Packing Nomad MkII for Airline

[j1of1]

My apologies if this has been addressed before, but I couldn't find anything!   

Situation:  I have to pack my Nomad MkII in a cardboard box (bike box) in order to ship it to my start point.  I currently do NOT have a bike box, but will wander down to my local bike shop to see if I can get one from them.  Anyways...my problem:   My Nomad MkII is equipped with front/rear racks, a Jones H Bar, and fenders.  Based on your own experiences....will I have to remove the wheels, racks, and fenders to get the bike to fit in a standard bike box?  I know I'll have to remove the Jones H bar completely from the stem and not merely turn it 90 degrees.   

Anxiously awaiting your suggestions/recommendations.  And no...I cannot wrap it in plastic and ship it that way...

[WorldTourer]

I flew with my Nomad Mk II innumerable times (later upgraded to a Nomad Mk III frame) and, yes, generally packing it into a standard bike box required removing the front wheel, front rack, and front mudguards, as well as turning the handlebars 90 degrees and probably removing handlebars+stem from the steerer tube. But this is what you normally have to do with any bike, unless you are fortunate to get an extra-long box from the bike shop.

[Matt2matt2002]

I usually bodge 2 standard boxes together. That way I can get a custom fit.
I'm a Raven rider but with a tall riser. Perhaps I'll remove the forks next time...
But don't feel constrained by using one box.

[in4]

I ride a 590L Nomad MK2. I was lucky to get a large bike box from a store near Faro airport. A smaller box would have necessitated dropping the forks out. Had to turn the front forks, tape the bars to the top tube and remove the saddle,seatpost and pedals. I put my bike upside down in the box as the rear rack provided a stable base. I used a lot of plumber’s insulation tubing. EasyJet only asked for the box’s weight and didn’t weight it themselves. Obviously it goes via the oversize luggage check in gate.

[RonS]

 I also have fenders and racks on my Raven. What has worked for me when packing has been to remove the fork completely, with the wheel, fender and rack still attached, and place it beside the frame, with the handlebars tied to the top tube.  This way, the only thing that needs to be disconnected or removed is the cable at the front brake. Depending on the bike box, the resulting package should be short enough that the rear wheel, rack, and fenders just stay on.

[Matt2matt2002]

That's interesting
Thanks.
Any issues with the Rohloff cables bending through too tight a curve?

[Andyb1]

When I packed my bike for India this January I added small wooden wheels at one end of the cardboard box which could easily be removed once I got to the airport.  I had to travel by train to the airport and due to flooding had to unexpectedly change several times - without the wheels it would have been very difficult.   Heathrow were OK with a bike box 1.5m long but I would keep the box size as small as you can so it goes on the airport conveyer belt OK (the belt goes around corners) - and a shorter box is easier to move around on airport trolleys.

[RonS]

Wheels. Now there's some "outside the box" thinking. Will try that on next trip.

 Matt, No problems with cable housing , although I probably have mine cut a little longer than necessary. I think that you could also disconnect the cables at the hub end for extra slack, and pull the housing from the stops at the shifter. I'm going to do a test pack of the bike soon for my upcoming flight in two weeks. I'll check cable path carefully and snap a few pics.

[PH]

Heathrow were OK with a bike box 1.5m long but I would keep the box size as small as you can so it goes on the airport conveyer belt OK (the belt goes around corners) - and a shorter box is easier to move around on airport trolleys.

Good thinking.  Having worked in Airport logistics, I also know the bigger the box the more likely if is to be packed in the hold or cage at the bottom. Soft cases score here, as they're so hard to stack stuff squarely on top of.

[RonS]

The bike shop finally unpacked their shipment of bikes so I picked up a box and did a test run for my upcoming flight. I’ve taken a few pics show my process

This box is 9X34X59 inches. With a rack on the fork you may want to look for a box a little wider.

I unhooked the shifter cables at the hub, then.disconnected the front brake cable and tail light wires, then I put a  band on the front brake to keep it applied. Otherwise, when you pull the fork, it's like a dog chasing its tail.

Then I took the handlebars off and tied them to the top tube. Jones H  bars will probably require a different attachment process.

 After that I dropped the fork, wheel, and fender still attached and tied it to the frame. The last picture shows the bike in the box, upside down, resting on the saddle and rear rack. This leaves enough room to put my handlebar bag in with which contains the pedals and tools.

Whether or not this is easier than removing the front wheel and front fender I do not know, but it works for me, and I think this way has less chance of damaging the fork during shipping. The handlebars would have to be removed regardless. Just turning them would be too long a package for this box.

Hope this helps

[Matt2matt2002]

Great pictures
Thanks
Last picture; bar bag?

Packed upside down? Interesting. Your reason?

Thanks again

Matt

[RonS]

Every other time I have packed the bike it has been right side up. It rests on the rear wheel and the chainring, which chews up the cardboard somewhat, so I put an extra layer of cardboard there.

I saw Ian's post of how he packed his Nomad and decided just to see how it would fit upside down. The saddle and rear rack do make a stable base and as a bonus there is more empty space at the top of the box to put stuff. After I took the photo and removed the bike, I noticed I hadn't dropped the seat. Doing that changed the angle and left a lot more room in that top corner of the box.

 Putting the bar bag in the box not only gives me somewhere to put the pedals and small parts plus my tool kit, but it also acts as a filler to keep that part of the box being crushed. In the picture it is just sitting there, but when I pack it for transport I tie it to the bicycle so that if the box is damaged, everything stays together. Same with the helmet.

[Matt2matt2002]

Thanks for those thoughts.
I really must be more experimental with my packing.
Apart from pedals I have always removed the seat post with saddle attached.


On Thursday I'll be taking the ferry to Orkney from Aberdeen so no need to box the bike but come September/ October I hope to be in Thailand. Definitely a box then.
For my last trip there ,the hotel kindly stored it for my 50 day tour.
Part of my forward planning now includes flying out with a roll of Gorilla tape. The heat and humidity requires strong adhesive to seal the cardboard box. I well recall the sight of my tape slowly peeling off as fast as I tapped up my box in Sri Lanka.

I also tape a scalpel blade ( well covered ) just inside one of the hole handles on the box. Makes cutting open very easy. Never had any issues with that trick on 4+ flights.

I guess everyone has their own ways and tips.
Thanks again for sharing.

Matt

[mickeg]

When I pack my Nomad Mk II, I have one more photo to refer to for future reference, it shows all my headset parts in correct order and orientation on the steerer tube.  Rubber band holds everything on the tube from falling off.

[in4]

I think I picked up that advice from you some time ago and it’s proved very useful. After a long day and flight I need to be in full automatic mode when re-assembling my MK2. Thanks 🙏