10 Steps to Pack a Bike for Shipping

A bicycle might seem like one of the harder things to pack for shipping, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. Just follow these steps when shipping your bike.

1. For the frame and fork, wrap each tube with foam padding. It should be dense enough to prevent scratches and dents, but flexible enough to wrap around tightly. Do the same when you get to the seat and seatposts.

2. If there are external cables, use layers of smooth cloth to protect the frame from being scratched by them.

3. If the tubes are easily crushed, add a hard layer around the foam layer. Hard plastic is ideal, but you can use thick cardboard as well, or cut apart corrugated cardboard that you can tape around the tubes.

4. Wrap the derailleur and hanger in padding. Where you can’t remove these, simply shift to the easiest gear. You can wrap here, or use a derailleur guard.

5. Wheels should be dismantled as much as possible. Rotors may bend, and thru-axles can pierce and damage other material. If you don’t want to dismantle when packing your bike, you can use end caps over the axles and pad the wheels with foam.

6. You can use spacers on dropouts. You’ll find most special gear mentioned here at most bike shops.

7. Remove the stem and handlebars. Position them so that any levers for shift and brake face away from the sides of the box – this way they won’t be damaged.

8. Disc brakes should be separated during shipping. A pad spreader is ideal, although bike shops can offer you less gear-heavy alternatives.

9. When you’re packing your bike, a small parts bag is ideal for items like pedals, racks, and fenders. You can wrap these in bubble wrap. Remember that the right pedal loosens by going counter-clockwise, while the left can be removed by loosening clockwise.

10. Make sure all parts are padded from each other as well as possible. When the box is fully packed and padded, you shouldn’t hear any rattling or clanging when you move the box. Keep a backup label with return address inside the box before you seal it. Use good tape – NOT electrical or masking. These will come loose when shipping your bike. Use shipping tape or filament tape to keep the package sealed. Then you can place the shipping label on the outside.