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Douchebags The Savage Bike Bag

8
£625.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Simple to use and very secure, but not the easiest to cart around
Weight: 
11,800g
Contact: 

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Douchebags' The Savage Bike Bag really does a great job of protecting your bike. The internal cage arguably makes it more robust than many boxes, and it's very easy to assemble and pack. It is a little difficult to cart round airports and may be a struggle to fit in a car – and some extra protection might be needed beneath your drivetrain – but I don't think you'll be disappointed if you opt for one.

  • Pros: Very good protection, easy to use, collapsible
  • Cons: Expensive, clearance on the short side, difficult to move around

Douchebags started out making ski bags in 2012, and has since expanded its range to include backpacks, suitcases and this bike bag, The Savage. Why Douchebags? There's no real explanation, but you'll be pleased to know that only the initials 'Db' are printed on the side of The Savage instead of the full moniker, to save you getting sniggered at when you cart it through the airport.

DouchebagLogo.jpg

It's described as "one bag to rule them all", and is suitable for pretty much anything with two wheels, from road to fat bikes.

For a bag it's not exactly light at 11.8kg; in fact it's heavier than some boxes, with a Bike Box Alan coming in at 11.2kg. That means you're all good for the majority of airlines (Easyjet's limit is 32kg, for example) but if you're flying with, say, Aer Lingus, whose limit is 23kg, then really you're limited to packing a light road bike and not much else unless you pay a hefty excess.

Having said that, the Savage is no ordinary softshell, with the internal 'Roll Cage' inspired by racing cars offering far more protection than most bags.

Flight test

My main test trip started in Bristol and went on to Florida via Gatwick. I booked a one-way car hire to get to the airport on the way out, and would attempt to board a coach from Gatwick back to the South West on the way home, meaning life with the Douchebags was tested over a pretty comprehensive spectrum of scenarios.

When there's no bike in it, the Douchebags can be compressed to a claimed 35 per cent of its size, which makes it long and thin like a golf bag and it can still be wheeled around (I'd find this feature particularly useful when I arrived in the States).

DouchebagFolded1.jpg

For me, the sign of a decent product is one you can get to grips with without consulting the instructions... and the Douchebags passes with flying colours.

When I expanded the bag and unzipped it, I was a little daunted at the sight of all the poles, straps and extra attachments at first, but it's incredibly intuitive to put together and builds up into a cage that you attach your bike to.

DouchebagFramework.jpg

Hardly any disassembly of your bike is required: you just need to remove both wheels, let down your saddle, loosen your handlebar and you're ready to start packing.

DouchebagTyre.jpg

Douchebags recommends removing the cage from the bag to make it easier to mount your bike. You secure the bike in place with the straps, and there's a detachable 'bag' to slot your fork into. There's also a protector to stop your handlebar from making contact with the frame, so you can just strap it up flush with your fork. 

DouchebagFork.jpg

Once that's done, you load the whole thing into the Savage in one go, then zip up the outer tightly around the cage. It acts like a tent, with your bike making no contact whatsoever with the bag.

Douchebag2.jpg

 

The only things I felt needed a bit of extra protection were my chainrings, as I found the 55t on my TT bike didn't quite clear the ground. I decided to reinforce with some bubble wrap under the chainrings and chain to prevent any damage. While many frequent flyers swear by removing the rear mech to avoid a snapped hanger, I left mine on as it looked perfectly safe to me inside the bag.

> How to fly with your bike

I also had space/weight left over to put all my riding kit, gadgets, toiletries and helmet in there, so I didn't have to bother booking any additional luggage.

Car to plane

For the drive to the airport I only just managed to get the bag in my hire car, and on arrival it was quite a long walk to departures – and it's here where I feel the bag falls a bit short. You have to cart it around on its two back wheels (the only two wheels), which is a bit cumbersome and gets quite tiring as you're taking quite a bit of the weight. Some trolley-like swivel wheels wouldn't go amiss on all four corners of the bag.

DouchebagCarry.jpg

The handle for pulling it along is just about big enough, and there are also inserts on either side to pick the whole bag up. These are quite subtle and awkward to locate, which I reckon is unintentionally a great idea because it means baggage handlers will find it pretty difficult to try throwing it around. The larger dimensions mean most average-size humans won't be able to get their arms across it, providing a further deterrent for potentially rough handlers.

