Can anyone advise as to how best to pack a bicycle to take on a long-haul flight? I’ve checked the hight and weight allowances and that’s fine. I just hope to be able to package it nicely…
No experience so disregard if this is stupid, but I’d think that loosening and rotating the handle bars, removing the peddles, then folding and taping a cardboard box over the body to protect the body would be reasonably easy and effective. But that assumes the rims aren’t too precious. Could wrap the wheels with folded boxes as well if they’re semi-expensive, I suppose.
packing well takes about 9 or 10 kilos. If your bike is more than 10-11 kilos, don’t bother.
Take off the pedals, the back and the front wheels. Removing the seatpost and seat will help reduce the size of the final package too. Remove the handlebars from the stem by unclamping the stem clamp and allow them to drop vertically over the front of the headtube. do not undo any cables if possible.
Wrap the tubes well in bubble wrap, then the front wheel on the right side of the bike forward and towards the rear, the rear wheel forwards on the right with the cassette pointing in. make sure you have removed the wheel skewers. Secure the wheels to the frame in as many places as possible using cable ties or tape. pad between the loose places with cardboard or more bubble wrap. deflate most of the tire pressure.
lash the seat post and seat (still attached) down over the back wheel to protect the seat stays. protect the crank and chain ring with additional cardboard (this will be a potential damage point, cutting through the box) and the rear derailleur with lots more bubble wrap and stiff sheets of cardboard so that nothing bends the hanger or the derailleur.
Then fit into the minimal size bike box. Boxes for folding bikes work OK for a 54-56 cm bike wrapped this way. I have done this many times travelling.
SciCon makes an excellent bike box for about 350 $ if you want to travel regularly.
cheap bikes are not worth shipping: rent or borrow or buy in your new destination.
expensive bikes are worth carrying, especially if you race.
My bike disassembles with a 5mm Allen key for most stuff and a 6 mm key for the pedals. easy to carry: do NOT forget to include all the tools you used to dismantle the bike in the box, and your shoes, pump, helmet, gloves, glasses, nicks, rain jacket, water bottles, powerbars, etc.
when i’m touring i tend to do a urodacus on the way out, box it up.
Then a jaboney on the return, unboxed, but with the rear-mech bubble-wrapped, pedals off, tyres mostly deflated and handlebars turned.
my bike is expensive and carbon, so worth shipping and protecting. thanks very much for the advice - will try and get a folding bike box asap!