How to Box A Bike

Posted by tan xiao yan on

When you are in driving trips, it is also very important to box your bike to save space for other stuff. If you are traveling by air, you must box your bike to meet the airline requirements. You have three options here. Firstly you can take it into your bike shop and get them to do everything for you. And you can get into there and get a box from your bike shop and actually pack it yourself; if you need any help or have any questions you’ve got a mechanic down hand to ask them. The third option is you can pick the bike, take on home and do it by yourself. So, how to box a bike? Let’s figure out together.



Step 1 Remove the saddle and the pedals

To prevent injury, use pliers to carefully remove any loose large staples in the box top (often used to seal boxes at the factory). Remember to put a piece of clothing or your shopping bag on the bench to receive small parts like small screws. Switch the bicycle chain onto the small chainring and largest rear cog. Then remove the pedals, and put them into the box. Loosen and remove the saddle as a unit.





Step 2 Create cable slack

At most of the time, you have to create cable slack on your own to remove the front brake and the handlebars. But, you won’t want to loosen the cables at the anchor bolts because this means having to readjust everything when you arrive at your destination. To create slack in the shift cables, move the right lever as if you were shifting into a smaller cog and then pull outward on the front derailleur. On many bikes, this will let you release the shift-cable housing from the frame stops, which will provide plenty of slack.



Step 3 Remove the front brake.

If you have a road bike with sidepull brakes, remove the front brake from the fork, reattaching its nut and any hardware and wrapping it with paper. As for linear-pull and cantilever brakes, remove the side of the brake that’s attached to the cable and be sure to tape the parts together so they won’t be lost.



Step 4 Remove the handlebars

If you have a stem that can be opened to remove the handlebar, just do so and replace the stem bolts. If your stems and handlebars are other types, you’ll need to remove them as a unit.



Step 5 Remove the front wheel

Unscrew the quick release, extract it from the hub and then reassemble it and place it in the parts bag. Press the axle protector into one side of the axle. Put the fork protection block in place between the dropouts.



Step 6 Tie the bike together with front wheel

With the bike resting on the ground, place the wheel next to the left side of the bike with the axle protector facing out. Usually, you’ll have to weave the left crankarm between the spokes, which is why you wrapped it. Make sure no part of the crankarm touches any part of the rim and that the axle cannot touch the frame tubes. Then tie the wheel to the bike in several places so it can’t change position. (Tips: if the box is too small, you’ll need to remove the rear wheel as well.)



Step 7 Position the handlebars

If you’re packing a bike with flat bars, you can usually fit the bars on top of the top tube and wheel. Place them so they’re as narrow as possible so the bike will pass through the box opening. And make sure that no part of the bars or stem can bang into the frame or rim. Add padding if needed. Then tie the bars in place. For dropped handlebars, try putting them under the top tube and partly inside the wheel or try resting the hooks on the top tube with the levers facing up. You may need to fine-tune the placement when the bike is in the box if the levers protrude too far. Levers are fragile and expensive, so situate them safely, padding them if necessary. Also, pay attention to the cables and housing so you don’t kink them. Maintain loops in the housing and keep trying until you find a handlebar position that’s safe.



Step 8 Add protections on your bike and put it into the box!

Find some foam to wipe the frame, the handlebar of the bike. This step is very essential, because it can make sure your bike is in good condition when the flight arrives. After protection, put it into the box and tape the box. (Tips: You may want to label your beloved bike. Not just label the box, but also the frame and the handlebars to make sure it is not stealthily substituted.)



If you have any question, please look at this video for further help.