Accidently pressing brake levers

When I put my bike in the car I have to take my wheels off.
Now don’t ask me how and it doesn’t matter how careful I am, I manage to close the pads together so I cant get the discs in and have to go through the faff of opening them up to get the wheels back on.
Whats the STW consensus on keeping the pads apart in transit?

I have things I stick in them, little plastic whatnots

bit of folded cardboard?

UPVC window packers would probably be one of the better solutions as they come in different thicknesses, just hold them in with a elastic band.

I tend to go for the ‘try not to pull the levers’ option though…which often fails…

If you can be bothered to remove the pads, I find the 8mm spanner used for bleeding the brakes is the best tool for pushing the pistons back – ring end over the piston and position the handle in the slot to the side of the brake (on my minis/mono minis anyway) Piston always goes in straight this way.

If I’m in a rush its just a flat bladed screwdriver within the pads.

As above – when I only had hopes, folded card.

Since I’ve had Avids & Shimano, the plastic insert they come with, which also fit the Hopes (with an elastic band to keep in place), so that’s what I use now.

Some good ideas guys, thanks.
Spooky I like the idea of using the 8mm spanner, never thought of that one, thanks.

I’ve only ever transport my bikes in the car, and even when I’ve crammed multiple bikes in the back of my car going to races I’ve never squeezed a brake lever!

Most brakes will have little spacers which clip in, ask your LBS, they’ll probably have hundreds of them!

2pence pieces and zip tie the lever to the bar when flying

Made some custom injection moulded spacers for my hopes 8)

Shimano have that orange thing that comes with the caliper:

I did this last week after a night ride and asked on here for advice. I’ve just remembered to go look and I’ve found the orange plastic bits in the bag of stuff Merlin gave me with the bike :D Cheers for reminding me.

try a 2p coin… not much use for anything else now days …

Oggles…show me more! If they just clip into the caliper you could have a nice little earner there.

I’d want set Hope Mini, Hope Mini Mono and Formula ORO spacers :)

They just sit in the caliper and clip around the pad retention pin.

spooky, I’ll see if i have any spares lying around. made about a dozen or so but not sure where i put the extras :?

Jebus. I use a screwdriver afterwards.