Pack

Bike Packing Guide

Follow these step-by-step instructions to keep your bike safe in transit.
Need packing supplies? Check out our store.

Prepare For Packing

1. Prepare For Packing

    Gather your tools, packing materials, bike and bike box or case. You will need the following to get started:

  • Allen Wrenches
  • Torx Wrenches
  • Foam Tubing
  • Packing Tape
  • Zip Ties
  • Axle Spacers
  • Disc Brake Spacers
  • Accessory Bag (for removed small parts)
  • Wheel Bags
Remove Your Pedals

2. Remove Your Pedals

Remove both of your pedals, and place them in your accessory bag.

Your right pedal has a regular thread (counter-clockwise to loosen), while your left pedal is reverse threaded (clockwise to loosen).

Remove Your Wheels

3. Remove Your Wheels

Remove your wheels from your bike.

If your bike has disc brakes, place a brake pad spacer in your brake calipers to maintain disc brake separation. Secure in place with a zip tie.

Remove Your Disc Rotors

4. Remove Your Disc Rotors

If your bike has disc brakes, remove the rotors from each wheel, and place them in your accessory bag.

Secure your disc brake bolts back in the hub.

Remove Your Bottle Cages

5. Remove Your Bottle Cages

Remove your bottles cages, and place them in your accessory bag.

Screw the bottle cage bolts back into the frame.

If your bike has fenders, frame bags, mini pumps, GPS units or other attachments, remove those as well.

Remove Your Bars

6. Remove Your Bars

Mark your handlebar position.

Remove your handlebars from your stem.

Leave your stem in place to maintain bearing compression in your head tube.

Screw the stem bolts back into your stem.

Remove Your Seatpost

7. Remove Your Seatpost

Mark your saddle height with tape or a marker

Remove your seatpost, and tighten your seatpost collar.

Remove Your Derailleur

8. Remove Your Derailleur

Remove your rear derailleur.

Protect Your Frame and Fork with Foam Tubing

9. Protect Your Frame and Fork with Foam Tubing

Wrap your entire frame and fork with dense foam tubing.

Secure the foam tubing with zip ties.

 Protect Your Handlebars with Foam Tubing

10. Protect Your Handlebars with Foam Tubing

Wrap your fork and your bars with dense foam tubing.

Pad around your shift levers and brake levers

Secure foam tubing with zip ties.

 Protect Frame and Fork with Spacers

11. Protect Frame and Fork with Spacers

Place and secure spacers between your rear dropouts and your fork dropouts

Use pre-cut PVC spacers, plastic spacers (like those used by manufacturers) secured with tape, or old hubs secured with skewers or thru axles.

 Secure Your Derailleur

12. Secure Your Derailleur

Wrap your removed derailleur with foam, and zip-tie it to the inside of your rear triangle.

Secure you extra chain slack with a zip tie to the chain stay.

 Secure Your Bars

13. Secure Your Bars

Rotate your fork 180 degrees, pointing your stem inward toward the frame

Align your padded bars with the fork. Make sure that your brake and shifter levers are facing inward toward your frame

Zip tie your padded bars to your fork.

 Secure Your Seatpost

14. Secure Your Seatpost

Zip tie your padded seatpost to your padded frame - the top tube is usually a good place.

 Secure Your Accessory Bag

15. Secure Your Accessory Bag

Zip tie your accessory bag or box to the inside of your rear triangle

Your accessory bag should contain your disc rotors, bottle cages, pedals and other small parts as well as your tools needed to reassemble your bike at your destination.

 Secure Your Wheels in Wheel Bags

16. Secure Your Wheels in Wheel Bags

Install and secure plastic end caps over your axles and cassette

Place your wheels into padded wheel bags.

 Take Photos

17. Take Photos

Document the contents of your shipment and its internal and external packing.

In the unlikely event of loss or damage, such photos will help you remember what you packed and serve as proof of proper packing to submit with your claim.

 Secure Your Bike and Wheels In a Sturdy Bike Box, Hard Case, or Soft Case

18. Secure Your Bike and Wheels In a Sturdy Bike Box, Hard Case, or Soft Case

Place your bike and your wheels in your bike box, bike case, or bike bag.

Utilize all of the accompanying straps, foam blocks, padded sleeves, bungees, and other protective elements included with your packing system

Close your box or case, and secure it with packing tape or fasteners.

 Shake Your Box

19. Shake Your Box

Shake your bike box, hard case or soft case.

Listen for rattling or clinging of loose items - if anything is loose, reopen your box, then pad and secure accordingly.

Remove or Cover All Old Labels and Barcodes

20. Remove or Cover All Old Labels and Barcodes

Accidental scans of old labels and other barcodes may result in your shipment being delayed, mis-routed or returned.

 REMOVE ALL HAZMAT AND WARNING STICKERS

21. REMOVE ALL HAZMAT AND WARNING STICKERS

Whether shipping a bicycle or an e-bike, our partner carriers require that you REMOVE ALL HAZMAT AND WARNING STICKERS from your box. Remaining stickers may result in a shipment delay and/or a fine.

 Print and Place Label #1 In Your Box

22. Print and Place Label #1 In Your Box

Print your label bundle, and place label #1 inside your bike box or case

Use an inside label in the event that your outside label becomes unreadable or is accidentally removed.

 Affix Label #2 To The Outside of Your Box Or Case

23. Affix Label #2 To The Outside of Your Box Or Case

If using a hard or soft case, affix using a luggage tag. If you don’t have a luggage tag, you can get one at your local UPS, or make your own from scrap cardboard and packing tape.

 Ship Your Bike

24. Ship Your Bike

Drop off at one of our partner carrier locations, or kick back and wait for your pickup!