Tips for packing your bike for air travel

Here are some handy tips when packing your bike into a box before getting onto a plane:

1. Use as much padding as possible. When the bike is packed, write a label on each pad (e.g. “fork”, “chain-stay”, “top-tube” so you can reproduce what you did for the return trip home.
2. Protect your frame with this plastic frame spacer – pick them up at any bike shop:

3. Take a spare tip with you – these are unique to each frame. The last thing you want is to arrive at your race with a broken tip that the local bike shop does not stock.
4. Remove and install pedals (click here for how-to video).
5. Remove and install your headset / handlebars (click here for how-to video).
6. If you have a smaller bike box, remove your back wheel (click here for how-to video).
7. Remove your rear derrailleur and protect your frame (click here for how-to video).
8. For skewer installing tips at the other end, click here.