How to Pack a Travel Bike

I learned how to pack my Calfee Design travel bike with S and S Bicycle Torque Couplings from their website. I have made a few adjustments and added some of my own pics that may help you pack your own bike. You can view Calfee Design approach here.

I just came across a bike that has resolved most of the issues that I wrote about below. It's the KGS - Zinn travel bike. You can see their packing sequence here -- it is different than the Calfee technique.

Overview

Everyone who seems to have this set up can pack or unpack their bike in about 30-40 minutes. No matter what I do, it take me longer, but I think I am getting faster with each attempt. The first time was nearly impossible to figure out, but with each try, it got easier. Hopefully this piece will make it easier for you.

One of the reasons that it may take me longer is that I don't like to pack a dirty bike. If the bike is dirty when I pack it, I end up a mess myself and spend more time cleaning up that it saved when packing, so I usually try to spend that time cleaning the bike, which is a good thing to do anyway.

What to Pack: Tools and Things

I spent some time finding the right tools that I could pack with the bike and use at both ends of my trip. All of these tools can be found in the picture that follows this section. The tools are packed along with the small components I removed.

DO NOT pack oils, solvents or CO2 cartridges. They will be removed by TSA or the airlines when you ship.

• Hand pump (160psi) with pressure guage. This is useful when traveling so you don't have to rely on finding a floor pump at your destination. I use the Topeak Mini Morph™.
  
• Micro pump (120psi). This pump gets me by when I'm traveling. I can always up the pressure in my tires when I get back to my hotel. I use the Topeak Micro Rocket CB MasterBlaster™ because it's small and looks like my nude carbon frame.
  
• S and S Coupling Wrench. This wrench comes with the couplings.
  
• Pedal Wrench. Use whichever one works with your pedals. Hex wrench pedal tools are more compact than traditional pedal wrenches.
  
• Screwdriver with interchangeable heads. I use this to loosen my cyclocomputer holder.
  
• Triple Hex Wrench. I use the ParkTool AWS-1 3 Way Hex Wrench to remove the seat post, handlebars and rear derailleur.
  
• Electrical Tape. Useful for securing cables if necessary.
  
• Teflon Lubricant. S and S Machine recommends keeping the couplings lubricated to prevent them from seizing, so I keep their recommended lubricant in my kit.
  
• Rubber gloves. Pack which ones work best for your skin and allergies.
  
• Pedal and Quick Release Skewer bag. I got mine by chance via a web purchase.
  
• Tool bag. Keep your tools separate from your other components to save time finding what you need.
  
• Garden Hose. I cut a piece of old garden hose to protect the frame from the rear wheel cassette. (Not shown in this picture)
• Kit bag. I ordered an Assos vest some years ago and they sent it in a great bag that works perfectly for all of my tools and components. All bags and loose bits go in here.

Preparation

There are many ways to pack this baby. I am still working out the best way. Ideally, you'd have to do little to prepare; however, you're going to have to remove several pieces so it is best to prepare for their proper and safe storage. Here is a list of the tools I use and what I remove and pack specially:

• Handlebar and stem. I remove the stem from the headset and loosen the stem around the handlebars. The Calfee site says that you might be able to get away with only removing the stem from the fork. I keep trying to no avail. No special packing required other than the tube padding. I read that KGS Bikes had a version that uses a coupled stem with Nokon cable housing. I think I'll see if I can get those components because this is a time-consuming part of the packing process, plus it's hard on the stem and fork.
  
• Rear Derailleur. I remove the derailleur, pack it in paper towels and stow in a Ziploc® bag that I fasten between the rear drop-outs.
  
• Chain. My friend, Nate Zukas, who works at Andy Jordan's Bicycle Warehouse in Augusta, insisted that I install a Craig SuperLink chain link. Glad I did! (Thanks, Nate.) I take off the chain and stow it in a paper towel and Ziplock® bag, too.
  
• Pedals. I have Look Keo pedals, so I remove them with a handle hex pedal wrench.
  
• Cyclocomputer. I use the Mavic® Wintech ES wireless system (wow is it clean!).
  
• Seat and seatpost. The seatpost gets wrapped in the tube padding and tucked into the rear frame triangle.
  
• Bottle Cages. The bottle cages go into my tool bag.

