what should i take off? Fold down? how should it be packed?
bike box/bag and some common sense
HTH
some of this might be OTT but it doesn't take long so I do ...
wheels off, qr's out (so not to poke through bag) cardboard taped to end of axles, tyres deflated to very soft but not flat. disc rotors off and packed in bag next to some mdf/ply to prevent bending.
mech off and taped inside chain stays
old axle or similar spacer in drop out to prevent crushing of frame, same in forks.
spacer shoved in brake calipers to keep pads apart.
bars spun to flat with frame. brake lever and gear shifter clamps loosened, levers and shifters spun down out of the way.
chain wrapped on big chain ring to protect teeth, tie in place (some people remove cranks)
pipe lagging on all tubes and pop everthing in a bike bag.
Hopefully the bike will survive and you can enjoy your trip 🙂 take a spare mech hanger....very handy.
Neil isn't being paranoid.. the important bits are the disc rotors off and the bits of something between the axles.
Our relocation company put my bikes in massive jiffy bags whole and ALL the rotors came out bent the other end
aye, no matter how well you pack it might all go t1ts up. When we went to the Alps this year we saw the baggage handlers literally throwing the bike bags and cases around. My mate's case was cracked to buggery and his carbon wheel rim (in a wheel bag inside the case) cracked. As much padding etc as possible, and just give it a good check before riding it!
tyres deflated though is a gert big myth 🙂
Best advice I have heard is pack it enough that you'd be happy to throw it out of your upstairs window on to your driveway.
Check your bike (as much as practical) before you leave the baggage claim at each end. The airline is usually only liable if you get a damage report there and then... Good luck!
I do a very cunning thing that has served me well. when putting bike in box, put it in bin liners first. Then using a builders foam gun, strategicly foam it into the box. Especially the fragile sticky outy bits like fork ends, drop-outs etc. Works a treat. I get the foam from work but it's only about £4-5 a can. I don't/can't do that on the return journey but a snapped dropout isn't as big a deal on the way back as it is on the way out where it would spoil the trip,
C