How to Pack a Bike to Ship

Airlines may charge as much as $50 extra to take bikes as baggage, and they won't take a bike unless it's packed in a box. Follow these steps to pack a bike properly for shipping.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bike Boxes

1. Detach the seat. Leave it attached to the seat post and remove it as a unit.

2. Remove the handlebars by loosening the bolt at the top of the handlebar stem, which is the elbow-shaped piece of metal that clamps to the handlebars. Remove the stem bolt from the bike, keeping in mind that the handlebars and stem should come out as a unit. Leave brake cables attached.

3. Tape handlebars to bicycle's top tube.

4. Use a thin crescent wrench to unscrew the pedals where they attach to the crank - where the inside of your foot sits on the pedal. The left pedal may be reverse-threaded; turn clockwise to unscrew.

5. Remove both wheels. Replace wheels with a block of wood where the axles were to keep the frame from being crushed during shipping.

6. Get a bike box. Most bike shops will give you one, or sell you one for a few dollars. Check the size printed on the side of the box, which should be at least as large as your bike.

7. Put pedals and seat in a bag. Tie or tape the bag to the bike's frame, next to where the handlebars are taped.

8. Lift the bike frame carefully into the box and center the bike. Next fit the wheels in the box, slipping one wheel on each side of the frame.

9. Seal your box with heavy-duty packing tape.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't force anything into the box. If something doesn't fit, rearrange things until it does.

[systemBuilder]

on 9/15/2008 Do not remove both wheels. Only remove the front wheel, otherwise, you'll be forced to remove the crankset, too. Most bike shops will give you a box and a front fork stiffener. There is no such thing as a rear fork stiffener, as it's a mistake to remove the rear wheel.

[systemBuilder]

on 4/21/2008 Make sure you secure the handlebars to the frame so that nothing rattles. Make certain to put heavy padding (foam or bubble wrap) over the seat cluster or headset as these areas are vulnerable to getting hit and deformed (I received a bike where the headset locknut would no longer stay on as the steering column was slightly crumpled, luckily, with advice from the internet, i pulled it out with a crescent wrench handle...)

[jsruby22]

on 2/21/2008 I just shipped my bike FedEx and they quoted me $100 because they measured a width of 9". It was 8.5" and when they entered 8" it went down to $30.

[jsruby22]

on 2/21/2008 I just shipped my bike and they quoted me about $100 because they measured a width of 9" instead of 8". They changed it to 8" and it came out to $30.

on 9/23/2006 Ask your local bike shop for a fork block. This is a plastic piece which fits into the dropouts on the front fork. The dropouts are where the front wheel usually fits when the bike is fully assembled. It's purpose is twofold - it prevents the front fork from (1) being bent during shipping and (2) punching through the bottom of the box.