The semi-rigid EVA-foam Pod offers bomber protection while boasting a check-in friendly 6kg weight. A 3/4-length peripheral zip opens the Pod’s two clamshell halves to allow you to lie the frame on one side and pop the wheels into moulded recesses in the other.
Two external holes allow you to secure the wheels using their quick-release skewers (assuming you use 9mm QR) but we preferred to simply pack the wheels tight with extra clothes. The Pod’s small size means fitting bigger bikes can be snug, but the contents don’t shift during transit.
This minimises damage, and also means it'll slide into the smallest taxi you can find on arrival. Our Pod has survived two trips to Nepal, with the flights and ground transport ordeals you’d expect from such a destination, and bikes have always come out unscathed providing we packed as conscientiously as possible.
Small, integrated wheels allow the Pod to be towed but the lack of a decent handle makes this awkward over longer distances and the plastic snap buckles on the bag’s three compression straps annoyingly tend to pop open if grabbed.