves of the (flimsy) lock mechanisms to match up and engage due to the distortion of the case rim caused by the lack of depth of the case at the top end which is not wide enough to properly accommodate the contents. You can feel your valuable frame and wheels getting crushed together as you try to close the box halves together.
The first time I use this box for flights I discovered on opening it I found my shifters had twisted and one wheel was out of true due to the my bike and wheels being squashed together to tightly inside the case.
I decided never to use the box again for my bike but I used it a second time to transport a very small ladies alloy road bike. Whist packing the box was easier on the second occasion on arrival at my destination one (of two) fixed wheels literally fell off in the airport arrival hall (after approx. 150 meters of wheeling on smooth floor) and one of the four closing clasps failed to release (i.e. jammed shut). The box is practically useless after only two trips.
In my humble opinion the shoddy construction quality and poor design make this case unfit for purpose - not only would I recommend that you buy something else I'd recommend that Wiggle withdraw it from sale."
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