[Closed] Taking discs of wheels when packing bike for flight?

I've always wedged foam behind the discs and have survived. Others friends have arrived with bent discs. Protect or remove...

Ask yourself if the couple of minutes is worth it, versus the risk of not being able to ride at the other side.

Pack your bag as though someone is going to walk over the top of it.

I remove my rotors.

Also space dropouts (spacer tube on QR/Maxle), spacer in brake pads, padding on the levers, unbolt mech etc!

Well there is that! I guess it's only a 10 minute job. TBH I'd be happy if it arrives - my mates flown out today only to find no bike in Geneva to meet him.
😯

gravity-slave : found a good spacer for the rear maxle - using an old lock on grip! Seems to fit pretty well.

I didn't remove mine, they weren't bent but the sharp edges caused damage elsewhere. Mate of mine suffered bent discs although he didn't have a proper bike bag. If you have the time remove them but certainly focus on packing and don't forget it's quite likely the bike bag will be thrown about and squashed / crushed with other stuff ontop.

why not just use the Maxle?

Yeah, I always do (and stow the discs inside the rear triangle of the frame, along with the rear mech). Basically if you can take it off quickly to improve the protection, do.

gravity-slave - Member

Pack your bag as though someone is going to walk over the top of it.

I go with "as though someone is going to throw it down a flight of stairs" Though tbh "someone is going to throw it out of a plane" is probably both accurate and catchy

Leku - Maxle only has a thread on the drive side, so if someone steps on the swing arm it will still flex/bend.

Why not use a maxle to space the dropouts? It's only threaded on one side so won't hold it apart

I always take mine off, tape them between two bits of card and stick that in the box somewhere. Remember to put the bolts back in the hubs...

I think I went a bit OTT packing my bike, but rather that than have it broken.
From memory...
Wheels off, discs off wheels.
Rear mech off, wrapped in foam and taped between rear stays
pad spacers on brake calipers
pedals off
handlebar off with everything left on, wrapped in foam and taped to top tube.
braces between dropouts
Then wrap it all in bubble wrap/pipe lagging
I found a block of foam that the crank/BB could sit on with a bit of cutting to shape that helped keep the whole thing upright in the bag.

Also, got a bike box from Halfords, cut it down so it was short enough to go in the bag and then put it in like a liner.

Stumpy that's pretty much identical to my regime including the cut down box and BB foam block!

I use a piece of copper plumbing pipe cut to size for the rear dropouts, plastic waste for the front, good job on the lock on!

Another tip - as you strip the bike, put all the tools you use to one side, then pack them too!

In the time it took you to ask you could've had them off.

😉

I always take mine off, tape them between two bits of card and stick that in the box somewhere. Remember to put the bolts back in the hubs...

I think I went a bit OTT packing my bike, but rather that than have it broken.
From memory...
Wheels off, discs off wheels.
Rear mech off, wrapped in foam and taped between rear stays
pad spacers on brake calipers
pedals off
handlebar off with everything left on, wrapped in foam and taped to top tube.
braces between dropouts

Mostly this^ not much bubble wrap though more pipe lagging, I tend to just take the crank off too, takes seconds then you dont need to worry about bending the chainrings or chewing through the packaging

One of my bikes came with 8" square pieces of cardboard cut into a [ shape satcked and glued to make a 3/4" to 1" thick sandwich. these wedge between the disc rotor and the spokes and provide a very effective means of protecting the discs in transit.

Foam or carboard won't protect the disc if something hard penetrates the box. Just take thm off.

I customised an 8" square of hard plastic (some sort of packaging spare from work) and it's like a record sleeve, slides over the disc and around the axle.

Imagine a sort of snug fitting pizza box over the disc. Never had any problems with damaged rotors.

Having said that, I can't remember the last time I actually flew anywhere with the MTB, every biking holiday I've been on for the last few years has been road riding. 😳

I use pieces of wood to add support between drop outs and forks, remove rotors an pack them in a box, supported by spare rotors.

Pipe lagging on stanchions, bubble wrap around frame and into bike bag with rear mech ganger and rear mech safely removed from the frame, ( not from the cable though) and positioned inbetween the rear drop outs.

I use body armour around the rear and bottom of the forks too a a well as my back protector under the BB.

Probably 8 years of annual trips to Alps or Pyranese and not had any bike damage so far although the " throwers " at Barcelona had a good attempt at ruining the bike bag a few years back.

Wrap it like it's going to be abused on its journey IMO.

if something hard penetrates the box

That would be a pretty straightforward claim against the airline, even then I doubt anything would bend the disc that wouldn't write the wheel off anyway. My back wheel stays in the frame, which helps.

Bikes are invariably carried as "limited release" so the chances of claiming against the airline, even if you find they've driven a fork lift truck's fork through the bag, are pretty minimal.

Rotors always off, sandwiched in cardboard and zip tied between the spokes. I've also got labelled / sculpted pipe lagging for the frame, forks and swing arm.

I've always put rotors facing in towards the bike to protect them but now I'm not so sure!

Take them off, but dont put them inside the wheels cable tied to the spokes and cut the spoke and cable tie when you build it up on the first day of your Spanish riding holiday, oh no....

Usually use spaces between the rear dropouts and Leg/shin pads around the forks. Arm pads to protect the shifters/brakes and padding below the chain ring. remove the rear mech and put it in a bag between the dropouts. Zip tie the chain to the chain ring. Never removed the rotors and never had a problem. Abigale flew out to Verbier yesterday and all arrived OK. The only thing she did different was remove the rotors as they are icetec and are made of cheese.
Have used a Decathlon bike bag for years and once you get past the name they are first class. there is a padded inner to wrap and hold the frame secure and the wheels/tyres then slot into bags sewn into this to keep every thing in place, coupled with a solid base, wheels and a pulling strap at the oposite end to the wheels makes for a very easy package to transport

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Never removed the rotors and never had a problem.

Cant say for other bags but the way the bag is designed inside the rotors are protected between the wheel and the inner frame padding. Only took Abigales off as the the Shimano icetec ones are so soft a baby could bend one, she has taken two spare proper rotors out with her just incase she manages to bend one. They really are rubish in the durability department

Yep same with the bag I used, however bag handlers are able to bend physics.

Take both discs off and zip tie them together, makes it a bit sturdier and harder to bend like that.

disconoir - Member
TBH I'd be happy if it arrives - my mates flown out today only to find no bike in Geneva to meet him.

That's one of the major reasons I prefer to drive. I've had it happen to me when skiing, but not so bad as the trip is long and they hopefully turn up a few days later. Bike trips to the alps so far have been weekend stuff, and to have the bike going missing for a few days ruins the entire trip. Yeah so I can rent some froggy bike with backwards brakes, but it's not my bike. I have to get used to something that's not set up the way I like and I'm used to.

And door to door a 1.5 hour flight plus transfers either end and the couple of hours you have to be at the airport in advance, with an hour faffing waiting for the luggage, plus other delays, is only a few hours shorter than driving.

Solid bike box is the sensible option, I hired one for about 50 notes.
Bomb proof and you look proper pro at check in 🙂

mrchrispy - Member
Solid bike box is the sensible option, I hired one for about 50 notes.
Bomb proof and you look proper pro at check in