Pack Your Bike In A Cardboard Box

Marc Shows you how best to pack your bike in a trusty bike box to ensure it doesn't get damaged on your flight.
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We love travelling with our bikes, but its the worst thing arriving at the destination and finding our pride and joys damaged. Marc talks you through a few pointers to make sure you pack your bike up as safely as possible. Leaving you free to enjoy the new trails rather than trying to get your bike fixed.
Watch more on GMBN...
▶︎How To Remove Your Pedals
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▶︎What To Wear At A Bike Park
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▶︎How to Check Your Bike Before A Ride gmbn.eu/bikecheck
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Leave us a comment below!

[@LongLiveEnduro]

Really great video! saved this nearly on year ago in my Favorites and now comes the time! Thanks Marc!

[@Bizb525]

Thanks so much! I've been waiting forever for a video on this topic!

[@pantkowski]

Great to see Marc again and nice video too. Well done!

[@calummcclintock549]

7:05 "Which means you'll be safe in the mind". Good one Marc :)

[@JeffreyMaselli]

Thanks for the Video Marc. Scares the hell out of me, but I will try it this summer, when i head to Maine, USA. I'd much rather spend the four hundred bucks on something else, like protective gear for when I finally push it too hard!!

[@verocoboc]

Thank you sooo much! This video was very helpful.

[@aaronkarr9430]

Thank you! You helped make boxing a bike I sold easier than the last time I did it!!

[@HenryC123]

It's nice to see Mark again

[@MegRyan65]

This is a great video!

[@NinjasStoleMyTV]

Hey Marc, could we please see a bike check of your genius? Looks pretty interesting and I'd like to see more of it. I'm considering getting one myself and wouldn't mind hearing your thoughts

[@sandeshborlikar9822]

You can also pack a bike like when it comes from factory box .They are more secure.

[@floraliciavinascoch.2519]

Thank you very much!!!

[@mazditzo]

Need specific video about detaching and re attaching RD plz

[@josealbertocastillopena6090]

really usefull vid!

[@OxxidCZ]

finally Marc

[@trailseeker3722]

Another tip is to reinforce the box at the bottom with one more layer of the cardboard. And if the box doesn't have them yet, cut out the holes for your hands at the top of the box. That way you can easily drag the box around, if you don't find the cart at the airport, or if you need to move the box through some tight places, where it wouldn't fit through, when on the cart (most likely sideways).

[@scotyfoxy5547]

Awesome video

[@nikoulph]

Biggest problem I’ve had was the size of the box, flying from Switzerland once I packed my recumbent bicycle. The box was to tall 120cm height... Max 90 cm height allowed ... Length 160cm max. I had to unpack disassemble more the recumbent bicycle cut scotch and repack all the shit down to legal size for flying... That was somehow stressful and got me in the airplane all sweaty. It’s good to ask size allowance for bicycle card box Ps: thnx for the great video I had few tips from it

[@jessetoronto]

Tip - ask your LBS for a box for a fat bike, which have more room. Many times the LBS will give you both the box and the foam / plastic protectors the original bike came with. These can be useful to put on the ends of your rear stays and frame. Put an old pillow under the bike to protect the chain ring.

[@bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb366]

2:40 Some what, Mark?

[@michaobeats]

+Fabian Reisener Dickssc

[@robgrooms7367]

+Fabian Reisener aha

[@xinhengc]

what did he use to remove the disc rotors? My rotors have the same centre locking system.

[@alvinputrawinata4817]

You don't need to flatten the tires right? I heard someone once said to flatten them out if you'd like to put them in the cargo bay

[@Anonymousfishh]

you guys should make a video on the personal bikes you ride

[@groverhernandez22]

Noticed a oval chainring on there... how's that working out for ya? I just switched over to a 32T oval and I'm getting more aggressive on my climbs. Wondering where the key improvements are for the pros. Yes, I would like to see a practical test video on oval chainrings. No skinsuit necessary...

[@andrewobatake4789]

It might be a good idea to lower your tire pressure too for when the bike is in transit if it's going by airplane. the pressure inside will increase at higher altitudes.

[@matthewbradshaw8017]

The cargo hold is still pressurized at about 2/3 sea level pressure. As long as you aren't at the max recommended pressure you should be fine

[@slicc1735]

Marc

[@RohmatSetyoPrabowo]

how about removing air pressure in shock and tyre?

[@kabaaaaang]

Great!

