- For some of us, our bikes are perhaps more expensive
than our cars.
They are our most prized possessions.
Particularly, we're talking about triathlon bikes
or TT bikes.
So, you can be forgiven for perhaps being quite nervous
and apprehensive about travelling with your bike.
- In fact, if you're going to go on a plane,
there's a number of ways you can pack your time trial bike.
You can put it in a hard case,
you can use a cardboard box
but today, Mark and I are going to talk about packing
your time trial bike into a soft bag.
[Upbeat music]
- [Mark] Right then,
before we actually get stuck in to the packing of the bike,
let's try and run you through a few of the tools
and bits of kit you're going to need.
So, fairly important one, is these tools
set of Allen keys or Hex keys
and that's just to take parts of the bike apart.
You may find on some bikes, you also need something called
a Torx key which is almost like a star nut.
- [Fraser] And I've also got some of the trusty things
I always use when I'm packing my bag.
Some various types of insulation tape here
or electrical tape as we also call them
and these, the trusty cable tie.
That's just really good for fastening things down,
attaching the handle bars to the frame.
Just ways of keeping everything nice and snug in the bag.
- Yep and of course, those lovely airport folk
that handle our luggage have a little bit of a reputation
so you want to make sure that your bike is
kept and in good condition.
Things aren't gonna be knocked around.
So, that's where bubble wrap can be really handy.
Just take some of that from maybe some packaging
that's come through recently.
Another method for that is to use some pipe lagging,
so you can wrap that around your frame,
again, use some electrical tape or some cable ties
to tie that on
and then another one is perhaps, if you're travelling
with a towel.
Why not use it for two uses?
you can actually wrap that around your frame,
some of the handle bar parts,
that sort of thing.
- And also, aside from the towel,
you can use some old T-shirts or rags
or things to just wrap snuggly around more
intricate parts, particularly your rear derailleur.
If you're taking that off, you can wrap that around there.
Just gives it everything a little bit more protection.
[Upbeat music]
- Right, it makes sense to have an order of play
in your mind for how to take your bike apart.
The first thing I like to do is
make sure the pedals are off.
That's more for safety when the bike's in the bike bag,
it keeps everything nice and narrow,
especially when you've got wheels either side
once they're put in later on.
So, that's the first thing that I would go for.
- It's also very annoying to get pedals off once you've
taken the wheels out. - Yeah. Really difficult.
Also just think about any of those extra bits on the bike.
Like, here, a bike computer.
I'll take that off so it doesn't take damaged
or even drain the battery,
Perhaps a hydration system like this
where it can pop off.
The saddle, you're going to possibly struggle to putt
the frame into some bike bags with the saddle
and seat posting, so you're going to want to take that out.
Any extra bits that are removable and will save you space
and reduce any damage to them.
[Upbeat Music]
- So we've started to break the bike down
and what would be your next point of call, Mark?
- Well, that is a good question
because I guess it's quite situation specific really.
There are various different ways and orders to which
you take the next parts of the bike apart.
If you are in, say, in a small hotel room, you--
- [Fraser] Not a home?
- [Mark] No or...
yeah, perhaps at home but you don't want to be getting
that oily, do you? - Yeah that too.
You'll be getting the chain everywhere.
So, you might want to use the bike bag
as kind of a protection against getting that oil everywhere.
So, obviously we have the front end to take apart.
We've got the wheels to take first but it's like that.
Before anything though, we do want to make sure
that the chain is in the smallest cog on the rear cassette.
- [Fraser] Big chain ring in the front?
- [Mark] I tend to leave it in the big chain ring.
There are arguments against small chain ring,
big chain ring.
I like it because it, sort of,
almost takes the slack out of the chain.
So we're going to do that first
and then today we're actually going to take the
front end off before putting in the bike back
but whilst we're talking about the front end,
this is where things get so complicated
with triathlon TT bikes.
- Yeah, lots of bikes have a completely way of disassembling
the front end.
- [Mark] Yeah, I've had bikes in the past where
you literally, I mean, it's near impossible to
take it all apart.
So that can actually depict what, maybe,
type of bike bag you do go for.
I've had to go for a bike bag in the past
where I can leave the base bar installed
and then all I need to do was take the tri bars out.
So that might actually be an option for you
and you might need to think about that
when you're purchasing a bike bag.
- I personally, for a long time, have had a bike
and I guess, like we're going to do here,
where you actually can just take the whole front end off
in one complete movement, right?
- [Mark] Yep, so,
we're going to run you through that now.
- [Fraser] So, all we need
is a single Allen key.
Ideally, a long handle version
but a multi-tool will also do the job.
Usually, there will be four key bolts
and we simply remove these one at a time.
I like to do this in a diagonally opposite fashion.
So, starting with top right then the bottom left
and et cetera, et cetera
and then once we've got these four bolts out,
you need to make sure we keep them in a nice, safe place
so that we've definitely got them at the other end.
[upbeat Music]
- Right, so I'm a little bit concerned
about these handle bars hanging precariously there, Mark.
- Yeah, don't worry, we are going to be addressing them
a little bit later on,
we will be wrapping them up so they're nice and safe
but now we're actually going to start
getting this bike packed up into the bag.
