Ground Effect Tardis review

With bikes ever harder to transport on planes, there’s no doubt the less noticeable they are at the check-in desk, the less forehead furrowing will ensue. As its name suggests, the Tardis is small on the outside and big on the inside so it’s less obviously a bike when you rock up to check-in. 

The frame is placed upside down, with the seatpost and handlebars removed, the rear mech taped up inside the stays and the two wheels packed on either side in sleeves. This in itself provides plenty of lateral support, though to best play baggage handler roulette, you should also bolster it with pipe lagging, clothes and locally sourced cardboard.

At 115x70cm, the Tardis is as easy to carry with its shoulder strap as it is to fit into a car boot, or tie to an Indian taxi roof rack (touring racks and forks on 60cm+ frames will need to be removed). Fork spacers are provided, chunky zips can be locked and there’s reinforcing in the right places, with padding round the wheel axles. The real beauty, though, is its pack size: the bag folds down into a fat A4 size parcel, weighing just 1.6kg, and can be easily stowed in a pannier, or posted ahead for the end of a tour.