[@69sound81]

Try adding a couple of loops around the entire box grabbing the ends of those tape pieces that go crossing the top and bottom to close it. It will give the tape more adhesion and the box more strength. That is how we tape really heavy boxes with product for shipping to our costumers.

[@69sound81]

If you travel a lot with your bike it might be nice to get a flight bag or case dedicated to it, you can actually take it with you on the plane or send it to your destination as any other mail package and know it will be okay

[@negrolo94]

What are the dimensions of that box? Or what box dimensions are ideal for a road bike?

[@e16boii]

Some really good advice, but I have had experience where airport staff at customs take insist on checking all my stuff because I have a huge box. Then they say I have to leave the bike over night to get fumigated then charge for it! I'd recommend even a cheap bike bag so you can go through airports with out major delays.

[@Harry-uo2cr]

Which airports did this happen at?

[@gmbn]

+Speedman28 This is just as lightly to happen with a bike bag. Some countries such as New Zealand have very strict regulations on the state bikes should be in when entering the country.

[@Harry-uo2cr]

+Global Mountain Bike Network okay i will keep this in mind, I'm planing on bringing a bike back from America to Australia this video has come at just the right time for me.

[@joecavalier6535]

Speedman28 did you get your bike back into australia without a problem? im planning on bringing a bike to australia with me from the uk

[@oliverclayton406]

I feel like marc is digging his own +GlobalMountainBikeNetwork grave. I will miss you :(

[@luciennegabrielhonz1]

do you both use clickers pedals?

[@bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb366]

Geez, and I just bought one of those expensive bike-boxes. :D

[@Christian_Meyer]

Hey Marc

[@dingusmagee3326]

why not just take the bar out of the stem, and leave the stem on the steer tube? that way your steer tube isn't just jiggling around in the headset, possibly causing damage

[@alecbrown520]

Hi GMBN Just wondering what your opinion would be on the 2015 Scott Genius 720, much like the bike in this video i think. I have heard they are expensive and not the best bike for trails etc. Although I love the look of them and would love to pick up one when I'm older

[@gmbn]

+Alec Brown You should buy a bike for what it can do and not because it looks good but we have enjoyed riding our Scott so far this year. You should read detailed reviews or do a test ride before buying one though - then you can make your own mind up.

[@alvarosanchis7289]

you have to reduce your tyres presure because they can explode due to the low presure during the flight

[@elroc10]

Goes without saying...we miss you Marc. :(

[@mattcutho5289]

I wouldn't put my gear as in shoes etc in the box incase the bike gets lost in transit onto my holiday I would at least be able to rent a bike and have kit

[@billfaro82]

the axles swill not stop the frame and fork compressing, some old hubs on the axles would work or bike shwips sometimes have spacers to do the job

[@billfaro82]

bike shops even

[@gmbn]

+billfaro82 It will help prevent them from flexing laterally though - which is what we would be concerned with. But you are right, those plastic things bike shops have are also useful.

[@Emclee99]

What is the dimension of the box?

[@mhilmyfauzi4523]

just buy a private jet

[@alexandertrust1]

Wow how did you get a pro on this channel 😂😂😂

[@karllindberg7846]

#askthedon when flying do you take your air pressure out of your suspension and dropper post? Please explain

[@gmbn]

+Karl Lindberg No and it has never been a problem. Neil

[@duarterodrigues916]

you are not alone mark, there is a psicokiller inside the house

[@edpetitt417]

Santa should sign him to wrap things as good as that bike

[@gopro_vlogs]

You forgot that you need to take some of the air out of the tyres

[@Kemo-sc7nt]

What about the fork?

[@thorwoutwarntjes8702]

I already miss marc :(

[@markbanjodaniel]

Hi guys , if you were packing your bike which has got a dropper post , reverb in particular, is it ok to leave it compressed for the duration of the transit ?

[@gmbn]

+Mark Daniel can't see this being a problem!

[@slimdog72]

How about a vid showing how to pack a bike in a duffel bag so you won't have to pay for extra baggage charge? Great vid by the way by the former presenter. Come on back anytime Mark.

[@kbthegreatest46brewer96]

what bike is that?

[@RxMTB]

Any of you guys use 3M tape for bike protection? Any suggestions for products other than Invis? They don't have my bike's (or my potential new bike's :D) frame size.

[@SpMoose]

Try and speak with a sign writer they can wrap most things in 3M. That's what I did to protect the back of my truck.

[@RxMTB]

Moose That is a great idea, thanks!