- [Fraser] So, shall we taken the wheels off first?
- [Mark] Yeah. Wheels have gotta come off
and also, when you do travel,
you'll often be asked have you deflated your tyres?
that's also one of the next steps.
- [Fraser] And we get asked that
because there could well be a small chance
but there could be a chance that there's a
differential in pressure in the baggage hold
and we don't want our tyres to explode
and on that note also, be wary of having any C02
canisters with you because they are
gonna to ask you about those
and it's just better to be safe than sorry.
- Now that we've taken the wheels out and off the bike,
you also want to make sure that you keep the skewers
off those wheels
and obviously, we've already taken those pedals off.
So, we want to make sure we keep those nice and safe.
So, most bike bags might have a pocket or two
like this bike bag does here.
So, you can just pop them in there, keep them safe
'cause you really want to make sure
that you don't forget those
and now, we can start getting that bike in.
Come on in Fraser.
- [Fraser] Here we go.
- There we go.
Right, so this bike bag, obviously is quite specific.
They all are quite different.
This ones got sort of a protection bit
for the bottom bracket.
The forks can all sort of clip in to different areas.
So, we'll start off by getting it all clipped in
with this bike bag.
- [Fraser] And anything that we really should be taking off
before we finish?
- [Mark] Well, we can take the rear mech off.
Now, some bike bags say that it's okay to leave them on.
'cause they have a cage around them.
Personally--
- [Fraser] Me too. Always like to have that thing off
- [Mark] Yeah, because there is the risk that you'll
bend the rear mech of any sort pressure or weight
goes on to that rear mech
or if it is completely built in to the frame
then you've got a real issue there, haven't you?
- [Fraser] Yeah, that's not good.
- [Mark] Yeah. Definitely not something you want
to be dealing with pre-training camp or pre-race.
So, we're going to get that rear mech off.
- [Fraser] And if you do have electronic gears
for the sake of saving the battery during travel,
be sure to pull the DI2 cable out
before you start taking the rear derailleur off.
[upbeat Music]
- Right then, we've got it all packed into the bag now.
So all there is to do really now is, actually,
the quite important part, is getting it all protected
and wrapped up.
- [Fraser] So I've put the rear derailleur off here
that we took off before.
I like to wrap that up in a rag or T-shirt,
something that keeps that nice and protected
and then to make sure that doesn't fall off,
wrap that around with some electrical tape.
- [Mark] My favourite.
Good old electrical tape.
And as we mentioned already,
we've got this front end just hanging loose
quite precariously.
So, one option is, to wrap that in some bubble wrap
and you want to be quite thorough on this
so you're making sure nothing's exposed
and knocking against the frame,
anything's gonna get scratched.
Particularly, you've got these break levers that
might sort of scratch on the frame and everything.
So everything should be wrapped up including
the bars so nothing's gonna scratch up here.
Another method though, I quite like,
is using a towel that you're probably travelling
with otherwise.
So, using it for two things.
Wrap, wrap that around and again,
use a bit of electrical tape to make sure it's all fastened.
- [Fraser] And another way to make sure the bike
is really secure and packed well in the bag
is some of the lagging that Mark's got here
and the lagging can really be put round every single
tube of the frame.
I basically go mad and make sure it's covered.
And then zip ties are a really good way of fastening them on
or we can go back to electrical tape
like we've been talking about already.
- [Mark] Yeah, and then if you do have any more
bubble wrap or towels or anything like that, just go mad.
Just make sure everything's covered, chuck it all in there.
Better safe than sorry. - [Fraser] Yeah
- [Mark] Of course, earlier on we did take out the seat post
and the saddle and anything additional that's on the bike.
So, we've got this here,
and we've also got the hydration system on the front.
So we need to get that in bike bag.
So, we've got some extra bubble wrap here.
I'm just going to chuck that in there along with that.
Wrap it up, like I said
and I'm actually going to pluck this down here.
Just 'cause that's how it works with the bag
but I know, Fraser,
you like to put it between the rear state.
- Yeah, I mean, there's no hard and fast
real list of where things must go.
Be sensible, find space in the bag that you've got to use
and just figure out a good space for things.
- Yeah and just make sure that no sort of carbon
is resting against other carbon.
So your seat post isn't exposed
and scratching against the rear states.
You want to make sure everything's covered,
everything's secure.
I think we're there, Fraser.
- Yeah, as long as there's no expensive noises.
- Yeah, Exactly - [Fraser] We're good.
- Well, all we've got to do now is zip this bike bag up
and then don't forget the wheels, we need to put them in.
Alright.
[Zipper Noise]
- So, now we've got the bike packed away good and proper,
there is a few other things we can stick in there,
if you wish.
I like to add things like bike shoes, running shoes, helmet,
wet suit, bike tools. - Yeah.
Just other things that can take up the space in the bike bag
but do of course be mindful of the weight limit
that the airlines impose and just check beforehand
that they're okay with other things other than your bike
being in the bag.
- Yes. Some airlines do sort of state that you can't
put other things in there
but if you speak to most cyclists and triathletes,
- Yeah
- They pretty much always put other stuff in there.
I mean, if you have weight left,
it's a good use of space and weight.
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