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I recently flew with my bike for the first time ever to Unbound Gravel in Kansas and would love to share my experience with you!
I flew Alaska Airlines, which has one of the most generous bicycle policies, allowing bikes to travel as a standard piece of luggage. This meant that because I booked it with my Alaska Airlines credit card, my bag and bike flew free. (P.S. I don’t have a link to share, but if you’re interested in signing up for the credit card, get in touch and I can get you a referral code that’ll score both of us free miles.)
But, if you’re not flying on an airline that let’s you check your bike as luggage affordably, there’s another great option - BikeFlights.com
BikeFlights uses UPS and bulk shipping magic to get lower rates for full bikes, wheels, and frames. They also provide lots of handy tips, tricks and advice for the best way to pack your bike to ensure it arrives undamaged. The best part is that you don’t need to worry about lugging a big bike box through the airport - it can be delivered exactly where you specify!
Ok…so the shipping/flying is actually the easy part. The harder part (for me at least) was figuring out how to take apart the bike and pack it up safely for transport.
Here’s what I learned:
Take your pedals off first. I used this tutorial (no pedal wrench needed!) and it was super easy! Put these into a baggie for safe keeping.
Remove your seat post and saddle. Pro-tip: Use a sharpie (or nail polish) to mark your seat height before you remove the seat post so when you put it back on you can get it exactly where you want it. I also put this in a grocery bag, as the seat post will have grease on it.
Shift to the smallest cog and remove both your wheels. Secure the crank and chain to your bike with a zip tie to prevent the chain from scratching your bike frame.
Deflate the tires. Remove the axle (either quick release or thru-axle) and store safely. I kept these in the same baggie with my pedals.
Unscrew your top cap and remove your handlebars. You’ll want to take the handlebars all the way off your bike to fit into the box.
Your bike is now ready to be packed up. Depending on what kind of box you’re using, you might need to follow a specific order to pack the bike properly. I would recommend using bubble wrap, foam cushioning, or specific bike packing materials (you can get these from a bike shop) to reduce the risk of damage to your bike. Be especially mindful of the derailleur, drop-outs and brakes.
When you get to your destination, its time to put everything back together!
Make sure you save all of your packing material, as you’ll likely need to travel back home too. I recommend bringing a small tube of bike grease with you - this is a good time to re-lubricate pedals, seatposts, etc.
Good luck and happy traveling!