Packing a bicycle for safe shipping isn't rocket science.  But if you've never shipped a bike before, check out these tips and photos.

Before you begin...

...get a bike box from your friendly local bike shop.  Bikes don't ship well in boxes that aren't designed to ship bikes!  And make sure your box is the correct size for the bike you're shipping.  A mountain bike won't fit into a BMX bike box, and a BMX bike will bounce around too much inside a road bike box.

...ask the bike shop employees if you can watch them take a bike out of its box from the factory.  When you see how the factories pack a bike, you won't even need this guide!

...make sure you have the correct tools.  Crescent (adjustable) wrenches, Vise-Grips and pliers are not the correct tools!  A bike buyer doesn't want to see a bunch of stripped bolts on his new bike, so use the right sizes.  I can't emphasize this enough.

...get some 14-inch cable ties from your local hardware store.  These are indispensable and only cost about a dime each in quantity.

...before you even list the bike on eBay, check to see if the seatpost will come out of the frame, the pedals will come out of the cranks and the stem will come out of the forks.  After the auction ends is a bad time to find out that you can't perform basic disassembly.

Once you have your box, your bike, and your tools, you're ready to begin!

1. Close the bottom of the box, make sure it's as square as possible, and tape it securely-at least five strips of tape the "short way" and three or four strips the "long way".  If there are "handle" holes in the box, tape those up too, unless you want nosy shipping company employees peeking at your bike.

2. Flip the bike over and remove the pedals.  On most bicycles, this will require a 15mm open-end wrench.  If you have a pedal wrench, that's even better!  Remember that on most bicycles, the left pedal is reverse-threaded, so it will loosen in a clockwise direction.  The right (sprocket-side) pedal will loosen in a counter-clockwise direction.  Your bike might be different, but probably not.

Here you can see that I have removed the pedals!

3. Remove the front wheel.  On many bikes you will do this with a 15mm wrench.  Road bikes and mountain bikes often have "quick-release" hubs so you won't need a wrench.  Older bikes and some kids' bikes have 14mm, 9/16" or other size axle bolts.  If your bike has quick-release hubs, remove the axle ("skewer", in biker parlance) entirely.  If the bike has a front fender, remove the fender from the bike, and leave it positioned around the wheel when you pack the wheel in the box.

Left: front wheel in place.  Right: front wheel gone!

4. Use some cardboard and tape to wrap the fork tips.  Sure, this isn't absolutely necessary, but it's a nice touch, and it will help protect the forks from damage.

It's not pretty, but it will keep the forks pretty!

5. Use cardboard and/or bubble wrap to protect the painted areas on the bike.  You don't really have to wrap every tube, just the ones that will come in contact with another part when the bike is packed.  But better safe than sorry, so wrap, wrap, wrap to your heart's delight.

6. Next on the chopping block (figuratively) are the seat and seatpost.  You did check a week ago to make sure the post wasn't seized into the frame, right?  On modern bikes, the seat post clamp will usually have a 5mm or 6mm allen-head bolt; older bikes will usually have a regular nut-and-bolt configuration.  These clamps are usually tight and the bolts can be easy to strip, so use the correct wrench!

These pictures show how I have removed the seat and seatpost (I left the seatpost clamp in place so it wouldn't get lost).  You can also see how I've protected the frame from scratches by wrapping it with cardboard.

7. Next off are the handlebars (and usually the stem).  Luckily for me, the bike I was packing when I shot these photos did not have brake cables.  If yours does, you will probably have to remove them from the brake levers.  This isn't too hard; on most bikes, the cable just has a ball-end that fits into the lever and you can pop it out.  But this varies from bike to bike, so do what you have to do, and use the right wrench if you have to loosen the little cable retaining nuts on the brakes.

You'll also note in my photos that I removed the handlebars from the stem, and left the stem on the bike. 95% of the time, you will have to remove the stem from the bicycle also.  On most stems that fit into the forks, you'll have to loosen the stem bolt (use the right wrench!) until it's poking up about 1/4", then tap it gently downward with a hammer.  This will loosen the stem wedge inside the fork, and you can pull the stem right out.  If that doesn't work, just take the bolt all the way out and leave the wedge in the forks.  For clamp-on ("threadless") stems, just remove the top bolt and washer, loosen the allen-head fork clamp bolts, and slide the stem off of the fork.

Sometimes there will be a reflector or brake bracket mounted on the fork shaft; you will probably have to remove these items so you can turn the forks backward to fit the bike in the box.

Now you see the handlebars, now you don't!  But chances are, you will have to remove the stem from your bike.  Also note that I've wrapped almost the entire fork in cardboard to protect the paint.  And I've turned the forks backward to fit into the box.

8. We're almost done!  I've put the bike in the box for a test fit.  The forks are turned around backwards.  Note how I've used cable ties to strap the front wheel securely to the rest of the bike.  This is why I protected the frame-so that the cable ties and front wheel wouldn't rub into the paint.  Also note the positioning of the front wheel, on the left side of the bike.  The left crank arm (which you can't see) is forward, and usually it tucks neatly between the spokes of the front wheel.

Here's how it fits into the box!  If there was a front fender, it would be strapped to the wheel.

9. Finally, where do all the parts go?  Simple...strap 'em on!  I have pulled the bike out of the box to illustrate how everything fits, but normally this is all done inside the box.  It can get to be a bit of a jigsaw puzzle.  Just remember that the point is to make sure everything is strapped together securely and nothing is loose or banging against anything else.  If you want to, you can put the smaller parts (pedals, axle skewers, reflectors) into a small box and put that in the bottom of the big box.

Yup, the picture's blurry.  But here's how everything gets strapped into place.  Remember, I usually (okay, always) do this with the bike in the box, so I know where everything's going to fit.  But this gives you an idea of what I mean when I say "strapped together".  The front wheel is strapped to the frame, the handlebars are strapped to the back wheel, the seat and post are strapped to the handlebars, the pedals are wrapped in cardboard and strapped to the frame.  Basically when the high bidder opens the box, he should be pulling out one big secure unit and not a bunch of loose parts.

10. Once the bike's in the box, and nothing's loose or banging around, now you can tape the top of the box securely (more tape is better than less!) and ship the bike!  If you want to, you can use newspaper or other packing material to pad the bike, but if you've used the right size box you won't need to.

Now, a disclaimer: the steps I've shown here are great for low- to mid-priced bikes.  I've shipped $50-$500 bikes this way with no problems.  However, if you're shipping a $5000 show bike, or a NOS Pea Picker or something really special, then obviously, you might want to take extra steps: more disassembly, more protection, more boxes.  And if your bike has lots of stuff bolted onto it (lights, fenders, racks, et cetera) then you may need to get creative and do more disassembly than I've done above.  But for your regular everyday bike, the steps I've outlined will get your bike to its destination safely.

And, a word about shipping rates: BEFORE you start packing your bike, measure your box carefully, go to your carrier's website, and enter the dimensions.  Usually, a bike box will fall into the "oversize 2" category, which will cost between $20 and $60 to ship.  However, if your box is big enough to be considered "oversize 3", the rate will be based on size, not weight, and you're looking at a minimum of $75 to ship it to your next-door neighbor's house even if the bike weighs two pounds.  So be careful!  Shop around for carriers, and always pay cash-if you use an account to ship a bike, the carriers will decide after-the-fact that your box is "oversize 3", and they will charge your account for the difference.  Don't say I didn't warn you.  Pay cash!