How to Pack a Bicycle for Moving: Step-by-Step Guide

True bicycle enthusiasts treasure their two-wheelers.

For them, bikes are much more than just a means of transportation – they bring pure joy, introduce a strong sense of freedom, and may even give a new meaning to their lives.

Regardless of whether you are passionate about bicycles and cycling or not, if you do own a bike, then sooner or later you may have to transport it to another place due to an upcoming move.

If you’re moving locally or going on a short trip, then it’s easy to mount and haul your bike on the vehicle rack of your car.

But if you’re facing a long-distance relocation, then your only sensible option is to prepare it to be transported by a moving company.

The following guide will teach you how to partially disassemble, pack, and box your bicycle for a safe move to its new destination.

Or simply put – how to pack a bicycle for a move.

Speaking from personal experience, I can assure you that all you need are some inexpensive packing materials, basic tools, and no more than an hour of your time.

Be sure to follow these easy steps and you’ll become an expert bicycle packer in no time.

Stage 1. Prepare the packing materials

The best place to get packing materials for your bicycle is the local bike shop. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 bike box (cardboard)
• 1 small box (cardboard) for parts (or a large resealable plastic bag)
• Around 8-10 pieces of foam tubes protectors
• 1 fork protector
• 4 wheel axle protectors
• 15 or more cable ties
• Several sheets of bubble wrap
• Packing paper
• Packing tape

It’s recommended that you call the bike shop in advance and inform them of the type and size of your bicycle so that they can set aside a bike box and a number of packing materials for you.

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Stage 2. Get the right tools

And here are what basic tools you’re going to need to properly disassemble your bicycle for shipping, and then correctly re-assemble it.

You’ll probably have these tools already as they are essential for maintaining your bike in top shape and constitute a part of its repair kit.

Make sure you get them from the bike shop if you don’t own any of them.

• 15 mm pedal wrench
• a set of hex wrenches (3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 mm)
• torque wrench
• pair of pliers

The first thing you need to do is to clean your bicycle thoroughly with a piece of soft rag (allocate some extra cleaning time and effort on the chain and tires).

While removing any spots of dirt, perform a careful visual inspection of the entire bike for any signs of excessive wear.

If you do notice anything that looks unusual or even a bit suspicious, make a mental note to have it checked at a bicycle shop upon arriving at your destination for your own safety and the safety of others.

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Stage 3. Disassemble partially your bicycle

And now that you’ve freshened up your bicycle, it’s actually time to get your bicycle ready for transportation.

Here’s how to disassemble a bicycle for moving:

Step 1. Remove the pedals

Use the pedal wrench to unscrew the pedals: the right pedal should be turned counterclockwise and the left one – clockwise.

Place both pedals in the small box or plastic bag that has been designated beforehand for receiving the small parts.

Step 2. Remove the seat and seat-post

Loosen and remove the seat-post and seat as one unit and set them aside for now.

Step 3. Remove the accessories

If you have a bicycle computer, remove it, place it in its original package, or simply wrap it well and put it in the parts box (bag).

Proceed to take out the computer mount from the handlebar and then separate its wire from the brake cable.

Any other accessories, such as water bottle cages, mirrors, bells, etc., should also be removed and stored safely in the parts box (bag).

Step 4. Remove the front brake

If your bicycle has side-pull brakes, remove the front brake from the fork, reattach the nut, and wrap the whole unit in paper or bubble wrap.

Do not take out the cable as it will be much more difficult to re-adjust the brakes later on.

If your bike is equipped with linear-pull or cantilever brakes, take out the side of the brake that is attached to the cable and then secure the parts in place with packing tape.

Step 5. Remove the handlebars

For most bike models, you’ll need to remove the handlebars and stem as a unit.

If your model has a stem that opens up so that the handlebars can be removed, do it and then replace the stem bolts by leaving the stem on the bicycle.

Also, some bikes have threadless handlebars where the top cap needs to be loosened and removed, and then the stem bolts to be loosened so that the stem can be taken out.

