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The Process Of Moving A Bicycle
Bikes have very delicate and fragile components. They are also valuable and need special protection, especially during transportation. Whether you are passionate about bikes or simply own one, there might be a time when you need to relocate or transfer to a new place, requiring you to disassemble and pack your bike.
It isn't easy to move a bike without disassembling it. Whether you are self-moving or using a moving company, it would help to disassemble your bike and safely pack it for moving. This is essential since some moving companies charge extra fees for dismantling and packing bikes.
This is a simple procedure that you can do entirely by yourself and save the additional expenses. It requires cheap materials and tools, some of which you probably already have in your home. This article endeavours to show you the simple step-by-step guidelines on how to disassemble and pack your bicycle for moving. Let’s dive right into it!
Materials For Disassembling And Packing
After disassembling your bike, you will need to pack it carefully for moving. Where would you get the packing material? The most appropriate place to get your packing materials is the nearest bike shop. It is best to call your bike shop early enough and inform them of the size of your bike.
This would enable them to find the right-sized box for your bike and the other packing materials in advance. The following are the materials that you should purchase to facilitate your packing:
- One bike cardboard box
- One small cardboard box for the bike parts
- About eight-ten pieces of foam tube protectors
- One fork protector
- 15 cable ties
- Enough sheets of bubble wrap
- Packing tape
- Four-wheel axle protectors
After identifying all the packing materials you will need, it is now time to start thinking about the tools required to disassemble the bicycle. Below are the essential tools that you will need to disassemble your bike correctly. These tools would also enable you to re-assemble the bike later.
Here, you do not need to worry about the costs of purchasing the tools; you probably have most of these tools already since most of them are used in the regular maintenance of a bike. However, if you do not have them already, you could get them from a bike shop.
- Pair of pliers
- Torque wrench
- 15mm pedal wrench
- Several hex wrenches (3,4,5,6 and 8mm)
Steps To Disassemble Your Bike For Moving
Step One: Thoroughly Wash Your Bike
Before you start to disassemble your bike, it is best to give it a thorough wash with enough water and soap. Using a soft sponge or rag, carefully scrub the bike while keeping attention to the tyres and the chain. You do not want to carry the dirt and grime to your new place.
While cleaning the bike, scrutinise it for severe damages or extreme wear. If you notice anything suspicious, ensure that you note it down or simply make a mental note of it and ensure that you have the bike checked once you reach your new destination.
Step Two: Remove the Pedals
Once you have thoroughly cleaned the bike, it is now time to start partially disassembling it to enable it to fit appropriately in the cardboard box for moving. The following steps will guide you on how to disassemble the bike before packing it for moving.
Using the pedal wrench, detach both the pedals from the bike. You will need to turn the left pedal clockwise to unscrew it, while for the right pedal, turn it anti-clockwise to unscrew. After unscrewing both the pedals, it is best to wrap them in packing paper. After that, carefully place them in the other packing box you purchased.
Step Three: Remove the Seat and the Seat Post
First, you need to loosen the seat post to remove it. It will come out with the seat as well. Pack both of them as a single unit and use wrapping paper to wrap them for efficient moving. It is best to use packing tape to secure them after wrapping. After that, place them in the same cardboard box you put the pedals in.
Step Four: Detach All the Bike Accessories
Remove all the bike accessories to prevent any damage during the movement. Take out all the mirrors, bells, and other small parts and wrap them using soft wrapping paper. After that, pack them separately and place them in the packing box.
If your bike has a computer, it is best to dismount the computer and pack it in its original box. You could also wrap it using bubble wrap. It would also help to dismount the computer mount and pack it separately. Place all the dismounted parts safely in the packing box for bike parts.
Step Five: Detach the Front Brake
To remove the front wheel, you will first have to remove the front brake of your bike. This process is a little intense and complex; thus, you will need to pay more attention to its procedure.
First, remove the front brake from the fork. After removing it, replace the nut, wrap the whole unit using packing paper, and secure it with packing tape. It is best to leave the cables untouched since it is pretty tricky to readjust them after moving. Then, remove the side of the brake from the cable and secure everything using wrapping paper and packing tape.
