The greater
access makes packing a lot easier and is kinder to the
bikes. I don't have to twist and turn things to get
them through the narrow opening and it is easier to
wrap bubble wrap around delicate parts. The bags are
slightly smaller than the boxes and I can't quite get
the bikes in with the rear wheel fitted. However when
I remove the rear brake shoes I can push the rear wheel
a little further into the forks and it fits nicely,
even inside its cover. It is important to get it between
the forks because that means the wheel is supporting
the bike, not the delicate chain wheel.
After packing our panniers and other stuff inside the
bags I stuff the remaining crevices with bubble wrap,
I buy a large roll. I also put one inch wide webbing
straps around the bags to make them easier to lift.
I used to hate lugging the cardboard boxes around.
They were hard to balance on the trolley and kept falling
off. It was difficult to maneuver them, especially through
doorways. It was hard to see where you were going. By
contrast the bags are easy to wheel and it is far less
frustrating and embarrassing. I always ended up with
a strained back from lugging the boxes. The bags are
far kinder to the bikes, there has been no damage at
all, not a scratch. I'd be very reluctant to go back
to boxes even if it meant paying excess baggage, but
so far we've been lucky. The baggage handlers are rough
with the bags though, they need patching after every
trip.
We also bought carry on bags that had wheels but could
also be worn as a backpack. This leaves our hands free
to wheel the bicycle bags.
It's a good idea to make sure you can dismantle everything
you need ahead of time, so if anything has seized up
you can get it fixed at the bike shop. I've had to do
that twice, once for the pedals and once for the seat
post. Also mark the position of everything like the
saddle post height, handlebar orientation etc. to make
it easier to reassemble. I use an automatic center punch
and indelible marker to make alignment marks.
Brake and gear cables are delicate, and it is easy
to strain them when you remove and refit the handlebars
so make sure they are in good condition and renew them
if in any doubt. Look for broken strands at the clamps.
I release the cables from the front brakes and make
sure the rear cable is unhooked at the retainer under
the cross bar. Another advantage of the bike bags is
that the side unzips, you don't have to work through
the narrow top of the box.
To pack the front wheel neatly. After taking off the
wheels and pedals lift the frame and point the crank
arm on the non-chain wheel side vertically down. Hook
the front wheel on this crank arm, feeding the crank
arm through the spokes, and pull the wheel up and against
the frame. Now rotate the crank arm 90 degrees so it
points towards the back of the bike. The wheel, impaled
on the crank arm, can now be tied to the frame.
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