DouchebagPacked2.jpg
DouchebagHandle.jpg

On the other side I had another hire car to pick up, and this time I wasn't so lucky getting the Douchebags into it. I realised there was no option but to take my bike out of the bag, in the car park, and try to fit everything in separately, which could have been a nightmare but actually didn't take too long thanks to the bag's simple disassembly.

Similarly, on the way back I had to pack my bike into the Savage after returning the car, and managed to do it in seven minutes flat in the parking lot. I might have missed a strap or two, but the bike was packed perfectly securely even though I was in a bit of a mad rush. The long and short of it is – with dimensions of 145cm (length) x 87cm (height) x 30cm (width), it's not going to fit in most smaller cars when packed.

Landing back in the UK, I managed to board a National Express coach with the Douchebags quite easily (something that can be a problem with nitpicky coach drivers), as it slotted down the side of the luggage compartment taking up fairly little space width-ways.

DouchebagWheel2.jpg

All was well with my bike when I unpacked it after arriving home, and once again I got my bike out and rolled the bag up to store away in a matter of minutes.

Value

In terms of value, there's no getting away from the fact that this might be the most expensive bike bag we've come across. Scicon's Aerocomfort comes in at £525, and you can pick up an Evoc Travel bag for around £300 nowadays.

> Buyer's Guide: 15 of the best bike bags and boxes

It's even at the very top end compared to hardshell cases, with Scicon's Aerotech Evolution and the Buxum Box Tourmalet being rare examples of boxes that are more expensive. With the amount of protection the Douchebags offers, it's probably fairer to compare it to hardshell cases, so you could say it's not THE most expensive, and worth splashing out on if you really want peace of mind.

Overall, the Douchebags Savage is certainly the most robust soft bag I've ever tested, and in terms of protection it's the bee's knees. The size might be a problem when you're attempting to load it into vehicles and cart it around the airport, but on the other hand this means it's much less likely to be dealt with roughly by rogue airport baggage handlers. It's also very easy and quick to pack, making for a largely stress-free packing experience.

Verdict

Simple to use and very secure, but not the easiest to cart around

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Douchebags The Savage Bike Bag

Size tested: Length: 145cm Height: 87cm Width: 30cm

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Douchebags says: "Mountain bikes and road bikes - one bag to rule them all! Inspired by the lifesaving roll cages used in racing cars, the construction of The Savage centres around the unique and patented Db Roll Cage which will protect your bike in an exceptional way. Combining high durability, steadiness and compressibility. The Savage will redefine travelling with bikes."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Douchebags:

Internal 'roll cage' adds protective structure

Hook-up system makes it possible to dock other Db luggage and packs to the bag

Secure fastening of the bike to cage

Internal stash pocket for pedals etc

Detachable fork protector

Handlebar protector

Integrated wheel compartments

Fits any size bike

Can be compressed and rolled up to 35% of its size

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Very high quality, built to last.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

In terms of protection it's great.

Rate the product for durability:
 
10/10

No doubts, this is the most durable and secure bag I've tested.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10

11.8kg is as heavy as some hard cases, but it will be fine on most airlines.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
7/10

Could do with some better handles for carting through the airport.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

The most expensive bike bag I've come across, but it looks better compared with hardshell cases.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

In terms of protection and ease of use it surpassed expectations. It's problematic to get in a car and isn't the easiest to wheel around, though.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Durability, level of protection offered, how easy it is to pack and disassemble.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

You have to carry it on the back two wheels, handles aren't the best, the price.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

One of the most expensive bike bags or cases we've come across. Scicon's Aerocomfort is £525, and you can get an Evoc Travel Bag for less than £300. I can only find hard cases that are more expensive, such as the Buxum Box Tourmalet and Scicon Aerotech Evolution.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes (if they could afford it).

Use this box to explain your overall score

For the money you'd want it to be perfect, and there are a couple of things I'd like ironing out before splashing out so much cash. But if you prioritise protection for your bike, it's well worth looking into.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 27  Height: 179cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride: Road bike (currently Specialized Tarmac)  My best bike is: Ridley Chronus TT bike

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, triathlon races

Arriving at road.cc in 2017 via 220 Triathlon Magazine, Jack dipped his toe in most jobs on the site and over at eBikeTips before being named the new editor of road.cc in 2020, much to his surprise. His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled together a few hundred quid off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought his first road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadly pinched a few years later. Creatively replacing it with a Trek 1.2, Jack mostly rides this bike around local cycle paths nowadays, but when he wants to get the racer out and be competitive his preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking - the latter being another long story.  