Packing The Bike

1. Remove the pedals.
   
2. Remove the chain and stow in a Ziploc™ bag.
   
3. Wrap frame with the special frame padding that you can purchase with your S & S Machine Bicycle Torque Coupling™ travel bicycle. Do as much as you can on a bicycle repair stand or while the wheels are still on and the couplings engaged.
   
4. Remove bottle cages.
   
5. Mark the seatpost height then remove seatpost.
   
6. Remove or protect cyclocomputer.
   
7. Use the special wrench to loosen the S and S Machine couplings slightly. You want to be able to remove them completely by hand in a later step.
   
8. Pad handle bars then remove stem from the fork.
   
9. Remove wheels and clean them before removing all the air from the tires.
   
10. Disconnect cable couplings. Be very careful to not crimp any cables. Use non-marking electrical tape to fasten loose bits if necessary.
    
11. Remove rear derailleur and pack with paper towels in a Ziploc™ bag. Be very careful to pack this baby well because it can be easily damaged. I put mine between the rear drop outs.
    
12. Uncouple the frame by loosening the couplings by hand and dividing the frame.

Now you are ready to start packing the bike.

Packing Step 1: Fork and Handlebar Frame Segment

If you are using the TSA Security Net, then place it at the bottom of the case, following the instructions that came with the net.

Pack the fork but keep the handle bars outside of the case. You may need to completely remove the cable guides from their fittings so that you have more room to work. If you do, make certain that the cable guides stay in their protective end covers. Place the piece of garden hose on the down tube to protect the frame from the rear wheel cassette.

Protective Hose for the Cassette

At this point, you should position the bottom braces and supports for the compression members. It's easier to do it before you add more parts.

This shot doesn't show the TSA Net, nor does it show the compression members. Both of these are shown in the next shot.

Packing Step 2: Rear Wheel

Pack the rear wheel so that the handle bars wrap around and under it and such that the cassette rests on the protective garden hose. This is the trickiest part of packing. I find it hard to get the handlebars easily into the wheel. Since you removed the air from the tired, you can easily push the wheel into the case with a bit of practice

The more spokes your rear wheel has, the more difficult it may be. The rear wheel will not be level with the bottom of the box and will be higher near the handle bars than you might like, but when you fit in the next piece, you'll be amazed at how nicely it fits. The extra base in the upper left of the case, above the wheel, will be used for the frame half with the bottom bracket.

Add a bit or two of padding to spots you may have missed to protect against wear and tear during transit.

Packing Step 3: Bottom Bracket Frame Segment

Pack the frame part with the bottom bracket with the chain ring facing down. Position or fasten the left crank arm so that it is parallel with the seat tube. When you get it right, the chain ring will fit nicely into the available space by the case wheel.

Add a bit or two of padding to spots that you may have missed.

Packing Step 4: Accessories and Front Wheel

Pack the seat and seat post into the available space. Pack the tool kit and accessory bags into a location that can be easily accessed without unpacking the bike so that and security personnel will not be forced to unpack your bike to check for flammables and CO2 cartridges.

Fit the front wheel so that it is centered in the case. I try to slip the left crank radially between the spokes, then set the spokes over the handlebars. If you have not installed the compression member supports, you need to do this now and make certain that the supports are higher than any part of the packed bike.

If you are using the TSA Security Net, tighten the net per the instructions. When done properly, you should be able to remove the entire packed bike in one piece(!). Be careful not to expose any loose cables -- they may become caught in the case when you try to close it.

Close the case by fitting the front wheel into the top of the case. After some practice, it is easy.

Packing Step 5: Locking the Case

You can't lock the case when you travel. I tried using a TSA-approved lock, but all the locks I found were so flimsy that they broke off during the second trip. I found a locking hook at the hardware store that I attach using a luggage name tag tether. This hook goes on the lock eye of the case in the event that the case closing locks fail.

I'll add pictures of this later, but here is the case with my bike in it, with a 700c wheel to show perspective.

How to Find the Right Travel Bike

I grew tired of the high costs of bicycle transportation. At first, I would ship my bike in one of those over-sized hard cases. I tried packing it myself but always struggled to make it all fit. After one or two tries, I decided to work with my local bike shop at home and one at my destination. The idea is that they dissemble, pack, ship, etc. The down side is that I had to plan ahead and I had to pay not only shipping costs but also the (dis)assembly of the bike.

