KeleKeleBoBelly: Isn't there an easier way??

The Traveling Blues
In preparation for my upcoming trip to Sydney and Beijing, I have once again been faced with the never-ending struggle of traveling with all this equipment. The list of gear necessary for track racing is insane. Check it out:
Two bikes. A road bike for warm up and cool down on the rollers (because track bike gears doesn't allow for that light spin we need pre/post racing).
Four to six wheels. One set for that road bike, one set of race wheels, then possibly a front disc (if riding Pursuit, or team Pursuit), and possibly a spare track wheel just in case.
Rollers, regular helmet, TT helmet, tools, track sack spare parts.
Cycling clothing. Multiple long and short sleeve skinsuits for racing. A jersey and shorts for training. All the accessories; arm warmers, leg warmers, jacket, long/short fingered gloves, glasses, shoe covers, HR monitor, & undershirts.

Oh, and what about street clothes. For the upcoming Sydney and Beijing trip we get the experience of the Southern Hemisphere who are enjoying early summer heat. Then we go directly to the Northern Hemisphere of early winter in China. So, the key here is to pack versatile clothes sparsely.

Keeping in mind all this must be packed into bags that may not exceed fifty pounds each. And yes, that includes the bike bag or bags. Which brings up the points, 'How the heck can I pack 2 bikes and wheels under 50 pounds'. As I began this dreaded process, I wondered how others dealt with the same issues. So, I asked around to others in the same situation, in hopes someone had discovered some great system that makes traveling easy, simple, and quick.
Probably the most common bag used in my survey (8-10 riders headed to Sydney, or other international track races) was the double Bike Pro bag. The nice thing about that bag is you can usually fit wheels in it. But, with two bikes, and wheels, this bag is dangerously heavy, so one rider took the metal frame out because it apparently weights 17 pounds.

Others use two smaller soft bags (like Pica, Sci Con, Blue, etc), with one bike and a set of wheels in both. With two bags, riders run the risk of getting charged twice for oversized baggage (seeing as several airlines no longer offer the free international oversized baggage anymore).

A final option is cardboard. The beauty of cardboard is the weight, very light. With lightweight comes a lack of protection for the bikes, and if left in the rain can be destroyed. Often when using cardboard, the rider must pack the wheels in a separate bag due to lack of space.

The Tri All hard shell wheel bag is commonly used for wheels (it holds 3). Of note, Iona Winters had a heart-wrenching story involving the hard-shelled wheel bag. She borrowed a hard-shelled wheel bag and a disc for Continental Championships one year. And when she arrived she found a hole in each disc. She was not aware of the need to remove the axles of each wheel, to avoid puncturing the discs. Now, you have been warned.

Other companies offer a soft case for wheels (Zipp, Sci Con, Trek, all make ones). These bags must be checked, and this can be problematic because now you only have one other bag to check.
Basically, the answer is, 'There is no easy way!'

My decision is to use a wide cardboard back that fits two bikes. I recently purchased a hard-shelled wheel bag (and am taking the wheels in today to learn how to remove/replace the axle's) for the wheels. I built up a single speed bike from my old track bike (cause it's really light, and this way there's no derailures, cassette, and I can use the wheels as a spare track wheel if needed).

Next time you are sighing as you are faced with packing up bikes for a trip. Take comfort in the fact we ALL deal with the same frustrations. It's just a part of this great sport we all can't get away from!