Looking to travel with your bike without breaking the bank? In this video, I share my experience traveling the world with bikes—gravel, enduro, and bikepacking setups—and show why a simple cardboard box beats expensive bike cases. I’ll walk you through the pros and cons of both options, including how to save on airfares, avoid transport and storage hassles, and pack your bike securely. Plus, I’ll give you pro tips on how to protect your bike and make your cardboard box travel-ready with just a few simple hacks.The questions which are being answered:
How do I travel with my bike on a plane?
Is a bike case or cardboard box better for flying?
How do I pack a bike in a cardboard box for air travel?
What’s the cheapest way to take a bike on a plane?
How do I avoid extra airline fees when traveling with a bike?
Can I fly with my bike in a cardboard box?
What’s the best way to pack a bike for a flight?
How can I protect my bike during a flight without spending a lot?
What are the pros and cons of using a bike box vs. a cardboard box?
How do I save money when flying with a bicycle?
00:00 – Intro
00:36 – Background
00:54 – Basics for Newbee e e s
01:24 – Major Leverage Factors
01:50 – Designated Box vs Cardboard Box
03:51 – Protecting your Bicycle
04:46 – Pro Tips
05:38 – Outro
8 Comments
Interesting video but a rather complex solution to something that can be accomplished in a simpler way. I've been bikepacking and flying around the world with my bike since 1986 and toured New Zealand five times. Must have flown in and out of airports nearly 100 times on all continents, and when I've rode to the airport I've simply let some air out of the tyres, lowered the seat, turned in the handlebars, and removed the pedals – then wrapped the bike in my camping groundsheet with 3 straps around it. In all this time I suffered just one broken spoke. As for the many airlines I've used there has been no problem with my method, only twice did I have to argue my point that I don't need a box, in 2016 with Cathay Pacific from Düsseldorf to Hong Kong, and this summer with Air North from Edmonton to Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. With this method I don't have to source or dispose of a box. But I do like your idea of half a skateboard on your box 🙂
Some tips from the community:
+ Remove your CO2 cartridges if you have any
My cardboard bike box got wet on the starting tarmac and got severely weakened – as a result the handlers somewhere along the way ripped the whole end of the box off (fortunately they kept my sleeping bag from falling out – nice!).
So now I run two bands of gaffa tape horizontally round the whole box – with one just below the handle slot and one 2/3rds of the way down. And I put two luggage straps (grunt) vertically to help hold in the wheels bulge. It’s little additional weight for a more robust outcome.
Taking the bike apart seems complicated. I like the idea of a Brompton put into a large plastic bag from Ikea and surrounded by your personal effects.
nice video! but I think you don't need to deflate your tires – and not deflating them will protect the rims.
Some things to mention.
Bike box weight allowance
British airways. 23kg
Easy Jet. 32kg
You can cycle directly out of airport, but cycling to the airport might be a bad idea, You may not find box there. Only few airlines like Quantas provide box. have to get a box ahead of time.
I have had a few occasions where the box is opened by customs and things are just pulled out and float around in the box so a good idea to tape up holders like you suggest. Also one time the box was not even taped back up – so not sure what to do here – maybe a strap which they can buckle back up but perhaps I just got unlucky on that trip
Also take rotors off – one time one of mine bent.
Twice I had bike lost at Sydney airport. Having an AirTag meant I could confidently tell them where the bike was and had it recovered.
Great video!