Step Six: Remove the Handlebars
This is another essential step when disassembling a bike for moving. To remove the handlebars, unscrew the step bolts, thus opening the stem to release the handlebars. Then, replace the stem bolts and leave the stem on the bike. However, you can remove the stem together with the handlebars if it is possible to remove them.
Place the handlebars and the stem (if you did remove the stem) on the floor. You will have to secure them when you pack your bike into the cardboard box.
Step Seven: Remove the Front Wheel
Now is the time to remove the front wheel. Since you have removed the bike's front brake, removing the front wheel should be an easy task and would take you only a few minutes.
To remove the front wheel, unscrew the front wheel bolts; rest assured the wheel will come off. If your front wheel has quick-release bolts, it would be faster to remove the front wheel.
Once you have removed the front wheel, place it carefully aside. Then, fix the fork protector that you purchased. Fork protection block is essential in protecting the fork structure from any kind of damage during transportation.
Step Eight: Partially Deflate the Tyres
This is the final step in disassembling the bike. It is best to deflate the tyres almost halfway. This is essential since it enables the bike to fit nicely inside the bike box. It also keeps the tyres in good condition since they will not inflate at high pressure during transportation.
How To Pack And Box The Bike
Now, you have successfully disassembled your bike partially. The next step is packing it and finally placing it into the box safely ready for moving. Below are the steps to pack and box your bike for moving.
Step One: Protect the Rear Derailleur
This is the most fragile and delicate part of the bike. It is thus vital to ensure its proper protection from any vibration or shock during the long haul. There are two primary steps in securing the rear derailleur:
- First, shift the bike chain to the small chain ring and the largest rear cog.
- Then, wrap the rear derailleur together with the chain using bubble wrap. Secure the bundle using packing tape or zip ties.
Step Two: Secure the Bike Frame
Place the foam tubes everywhere around the bike frame while ensuring no metal part is exposed. Then use packing tape or zip ties to secure them. It would help to use soft padding extensively to protect the bike from damage, scratches, dents, or paint chips. However, if you do not have foam tubes, you could use bubble wrap to protect the bike from scratches and damage.
Step Three: Attach the Front Wheel to the Frame
To begin with, wrap the crank arm of the left pedal of the bike using bubble wrap and secure it with packing tape. After that, place the bike on the ground, ensuring that the side without the chain faces you. Place the front wheel you removed carefully, ensuring that the secured left pedal crank arm lays between the wheel spokes. Further, ensure that the rim and the crank arm are not in contact. Lastly, ensure you secure the front wheel to the left side of the bike using zip ties.
Step Four: Secure the Handlebars
This is the last step when packing the bike before placing it in the box for moving. If your bike has flat handlebars, secure them onto the top of your bike's frame. It is best to ensure the appropriate padding of each part of the bike so that there is no metal-to-metal contact. It would help to use more bubble wrap for extra protection, then use the zip ties to fix the bike's handlebars to the bike frame.
Step Five: Place the Bike in the Cardboard Box
You are almost done now. Use the packing tape to fix the box containing small parts inside the large box at the bottom. Rotate the bike’s fork 180 degrees. This shortens the length of the bike for easier fitting into the box. Properly secure the seat and seat-post bundle on top of the front wheel.
You should fill the remaining spaces inside the box using old newspapers or wrapping paper to prevent the bike from moving during transportation. Or, you could fill those spaces using the tools that you used to disassemble the bicycle. Finally, close the box and secure it properly using the packing tape.
Aim to reinforce the bottom of the box more than the top. Then, write your information on top of the box to prevent confusion. This is important as you want to prevent your box from getting taken to a different destination.
Your Bike Is Now Good To Go
Congratulations on efficiently disassembling and packing your bike for moving. The process of dismantling and packing a bike for moving can be simple, and you can do it entirely by yourself. It is also more economical since the materials required are not expensive.
However, if you do not have the confidence to do it yourself, you should call a professional to help you disassemble and pack the bike. Alternatively, you could contact your moving company and ask them if they offer disassembly and packaging services.
