Call or go to the airlines website to find the specific guidelines for packing your bike. Most airlines want the bike to be boxed or bagged, the handlebars turned and sometimes the pedals should be removed.
Determine which kind of box or bag you will need. Boxes come in cardboard, hard plastic shell, hard plastic shell with wheels and soft shell bags with or without wheels. The bike boxes and bags can become very expensive, however; you might want to pay a bit more for a hard shell case to better protect your bike.
Measure the bike, how long is the bike with the tires on? What is the dimension of the bike with the tires removed? You will need to buy a packing box or bag from a local bike shop, so make sure you have the dimensions right, and get the correct size box or bag. The cardboard bike boxes are sometimes given out for free at local bike shops.
Disassemble your bike to ready it for packing. Remove the pedals and the front wheel, deflate the wheel, and wrap each with bubble wrap. Loosen the stem of the handle bars and turn until even with the frame, re-tighten the stem. Remove the seat and seat post and wrap with bubble wrap. Deflate the rear tire and only remove if the frame and tire will not fit in the box. (See reference 3)
Wrap the frame and rear tire with bubble wrap to protect the bike from damage. Zip tie the front wheel to the frame on the side without the gears and chain.
Slide the bubble wrapped frame into the box, place the pedals and seat in the spaces around the bike frame. Tape the box with packing tape. Write your name and address on all sides of the box with permanent marker.
Arrive at the airport 60 minutes to 2 hours ahead of your flight time, depending on how busy your airport is. You can usually find wait times on the airport website.