If this is your case, do it as described above, and then don’t forget to reattach the top cap and spacers and secure the top of the fork (just above the top spacer) with a zip tie so that it won’t fall out during transit.

Once the handlebars (plus the stem in most cases) have been separated from your bike, rest them on the floor to be securely packed (see below).

Step 6. Remove the front wheel

Unscrew the front wheel bolts (or quick-release bolts) and place them in the parts box (bag).

Remove the front wheel and set it aside.

It’s important to immediately place and secure the fork protection block in place because it could prevent considerable damage to the fork structure should the bike box get dropped during transportation.

Note: If you haven’t been able to find such a fork protection block, you can make one yourself out of a 100 mm long block of wood with screws and washers in the end.

Step 7. Deflate the tires

Deflate the tires about halfway so that they are not at maximum pressure during the relocation.

Moreover, this way the bicycle will fit better inside the bike box.

Stage 4. Pack your bicycle into a box

Now that your bike has been partially disassembled, it’s time to finish the job by following the proper bicycle packing techniques.

Step 1. Protect the rear derailleur

First of all, shift the bike chain onto the small chain ring and the largest rear cog.

Then, proceed to wrap carefully the rear derailleur, together with the chain, with bubble wrap.

Finally, fix them in place with packing tape and/or zip ties.

The rear derailleur is a very delicate part that can get easily damaged, so extra attention should be paid when protecting it against accidental hits, shocks, or vibrations.

Step 2. Attach packing materials

Wrap all the foam tubes around the bike frame and secure them either with cable ties packing tape, or even both.

The idea here is to prevent scratching where metal surfaces meet.

Be generous with the packing materials at hand and try not to leave any important part unprotected. Wrap the seat and seat-post in bubble wrap as well.

Place the four wheel axle protectors and make sure the left pedal crankarm is wrapped well – read the next step to find out why.

Step 3. Attach the front wheel to the bike frame

Lay the bicycle on the ground, position the wheel next to the left side of the bike (the non-chain side), and gently weave the already protected left crankarm between the spokes.

No parts of the crankarm and the wheel rim should be in contact, and the wheel axle must not touch any of the frame tubes.

All you have left to do is to tie securely the wheel to the bike in several spots with zip ties.

Step 4. Secure the handlebars

This is a somewhat delicate step so extra efforts may be required.

If your bicycle has flat handlebars, try to fit them on top of the top frame tube and wheel.

See to it that no part of the handlebars or the stem can accidentally bang into the bike frame or wheel rim.

Do not hesitate to use bubble wrap as additional padding if necessary. Again, skimping on packaging supplies is never a good idea.

Finally, tie the bars tightly with cable ties.

It could be a notch harder if your bike has dropped handlebars. In that case, you should try to place the bars under the top frame tube and partly inside the wheel.

You may have to finely adjust the position of the handlebars once the bike is inside the bike box.

Important: Do your utmost not to bend or twist any cables.

Step 5. Place the packed bike in the box

• Tape your small parts box (or bag) to the inside bottom of the box.
• Rotate the bicycle fork 180 degrees to shorten the length a little bit more and place the entire package into the box.
• Tie securely the wrapped seat and seat post on top of the rear wheel.
• Fill in the remaining space inside the box with packing paper (or old newspapers) so that the bike won’t move during transit. Alternatively, you may want to fill that space with cycling clothing, gear, or the tools you’ve just used to put your bicycle back on its wheels later on.
• Close the box, tape it securely (make sure you reinforce the box bottom at least twice), and write your shipping address on top of the box.

And… you’re done.

Congratulations on disassembling and packing your bike like a pro!

Great job for a first-timer, don’t you think?

However, if the above steps sound too complicated and you feel like you won’t manage it on your own, then you should contact a moving company for assistance.

Professional movers know exactly how to disassemble, pack, and box your bicycle so that it surely won’t get damaged during transit.