How to Pack Your Bike for Traveling

In Part 1, we discussed the pros and cons between shipping your bike through a carrier like UPS versus checking your bike as luggage on an airplane. After you've decided which method you prefer, you need to ensure that you pack your bike correctly so that it arrives at your destination in perfect condition.

Your next decision will be what to pack your bike in: hard case, soft case or cardboard box.

A hard case will provide the most protection, but that doesn't mean that the other options will leave you with a broken bike. If you pack the bike carefully and protect it properly within the case, you'll have to be very unlucky to incur major bike damage. Of course, forums will reveal nightmare stories of crushed bikes and shattered carbon, but the vast majority of people who travel with their bikes do so with no issues when the proper precautions are taken.

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Hard, Soft or Cardboard?

 

Packing the Bike

Start planning a few days before. You'll need to buy some equipment and can expect the packing process to take you up to 90 minutes the first time you do it. Remember to take your time and pay attention to the details. Leaving it until the last moment before setting off for the airport will cause you to rush and not take the proper precautions.

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Packing Equipment

Once you've selected a bike box and you're ready to pack, you'll need to make a few purchases before you start:

• Roll of painters tape
• Velcro straps
• Scissors
• Sharpie
• Bubble wrap
• Zip-lock sandwich bags
• Set of Allen/Hex wrenches
• Pedal wrench
• Zip ties
• Fork and rear dropout supports (ask your local bike shop for these)
• Polyethylene pipe insulation*

*Don't get the self-sealing pipe insulation. The sticky residue is a pain to remove from the frame.
*The diameter of the pipe insulation required will depend on the size of your frame. Get a selection of sizes to match the different parts of your frame.

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Dismantling Your Bike

When taking apart your bike, be aware that different bike cases have different dismantling requirements. Read these carefully before you begin.

1. Remove the pedals using a pedal wrench. Grease the pedal spindle, wrap the pedal in bubble wrap and place in a sandwich bag. Although it's hard to damage pedals, they can bang around against other more fragile parts of the bike, so it's important to wrap them too.

2. Remove the front wheel and deflate slightly.

3. Remove handlebars. Remember to mark your handlebar position first using tape and a Sharpie. Wrap tape on both sides of the handlebar mount and then mark the tape to show the handlebar position.

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4. Remove the chain if you have a master link. This may not be necessary for all bike box types (e.g. if rear wheel stays on for travel). Keep the chain in a flat coil and place between two pieces of cardboard to keep it from twisting. Place the chain in a sandwich bag.

5. Remove the rear wheel and deflate (if necessary for your bike box type).

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6. Remove the rear derailleur. This is easier than many people think and only requires a long Allen wrench inserted into the mounting bolt. Removing the rear derailleur is important so that it won't be bent or knocked out of alignment during shipping. Wrap the rear derailleur in bubble wrap and place into a sandwich bag.

7. Remove the wheel skewers. Put them together and wrap in bubble wrap.

8. Insert front fork and rear dropout protectors (unless your bike case has them) to protect these parts from being squeezed if side impact occurs.

 

9. Remove the seat and seat post. Remember to mark your seat post height with tape before removal.

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10. Loosen the headset. If your fork needs to be twisted to 90 degrees so that the bike can lay flat, you'll have to loosen the headset. It's worth asking your local bike shop to show you beforehand how to retighten it to make sure that you don't end up riding with a loose headset when you arrive at your destination.

11. Other parts. Note that with certain bike boxes, other parts may need to be removed, like the brakes, bottle cages, front fork and cranks. This is rare and usually only applies to bikes that are designed to be packed into small travel boxes the size of a regular piece of luggage.

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Wrapping Your Bike

Parts of the bike that are unlikely to be damaged should still be wrapped. This will ensure that other bike parts do not rub against them.

Step 1: Cut pipe insulation to size.

Step 2: Place the pipe insulation on all possible parts of the bike. Some hard bike boxes have foam inside them, which will protect the frame. For all other cases, try to protect the entire frame and parts with insulation. Parts that should be protected include:

• Fork
• Head tube (you may need to use a piece front and back)
• Stem
• Frame
• Handlebar
• Crank arms
• Seatpost

Step 3: Use velcro straps to secure the pipe insulation.

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Step 4: Label all pieces of pipe insulation using painters tape and sharpie (believe me this will be invaluable when repacking).

Step 5: Bubble wrap the front chain rings as much as possible. This prevents the sharp edges from damaging the other parts of the bike.

Step 6: The rear wheel may come into contact with the frame during transit. Use bubble wrap and tape to pad the rear cassette.

Step 7: Bubble wrap any other parts of the frame that are exposed and unprotected with pipe insulation (the levers, curved parts of handlebars, etc.).

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Placing Your Bike in the Case

Each bike case will have different placement instructions. Read these carefully and follow them. Be sure to follow these principles before finishing up:

• Make sure no parts of the bike are loose and have the potential to cause damage.
• Make sure no parts of the bike are rubbing on each other or touching without protection in between.
• Use zip ties to secure any loose parts.
• Use care when placing tools, shoes or other items in the box. Make sure these items are secured in place and padded in bubble wrap.
• Weigh your bike box before your travel and make sure it's within weight guidelines for the airline you're traveling with.
• Don't put C02 canisters in the bike case. Although technically these may be allowed, TSA may unpack your bike if they show up on a scan.
• Try to make it easy for TSA to open the case if they need to. This will keep them from unpacking all of the contents of your bike case. They won't repack your bike with the same amount of care and attention to detail.
• Travel with your shoes, helmet and at least one cycling kit in a separate bag. That way if your bike is delayed for any reason, you can ride a rental bike for a day or two until it arrives.

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