Heather Bikes

I am all packed up and ready to go!

I thought that you could carry a bike for free on all international flights, but I called the airline today and they said it was going to be 150 euros! So, I decided to use my couplers and took the bike apart. After many tries, I got it packed so I think it will be safe.

First, I lined the box with styrofoam. Then I laid the front half of the bike in and laid the rear wheel on top of it, cassette up.  My mom made cardboard covers for the couplers to protect them. 

I put my shoes, pedals, fenders, and water bottles in the space underneath the wheel.

Then I laid the rear half of the bike on top of that, along with the front rack and my saddle and seatpost.  I ziptied things together so they wouldn’t shift around in the box. 

Finally, I laid the front wheel on top.  My mom cut another large piece of styrofoam and we laid that on top of the wheel, and closed the box up.

I think that this is packed pretty securely, and I just hope that the TSA inspectors at the airport repack it well.  I printed these photos and taped them into the inside of the box so they would have a guide…

I packed 3 of my Ortlieb bags into a large plastic bag I had from my trip to South Korea, and I’m going to carry one of the large bags and my handlebar bag as carry on luggage.