Packing Equipment
Once you've selected a bike box and you're ready to pack, you'll need to make a few purchases before you start:
- Roll of painters tape
- Velcro straps
- Scissors
- Sharpie
- Bubble wrap
- Zip-lock sandwich bags
- Set of Allen/Hex wrenches
- Pedal wrench
- Zip ties
- Fork and rear dropout supports (ask your local bike shop for these)
- Polyethylene pipe insulation*
*Don't get the self-sealing pipe insulation. The sticky residue is a pain to remove from the frame.
*The diameter of the pipe insulation required will depend on the size of your frame. Get a selection of sizes to match the different parts of your frame.
More: 6 Upgrades Your Bike May Need
Dismantling Your Bike
When taking apart your bike, be aware that different bike cases have different dismantling requirements. Read these carefully before you begin.
1. Remove the pedals using a pedal wrench. Grease the pedal spindle, wrap the pedal in bubble wrap and place in a sandwich bag. Although it's hard to damage pedals, they can bang around against other more fragile parts of the bike, so it's important to wrap them too.
2. Remove the front wheel and deflate slightly.
3. Remove handlebars. Remember to mark your handlebar position first using tape and a Sharpie. Wrap tape on both sides of the handlebar mount and then mark the tape to show the handlebar position.
