IMPORTANT

This is my own lightly customized version of Helix’s official travel-case manual. The original is the authoritative, fully illustrated reference — start there if anything here is unclear. The photos below are hotlinked from Helix’s manual. What’s written is the routine the way I run it, with one change of my own: the pedals come off first and go back on last, so I can’t forget them.

The Helix folds down small enough to check on a plane, but the travel case wants to be packed a specific way, and a few of the steps bite you if you rush them. This is how I actually run it — the official routine, reordered slightly around the one thing I keep forgetting.

That one thing is the pedals. I’ve packed the bike, ridden off at the other end, and only then realized I’d crammed the case shut against pedals that should have come off. So in my version they’re the first thing off and the last thing on. Everything else follows the manual.

What you’ll need

• A pedal wrench
• A 5 mm hex key (for the rear derailleur, if you’re flying or taking the train)
• The case toolkit and the gloves that come with it
• A cloth, if you want to wrap the saddle

Packing

1. Remove both pedals — first thing off. Set the pedal wrench on the spindle flats (the crank-arm side) with the handle pointing up, then push the handle toward the rear of the bike — the left pedal is reverse-threaded, but with the handle up, “push toward the back” loosens both — that’s the part people get backwards. Drop the pedals in with the toolkit so they don’t wander off.

2. Fold the bike and pull the seatpost out with the saddle still attached.

3. Detach the fork: loosen the stainless thumbscrew, free the fork, and reposition the rubber bumper.

4. Release the steerer: press the pin-release button, separate it, and slide on the steerer protector. Don’t skip the protector — it’s the only thing keeping the steerer from gouging the frame in transit.

5. Lower the folded frame into the case in its molded orientation. (This is the step the manual’s photos are most useful for.)

6. Strap the steerer down at the three velcro anchor points, and use the bungees to corral the chain and derailleur.

7. Optional: rotate the brake levers and shifter inward so they tuck clear of the case wall instead of getting crushed against it.

8. Seat the EVA foam stabilizer and position the cranks so nothing rocks around in transit. The foam is a deliberately tight friction fit — line it up with the gap it fills, start one edge first, then ease it down at a slight angle by hand rather than forcing it straight in. If it fights you, back off and realign instead of jamming.

9. Lay the seatpost into its channel. If you want extra protection, separate the saddle and wrap it in cloth.

10. For air or rail travel: remove the rear derailleur with the 5 mm hex — wear the gloves, it’s greasy — and stow it padded. Keep that hex key in the case so it’s there at the other end.

11. Close and lock the case.

Unpacking

1. Unlock and open the case.

2. If you removed the rear derailleur, reattach it now with the 5 mm hex. As you remount it, re-seat the chain: drape it back onto the front chainring and over the smallest rear cog, and check it runs the right way through the derailleur cage — over the top (guide) pulley, around the bottom (tension) pulley, not crossed. Then spin the cranks slowly backward a few times to confirm it tracks and the derailleur moves freely before you stand the bike up.

3. Lift out the EVA foam stabilizer — free one corner first and lift it out at the same slight angle; don’t yank it straight up.

4. Undo all the velcro straps and bungees.

5. Lift the bike out, supporting the frame and lifting evenly.

6. Reattach the steerer: align the hinge holes and lock it into riding position.

7. Reattach the fork: reinstall the holder and tighten the thumbscrew.

8. Insert the seatpost and saddle, unfold the bike, and reset the gears.

9. Reinstall both pedals — last thing on. Start them by hand so you don’t cross-thread, then, with the wrench handle pointing up, push the handle toward the front of the bike. A dab of grease on the threads helps. Pedaling self-tightens them, so snug is plenty — don’t crank on them. Check they’re tight before you ride off.

The pedals bookend the whole thing on purpose: first off, last on. That way I never end up at a trailhead with a case that won’t close, or a crank with nothing to push on.