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5 comments

Avatar
Envee NV | 4 years ago
0 likes

Two months ago i bought the B & W Bike Box ( the black almost square one, not the new blue ones ). It is a hardshell box. Tough. A bit on the heavy side but if i am going to put my carbon road bike in there i dont want to worry. I think i would worry about side impacts with this soft shell that costs almost as much as three hardh shell boxes. I bought my bike box for 230 ish. I took my bike to spain on the plane with no issues.

Avatar
Pilot Pete | 4 years ago
0 likes

In your opinion taberesc. So you have been lucky that you have travelled with your bike in a cardboard box and it’s never been damaged. A cardboard bike box is not designed to protect your bike when travelling by plane and if the bike is dropped, falls off a baggage cart or belt loader or gets crushed by the weight of other bags on it, your box will not protect it adequately.

Cardboard boxes are designed to protect bikes when they are packed together with several others in shipping crates and then when distributed loaded properly in trucks or vans. Plenty get damaged, as do the bikes inside, ask any bike shop owner about brand new bikes that have been damaged in transit from their importer/ supplier.

I have seen bikes damaged at airports due to inadequate protection/ mis-handling by baggage staff, some of whom don’t give a toss. And no, that’s not a wild claim or exaggeration, I am an airline pilot and see damaged bags especially, every day I go to work. There is a reason you see pro cyclists using hard shell bike boxes every time they travel; because they work, provide the best protection and thus ensure said pro doesn’t lose any vital training days due to having a damaged bike - and no, it doesn’t matter if they are sponsored by the company or not, they use a hard shell case because it is easy, convenient, designed and fit for purpose.

So, you may think a hard shell bike box is a waste of money, I think £400 to protect a £10k bike is peanuts, especially if you travel with your bike frequently. I rented one for three years running and eventually bought one. I have owned it for a number of years and travelled once or twice a year with it and also loaned it out to friends occasionally. I reckon it has been on about twenty trips and is still as good as new. So far that has worked out at £20 per trip, or £10 per flight, which of course keeps reducing the longer I keep and use it. It will easily last well beyond double the number of flights it currently has completed so in the long run will in effect have cost me a negligible amount per flight for solid, proven protection and peace of mind. Each to their own. Good luck with your next flight because you need to be lucky every time using a cardboard box.

PP

Avatar
taberesc | 4 years ago
0 likes

In my opinion, you'd want to be mad to pay any sum of money for a custom bike bag. My bike and I have been to the US, Australia, Vietnam and all over Europe with nothing more than a standard cardboard bike box (which any bike shops will gladly give you for free) and I've never had any issues. Why you would want anything more complicated is beyond me. The only other option, especially for short trips, is to leave the bike at home and rent one when you get there. These products really belong in the "fools and their money" category.

Avatar
Rapha Nadal replied to taberesc | 4 years ago
1 like
taberesc wrote:

In my opinion, you'd want to be mad to pay any sum of money for a custom bike bag. My bike and I have been to the US, Australia, Vietnam and all over Europe with nothing more than a standard cardboard bike box (which any bike shops will gladly give you for free) and I've never had any issues. Why you would want anything more complicated is beyond me. The only other option, especially for short trips, is to leave the bike at home and rent one when you get there. These products really belong in the "fools and their money" category.

Cool story, bro.

Avatar
Pilot Pete | 4 years ago
1 like

Doesn’t look too protective to me, especially from impacts/ crushing to the sides. The wheels look particularly vulnerable to such impacts being placed on either side. The hoods also look to be exposed forward of the cage too in the picture, is that how they are supposed to be when packed?

I’ll stick with the proven hard case Bike Box Alan for £425 which protects everything and has an anti crush pole between the leaves of the case. I rented one for three of four years and then bought one which I have had for  five years. I use once or twice a year plus it has been lent out to friends once or twice a year too. It still looks like new.

PP

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