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Bike boxing for flight travel .. Is this bike box a Tardis?
A while back I got a cardboard bike box from a bike shop and there was no way I was going to get my bike in the box so I figured it was a small box. I went back the other week and made sure I got a full size box, a box that actually housed a 29er, but there is no way I can get my bike into the box.
When I went back to the bike shop today the guys looked at me like I was a freak.
I have a Reign 26" - stock shock and same model tyres as it sold with.
With the front wheel, handlebars, pedals, seat post, dérailleur, chain all off. Rear tyre and front shock deflated there is no way in hell the bike box is long enough to fit the bike.
I removed the rear wheel and tried to slot it in on top of the rear triangle so the axle was effectively 5-10cm forward of where it should be. The tyre was pressed right up against the downward curved piece of the back triangle (see photo for what I mean).
With this set-up the fork is jammed right into the front of the box (with no padding), tyre is totally squashed up against the rear triangle and is bulging out the box by about 5-10cm. If I removed the tyre It might fit but still not enough room for padding around the rim and the fork.
The rear triangle is too wide to fit the tyre alongside (the hub would end up through the box if I put it next to the front triangle as well)
What the hell am I doing wrong?
The guys at the shop reckon they always pack the bikes with the rear wheel still attached I'm not remotely able to get my bike in like that .. by at least 15cm?
(JFTR its a Giant Bike, Giant Box and Giant shop .. I've got no idea how they do it?)
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Take your fork off. Or get a bigger box
The few times I've packed a bike into a box or bag, it has always involved taking the rear wheel off (and with the 29er, turning the stem around the wrong way and loosening off the rear derailleur). The only bike I've bought in a box came with the rear wheel off as well....
Hey mate, bet your looking forward to the biking holiday.
After recently visiting Rotorua, I used a box kindly donated from Midland Cycles. I have a 26" small frame stumpy evo.
I too thought that the box was too small and got another one
What worked for me was:
Go to office works and buy 20 metres of bubble wrap
Take front and back wheels off, handlebars and pedals ( I left all cables attached on bars)
Wrap rotors, bottom of forks etc etc
Either take seat off or if you have an adjustable seat, slam it
Insert frame
Slide front wheel in between box and frame
Slide back wheel on the other side between box and frame, flex that box
I put as much in the box as I could and I was still under weight helmets/hydration pack/pads/gloves etc
Trust me, you will fit it in.
And the best part: Coming back through customs at Sydney, because I had a manufacturer cardboard bike box, I told customs bike is brand new and they waived me straight through, try doing that with your evoc
All the best mate, hope this helped
Telling customs anything you are bringing into the country is brand new is not very smart. They may well screw you for duties and GST. Got lucky @Diggedy!
Do the right thing and give your bike a good clean, don't understand why you wouldn't do that even if it wasn't the law.
Thanks buddy but bike was spotless mate
I will fit, I took my Reign to Rotorua last year in a standard Giant box. As mentioned both wheels need to come off and you will need to let the air out of both front and rear shocks so you can compress them to fit it in the box. Then just wrap and pack everything else around the outside of the frame.
I wish you had a photo Magnum9
I'm not going to let this defeat me, I survived Boulderdash for heavens sake .. I can pack a bike !!
Honestly if you intend to travel with your bike more than once save yourself the headaches and get a decent bike bag. Ive used this one for a few trips now and it make my life so much easier, especially when moving around the airport alone.
http://www.evocsports.com/bike/bike-travel-bags/...
Takes my XXL 23" 29er, just.
I just got mine yesterday-moving to South Korea in 3 weeks (eek!) big hills there...Might come back fit :/ I haven't tried my bike in it yet...Any tips or tricks (I have Giant Anthem 26er Medium) Looked at the Biknd bags also...was a toss up but the fact that the EVOC has wheel compartments on the outside was the sealer-no rotors being crushed into the Carbon frame!
Cheers
When I started I took the front wheel and pedals off, removed the handle bars and turned the stem 180deg. Tried to put it in and it would not go, I took the rear wheel and DR off and in it went. I thought this can't be right, put the rear DR and wheel back on and got it in.
Here is the instructions I was given in another forum that worked well for me:
http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewtopic.php?...
You might need to a fork spacer too, just a piece of plastic the LBS can provide.
I also had racks on my bike which offered a nice bit of protection to the rear DR.
Good luck.
Problem with most bags is getting a dual suspension bike in and being under the weight limit when the bag itself weighs 9kg or more.
I have a Ground Effect Body Bag...best $100 I have spent!
Fits a 26" Giant Reign, with forks/rear derail/back wheel on, just the bars/stem popped off and cable tied to frame.
It has only been domestically, but a bit of cardboard, pool noodle and bubble wrap and no worries!