How to ship a bike?

Just shipped a bike I sold on e-bay. Took it to the LBS, who charged a flat rate to pack and
ship of $50.

Worth every penny.

Eric

"Phil, Squid-in-Training" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hey groupie. I am on a budget. And I need to ship a bike. I have no big boxes.

Should I ask bike shops for bike boxes they're not using? Anybody know of any other sources?

I'm going to eat some bacon now... yum.

Boxes from shops work, but, if your limited funds allow, a box from Crateworks is better because it
has tie-downs for everything. Unfortunately, the cheapest is $109, but it is reuseable a number of
times. I used one to ship my bike for RAGBRAI, and it did a great job. www.crateworks.com

Enjoy your bacon.

Leland

"Phil, Squid-in-Training" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hey groupie. I am on a budget. And I need to ship a bike. I have no big boxes.

Should I ask bike shops for bike boxes they're not using? Anybody know of any other sources?

I'm going to eat some bacon now... yum.

Squid-in-Training said:

Should I ask bike shops for bike boxes they're not using?

Yes. It's that simple.

Barry

In article <[email hidden]>, "Phil, Squid-in-Training"

Quoted message said:

Hey groupie. I am on a budget. And I need to ship a bike. I have no big boxes.

Should I ask bike shops for bike boxes they're not using? Anybody know of any other sources?

A bike shop is a good resource, Cannondale boxes have a very good reputation. Also check with the
local X-mart to see if they are throwing away any bike boxes.

Quoted message said:

I'm going to eat some bacon now... yum.

Bacon and on a budget?

Tom Gibb <[email hidden]

B a r r y B u r k e J r . said:

Squid-in-Training said:

Should I ask bike shops for bike boxes they're not using?

Yes. It's that simple.

Barry

they may even pack it and UPS it to your destination for a minimal charge...

Ask the bike shop. A good one will even help pack it for you if you don't know how.

May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris

Chris'Z Corner "The Website for the Common Bicyclist": geocities.comczcornerOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

they may even pack it and UPS it to your destination for a minimal charge...

The "nominal fee" depends upon whether UPS or FedEx have targeted bike boxes for compliance with
size regulations in your area. In the SF Bay Area, UPS has been specifically going after bike shops,
claiming that they're larger than the max "OS2" (oversize 2) regulations allow... which means not
only a dimensional weight charge, but an extra fee beyond that... such that bikes that should have
cost $40 to ship have run $110. Absolutely not kidding about this; it's been a nightmare because we
don't find out about it until our bill arrives.

The safest thing to do is drop it off straight at the shipping company (UPS or FedEx), since they're
not going to back-bill and individual like they do a bike shop.

By the way, they claim the boxes are 1/2" larger than their OS2 regulation, due to bulging. The
manufacturer gets away with it initially, but the exact same box, the second time, gets nailed.
Revenue enhancement, if you ask me.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'm going to eat some bacon now... yum.

Bacon and on a budget?

It was old bacon. Really old bacon. I think it was in the freezer since the 90's, but it tasted
pretty good. Thanks for the C-dale recommendation.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

Quoted message said:

they may even pack it and UPS it to your destination for a minimal charge...

The "nominal fee" depends upon whether UPS or FedEx have targeted bike boxes for compliance with
size regulations in your area. In the SF Bay Area, UPS has been specifically going after bike
shops, claiming that they're larger than the max "OS2" (oversize 2) regulations allow... which
means not only a dimensional weight charge, but an extra fee beyond that... such that bikes that
should have cost $40 to ship have run $110. Absolutely not kidding about this; it's been a
nightmare because we don't find out about it until our bill arrives.

The safest thing to do is drop it off straight at the shipping company (UPS or FedEx), since
they're not going to back-bill and individual like they do a bike shop.

By the way, they claim the boxes are 1/2" larger than their OS2 regulation, due to bulging. The
manufacturer gets away with it initially, but the exact same box, the second time, gets nailed.
Revenue enhancement, if you ask me.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

I didn't know this since I haven't had to ship a bike in a couple of years... That truely sucks.

"Eric" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just shipped a bike I sold on e-bay. Took it to the LBS, who charged a flat rate to pack and
ship of $50.

