The Hitchhiker's Guide to Packing a Bicycle

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• Bicycle
• Bicycle box (ask a bike shop a few weeks in advance, and make sure you get one the correct size)
• Small box
• Filler material, optional (newspaper, bubble wrap, etc., just NOT packing peanuts)
• Packing tape
• Permanent marker or electrical tape
• Four long zip ties (two for now, two for later)
• Something to wrap around your frame (bubble wrap, towels, cardboard)
• Allen wrenches
• Pedal wrench
• Hub caps, optional (from a bike shop--new bikes are packed with these)
• Fork brace, optional (from a bike shop--new bikes are packed with these)

1. Wrap the frame: Tape the towels, cardboard, or whatever you're using around the bike frame everywhere you don't want the paint to be scratched.
2. Remove the pedals: A pedal wrench is best for this because many pedals do not provide enough clearance to use a standard or adjustable wrench. The left pedal has left-handed threads, meaning you need to turn it to the right to loosen, and to the left to tighten. Put the pedals in the small box.   (Photo)
3. Zip tie the crank: Turn the left crank arm so that it is aligned with the chainstay. Run a zip tie through it to attach it to the chain stay.   (Photo)
4. Mark the seatpost: Use the permanent marker or electrical tape to mark the seatpost where it meets the frame.   (Photo)
5. Remove the seatpost: With the appropriate size allen wrench, loosen the seat clamp and pull the seatpost all the way out.   (Photo)
6. Remove the front wheel: Loosen the front skewer all the way and remove it. Don't lose the springs on each side, and make sure you put them back on the skewer the same way they came off. Put the skewer in the small box.   (Photo)
7. Install the hubcaps: Put the hubcabs on the front wheel to keep the hub from poking through the box. If you don't have a hubcap, take a couple layers of card board (4" x 4" square should be enough), put it on the hub and run tape around the wheel to hold it in place.
8. Insert the fork brace: This braces the tines of the fork, as one might guess from its name (sorry, no picture yet).
9. Mark the handlebar: Use the marker or electrical tape to mark the handlebar so that you can tell exactly how to adjust it when you put it back on.  (Photo)
10. Remove the handlebar: With the appropriate size allen wrench, remove the bolts from the handlebar clamp and remove the handlebar. Put the clamp back on the stem and put the bolts back in, but don't tighten with a wrench.   (Photo)
11. Zip tie the stem: Turn your stem 180° and run a zip tie through the handle bar clamp down to the frame (no photo--I forgot to do this when I was taking pictures).
12. Wrap the handlebar: Wrap the handlebar around the front of the bike.   (Photo)
13. Throw it in the box: Place the bike in the box, and put the front wheel on the left side of the bike. Yes, I know that the box in the photo is too small for the bike and that the crank arm is not zip tied.   (Photo)
14. Finish it: Tape up the small box, throw it in the big box, stuff the box with the filler material, and then tape up the big box.