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Bikepacking - air transfer

by tom_tom
Fri, Apr 05, 2019 12:01
5

Hi All,

I'm going bikepacking this summer and I'm flying to Thesaloniki with my bike. Like it or not I had to book with Ryanair despite their hefty bike charge. Anyway, I'm planning to transport my bike in a cardboard box and I want to discard it on arrival as I won't be returning to the UK by plane. Has anybody got any advice on  how to protect the bike in such a box and minimise the danger of  the bike being damaged in transit.

 

Many thanks

Tom 

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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5 comments

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tom_tom | 5 years ago
0 likes

Thank you all for the great advice. 

Avatar
Mybike | 5 years ago
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As above but I used bubble wrap instead. Easier to use and easier to throw away afterwords if not need for return flight it also cheaper to buy and lighter in weight. Some airline charge extra for weight. Plastic fork frame spreaders. Can be gotten for free at any bike shop most likely. The same place were you got your free bike shop will happenly give you them also. If not. Just cut and roll. Some cardboard to put between the fork or rear frame. Full the extra space in box with your bike gear also

Avatar
Mybike | 5 years ago
1 like

As above but I used bubble wrap instead. Easier to use and easier to throw away afterwords if not need for return flight it also cheaper to buy and lighter in weight. Some airline charge extra for weight. Plastic fork frame spreaders. Can be gotten for free at any bike shop most likely. The same place were you got your free bike shop will happenly give you them also. If not. Just cut and roll. Some cardboard to put between the fork or rear frame. Full the extra space in box with your bike gear also

Avatar
janusz0 | 5 years ago
1 like

Immobilise the back wheel with an elastic strap. Take the derailleur off its mount, cover it in padding and tape it to a stay.
Tension the chain with an elastic cord up to the saddle and put cardboard between the chain and the frame. Smother the frame in sections of foam pipe lagging: 15 mm i.d. for stays and forks, 22 mm or more for the other tubes and cranks.
Rather than turn the stem, unclamp the handlebar, wrap it in pipe lagging and tape along and projecting from the top tube. Make sure to put the levers at the bottom, with the tips ending vertically under the straight part of the bar.
If you have to take off either wheel put a false spindle between the fork ends to stop them getting pushed together. Put the wheel(s) in padded wheel bag(s) in the box. If you're short of space, pull out the seat tube, remove them and pad them separately and tape them to the frame. You can buy sheets of expanded polystyrene for wall insulation at builders' merchants and d-i-y sheds. Cut it with a really sharp knife*, to make a thick layer at the bottom of the box to stand the bike on. Put the bike in a big polythene bag** then add a lot more more polystyrene packing around it and above it. Your aim is to stop external objects penetrating the box and touching your bike. If you can line all the walls with expanded polystyrene first, all the better.
Bear in mind that your bicycle would get better treatment if it was just in a transparent bag***, but Ryanair say No! Once it's sealed in a box, it becomes just another box to throw around and throw the heaviest lugagge onto. That's why you can't have too much padding.
* a filleting knife slices expanded polystyrene fairly easily if you use a sawing motion.
** the bag retains any bits that might get dislodged from the bike and you can use it to hold all the waste when you reassemble your bike.
*** Evans sell clear CTC bikebags.for more amenable airlines.

Avatar
tom_tom replied to janusz0 | 5 years ago
0 likes

<p>[quote=janusz0]Immobilise the back wheel with an elastic strap. Take the derailleur off its mount, cover it in padding and tape it to a stay. Tension the chain with an elastic cord up to the saddle and put cardboard between the chain and the frame. Smother the frame in sections of foam pipe lagging: 15 mm i.d. for stays and forks, 22 mm or more for the other tubes and cranks. Rather than turn the stem, unclamp the handlebar, wrap it in pipe lagging and tape along and projecting from the top tube. Make sure to put the levers at the bottom, with the tips ending vertically under the straight part of the bar. If you have to take off either wheel put a false spindle between the fork ends to stop them getting pushed together. Put the wheel(s) in padded wheel bag(s) in the box. If you're short of space, pull out the seat tube, remove them and pad them separately and tape them to the frame. You can buy sheets of expanded polystyrene for wall insulation at builders' merchants and d-i-y sheds. Cut it with a really sharp knife*, to make a thick layer at the bottom of the box to stand the bike on. Put the bike in a big polythene bag** then add a lot more more polystyrene packing around it and above it. Your aim is to stop external objects penetrating the box and touching your bike. If you can line all the walls with expanded polystyrene first, all the better. Bear in mind that your bicycle would get better treatment if it was just in a transparent bag***, but Ryanair say No! Once it's sealed in a box, it becomes just another box to throw around and throw the heaviest lugagge onto. That's why you can't have too much padding. * a filleting knife slices expanded polystyrene fairly easily if you use a sawing motion. ** the bag retains any bits that might get dislodged from the bike and you can use it to hold all the waste when you reassemble your bike. *** Evans sell clear CTC bikebags.for more amenable airlines.[/quote]</p>

Many thanks for your detailed instructions. It sounds like you’ve done it before:)

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