In 2007, I started doing online research for a travel bike that I could take with me as luggage. There were a few requirements that the bike needed to meet:

1. Durable. What I really wanted was a full-carbon travel bike, but I didn't know if such a beast existed. That being said, the bike had to be able to withstand multiple (un)packing and, since I am a heavy sweater, it needed to resist corrosion. 
2. Standard Fit. It had to look, feel and ride like a road bike. There are many travel bike options in the folding bike market, but none of them looked good to me. I wanted a normal road frame that I could ride at home as well as when I am on the road.
3. Inexpensive to Ship. My criteria was that it had to be able to be shipped as airline baggage without any excess baggage charges.

Following some online searching, I came across two reasonable alternatives, one from Ritchey Design, the Ritchey Break-Away line and a myriad of travel bikes based on the S and S Machine Bicycle Torque Coupling™.

Since then, I have come across an alternative that claims to cut packing and unpacking time to about 15 minutes! The KGS-Zinn travel bike resolved the key issues that add the most amount of time and risk to packing my bike. Here is a link to photos of the bike.

A note on price: I estimated that each time I took my bike on a trip with me, I was out of pocket by about $500, assuming about $100 handling on each side plus about $150 each way for shipping. Additionally, I had to drop off and pick up the bike plus the box, so this added to the inconvenience and burden of travel. Though price was not unimportant, the potential savings would quickly add up.

How the Travel Bike Options Compare

1. Durability. Advantage to S and S Machine. Though both Ritchey and S and S Machine Bicycle Coupling™ systems seem to work well, I felt that the S and S solution was more durable even though it is somewhat more prominent when installed. I liked having the titanium option because of its strength and resistance to corrosion. 
   
   Ritchey has steel and titanium-carbon frames. S and S Machine provided a list of manufacturers who used their couplings on steel, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium and carbon. The list of builders is long. Only Calfee Design offered a full-carbon travel versions on their Tetra and Luna models.
   
   
   
   Ritchey Design coupling for the seat post.
   
   
   Ritchey Design coupling for the down tube.
   
   
   
   
   Ritchey Design coupling close-up.
   
   
   
   
   S and S Machine Bicycle Torque Coupling™.
   
   
   
2. Standard Fit. Advantage to none. Both solutions provide a standard road fit.
3. Inexpensive to Ship. Advantage to S and S Machine. As of the time of this writing, the maximum size of a checked piece of luggage for most airlines is 62 linear inches. Ritchey Design's packing case measures 8.5" x 26.5" x 31" or 66 linear inches (4 linear inches too much). For all but the largest sizes, frame builders using S and S Machine couplings could fit their bikes into a case that measures 10" x 26" x 26" or 62 linear inches.
   
   
   S and S Machine Travel Case 26" x 26" x 10"
   
   Ritchey Design Travel Case 8.5" x 26.5" x 31"
   (Exceeds Airline Size Limits)

Decision

Once I discovered the Calfee Design frame, my decision was made: I ordered a Tetra Pro. I had a travel bike that met all of my requirements. An added advantage was the incredible reputation that follows Craig Calfee and his bikes. Ritchey offers a great product and many of you may choose it over my decision, but for me, the full-carbon frame clinched the deal.

Lead Time and Costs

It took about 12 weeks to deliver my frame. I ordered my bike through Andy Jordan's Bicycle Warehouse in Augusta, GA because I lived in the area at the time. Andy Jordan did an incredible job in setting me up within one week of the frame's arrival. If you are ever in the area, stop by and take a look at their shop.

Satisfaction

I have been riding my Calfee Tetra Pro for about 10 months at the time of this writing. Though I didn't build it out with the lightest components, it still comes in at about 18.5 pounds. The S and S Machine Couplings™ make no difference in the ride at all. I've taken the bike to Georgia, California and to Hawaii without any issues yet.

The only drawback is that packing and unpacking take up more time that I expected. Even though I am able to pack it in about 60 minutes, it can sometimes take longer. One of the drawbacks of a compact break-down is that I really want the bike to be clean before I pack it. If I used one of those larger boxes, I probably wouldn't be so fastidious. As it is, I spend about 30 minutes just cleaning up my bike before packing.

If anyone wants more information on my experience, please feel free to contact me.

My Calfee Designs Tetra Pro Travel Bicycle

Side View of Travel Case (10")

Front View of My Travel Case with 700c Wheel to Show Perspective