Packing a bike for flight.

[krushavik]

I get the Cycling Plus every month. Last year it enclosed a DVD of Ultimate Sportive, on the DVD was a guide of how to pack your bike for travel, showing the chain wheel at the top of the bag near the zip. In March 2011 issue it had a suppliment on bike packing with the chain wheel at the bottom of the bag. So the question is should the chain wheel be at the top or the bottom. Advice please as I will be packing my bike next week for Majorca.

 

[TheDoctor]

I'd get it at the top if you can.
If the bike is dropped on the chainrings, they may well bend.
This will not enhance your day...

 

[Globalti]

In a solid case (dhb do a good one) the chainring can go at the bottom with the chain on it to prevent the teeth from damaging the case. In a floppy case I would agree that top might be better, or bottom with the ring resting on some sponge.

Pack a wheel each side of the frame with lots of bubble wrap, remove the bars, pedals, seatpost. Put spacers in the front and rear forks to prevent crush damage, you can get ready-made plastic ones from bike shops as many new bikes come boxed with them.

Bits of grey foam pipe lagging are good for protecting the frame.

Don't let the tyres down; they won't burst.

 

[Over The Hill]

Cheap bike in a bin bag and you are sorted!

I go by the idea that generally people are quite OK and will look after a bike if they can. Put it on as a bike (handle bars turned and pedals off) with a bit of cover for the oily bits and the have something to hold and tuck it in a corner.
Pack it like a parcel and it goes up the conveyor with the rest and gets thrown down with a pile of stuff on top.

 

[krushavik]

Thank you for your advice verdict "Chain wheel up "

 

[ASC1951]

Pack a wheel each side of the frame with lots of bubble wrap, remove the bars, pedals, seatpost. Put spacers in the front and rear forks to prevent crush damage

Very important!

I always unscrew the rear derailleur as well. It's easy to do with a long Allen key and it doesn't disturb the settings.

 

[monkeypony]

Whatever you do, check the bike is in one piece BEFORE you leave the airport. once you've gone through the doors they will deny all responsibility, as one of our number discovered on a trip to the Alps last summer. Only when arriving at the chalet were the tyre marks spotted on the bag! End result - frame in the bin and a weeks riding on the worst downhill hire bike in the world!

 

[PaulB]

Done it both ways several times and came to the conclusion that, as long as you have ample padding underneath a bottom-loaded chain-ring, it doesn't much matter one way other the other.

 

[meenaghman]

For the carbon frame racer.I wiretie the LH crank to the seat tube.. so RH crank protects chain wheel. The frame is a bit unbalanced but my wheels then go on the LH side of the bike (again with ties). I normally have a tie or two to keep the chain on the big ring, and I fashioned myself a block of wood to protect the R hanger/derailleur . Turn the bars, with masking tape marked to show original position and hook bars under the top tube.. bag is big enough to leave saddle in position.. lots of foam and padding. I let tyres down as I normally bring a light plastic track pump.

With my touring bike, I don't pack, leave back wheel in, again wiretie (or toestrap) the LH crank to the seat tube. Then front wheel off, turn bars and tie under top tube. tie wheel to bike and all in a clear plastic bag.. some airports like Geneva make you buy a cardboard box on the return journey and place bike in there. Depends on airline on tyre deflation.. sometimes the boy stands over you watching to make sure you do it.. when touring I've normally got a mini pump and its a pain to pump up the tyres the other side.

 

[ColinJ]

I go by the idea that generally people are quite OK and will look after a bike if they can. Put it on as a bike (handle bars turned and pedals off) with a bit of cover for the oily bits and the have something to hold and tuck it in a corner.
Pack it like a parcel and it goes up the conveyor with the rest and gets thrown down with a pile of stuff on top.

Hmm - I used to think like that too, so in 1999 I bought a bike bag and went on holiday with my brand new £2,000+ Bianchi in it.

On that very first trip, I saw it thrown from the aircraft luggage hold many feet down onto a pile of suitcases on a baggage truck. Despite the bike bag, a cardboard bike box inside that, lagging the frame tubes, rolls of bubblewrap everywhere and my wheels in wheel bags, I ended up with a dented frame.

When I got home, I bought a SciCon bike box to use on subsequent holidays ...

 

[krushavik]

Hmm - I used to think like that too, so in 1999 I bought a bike bag and went on holiday with my brand new £2,000+ Bianchi in it.

On that very first trip, I saw it thrown from the aircraft luggage hold many feet down onto a pile of suitcases on a baggage truck. Despite the bike bag, a cardboard bike box inside that, lagging the frame tubes, rolls of bubblewrap everywhere and my wheels in wheel bags, I ended up with a dented frame.

When I got home, I bought a SciCon bike box to use on subsequent holidays ...

Just had a look at the Scicon bike box at £600.00 I will have to look for a used one.

They do look bloody good though.

 

[ColinJ]

Just had a look at the Scicon bike box at £600.00 I will have to look for a used one.

They do look bloody good though.

£600 - yikes! I paid about £300 though that was about 10 years ago. The SciCons are very heavy so they eat into your oversize baggage allowance, and the baggage handlers managed to break a corner of mine by dropping it on one wheel. (I repaired it, but I expected more from an expensive case.)

Take a look at the Polaris Bike Pod at Chain Reaction Cycles. Much lighter and 'only' £215.99. Similar in design though.

 

[krushavik]

£600 - yikes! I paid about £300 though that was about 10 years ago. The SciCons are very heavy so they eat into your oversize baggage allowance, and the baggage handlers managed to break a corner of mine by dropping it on one wheel. (I repaired it, but I expected more from an expensive case.)

Take a look at the Polaris Bike Pod at Chain Reaction Cycles. Much lighter and 'only' £215.99. Similar in design though.

Thats more or less the same case and a third the price . Once again thank you.