Right ... Left .... Click

I have always had a bike box with three wheels. See my bike box pictured in the right column.

We didn't always have a bike box, we didn't do all that much air travel until a few years ago. Anytime we did travel the friendly skies, we borrowed form the huge community of triathletes here. I seemed to always borrow Erik Grimm's bike case, until 2005 1/2 Ironman Nationals. I had had it!

During the race I sustained a back injury and Erik's case was a soft case with one wheel missing. Lugging that damn thing through the airport in St. Louis was enough.

"DAMN GRIMM!" I cried. So I put it on my list.

Actually we did have a bike box, but it was more like a coffin. The best use of that box was the nap I took on top of it in Kona Hawaii as I waited 24 years for a rental car. Now that was comfortable.

We got rid of that thing forever ago.

Last summer though as Curt was headed to Switzerland and I had some travel races planned, we decided it was time to grab one. My bike guy Jim Costello from Hanndlebars gave us a great deal on a terrific case.

Curt made it to and from Switzerland without a hitch.

It was smaller, more compact, easy to pack and had four wheels.

That is until the 70.3 World Championship. I unloaded my bike from the luggage belt and whoa! The front wheel was punched in. A quick inspection of the bike revealed no harm done. I teared up to an Air Tran employee and got myself some free tickets.

And I was back to the 3 legged case. Which is fine I can live with that.

My husband however can not. And the poor man can not close it either.

Picture this for some entertainment. It's 94 degrees out, and Curt Eggers is essentially jumping up and down on the bike box trying to close it. There is an art to closing these things, of which I have carefully mastered. To close the bike box you must line up the "catchers" lay on top of it, and with your body move right, then left and you will hear a click.

It works every time.

When poor Curt became even more frustrated with the box, I reminded him..... "Security is just going to open it up again." to which I thought his head would explode.

Now understand this is Mr. National Champion, tapered and a little on edge from upcoming travel and such. So I can understand a bit of frustration.

But leave the bike box to me. This is my domain.

In the end the bike box got closed, and Curt is headed to Oregon. Let's just hope that security has learned the right left click move too!

Thanks for stopping by.

:-) Mary Eggers