Worth every penny.

Beware! Every bike I've every received from or had shipped by a bike shop munged the job. Though
your shop may devaite from normal, the routine is to do as little work as possible which means
little to no packing material.

Once I received a frame with a dinged headtube (REALLY dinged). No marks on the box. Turns out that
someone in the shop did it, was embarrassed about it, and stuck the (glued-on) head badge back in
effort to cover it. Oh, it was poorly packed too.

Has the addressee received and commented on the quality of packing?

To the OP: Get a sturdy bike box free from bike shops anywhere and add an extra layer of cardboard
all around (make it like a tub). I go to extremes and use pipe insulation (hardware store and cheap)
for the frame tubes. Use a lot of packing paper or foam blocks if you have 'em. Don't forget to
brace the fork blades and give extra protection to any pointy bits (fork end, axles, etc.).

--
Robin Hubert <[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

To the OP: Get a sturdy bike box free from bike shops anywhere and add an extra layer of cardboard
all around (make it like a tub). I go to

extremes

Quoted message said:

and use pipe insulation (hardware store and cheap) for the frame tubes.

Use

Quoted message said:

a lot of packing paper or foam blocks if you have 'em. Don't forget to brace the fork blades and
give extra protection to any pointy bits (fork end, axles, etc.).

Yes... I'm the same way. I have plenty of bubble wrap, and I usually shove the dropouts into a solid
block of styrofoam.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

"Phil, Squid-in-Training" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

To the OP: Get a sturdy bike box free from bike shops anywhere and add

an

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

extra layer of cardboard all around (make it like a tub). I go to

extremes

Quoted message said:

and use pipe insulation (hardware store and cheap) for the frame tubes.

Use

Quoted message said:

a lot of packing paper or foam blocks if you have 'em. Don't forget to brace the fork blades and
give extra protection to any pointy bits (fork end, axles, etc.).

Yes... I'm the same way. I have plenty of bubble wrap, and I usually

shove

Quoted message said:

the dropouts into a solid block of styrofoam.

When I said usually, I meant "when I did it one time before when I had a spare box."

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Hey groupie. I am on a budget. And I need to ship a bike. I have no big boxes. Should I ask bike
shops for bike boxes they're not using?

Go well inadvance of needing to ship your bike. Depending on their new bike deliveries, they may or
may not have any boxes around. Most bike shopes just toss the boxes, so they should be willing to
give them to you if they have them.
-----------------
Alex __O _-\<,_ (_)/ (_)

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Beware! Every bike I've every received from or had shipped by a bike shop munged the job. Though
your shop may devaite from normal, the routine is to do as little work as possible which means
little to no packing material.

They probably pack the bikes the same way they come from the manufacturer.

-----------------
Alex __O _-\<,_ (_)/ (_)

Quoted message said:

I didn't know this since I haven't had to ship a bike in a couple of years... That truely sucks.

For the time being, they're very inconsistent about enforcing this across the various regions, so
it's very much one of those your-mileage-may-vary things.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

"Fred Marx" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

Quoted message said:

they may even pack it and UPS it to your destination for a minimal charge...

The "nominal fee" depends upon whether UPS or FedEx have targeted bike

boxes

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for compliance with size regulations in your area. In the SF Bay Area,

UPS

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

has been specifically going after bike shops, claiming that they're

larger

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

than the max "OS2" (oversize 2) regulations allow... which means not

only a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

dimensional weight charge, but an extra fee beyond that... such that

bikes

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

that should have cost $40 to ship have run $110. Absolutely not kidding about this; it's been a
nightmare because we don't find out about it

until

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

our bill arrives.

The safest thing to do is drop it off straight at the shipping company

(UPS

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

or FedEx), since they're not going to back-bill and individual like they

do

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

a bike shop.

By the way, they claim the boxes are 1/2" larger than their OS2

regulation,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

due to bulging. The manufacturer gets away with it initially, but the

exact

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

same box, the second time, gets nailed. Revenue enhancement, if you ask

me.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

I didn't know this since I haven't had to ship a bike in a couple of years... That truely sucks.