[@aidanshmaden69]

Try hitting up any local bike shop. Most will have that 3m stuff just laying around as it just comes with boxed bikes. Most times they'll be happy to give you a strip of it for either free or next to nothing

[@wyattnelson5874]

Personally, I'd take the brakes all the way off. Yes I see Mark has internal routing.

[@akinadom]

Shriding Shoes =D

[@justingt3rs]

4:59 its a pain because youre doing it wrong. remove the front bolts on the stem holding the handle bar instead...

[@mtbshreder8887]

Can you put packing peanuts when your hole bike is in the box

[@emis2470]

I think there is a mistake on the tools you use... it feels to me that's not a "TORQUE KEY" but a "TORX KEY", maybe you call them like that in the UK, but at least here torque wrench measures how tight bolts are. PS: If I'm correct... i totally deserve one of your water bottles!!!! (since i never won guessing mystery stuff.... =(...)

[@bramvandenbempt6914]

+Emi correct and nice try

[@is.jeakss]

+Bram Vanden Bempt pcmr

[@KingLeoXV]

is it really necessary to really get all this stuff of the bike? wouldn't wheels and bar (with brakes and shifters on) be enough?

[@gmbn]

+Leonard Fahrwald We have found from a lot of experience flying with our bikes that unfortunately you can never be too cautious. So whilst you may choose to not take all of the above precautions, you may regret it if your bike is miss handled by the luggage handlers.

[@KingLeoXV]

+Global Mountain Bike Network ok. thanks guys. going to take my bike to canada in two month and still didn't figured out if i should get a bag or just stay with the box.

[@DREAMOFFlCIAL]

+Leonard Fahrwald How'd it go?

[@KingLeoXV]

DREAMOFFlCIAL perfectly fine

[@Skreij]

Fantastic video guys, typical that when Marc finally becomes natural on camera he's off!! Haha, only joking Marc, come back some time ;)

[@cup_and_cone]

If you are taking a box, absolutely get a bike box from your shop that is designed for the rear wheel to stay inside the frame. It is much, much better than both wheels coming off. In fact, most bike boxes these days are designed for the rear wheel to stay in the frame.

[@davidnicholson6680]

+thechosendude Agree with this. Leaving the rear wheel on makes everything much easier.

[@petayV8]

yeah I'm not sure why mark only used a small box that was originally for maybe small 26" or summit. Bikes never get shipped with both wheels off from factory

[@cup_and_cone]

petayV8 Theoretically I think they were going for flying/shipping...but the weight is what you really pay for in oversize, not so much the dimensions; so I'm not sure there'd be any savings at all using one of these smaller boxes. At least the airlines I've flown with. And if someone is flying, I'd strongly recommend just getting a proper bike travel bag/box anyway - between agents opening the box to check its contents, resealing, and rough baggage handling, it's a wise investment (and if you can already afford the plane tickets, you probably can afford one).

[@zaydenv7497]

How much is it to fly the bike normally? ( I know weight and everything but just on average )

[@cup_and_cone]

zayden v Depends on the airline, but you should be able to find baggage fees on their website.

[@thebenwhopostscomments3194]

hi

[@johnobrien5464]

after watching all of that I think I'd rather just rent a bike wherever I'm going. Save so much effort

[@Toastybear1]

+John O'Brien and waste so much money.... and ride an unfamiliar bike- each to their own so fair enough :), but if i can, i'd take my own bike!

[@LongLiveEnduro]

#askgmbn Hi. I have heard that one should let out the air of the shock, forks and tires. Is this true?

[@MaplePanda04]

Chris Longliveenduro I would think so. If you’ve ever brought a bag of chips (sealed) on a plane, the bag puffs up and can potentially burst. Same goes for your tires and fork.

[@PSYMASMann]

SUPURB!!!

[@vaikeaaon]

why it's necessary to remove the stem, wouldn't it be enough to remove just the handlebar? o.O

[@matthewbradshaw8017]

It's a lot easier to reinstall the stem with the bars onto the bike. It can be quite difficult to get the bars in the same position that they were in if they are removed from the stem

[@vaikeaaon]

+Matthew Bradshaw yes, but why not leave the stem to steerer tube and remove just the handlebar. There is enough room in the box and you would save yourself from the fear of dropping the fork

[@akinadom]

+vaikeaaon you could also just flip the stem round to gain some clearance in the box

[@cup_and_cone]

+vaikeaaon You're right. This is how most bike manufacturers ship their bikes. The stem stays on to keep the headset compressed and is turned 180-degrees out of the way. The handlebars come off the stem by removing the faceplate, and there should be enough room to safely move the handlebars to the side of the frame with the shifters/levers still attached.

