In some cases you may need to re-box a bike that you have already built up so that it can be shipped. There are a few steps you can take while re-boxing to decrease the risk of damage in the shipping process. Locating and reusing all the packaging that came with the bike will yield the best results.

 

First, if starting with an assembled bike you will want to remove the front wheel along with the front fender. After the wheel is removed, place the quick release skewer and cap back in the accessory box. Replace the front headlight by turning it upside down and tightening the securing bolt again. Set the wheel and fender aside for now. Remove the pedals at this stage as well and place them back in the accessories box that they came in. 

 

Next, locate and use all the foam packaging that you can. You can see in the picture below all parts of the frame that are protected by the foam packaging; headtube, fork lowers, downtube/battery, handlebar grips/brake levers, seat, seat tube, crankarms, chain stays, seat stays, and cargo rack. You may need to use masking tape and/or zip ties to secure the packaging to the frame. Be careful not to tighten zip ties directly onto the frame, as this could cause scratches in the paint. 

 

 

 

 

Now you'll need to make a few adjustments so that the bike fits properly in the box. As pictured above, remove the handlebars and with packaging already attached place one end of the bars between the fork lowers and zip tie to secure. Be sure to replace the stem plate that was removed when taking taking the bars out. 

 

Next, you will need to rotate the stem 180 degrees so that it is pointed towards the back of the bike. This can easily be done by loosening the stem bolts slightly and spinning the stem around. Once the stem is in the new position, facing the back of the bike, you can re-tighten the bolts on the stem until snug. 

 

 

At this point, the bike is protected with foam packaging, the front wheel and fender have been removed, and the stem has been rotated 180 degrees. Now it is time to prep your box for insertion of the bike. Refer to the photo below to see how to place the packaging for best results. 

 

 

As you can see there is a longer foam piece that will support the rear wheel and a smaller foam piece that will support and protect the fork during shipping. With this configuration it should be relatively easy to insert the bike into the box. First lift up the bike and begin to lower it into the box, making sure that the rear wheel and the fork align with their complimentary foam support. At this point you can also make sure that the seat of the bike is lowered to the lowest position. Check this by loosening the seat clamp (this can be done while the bike is in the box) and push the seat all the way down. Tighten the seatpost clamp again to secure. Further secure any loose and separated parts with zip ties.

 

Now you can insert the wheel. To prevent damage to the wheel find and replace the plastic end cap in the spot that will replace the quick-release skewer. If you only can find one of these pieces, make sure that when you put the wheel in the box that this piece is facing outward and not towards the bike.  Refer to the photo below. 

 

 

Insert the wheel into the box on the non-drive side of the bike. Secure the wheel to the frame of the bike which should be wrapped in foam packaging. Gently place the fender on top of this wheel and secure with a zip tie. The accessory box can be placed in the box on the opposite side of the wheel. Refer to the photo below.

 

 

Now that the bike is properly inserted into the box, the final step will be replacing the foam protectors you see covering the stem and the rear cargo rack of the bike. These final two pieces are important and help prevent damage and compression from the top side of the box.

 

Great! the bike is almost ready to ship. Now all you need to do is make sure all the parts are in the box, close up the box and secure with strong tape and/or staples.

 

 

Note: If you are boxing up a Groove eBike, all steps will be the same except for the stem arrangement, since the Groove has a different headset system. For the Groove, you will just need to fold down the handlebar extension so that it fits properly in the box.