packing a bike bag

mw336
mw336 Posts: 26
edited August 2007 in Road beginners
Hi
Going away at the weekend for 10 weeks overseas and I'm just packing my pride and joy away. Does anyone have any good tips on packing the Neil Pryde bag???? It would be greatly appreciated.
Many Thanks

Comments

  • go to your LBS and get some of the spacers that go between the front forks and rear dropouts of new bikes in transport - they can get pushed together in transport without the hubs of your wheels to support them

    use masking tape and pen to mark the location of the saddle and bars so you put them back in the right place

    put the chain on the big ring to protect the chainring teeth and anything else in the bag, strap one of the cranks to a chainstay to stop it moving about, and wrap it all in bubble wrap or cloth to protect it

    strap the rear derailleur up between the seatstays wrapped up to protect it

    cover anything your worried about getting scratched in bubble wrap or similar

    and as your taking it apart put the bits in the bag right away - you don't want to turn up without one of your pedals, a vital bolt or similar
  • mw336
    mw336 Posts: 26
    great advice thanks mate. Will try and remember all that!!!!!
  • mw336
    mw336 Posts: 26
    One quick one, does the bike go in up side down??
  • Lucky Luke
    Lucky Luke Posts: 402
    yes
    Luke
  • Lucky Luke
    Lucky Luke Posts: 402
    If you've got a powerlink or similar in your chain , I'd take the chain off and store it separately . Makes tying the reach mech to the inside of the chainstay much easier . Then use some thick pipe insulation lagging stuff on the chainring tied on with zip ties .
    Luke
  • Lucky Luke
    Lucky Luke Posts: 402
    I also put a large piece (cut to the size of the wheel pockets) of thick carboard in each of the wheel pockets to better protect the wheels . I'm thinking of maybe changing this and putting hardboard in place of the carboard .
    Luke
  • pneumatic
    pneumatic Posts: 1,989
    Get some plumbers' pipe insulation and tape it around any vulnerable bits of frame. Consider hardening the corners of the bag with cut down milk containers (sliced diagonally to fit each corner of the bag.

    After doing all of the above things, except the milk containers, Edinburgh Airport managed to chuck my very padded bag from such a height and with such disdain, that it must have landed right on the corner. This bent the rear hub bracket so that I couldn't get the wheel back into it.

    If you want to see what happens to your luggage in a UK airport, go to Gatwick reclaim, where they have a cctv screen at the end of the conveyor that shows the belt being loaded. It is terrifying!


    Fast and Bulbous
    Peregrinations
    Eddingtons: 80 (Metric); 60 (Imperial)

  • Mossrider
    Mossrider Posts: 226
    Take spare insulation and rags - you never seem to have enough when it comes to the return trip... I lag the chain with pipe insulation. You may consider taking a small bottle of lube (illegal but I guess you can decant in to something very small).

    Dont forget to pack the tools you use to dissemble it!
  • pneumatic
    pneumatic Posts: 1,989
    Hand wipes! You get well clarty putting a bike back together. Being slightly weird and compulsive, I save them up from non-bucket flights, packs of sushi etc.. and store them with my bike tools. You can also buy them, apparently.


    Fast and Bulbous
    Peregrinations
    Eddingtons: 80 (Metric); 60 (Imperial)

  • mw336
    mw336 Posts: 26
    Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to all.

    Cheers.