Goodmorning list,
Mike Lebron said that he thought that shipping a bike from the UK would be between $85 and $125. I would really like to know where those prices came from, as I have on several occasions gone through this costing process and have always come up with the same results - that Parcelforce (our US Postal equivalent but without the sponsored team!) is the cheapest and 9.5 times out of ten very good. Prices for sending a frame properly boxed is £55 (approx $83) A lightweight bike in a box weighs around 15kgs which costs £88 ($140). This is for the International Standard service which takes 5/6 days on average and allows up to £500 insurance cover for a couple of bucks. I've only had one frame seriously trashed and although it took a month or so of chasing, they paid my claim in full. This rate is for East coast, West coast, Canada or Alaska.There is a snail service International Standard) but it's only marginally cheaper and I gather it takes weeks and has no insurance cover attached.
If anyone has had better rates from one of the other carriers, or has organised collection from the UK by a US carrier, then please, please let me or the list know as I have a bike waiting to go to a CR member in Toronto, and I'm sure he'd be delighted to get it done more reasonably!
David Blight
Exeter, UK