New Bike, New Bike Bag

Sunday, August 30th

Packing the bike was easier than in the "old days" when I used cardboard bike boxes (so 20th century). But there were a few unexpected "gotchas", which shouldn't happen next time...hopefully!


It all looks so easy when it's laid out like this - what could possibly go wrong?

You just remove the wheels, and slide in the bar that supports the front fork. The rear fork support is fixed to the frame.

Unfortunately, the front fork support didn't slide into the frame as easily as it did in the video! A rubber mallet helped!

Then there's the rear fork support - the chain is supposed to go around that and become tight, and the rear derailleur is supposed to tuck in neatly on the side.

Again, easier said than done! I had to adjust the gears a couple of times (wheels on, wheels off) so that my extra long derailleur was as protected as possible. A cable tie around the chain made it stop dangling on the base of the bag.

The rest was fairly straightforward - there are straps for everything, and it all looks great when packed. I did add a couple of improvised straps so the baggage handlers (bless them) will have something to grab onto when they throw (!) it into the hold...

Good luck and God speed!