I put my best bikes on my roof rack and drove across the country with the bikes on top of the car.
That said, I packed some bikes in bike boxes got from the local bike shop. To well protect the bikes, you wrap every frame tube in bubble wrap. You can also surround the bike with other softer stuff (towels, clothes put in plastic bags, etc). Also, you need to be on site when they are packing the truck and tell them that they are bicycles and need to stand upright and not be underneath something extraordinarily heavy.
I couldn’t fit a bike plus wheels inside the bike store box. I don’t know how the bike manufacturers solve that puzzle. I got an extra bike box and put wheels in it with other soft stuff.
I would not trust a mover to pack a bike. Some of those guys are really good at packing trucks but most of the helpers are low wage labor.
If you really want to be extra safe, buy a hard sided bike travel case.
Moving insurance sucks so everything you pack should be able to survive at least a 6 foot drop in it’s box. It should also be able to be the box on the bottom of a 200-300 pound stack of boxes. If you pack like that you’ll be fine.
Just saw this thread. I grew up in High Point / Jamestown, and my Mom still lives in G’boro. I haven’t ridden in that area since I headed west for grad school in 2002. It’s sure grown a lot since then. I’ll ping you if I ever make it back that way with a bike!
I think there are a few of us out here. I’m in Huntersville right now which is just north of Charlotte and there is a great local bike shop and active cycling community with a few great options for group rides.
yes, I have raced a few crits there. There are not a lot of promoted races there, at least not as much as you would think given it’s a dedicated crit course. I believe there is a practice crit series in the summer time on Thursdays evenings and Hincapie holds a few crits there as well as a racing series that holds about 5 races each year. It’s a nice course, although not a traditional crit course. Obviously has more turns than a typical 4 corner crit, but also has a fairly tough climb (for a crit course) and a fast descent on the opposite side of the course. This leads to some interesting tactics.
If you are looking for a more active crit scene, Orr Rd is the de facto training crit scene in Charlotte.
I’ve raced there a few times when visiting family in Denver, NC. It’s a fun course, small numbers, but racing. I believe the organizer axed the series this year unfortunately. There’s some racing over at kernersville I think still.
Usually every Tuesday and Thursday evening @ 6:00pm, a group rides from the Lewisville town square (just a suburb of Winston-Salem). Generally, two groups: “A” pace (22+) and “B” pace (20-ish). Distance each night depends on time of year, but the group always returns back before sunset. Usually about 30-40 riders each night, and the groups are about 50:50 split.
Huge cycling community for all skill levels. As mentioned above, Lewisville group rides can be found here: https://piedmontflyers.org/. $25 membership will let you see the Tues/Thurs calendar for the whole summer if you end up moving to the area. They have a Discord Channel as well for weekend rides. There’s basically something going on almost every night of the week during the summer!