B&W International Bike Box 2.0 review: compact, robust protection without breaking the bank

You may not have heard of Germany-based company B&W International, though you’re likely to have come across its products in some form. B&W specialises in the manufacture of cases across a number of different industries, ranging from bike boxes to toolboxes, medical applications to battery storage, military use to camera and drone cases. Essentially, if it needs careful storage and transportation, B&W International has probably had a crack at it.

So while B&W International may not be high on the list of household names when considering one of the best bike travel cases, it’s a fair shout to say that its likely to have plenty of product experience to rely on.

I tested the B&W International Bike Box 2.0 on my annual winter-busting pilgrimage to Mallorca, packing up my Fairlight Strael for a short-haul flight from Bristol. I’ve travelled a great deal with my bike across Europe and occasionally even further afield over the last decade, usually wrapped up in my trusty Evoc Travel Bike Bag or cardboard bike boxes. I’ve been very intrigued to see how a hardshell bike box might compare in terms of protection (number one concern) and ease of handling (usually the number one hassle).

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Design and aesthetics

The B&W International Bike Box 2.0 is a two-part composite shell that is held together by a series of five webbing straps and transported on a set of four wheels. There are two smaller wheels at the front that spin through 360 degrees, and two larger fixed direction wheels at the rear. There are four padded strap handles, two at the front (top and bottom straps) plus two at opposite top corners on the sides of the box.

Rather than hinge in the middle like the Bike Box Alan, the two sides of the hard case come completely apart, so you need to lay the box down on its side to pack and unpack. Unhinge the central ratchet strap and four corner straps, secured by hook and loop closures, to separate the two halves of the hard shell.

Internally, three layers of foam are supplied, which are cut to the trapezoid shape of the box. A rear derailleur pouch is also supplied, made of cordura fabric, plus another strap, two tubular frame protectors, two foam spacer blocks, two fabric wheel bags, a foam block for the chainring and a set of ‘distance keepers’. Three webbing straps are attached to the inside too, which clip to lock the frame into place against one half of the shell. A small combination padlock is also supplied.

The hard exterior shell of the box is made from ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), a fully recyclable polymer which is noted for its strength and impact resistance. The complete system weighs in at 10.6kg.

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Performance

Initial setup took about an hour to affix the four wheels and properly read through the instructions and get to grips with the box and how to pack it. Part of that hour was spent finding a socket set in order to secure some of the wheel bracket bolts, while the other screws only required a crosshead screwdriver. Not a problem if you have a well-stocked workshop, but one that took me by surprise a little.

Packing the bike is like making a club sandwich. You start by laying the bottom part of the case on the ground, easily identified as the half which bears all the external and internal straps. Then you add your first slice of bread - a layer of foam, before adding in the bike frame, a middle layer of foam, then the two wheel bags and final layer of foam before the top part of the case is slotted on top.

The bike frame is secured using two diagonal straps and a top strap which secures the top tube. The foam block is a simple but handy addition to protect the chainring from the bottom of the box. You do need to disassemble the cockpit in order to fit into the box, which may be more of an issue for riders with integrated cockpits (who may prefer a design like the Scicon AeroComfort 3.0). Foam blocks supplied make attaching the bars to the frame easy, while the rear derailleur pouch was simple to wrap around the chainstay and securely package the detached derailleur into.

I did not need to remove my seatpost from my size 51R frame (one of the rare advantages of being vertically challenged), but larger sizes would need to. The box itself looks small, so I wanted to test whether larger bikes would fit too. My husband’s 58cm frame just about fit in, but I would not be so sure about larger frame sizes. Certainly, you’d need larger wheel bags for packing a mountain bike, and with the slackening and lengthening of modern MTB design, I’d be hesitant to recommend the box if you were planning on using it for travelling with mountain bikes as well as road or gravel bikes.

Once my bike frame was secured in place, there was then a little space to add small bags of accessories and clothing, which meant that I didn’t have to pay for hold luggage for the flight. This is a bit of shady territory – most airlines say that you shouldn’t pack anything but the bike in your bike box or bag – but I’ve never been picked up on it. Even with all of that kit, my bike box still weighed in at 27kg, significantly under the 32kg easyJet weight limit.

To secure the box, the two halves of the case interlock and are secured by four Velcro straps on the corners and the central ratcheting strap. This is the tricky bit, when the bike-and-wheels foam sandwich inside is pushing the two shell halves apart while you’re trying to interlock the two halves together with the switching external lip at each strap junction. With a bit of jostling, a few choice words and some persistence, I finally got the hang of it. I’m sure that this interlocking design makes the case much stronger, but it did mean that once the bag was packed, I was very resistant to opening it back up to add any last minute items.

Heading to the airport, the B&W International Bike Box II’s fantastic maneuverability came to the fore; easily wheeling along the ground either with a hand on the top of the box or at the front padded handle. No need to lift half the bag off the ground or struggle with a bulky, fragile cardboard box. My one comment to add would be about the number of handles – a few more would be really handy, especially when it comes to lifting the box in and out of vehicles or onto the special luggage belt at the airport.

The box is also a good size for fitting in the back of a smaller hire car. No need to max out on an SUV unlike larger boxes such as the Bike Box Alan. In addition, that also means less garage or shed space when it comes to storing the box at home.

Lastly, but most importantly, my bike was totally unscathed by both legs of travel, which of course is the ultimate goal. I’ve been impressed by the strength of the plastic box, which only shows a few minor scuffs from airport handling. My soft Evoc bike bag, on the other hand, shows the battlescars of years of travel, scrapes, material tears and all. With such a good overall experience with the B&W International Bike Box II, I fear it’s time to retire the Evoc.

Value

The B&W International Bike Box 2.0 is priced at a similar price point to other bike travel soft cases such as the Evoc Travel Bike Bag, but is among the cheapest solid boxes, offering fantastic value for the level of protection and maneuverability offered.

Verdict

The B&W International Bike Box 2.0 is an excellent choice if you travel exclusively with a road or gravel bike, and are seeking great protection and peace of mind. The box is less likely to be suitable for the largest frame sizes and mountain bikes, riders that are less keen to disassemble integrated cockpits or those who end up needing to throw in a few extra bits and bobs at check-in.

Securing the box is a bit of a faff and it could do with one or two extra handles to make it tip top, but otherwise this really is a fantastic solid bike box option and a good price, and one I’d be happy to recommend and use again.