PFTV3 - How to Pack and Ship Your Bike
There are a few things no one should ever do. You'd never leave a baby in the car on a hot day, you'd never give chocolate to a dog, and you'd never travel without your bicycle. How will you explore your destination without it? In today's episode of Pure Fix TV, we look at the best ways to pack and/or ship your bike for a trip!
Watch the episode right here, and read on for a few more blog-exclusive pointers:
What You Need
- Bike Box
- Grab one from your local bike shop/box store/or online!
- Extra Cardboard
- This is as easy as grabbing some scrap from out back, or using that old Amazon box you haven't thrown away yet. You just want a little something firm to keep the pointy bits of your bike from poking through in transit.
- Tube Protectors
- If you get a box from a bike shop, just ask them to save all the packing materials that came with the bike. If they've already tossed them, hit up the home repair store for some cheap pipe insulation or the packing store for some bubble wrap.
- Tools
- You need a 15mm wrench for removing the front wheel, an allen key for removing your handlebars, seatpost, and the bits that stick out too far, and a pedal wrench (flat 15mm wrench) for removing the pedals. We made it easy for you by putting together a couple tool packs for your bike, whether it's fixed or singlespeed.
- Zip Ties
- Just to keep everything secure. Bike shops, home repair shops, even the drug store probably has a bag of these lying around. They're useful in your everyday ride kit too for re-securing bits that come loose, mounting non-traditional accessories, holding spare tubes together, etc... Just toss a few spares in your saddle bag while you're at it.
Pack it All Up
This is one spot where seeing really is better than reading so watch the video for a clear picture of how everything fits together. If you're worried, you can always ask the bike shop to pack it for you as well - most will offer bike packing for shipping/travel as a service and it's worth a few bucks if you're worried about botching the job yourself.
Other Tips
- Remember to pack your tools
- There's nothing worse than getting to your destination and realizing you can't put your bike back together. Be sure to toss your tools in the box before you tape it up and you can avoid tool shopping on your holiday.
- Don't call it a "bike" at the airport
- Airlines love charging extra for... well, everything. You may not be able to avoid getting charged for an oversized checked bag, but if you tell the check-in person there's a bike in the box they'll often hit you with another $50-$100 worth of fees. Just tell them it's sporting equipment if asked and you can usually avoid the extra shakedown.
And now you know! Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a Pure Fix TV episode and enjoy your next vacation on two wheels!