How to pack a bike box

By Dave Knight - Do3 Head coach and owner

Taking your pride and joy away on a trip can be daunting. Especially when it comes to air travel and packing it into a bike box. The last thing you want is to arrive only to find bits missing, forgotten, or worse still - broken.

I have travelled with my bike a lot. It basically goes wherever I go. I rarely leave home without it. As a result I have packed my bike a lot. This is my guide about how I pack my bike. Doing things in the correct order will make things a lot easier. I hope you find this useful.

Open your bike and make sure you have some space. The frame goes in the bottom and the wheels in the lid.

Have some tools ready. I use one of these mini torque wrenches. Vital bit of kit.

It’s also useful to have a box to keep your bike bits in. More on that later…

Before you do anything, put your bike in the smallest/lowest gear so the chain is at its loosest.

Pedals off first. With the pedals in their most forward position the Allen key or wrench needs to be pulled UP towards the saddle. This applies to both sides!

Two more tools I always carry. An Allen key for the pedals and a pedal wrench for my other pedals (or anyone who needs it!).

Seat post and seat out next.

Open up the brakes using the release lever (if you have one).

Undo the steerer tube bolt.

Undo the stem bolts.

Take the bars off.

Replace the steerer tube bolt and MAKE SURE YOU DON’T LOSE THE SPACERS. In fact, you need to make a note of where your spacers are as you may have some above your stem and they’ll need to go back in the same place.

Let your tyres down. If you have sealant in your tyres, position the valve to the side otherwise you may have a load of sealant make it’s way out of the valve!

Screw the valve back in (don’t worry about this if you don’t have sealant).

Take the front wheel out and secure it to the left side of the box lid. Use the skewer to secure it in.

Take the rear wheel off and secure it in the right side of the box lid.

Make sure there are no spokes covering the dent for the support pole.

Lay the frame and bars in the box with the chainring on the top.

Undo the rear mech hanger. I now always remove my rear mech when travelling as I have bent it in the past.

Unplug the Di2 cable if you have one.

Position your bars by your frame. This is a case of finding the position that works best for you and the type of bars you have. Just be careful about pulling cables and anything that might rub during travel. Use a cloth for protection if needed. Secure the bars using a Velcro strap.

Secure the forks with the Velcro strap.

Secure the rear with a strap too.

Another strap. I usually rest the chainring on the bottom of the box.

Seat can strap in and help hold the frame too!

Watch out for bits can can drop off (like the seat clamp). We don’t want those going missing!

Put all the parts you remove in a box!

When you position the frame, make sure the pole can still go in without obstruction.

This will let it feed into the dent in the lid.

Wrap the chain and rear mech in something to keep it protected. I keep spare bubble wrap in the box for this purpose.

Shoes can go in…

..... and helmet.

This is what it looks like so far…

What I keep in my tool box.

Neatly packed with some rags to clean up with.

Don’t forget your chargers for Di2 and Garmin etc.

This is where I place the box (with bubble wrap for protection).

Bottles can just sit in there.

Close it up and find a bungee or similar to pull the box along with.

I always lock my box. If you do, use a TSA lock (red sign) so the airport can open it if needs be.

Done!

Just to finish, just be careful with the weight. My bike and box with shoes and tools weighs about 19 kgs. Some airlines only give you 20 kgs so be careful about shoving a load of extra stuff in there.

CO2 canisters. Don’t take them. Some airlines allow them, some don’t. After dozens of flights I have opted for the stress free option of just leaving them out. It’s a real pain unpacking the box if the airline wants them out. I have been tannoyed in the past and asked to explain myself.

I think that’s it. Follow these instructions and you shouldn’t go far wrong. Have a great trip!

Need to hire a bike box? Take a look here: https://www.do3.co.uk/bike-box-hire