Advice required, need to transport my 160mm travel bike on a plane, whats the best way to pack it?

Thanks

Evoc Bike Bag

Boxes are best but just not practical. Does practicality matter. Where you off Spain?

Otherwise forks off, strapped to frame with bar and rear end spaced out with an old hub. Rotors off to be safe, pedals off, stuff with clothes…

Keep fingers crossed

practicality isnt an issue, i could use a bike box, are the bags really worth it? They look abit flimsy…..

Evoc bike bag no brainer yes they are fine. Wheels off, seat down, handle bars off and strapped to bag job done. Takes me 20 mins top to pack and I have done a few trips 🙂 Top tip for packing rotars on the inside or they may get bent

After complaining about the size of my dhb bag, I was given a tip… One of the road bike manufacturers (Trek?) use a two part cardboard box for new bikes, apparently a full susser will fit nicely. Box for wheels, box for frame, and they fix together or something. Anyone know what I’m on about, and is it a good tip?

I’ve got a DHB bag and it’s been on several planes and never had any damage. Wheels, bars and mech hanger off, rotors off as well if you can be bothered.

I bought mine in california, front wheel out, left the back wheel in, bars off seat post out, pedals off, let the air out of your tyres, rear shock and forks, easy peasy, oh and dropped the rear mech off the hanger, stuffed it in a regular new bike box a lbs gave me, put it in the boot of the hire car drove to vegas and then straight on the plane. Dont forget to take something for pumping up your shock, forks and tyres again, sounds daft but i know a few people that have forgotten! 😆

bike box alan is the answer.

Dont forget you need to pull haul your bike around a bit. On off trains and buses. If your doing a few trips its worth the investment.

The cargo bay of planes is fully pressurised. Letting the air out of your forks is a waste of time 🙂

I used the chain reaction bike bag, seems fine, and quite good value at around £60.

Wheels off
brake disks off – I didnt do this and the disc got bent
pedals off
handle bars off
rear derailuer off
let air out of forks and compress – The bag wouldnt zip up with them at full extension
Let air out of tyres – the bag wouldnt zip up with them inflated.
Space out brake pads
Wrap frame in bubble wrap

When they ask if you have let the air out of the tyres say yes – even if your running tubeless with sealant and obviously haven’t. Tyres that can take 60-80psi but are only pumped to 30psi will be fine.

Rotors off is a top TOP TOP[/b] tip.

I used a CRC bike bag last time, arrived back a little crumpled but thats bacause I was lazy packing, bike was fine though.

I’ve cut down and reinforced a bike box to bike bag size and forced it into the CRC bag for next time, practicaly rigid and easier to transport than a box.

So as i said a bike box is best, otherwise manufacturers would put bikes in a bag to deliver them.

For extra longevity, buy some cheap duct tape and completely cover it, and for maneuverability strap an old cut down skate board to the base.

boxes get dragged around by baggage staff, bags get flung and stacked sideways

I have a bag though as a box wont fit in the loft, however you asked what was best!

Be careful with brake hoses too – very easy to kink if your an idiot like me.

Talking about being an idiot, I packed my bike really badly a few years back. The seatpost ended up sticking out of the box and efter dragging it most of the way home I’d filed about an inch off the bottom of it. Rest of the bike came back okay.

Lol at the seatpost bit above(dont know how to quote on my ipad), my bike was absolutely fine in the box i mentioned but by the time id dragged it to my hotel in vegas, then to the airport, then thru gatwick (arguing with the customs officers which side of the pond i bought the bike) to the train station, and changed at st pancras, then stood with it to nottingham, then dragged it the mile up the road to my building after traveling 6000 miles and being awake for 36 hours , i was seriously hacked off with it and the box was shagged on the bottom, i used a full roll of gaffer tape to re-enforce the box too, but as i said bike was fine. My lbs rents out the evoc bags for about £50 so i might / will do that next time.

Those big inflatable packaging airbag things are superb for packing out the box/bag- they weigh nowt and they’re very tough, way better than bubblewrap.

As far as bag vs box goes, I found the biggest size of Apollo box that Halfords use would be almost perfect- they’re big, and way stronger than most (heavy bikes, those, and packaged for bad handling due to the low cost). A wee bit awkward to haul around- no wheels or proper handles- but a lot more protective than most bags.

The best thing would be a corrugated plastic bike box, but seeing as I can’t convince corruplast to even mail me back…

Try getting a regular bike box and painting it with PVA to provide some waterproofing.

Rotors can be left on – cut some [ shapes out of thick cardboard and pad out the gap betweeen the rotor and the spokes.

Bike bags are too small and too heavy if you’re taking a DH bike.

Think – will I be OK to stand the box on end? otherwise you’ll not get it through the bollards at Luton or the sliding doors at Geneva…

I bought a Plasma TV box off the internet specifically for the purpose. (Just the right length for a med SX trail with back wheel fitted, and a bit wider than a bike box for “padding”)

My (DHB) bike bag is plenty big enough for my DH bike – albeit with the bars off. My XC bike fits in with just the wheels off.

No one take the rear end off and fit the whole lot in a large suitcase?

Think you have to weigh up the risk of paying for a holiday wrapping your bike in cardboard then struggling with it and luggage to destination and then finding its broken. The potential for failure is high. Boxes and bags reduce the risk to almost zero. I travel with bike couple times a year and its well worth the investment. Just remember what your risking and what impact it may have on your holiday. Your call.