How to pack your bike box

We travel to train and race all over the world and we always take our own bicycles. Packing them can be tricky so here are our tips on how to pack your bike.

We both have hard cases bought from Bike Box Allan. Our TT bike frames are both small so we find we don't need to remove the saddle to get the bikes in but we do need to take off the headset.

We start by taking the pedals off (we don't pack the pedals in with our bikes as they are power meter pedals, we carry them in hand luggage). Remove the headset screws and then rescrew them together so you don't lose them in transit. Take the tyres off and then put the frame in the box. You might want to use a chain guard to stop the chain getting tangled. We always put a an old towel or t-shirt around the chain to avoid the grease getting everywhere. Strap the bike in using the velcro and use a few additional old clothes or towels to stop rubbing on the paint work.

Deflate the tyres completely before screwing into the lid as per instruction on the box. We add in additional foam to the one provided by the box manufacturer to give it extra cushioning.

Make sure you have everything fastened in securely. You can add in your bike bottles, shoes and a few other bits and bobs but be aware most of the airlines now weigh the boxes so you do have a weight restriction. Also, if you are carrying CO2 cartridges you can usually only take two per bike box. Again see individual airlines for guidelines on this, we have had our boxes opened before and cartridges removed because we had too many inside.

We always include our name and address on a bit of paper inside each box and we take a couple of cable ties to put through the lock once the box has been inspected and ready to be loaded.

Finally, give yourself additional time to check in your boxes at the airport. Sometimes it is not easy to get the bike boxes on the airport bus so you might need to wait a bit longer and you always need to check your bike and then take it to an oversized baggage area to load it.

Make sure your name is clearly visible on the exterior of your bike box, add a few stickers to personalise it so that you can identify it easily when it comes out the other side. You will be surprised if you are travelling to a race how many people have similar boxes to you!

Looking after your bottom

The cycling fraternity are generally an opinionated bunch, more than happy to discuss the ins and outs of how to change a puncture, how to get up a hill easier, what cadence to cycle, what to wear etc but there is a certain piece of advice that often seems to be overlooked and it is, in a particularly important one, if you cycle regularly.

The piece of advice I am getting at is how to look after your bottom. It is very important that you do look after it to avoid getting sores or nasty skin grazing and worse-case scenario blisters which can be so debilitating you won’t be able to sit on your saddle let along look at your bicycle without wincing.

Here are our tips

1. Go commando. Absolutely no pants to be worn under your cycling shorts as they cause friction which inevitably leaves you with an angry rash and eventually grazing.

2. Invest in a decent pair of cycling shorts. Now historically I would have said ones with a good pad for your seat but over the years I have moved away from heavily padded shorts to thin chamois tri-shorts. It really is personal to you but we find that we are more comfortable in lighter padded shorts. There are so many good brands to choose from and price points. We have been big fans of Zoot shorts for years, they are comfy, hard wearing and wash up really well. The legs tend to have inside grippers that avoid them riding up. Whatever you choose, the first few times you wear them, consider smearing a bit of vaseline on the inner seams as it helps avoid rubbing.

3. Put some chamois cream on your bottom. Rub it into your groin area, around your bottom cheeks and your pubic bone for best effect. The slippage the cream creates between you skin and your shorts is what stops you getting sore and rubbed. We use Assos chamois cream.

4. Wash your shorts after every ride. This simple bit of hygiene advice is something that I am surprised I have to share but having seen questions time and again on facebook cycling forums it seems not everyone knows to do this.

5. Choose a saddle that works for your anatomy. We are all shaped differently which means a not one size all approach to the saddle you choose for your bicycle works. The small independent cycling stores usually will let you borrow seats to try them out before you buy one. It is worth taking the time over this as comfort is paramount to enjoying your ride. If you want to read more on this then there is a really interesting article by Cobb saddles who conducted extensive research on female anatomy "innie or outie" and created a range of saddles to suit. We both use ISM saddles which can take a bit of ‘seating in’ but are good quality. We have also found cable tying under the saddle to bring the nose together a bit works best for us. There are many tricks but ultimately you need to try them for yourself.

Enjoy your ride