Cardboard bike box dimensions

Why Use A Cardboard Box
Here are the main advantages to using a cardboard box:

• It’s easy to find. Almost any bicycle shop should be able to give you one. Sometimes they charge a small fee
• The box offers some protection for your frame and other fragile parts of the bicycle like the derailleur
• You can put other things in the box (we always throw in our sleeping bags, camping mats and tent)
• Because it’s cheap and easily replaceable, you don’t mind throwing it out on the other end of your journey or passing it on to another cyclist

People who prefer other methods of bike packing will point out that luggage handlers may not treat boxed bicycles with as much respect as one wrapped in clear plastic. Heavy things could get piled on top of the bicycle. Boxing your bike also takes more time than just wrapping a bit of plastic around it and a boxed bicycle is cumbersome to transport. You may have to take a taxi.

What You’ll Need
The final choice on how to pack your bike is up to you but if you do choose to use a cardboard box, here’s what to gather beforehand:

1. A Box – Call your local bike shop a few days ahead of time and confirm that they have a box to give you. Get the biggest box you can, especially if you have a touring bike (as opposed to a road bike or mountain bike) because touring bikes tend to have a longer wheelbase, making it harder to get everything in place. Just 2 inches of extra length can make a huge difference. Ask as well for the plastic spacers which go into the empty forks and help prevent them being bent if the box does get knocked about.

2. Packing Materials – Have plenty of packing materials (bubble wrap, foam, newspaper, string, packing tape) on hand to protect your bike and close the box up securely.

3. Patience – This may take a while. Give yourself a bare minimum of 3-4 hours to pack your bicycle into the box the first time you do it. Once you get the hang of it, you can probably do this in an hour or so but until you do it once, you won’t know how much squeezing and manoeuvring will be required to get everything in the box.

Disassembly
Here’s how to take your bike apart and prepare it to go in the box.

1. Take the pedals off. This can be tougher than you think, especially if you don’t have a large pedal spanner to generate enough leverage to make those pedals pop off. Make life easier on yourself by putting a bit of lube on the pedal threads the day before you try to take them off and letting it soak in overnight.Even better, get your local bike shop to loosen the pedals for you. If you do try this at home, remember: the right-sided pedal unscrews counter-clockwise and the left-sided pedal goes clockwise.

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