Nomad S&S cardboard pack?

[giavarotti86]

In the mega brochure, Andy saids that any S&S coupled Nomad will fit into a 120X80X25 mm cardboard box, with much less fuss than a extensively disassembled 590M Nomad needed to fit in a 25"X25"X10" Airline friendly box/bag.
Can anyone figure what "much less fuss" means? What needed to be removed and how to achieve this 120X80X25 measure compatible pack?

[Danneaux]

Can anyone figure what "much less fuss" means? What needed to be removed and how to achieve this 120X80X25 measure compatible pack?

The specific details appear in a pink-colored box on page 41 of the Mega brochure (the same appears on page 6 of the Nomad Mk2 brochure). Please note the caveats about steerer length if the fork is to be included in one bundle with the rest of the bike. Thorn's steerers are 400mm in length if uncut; Andy says...

If the steerer is longer than 235mm, the fork won’t fit into the [26x26x10in] box.

He further notes that on 590M and 590L frames, a steerer of only 235mm precludes fitting a Thorn Accessory T-bar or much in the way of spacers.

26in x 26in x 10in adds up to the airline maximum of 62 linear inches).

To fit in a box this size, a Nomad (like virtually all S&S coupled bikes with 26in wheels)...

...requires the forks to be dropped out and the following items to be removed:- wheels, bars and stem, carrier (s), mudguards, saddle (+seat post?) and pedals + at least one of the cranks. Assume carriers will require packaging separately.

That is a lot of disassembly and packing.

Instead if all that disassembly, Andy recommends using a cut down cardboard box of 1200mm x 800mm x 250mm. This is equivalent to 47.25in x 31.5in x 9.8in, totaling 88.55in. He notes all Nomad bikes will fit in a box this size "with much less fuss" -- probably because they require less disassembly than needed to fit into a 26 x 26 x 10in box.

The people I know with S&S coupled bikes using uncut steerers prefer to take the forks as separate, hand-carried luggage, checking the rest of the packed, uncoupled bike in the cargo hold.

Hopefully helpful,

Dan.

[mickeg]

I will find out in a few months when I pack my 590M Nomad.  When I bought the frame and fork, I was advised that the fork would not fit in the case with the rest of the bike.  But I plan to also check a big duffel bag with other stuff.  When I ordered it I assumed that any travel I did with it would have the fork in separate checked luggage. 

I would not be surprised if some airline or security personnel would call a Nomad fork a weapon and prevent it from going on as a carry on item.  A friend of mine used to carry a two piece take-apart kayak paddle as a carryon, but that was over 15 years ago before security was tightened, now that would be considered a weapon.

I have had enough luggage damaged, that I would be nervous about a cardboard box as the shipping container.  S&S makes a nylon box cover, that way at least there is less chance of a hole being knocked into the box for parts to fall out.
http://www.sandsmachine.com/ac_box.htm

I will be using the S&S backpack for my trip.  But the plastic side pieces are quite heavy, I will not use those, instead will put cardboard pieces inside the backpack case as stiffeners.  I plan to discard the cardboard upon arrival and later find some new cardboard to replace it for the return trip.

[Andre Jute]

I will be using the S&S backpack for my trip.  But the plastic side pieces are quite heavy, I will not use those, instead will put cardboard pieces inside the backpack case as stiffeners.

If the only traveling the cardboard will do is on the plane, that's probably good enough. But water-resisting or even permanent stiffeners needn't be much heavier and can be both lighter and pretty cheap.

A little lateral thinking is required. Here are some alternative stiffeners I use all the time for my projects:

1. Stiffer enough, impenetrable, very light, permanent. Go to an office supply store, or hunt around the discount stores, and buy a cheaper large artist's flat case for a few dollars; don't go to an art supply store because they'll charge you several multiples. Usually made of some kind of fiberboard or very durable plastics. Many of this generic class of cheap flat stiffereners are tough to cut in the field but the lighter weights usually cut with carpet scissors or tabletop guillotines.

2. Stiff enough, strong enough, light enough to be permanent, water resistant, cheap when replacement is required, universally available; takes some space though as it is around 3/16 to 1/4in thick. Every small town and all cities have suppliers who print signs on plastic corrugated "cardboard" for real estate agents, farmers and others who need temporary signs. My wife, a flower artist, buys the stuff from local printers in 8x4ft sheets for a tenner or so, and uses it to hang considerable weight from church choir loft balconies and suchlike. Cuts like a dream with a carpet or other craft or utility knife.

2.1 You can make your own box to any size from plasticized corrugated "cardboard" and duct tape. A bit of planning would make it collapsible for storing between flights. This is a well-known trick to plein air artists who need carriers for several wet canvases of differing sizes; plans of boxes for plein air oil painters are published on the net. The interesting thing is how long these boxes last despite much handling and being asked to  carry weight that would wreck real cardboard boxes.

3. So-called "gatorboard" is a foam board with plastic front and back, a bit thicker, but stiff and light if you can get it in a big enough size. Usual source is art stores but possibly from builders' merchants as well. See above about jointing with duct tape.