Only 2 weeks til Morzine trip. Have bike bag….have bike…whats the best method of packing it in the bag? ie what to take off the bike and should I rely on the padded bag or add extra padding inside?
I remember seeing an article on here sometime ago but cant find it now.
All help appreciated….

BF

I do this:

– line bag with cut-down bike box from Halfords to give it extra stiffness.
– let a little air out of shock, forks & tyres.
– take disc rotors off wheels & wrap in bubble wrap.
– remove QR skewers, wrap and tape to frame or put in bike bag pocket
– remove rear mech, wrap & tape inside rear triangle.
– leave chain on in big ring.
– remove pedals, wrap & tape to frame.
– remove handlebars and tape to wrapped fork leg.
– put pad spacers into brake calipers.
– Frame spacer into rear drop-outs & fork spacer into fork dropouts
– large foam cut-out under BB/outer chainring to protect & tape one crank to chainstay to keep in place.
– liberally apply bubble wrap/foam/plumbers lagging to frame.
– apply some more bubble wrap/foam/plumbers lagging.

Stick it all in bag, along with as many tools as you think you can get away with, knee/elbow pads wrapped round frame, energy drink powder etc…

I did this last year:
– wheels off (and QRs out) and in wheel bags
– bar and stem off, covered in pipe lagging stuff and taped up
– pedals off and in seperate pocket inside bag
– post and seat off

Thats all I removed. Then EVERYTHING was covered in pipe lagging and taped up and bar/stem taped to the frame.

Thanks for that…Ill start looking for bubble wrap and lagging!

BF

make sure you have the frame spacers….!

Or your frame will be potentially a lot flatter when you get it there 😆

Some good advice here from the guys at TrailAddiction.

I second the above, but watch out at the airport. Certain over-zealous officials may insist you can only have your bike in the bag and not knee pads and spare clothes for padding. This has happened to me and friends before now.

I also tend to gaffer-tape lots of spares, like rotors, spokes, etc to the cardboard I put down the sides of the frame – nice little pull-out-and-put-against-garage-wall thing in the chalet…