Packing Your Bike with S & S Couplers ~

This sequence illustrates how a large road bike (large size and large diameter tubes), equipped with ergo style shifters, can be easily packed in our 26 X 26 X 10" hard case (smaller bikes should require less disassembly). The derailleur cables were disconnected using cable splitters and the chainring and front brake caliper were removed to facilitate packing. Each bike may pack differently and the method shown here may need to be modified for other bicycles. This bicycle is shown with protective tube covers removed for easier identification of the frame pieces in this packing sequence. Be sure to adequately protect tubes and components when shipping a bicycle. The chainring was removed due to the large size of the frame. Most bikes do not require removal of the chainring although it makes packing much easier in most situations.

How long should it take to pack a bike?

This bike was disassembled and packed in less than 15 minutes on the second try (still learning) which included putting the tube covers on the frame tubes. Due to its large size, this is about the most disassembly any bike would require. Assembly takes less time than disassembly since the tube covers come off much faster than they go on and taking the pieces out of the case is much faster than fitting them in. Keep a photocopy of these photos with the bike case so you don't forget the steps required to achieve a proven fit. With practice, it could be done in about 10 minutes.

Every bike is slightly different so on your first attempt, you should allow at least an hour or more, once you have your tube covers cut and labeled, to experiment with packing methods. Pack it for the first time when you aren't in a hurry to catch a flight! Once you have a proven packing method, it should take 10-30 minutes depending on the complexity of your packing method and your packing ability.

General packing tips to make the job faster and easier:

Remove parts as required to make packing easier. For example, attempting to leave a rack attached to your frame will make packing the bike into a standard 10" case unlikely. 

Packing a rack.  If you have a rack, the best method is to remove the rack. Once everything except the front wheel is packed, lift the packed frame, wheel and handlebars as an assembly out of the case slightly and fit the rack over or through the raised pieces. Then lower them back into the case (much like fitting a paper clip over a stack or paper). You may need to try from more than one direction before you find a place that works but it should be possible to do.

Use tube covers instead of water pipe insulation.  Water pipe insulation works great if you have plenty of extra space, however, that usually isn't the case.  Many customers use it successfully, especially in backpack cases, however it is more often the source of packing problems when using a hard case.  The thickness of the insulation ends up taking up so much room that it may be difficult to fit everything in and still close the lid.

Label the tube covers with a light colored paint pen marker. Figuring out which cover goes where can be one of the most time consuming things to do if they aren't labeled clearly.  

Use gear cable splitters.  Positioning the frame pieces in exactly the right position for optimal packing can be difficult if not impossible when the frame sections are connected together with a cable. Having splitters also eliminated the problem of getting cables crossed or tangled during the packing process. 

Take photos of you packing sequence once you have a proven packing method. Once you have the bike packed the way you like it, take a photo. Then take out one item and take another photo, take a second item out and take another photo.  Repeat that process until everything is out of the case.  Once the photos are developed, staple a set together in reverse order and you will have a perfect record of how to pack the bike.  Taking photos as you  pack doesn't work nearly as well since things get moved as you pack the bike so it doesn't produce an accurate record of the end result.

 

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Photo 1

Step 1:

Position the front frame triangle in the bottom of the case as shown with the fork in either the normal riding position or turned 180 degrees. Turning the fork only 90 degrees will probably put the downtube in the center of the case which will make packing difficult.

Since this is a large frame, I turned the fork backwards to keep the downtube farther away from the center of the case which makes more room for the freewheel. 

To prevent the freewheel from damaging the downtube, I put a 6" long piece of rubber hose that is slit along one side around the tube in addition to the tube covers. (shown without hose and tube covers)

Step 2

Place the rear wheel (skewer removed) in the case, freewheel down. 

The wheel should sit in the case tilted at an angle.  The tire should touch the bottom of the case (on the the left side in photo #1). Placing a rag or tube cover over the end of the hub where it contacts the case is a good idea since the sharp end of the axle may damage the case. 

Having the wheel tilted at an angle is good since it creates a low area for the wide part of the rear triangle.

Photo 2

Step 3

Place the rear triangle in the case as shown.  

Be sure that the widest part of the frame (the rear dropouts) is over the wheel where it contacts the bottom of the case. You should position the frame so the seat tube doesn't contact the rear  hub. Protect the seat tube with a short piece of  rubber hose and tube covers. 

The chainring/crank was removed since this is a large frame. I like to remove it even on small frames even when it's not necessary since it makes packing much easier.  I use a Sugino Autex Self-Extracting Crank Bolt to make removal quick and easy. It only takes a few seconds to do.

Photo 3

Step 4.....This is one of the important keys to a successful packing job!

Put the handlebars in the case over and through the rear wheel. 

Putting the handlebars in the case can be tricky but it's very important to do it right.  I put my right handlebar drop over the outside of the wheel while the left drop goes through the largest opening between the spokes.  It is important to reposition the wheel by rotating it if the largest opening in the spokes isn't in the right place to allow the bars to be positioned as shown. 

1. First rotate the handlebars slightly then insert the left drop through the spokes
2. Then tilt the bars a little to fit the stem through another opening in the spokes
3. Then the right drop is hooked over the wheel.

 It is usually necessary to lift the wheel slightly while putting in the handlebars. It may also be necessary to turn the handlebars to get them to go though the opening between the spokes. This is something you will need to work out for yourself since the wheel lacing pattern, number of spokes, handle bar width, stem length and other factors may require that you modify this procedure slightly. When the handlebars are positioned properly, there shouldn't be any pressure against the spokes and the handlebars should be able to move slightly with no binding. It may take some experimenting to figure out how to do this step but it is time well spent.

Photo 4

Due to the camera angle in this photo, it looks like the lid won't close over the front wheel, but it will. To close the lid it is necessary to almost completely deflate the tire and gently push it into the lid while the case is being closed.

Step 5

Put the front wheel (skewer removed) on top of the handlebars and rear triangle.

Step 6

Go back and lift the wheel then place other items such as saddle, shoes, clothing in sacks, tools and crank into the case one at a time. Check to make sure that they don't interfere with the front wheel as you pack each item the case. It's easy to get carried away by putting several things in at a time which may cause the wheel to stick up.  

The normal airline maximum weight is 70 pounds so be careful not to put too many heavy items in the case.

Step 7

This page was last edited on 06/03/2004