trek bikes

dailuggs said:

Value for money? hopefully ill be importing mine from the states to save a lot of money going for
trek 1500 i think, save about £600 by buying from america, so at the american prices do you reckon
there good value for money, i reckon they look top notch, even at uk prices let alone us, but
maybe not?!?

ill be bringning it in myself by plane and ill be able to get the bike fitted properly etc, also
any ideas if ill have to pay import duty and VAT when bringing the bike in? ill also be bringing
an ipod but i can get that through without paying

Good luck. I would check the specifications. Looking at the UK sites they seem to be all Ultegra
whereas the US sites have them as a mix of Tiagra, 105 and Ultegra. It wouldn't be the first time
I've seen bikes with the same name but different finishing kits on each side of the Atlantic.

It could also be rather expensive if they stop you and a bike is hardly the smallest thing to sneak
through with. About 35% duty and VAT otherwise and that's before they start applying the penal
increases assuming they let you off rather than confiscating it. Don't forget also you will need to
add local sales tax - about 6-10% typically - to the US ticket price in most States

Tony

Tony Raven said:

Good luck. I would check the specifications. Looking at the UK sites they seem to be all Ultegra
whereas the US sites have them as a mix of Tiagra, 105 and Ultegra. It wouldn't be the first time
I've seen bikes with the same name but different finishing kits on each side of the Atlantic.

Just confirmed: If you compare trekbikes.com1500.jspOpen ↗ with
trekbike.co.uk1500.phpOpen ↗

you will find they are different bikes with the same name, The clue is one has a semi-integrated
headset. Overall the US model is a cheaper bike:

US Model:

FRAMESET: FRAME: Alpha SL aluminum FORK: Bontrager Race Carbon

WHEELS: WHEELS: Bontrager Select TIRES: Bontrager Select, 700x25c

DRIVETRAIN: SHIFTERS: Shimano 105 FRONT DERAILLEUR: Shimano Tiagra REAR DERAILLEUR: Shimano Ultegra
CRANKSET: Bontrager Race 52/42/30 w/ISIS CASSETTE: Shimano HG-50 12-25, 9 speed PEDALS: Alloy road,
sealed, w/clips and straps

COMPONENTS: SADDLE: Bontrager CRZ road SEATPOST: Bontrager Sport HANDLEBARS: Bontrager Ergo STEM:
Road ahead, flip/flop, 17 degree HEADSET: Aheadset, semi-cartridge, sealed BRAKESET: Alloy dual
pivot w/Shimano 105 STI levers

UK Model

FULL SPECIFICATIONS

FRAMESET: FRAME: Alpha SL aluminum FORK: Carbon with alloy steerer

WHEELS: WHEELS: Bontrager Select TIRES: Bontrager Select, 700x23c

DRIVETRAIN: SHIFTERS: Shimano Ultegra FRONT DERAILLEUR: Shimano Ultegra REAR DERAILLEUR: Shimano
Ultegra CRANKSET: Shimano Ultegra 53/39 or 52/42/30 CASSETTE: Shimano HG-50 12-25, 9 speed
PEDALS: N/A

COMPONENTS: SADDLE: Bontrager Road SEATPOST: Bontrager Select HANDLEBARS: Alloy Ergo STEM: Road
ahead, flip/flop, 10 degree HEADSET: Aheadset, semi-integrated, sealed BRAKESET: Shimano Ultegra

On Sat, 7 Feb 2004 22:44:47 -0000, "Tony Raven"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Just confirmed: If you compare trekbikes.com1500.jspOpen ↗ with
trekbike.co.uk1500.phpOpen ↗ you will find they are different
bikes with the same name,

Lance, if you're lurking, make sure you get your bikes from the UK catalogue for next
year's Tour, OK?

Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
chapmancentral.demon.co.ukchapmancentral.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

dailuggs <[email hidden]> wrote:

: ill be bringning it in myself by plane and ill be able to get the bike fitted properly etc, also
: any ideas if ill have to pay import duty and VAT when bringing the bike in?

This has been covered many times. Baically, you're unlikely to save much money. You have to pay
import duty @ some % (15? I can't remember) and then VAT at 17.5% on the new total.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune clune.orgclune.orgOpen ↗ "Technolibertarians make a philosophy out of a personality defect"
- Paulina Borsook

you know? said:

Lance, if you're lurking, make sure you get your bikes from the UK catalogue for next year's
Tour, OK?

Dont worry. He probably won't be riding the budget model.

--
Dave...

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live. - Mark Twain

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Dave Kahn
On Sat, 07 Feb 2004 22:51:25 +0000, "Just zis Guy, you know?"

Quoted message said:

Lance, if you're lurking, make sure you get your bikes from the UK catalogue for next year's
Tour, OK?

Dont worry. He probably won't be riding the budget model.

--
Dave...

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live. - Mark Twain

thanx for the help guys, though ive found a sort of loop hole, if its been owned for 6 months or more it isnt susseptable to import duty and vat, so hopefully ill get my relatives in the states to bring it back when they come over, no import duty and no vat 🙂

dailuggs said:

thanx for the help guys, though ive found a sort of loop hole, if its been owned for 6 months or
more it isnt susseptable to import duty and vat, so hopefully ill get my relatives in the states
to bring it back when they come over, no import duty and no vat 🙂

Erm no. You have to live outside the EU for those 6 months for that to apply. Of course it has been
known for relatives to bring their bike over for their vacation and forget to take it back with them
;-) But as I said its not the same bike so you might compare like for like in quality and you'll
probably find something in the sales in the UK competitive in price with the US Trek 1500 with the
benefits of it being here and the back up of a valid warranty

Tony

dailuggs said:

Value for money? hopefully ill be importing mine from the states to save a lot of money going for
trek 1500 i think, save about £600 by buying from america, so at the american prices do you reckon
there good value for money, i reckon they look top notch, even at uk prices let alone us, but
maybe not?!?

ill be bringning it in myself by plane and ill be able to get the bike fitted properly etc, also
any ideas if ill have to pay import duty and VAT when bringing the bike in? ill also be bringing
an ipod but i can get that through without paying

cheers all!

I dont know the truth in this bit I remember reading it in an MTB mag years ago. Take a bike with
you (an old [censored] one) but give it a quick clean to make it look like its used. Pay the extra to take
your bike with you. When you get to the states and out of sight of airport😉 throw the bike away.
Buy your new bike but GET IT DIRTY. I'm pretty certain a few rogue bike shops used this method a few
years ago. But I'm not recommending it