Packing a Bike into Bike Box

[Hobden the Hedger]

I'm talking about packing a bike into a cardboard box like the LBS have. Just sold a bike on Ebay. I've got 2 cardboard bike boxes, but can't seem to fit the bike in - even with both wheels removed (and bike upside down), pedals off, bars turned under top tube, skewers off. I'm guessing there's a correct way to ship/pack. Anyone enlighten me? Its a road bike, BTW. Thanks

[VLAD (the Friendly Vamp)]

Dont you have to turn the front forks the other way as well as removing the wheels and pedals and bars etc.

[phil parker]

Of course I don't know the size of the box...but some forms of 'packing rules' are the same whether it is a travel box or packing box.Remove the pedals; slacken off the headset and turn the handlebars 90 degrees - you may also need to slacken off the stem and twist the handlebars downwards; you may also need to remove the saddle & seatpost together.Needless to say - protect well especially the vulnerable parts like the rear mech - and add some form of spacer between the front & rear dropouts!Hope that helps, but without seeing the problem I can only guess!!

[JJ]

The bike should go in the box the right way up.  Will it fit if you take the bars off the stem and kind of slot them in vertically with the bike?  With the pedals off and the cranks at the sort of 10 to 4 position (non-drive side crank the higher) the back wheel will slide over the crank and slot in neatly alongside the frame.  I'd pull the seat post right out too and just slot that in the box once you've got the bike in.  If you've got some plastic tie wraps try and zip it all together and put it in.  It will go!!!!

[Hobden the Hedger]

JJ, sounds like you may have done this before. I was worried there may be some damage to the chainset if the bike went in right way up with both wheels removed?  Good advice on here though, as always.

[JJ]

Whatever gave you that impression?  Haha!!  Yeah, I've done it a few times but I've just read my own post and it's a load of rubbish! The bike should go in the right way up with the back wheel in so you shouldn't have to worry about the rear mech getting squashed.  It's the front wheel that you take off and slide in along the  non-drive side crank.  I got the bit about the bars and seat stem right.  Sorry, I'm being distracted by Britain's Got Talent...!!!!

[JJ]

Seat stem?  Seat pin...jeez!  I've turned the telly off now and am paying full attention...sorry!

[Hobden the Hedger]

Great, thanks for this. Going to try again with existing box (which had a road bike in originally - albeit a different one) and see if I can't somehow squeeze it in. The top tube on this bike is quite long (57 c-c) which is perhaps where I'm having difficulty.I couldn't possibly comment about being distracted by Britain's Got Talent though!!!

[Hobden the Hedger]

Finally got this sussed. The key (if anyone finds themselves having to ship a bike in a box) is manoeuvering the bars into the correct position. I found that removed from the stem, then attached with cable ties vertically to the head tube and tucked round, with a bit of 'jiggery pokery' the bike fitted. I reversed the forks 180 deg to compensate for the fork rake on this bike. All nicely cable tied together and well padded with bubble wrap and protection, it only leaves the courier company to lose it in transit....

[phil parker]

Of course, it also depends on the size of the box!