How To Box A Bike We recommend always taking a bicycle along on vacations. That way, when your significant other is swapping stories with long-lost high-school chums, you can be riding! Plus, you won’t worry about all those calorie-rich meals if your exercise machine is ready and waiting. For driving trips, it’s easy to carry the bike on a vehicle rack. When you fly, however, you must box your bike to meet airline requirements and because it’s the best way to safeguard it. Once boxed, you can check the bicycle as luggage and take it with you so it arrives when you do. The airlines usually charge a fee for bicycles, so be prepared by checking with your carrier beforehand. To avoid this fee and the hassle of checking in with your bike, an alternative is shipping it via United Parcel Service (UPS). That way, the bike will be waiting for you when you arrive. Whether you fly with your bike or ship it to your vacation destination, you’ll need to partially disassemble it and box it. This takes about an hour. To help, we’ve prepared these instructions (please call us if you have any questions). We've also included tips on traveling with bikes, which you'll find here.
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Materials Needed: Obviously, you’ll need a bike box. These are available from us. Call first to check availability. We need to know your bike size to select the right box, too. Another specialty item is a fork protection block. This is inserted into the fork to prevent damage. We can supply this or you can make one out of a 1- x 1-inch block of wood 100mm long with screws and washers in the ends. We can also provide an axle protector, which is pressed onto the front axle to keep it from poking through the box. Or you can cover the axle with cardboard. | Required Tools:
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Tips: |
Before removing the seatpost, wrap a piece of tape around it right at the frame to mark your seat height so you’ll set things right during reassembly. If you have a quill-type stem (not threadless), mark its height, too. |
Don’t just label the box. Write the complete address on a piece of paper attached to your bike, too. That way, if they ruin your box, they’ll still know where to deliver the bike and who it belongs to. |
Be sure to cross out any old addresses or your bike might end up in the wrong place. |
To make the box extra tough, reinforce it by putting cardboard panels inside next to the bike. |
Tape the box carefully to reinforce all the seams (don't forget the bottom). |
Don’t tape over the carrying holes because you want the shippers to have good handholds so they don’t get aggravated and abuse your bike. |
Keep in mind that there’s room in the box for other essentials, such as cycling clothing and gear. Plus, on the return trip, the box is a great place to pack dirty clothes. |
Don’t forget to pack the tools and materials needed to repack the bike for the return trip. |