[@cup_and_cone]

+Matthew Bradshaw I hope you're joking. "Difficult getting in the same position", whilst this video shows completely removing shifters/brake levers/grips!!! It's much harder realigning the shifters, brakes, grips, like this video shows, than just doing the entire thing in one go. Unless its a new bike, most handlebars will have wear marks from the stem anyway, so you'll physically see where the bars normally are.

[@hydra66]

But if you've already spent so much on a bike, getting a proper bag isn't unreasonable. If customs open it, they're not going to spend as much time taping it up

[@justinf6758]

Why am I watching this??? 😂😂

[@Toastybear1]

can we have a gmbn presenters road bike's video?? i wanna know what normal people ride on the road rather than ex pro's :P ?? :) also, i miss marc, he looked very... leaving... in this video :(

[@TheREWARD77]

Hey toasty bear ! The channel is called " Global Mountain Bike Network" so they won't do review about road bikes or anything like that. So I invite you to check GCN KZbin channel's ( Global Cycling Network ! ) because that one is maybe the one you need ! I hope I helped you and sorry for this bad English, I'm French :)

[@Toastybear1]

TheREWARD77 ahhaaa, i know this of course!! I'm a big fan of both channels, but i know they both work and come from the same place and office, and i know that both channels presenters are keen/ have the other disciplines bikes, i'll post the same question over at gcn!

[@dylanwillick7919]

Why in. World is it necessary to remove the disks? They add no space to the wheel and it's just as easy to protect them on the wheel.

[@Spazamazz]

Discs are sharp and can easily cut the box or scrape your bike...

[@SmevMev]

+Dylan Willick Also, if the box takes a hit right where the wheels are, I guess you risk getting a bent rotor

[@adrianyeung8537]

At this point if you have a bike more that 2 grand, I don't believe it is sufficient to pack your nice bike in a cardboard box, may as well invest in a nice box made for your bike.

[@Vladi1295]

That chain ring can get damaged in the bottom

[@cup_and_cone]

*will get damaged as soon as the chain falls off the ring teeth will be taking all the abuse

[@Vladi1295]

+thechosendude but also if any force is applied on the side. In direction of the BB

[@justinf6758]

If your really concerned, get a bash guard. They can be had for $10

[@jessetoronto]

+Vladi1295 I put an old pillow underneath the bike - for the ring to sit on. I also set my cranks horizontal and tape them in place with electrical tape. Never had a problem.

[@Skracken]

I'm pretty sure it's called TORX keys, not torque. :)

[@goblin8906]

Skräcken TORX And torque aren’t same dude

[@piotrlobacz]

I'd rather buy fancy bike bag than risk this box falling g apart and content spilling all over service area at the airport.

[@MrRobbyF]

+Peter Wobacz i have to agree with this.

[@TheAegisClaw]

Agreed

[@gmbn]

+Peter Wobacz Most pro riders who don't have a direct bag sponsor choose a box over a bag bike because they are generally more reliable. They are packed as well as you pack them.

[@PPC4]

+Peter Wobacz Put the bike and any loose parts in a couple bin bags/rubble sacks before putting in the box keeps any loose parts together and even if the box gets wet too and from the plane the bike should still be O.K. inside. One other thing remember the hold of the plane can get a little cold (around fridge temperature) so you need to make sure the bike can breathe so you don't get condensation all over it especially for long flights.

[@reefermadnesss]

+Peter Wobacz how do you think bikes are shipped from the manufacturer? They come in those boxes.

[@BlacqueJacqueShellacque_]

There is NO WAY I'd hand over my bike to the airline goons in a cardboard box. If you can afford a few thousand dollar bike you (hopefully) can afford a nice bike case. I guess this could be a good option if you generally don't travel very often and you like to take chances.

[@gmbn]

+Michael Bond Its a perfectly decent option. So much so that most Pro's use bike boxes over bags because it allows for more weight to be used by useful things and actually encourages the handlers to treat the package with a bit more respect.

[@nindra2002]

Who ride fixed gear here

[@joshifyed9855]

Just buy a used bike bag off Trade Me for us Kiwi bros or whatever used trade site for whatever you live

[@Yhigma]

Bye bye Marc.

[@bijandaniali5100]

Marc making a tramp bike

[@foodsafety5875]

Why on earth do you take the wheels off? You never take the wheels of when you pack your bike!! Just unbeleivable!!