What's is the best way to post a bike ??

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
peter236uk
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Joined: 14 Feb 2007, 1:44pm

What's is the best way to post a bike ??

Post by peter236uk »

Anyone know what is the best way to send a bike by post ie good value and also safest.
Cost etc I have a box etc
diapason
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Location: West Somerset, UK

Post by diapason »

ParcelFarce refused to take a bike for me last week :? They came up with an unintelligible formula in metric which even they couldn't explain in English.

A courier quoted me £60. I'm told thta DHL are reasonable, so I'll try them next time I send a bike.

N
Advena ego sum in Terra
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Si
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Post by Si »

They came up with an unintelligible formula in metric which even they couldn't explain in English.


when i last used them (before my local postoffice went) the three dimensionshad of the box had to add up to less than a certain length, possibly 2m. thus a box that measured 99cc by 99cm by 2cm would be fine but one measuring 99cm by 99cm by 3cm wouldn't. But it was some time ago so not sure if they still do it this way, or if the measurement was 2m.
vernon
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Post by vernon »

peter236uk wrote:Anyone know what is the best way to send a bike by post ie good value and also safest.
Cost etc I have a box etc


I sent a frame in a bike box by Parcel force and it cost £15. The box was less than 2m long. The box was collected by Parcel force from home.

As for safest, I don't know as I've only received and sent frames via Parcelforce.

Some precautions that you could take to minimise damage is to space the drop outs using those disposable drop out spacers that come with new bikes - your LBS should have some to hand. Failing that cut some wooden spacers and gaffer tape them into position.
leftpoole
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Post by leftpoole »

diapason wrote:ParcelFarce refused to take a bike for me last week :? They came up with an unintelligible formula in metric which even they couldn't explain in English.

A courier quoted me £60. I'm told thta DHL are reasonable, so I'll try them next time I send a bike.

N


Parcelforce box size as follows.
Length no more than 1.5 metres. Length and girth measured around centre of box no more than 3 meteres.
Measure the length. Measure height times 2.Measure width times 2. Add all three together. Answer should be less than 3 metres.
OK?
John.
random37
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Post by random37 »

The rule for parcel force is the box needs to be no more than 150cm long, and the combined length and girth can't exceed 300cm.
I get mine through senditnow.com £10.99 to post a bike.
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Mick F
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Post by Mick F »

Any of the framebuilders deal with postal deliveries. We can't all collect our new frames.

My Mercian Vincitore arrived by post way back in October 1986.

It was covered in corrugated cardboard and sticky tape along all the tubes, the dropouts had wooden dowels to support them, and the whole lot was in a substantial cardboard box. The postman rang the bell on a Saturday morning when we were having our morning cuppa.

Why not contact a framebuilder and ask them how they do it nowadays.
Mick F. Cornwall
leftpoole
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Post by leftpoole »

Mick F wrote:Any of the framebuilders deal with postal deliveries. We can't all collect our new frames.

My Mercian Vincitore arrived by post way back in October 1986.

It was covered in corrugated cardboard and sticky tape along all the tubes, the dropouts had wooden dowels to support them, and the whole lot was in a substantial cardboard box. The postman rang the bell on a Saturday morning when we were having our morning cuppa.

Why not contact a framebuilder and ask them how they do it nowadays.


Mick,
I have just told everyone how to do it.As has chris667 too. No need to wind up a framebuilder!
John.
random37
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Post by random37 »

john28july wrote:Parcelforce box size as follows.
Length no more than 1.5 metres. Length and girth measured around centre of box no more than 3 meteres.
Measure the length. Measure height times 2.Measure width times 2. Add all three together. Answer should be less than 3 metres.
OK?
John.

I think we were typing that at the same time!
diapason
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Location: West Somerset, UK

Post by diapason »

I've sent a frame with no problems in a cut-down box scrounged from my LBS. The problem was when I needed to send a complete bike.

N
Advena ego sum in Terra
ians
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Post by ians »

I got a bike box from my LBS - the bike then went by ParcelForce for £18.99.

I had a good nosey around in my LBS to see how bikes actually arrive in boxes. So I removed the pedals, front wheel, rotated the bars,dropped the saddle and hey presto - a bike in a box.

Also worth investing in a couple of lengths of pipe insulation and gaffer tape.

ians
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robgul
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Post by robgul »

Try www.parcel2go.com - very good value, I've used them loads of times, incl a tandem to to the US. Dimensions are not usually a problem, I usually get an old bike box from Halfrods and that works

They are a "consolidator" or "reseller" - don't be surprised if DHL actually do the pickup .... makes a nonsense of the pricing

Rob
E2E http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk
HoECC http://www.heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
Cytech accredited mechanic . . . and woodworker
pioneer
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Post by pioneer »

I've used Parcelforce a few times now.No problem at all.(Mind you, I do know the usual pick-up driver at this end quite well so I spose' that helps!).
I always over estimate the weight so that the receiver' doesn't have any problems.A phone call around the LBS's usually turns up a free box.
With plenty of gash bubble-wrap,tape,bits of extra cardboard inside the box as wedges and two large destination address labels(one each side of the box)with smaller sender address labels as back up,all is well.
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Alastair K
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Post by Alastair K »

At work we use http://www.interparcel.com/ - similar to the parcel2go mentioned above. Very reliable, no restrictions on size, weight etc, and a choice of services / prices. Book by 11am, and they collect same day.
If it ain't broke, keep fixing it until it is.
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Mick F
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Post by Mick F »

Mick F wrote:Any of the framebuilders deal with postal deliveries. We can't all collect our new frames.

My Mercian Vincitore arrived by post way back in October 1986.

It was covered in corrugated cardboard and sticky tape along all the tubes, the dropouts had wooden dowels to support them, and the whole lot was in a substantial cardboard box. The postman rang the bell on a Saturday morning when we were having our morning cuppa.

Why not contact a framebuilder and ask them how they do it nowadays.


john28july wrote:Mick,
I have just told everyone how to do it.As has chris667 too. No need to wind up a framebuilder!
John.


Sorry, but I was answering the OPs question. ie "good value" and "safest".
People that send bikes for a living have good info available. Ask them.
Your answers weren't quite getting there IMHO.

peter236uk wrote:Anyone know what is the best way to send a bike by post ie good value and also safest.
Cost etc I have a box etc
Mick F. Cornwall
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