Taking your bike away on holiday can sometimes feel like a bit of an ordeal. We’ve all been there - be it the many hours spent working out how to fit it into its box correctly, to the panic at customs as you hand it over to the angry red faced man, who doesn’t look in any fit state to look after anyone, let alone your bike!

So when we were asked to try out the new Velovault bike box we were intrigued. Manufactured in the UK and designed by pro-Xterra triathlete Sam Gardner at Bike Box Online (www.bikebox-online.co.uk), the Velovault is made from recycled plastic and promises to be a ‘multi-functional bike box, designed for easy packing and ultimate protection’.

The VeloVault comes equipped with clear written instructions along with a QR code which links to a YouTube packing video. In the video, Sam talks through the best and most efficient way to pack the bike, going into just enough detail and inas clearly a way as possible. Following his instructions we found it very easy to pack our bike – and only had to remove the wheels, pedals and handlebars. This also made things much easier ‘at destination’, affording a quick and painless rebuild.

The wheels attach to the inside of the case using quick release skewers, and the rest of the bike is surrounded by foam padding, with velcro straps keeping the frame and components nice and secure. We added a little bit of extra bubble wrap to provide a little bit of additional protection, and had plenty of space to fit in lots of accessories including a wetsuit, two helmets and various bike parts.

We were just as impressed with how easy it was to transport the Velovault. It was possible to lift it in and out of the back of our car with ease – and also wheel it around in all directions, which given we took a train to the airport, proved incredibly important when navigating around busy crowds.

Due to its optimised design, the external dimensions of the box are much less than many other popular models on the market – without sacrificing space inside. This means that it is not a huge box, making it easy to fit in the back of a car with a suitcase or store in the garage between uses.

Perhaps one of the most important features of any bike box is how well intact it actually keeps your bike! The reinforced plastic case is clearly strong, and feels of a high quality. To provide essential crush resistance to the centre of the box, there are two removable aluminum struts, which conveniently meet in the middle without the need to accurately locate a pole. The foam padding and velcro straps keep the bike extremely secure, preventing movement on impact or when in transit.

The Protex TM catches (to open and close the box), are used by Formula One teams to transport their very expensive cars and instruments around the world. So your bike is clearly in the hands of expert technology.

The only thing it could do with is a proper locking system – we simply used a standard bike lock ourselves which is fine, but the additional security would have been good.

So, what is our conclusion of the Velovault?

We were really impressed with the design and quality of the Velovault box, so much so, that we have actually chosen to buy one on account of our experience! The box is very easy to use, incredibly sturdy – and most importantly, we felt reassured by its durability.

We can confidently recommend this box to anyone – so if you’re on the market for a new box or want to try it out (they rent them out too) then look no further.

Check out www.bikebox-online.co.uk/velovault.html for more details.