There are a few ways to travel long-distance by bike, and none of them is cheap (unless you actually ride the bike). To take your ride on a plane you either need to pay expensive extra fees for bike carriage, buy a folding bicycle, opt for the excellent but pricy S&S system (essentially a frame that breaks apart for easy packing) or now, buy the $600 Helium case from Biknd.

The Helium is designed to protect your bike and pack it up as small as possible. You'll need to strip the bicycle down pretty radically to make it fit, removing not only the wheels but the seat, pedals and handlebar. Once done, it all fits snugly into the tough, flexible nylon and polyester case, cosseted by plastic hub covers, a Cordura nylon crank and chain-stay cover and fork protectors. As this will add 9.5 Kg (21-pounds) to the weight of your bike, you may be wondering why it is called the Helium.

There is some gas involved: air. Once packed, you hook the foot-pump up to the case and inflate it. This provides extra protection whilst adding negligible weight. There's enough room inside for a 64cm road frame (that's pretty big) or a full-suspension road bike. There's even a a pair of wheels for rolling this up to check-in. Just remember to pack a tool kit so you can put it back together.

I'm planning on moving to Berlin for a couple months this summer, and I'll be taking a bike with me. I'm not dropping $600 on a case, so I'd like some suggestions for flying. The bike is a beater, a track-framed fixed-gear, so stripping it and re-building is easy. Answers in the comments, please.

Helium Bike Case [Biknd via Oh Gizmo!]