Excellent advice in those previous posts !!
And here are some additional notes about international rates , through the official U.S. Postal Service :
1.) In the U.S.A. , as most folks know ( because of good old Lance Armstrong ) , the "Mails" or the "Post" , is the U.S.P.S. , The United States Postal Service .
2.) If it is anything over four ( 4 ) pounds in weight , it is termed "Parcel Post" .
3.) The lowest level of Parcel Post is , "Economy" , by ground-surface transport . The standard guess is that it should arrive in perhaps 3 to 6 WEEKS . That's right , like a month , or more . And in that amount of time , there is plenty of extra time for extra damage .
4.) The next level of Parcel Post is , "Airmail" . The standard guess is that it should arrive in 7 to 10 DAYS . The price is roughly double the price of "Economy" .
5.) Then we go up into the seriously expensive levels ! When the U.S.P.S. uses the term "Global" , they mean expensive . We have arrived at the "Global Priority" level . I just telephoned my local Post Office . The nice person tried to do a quick price check on an imaginary 15 pound box . We were both surprised to learn that the U.S.P.S. does not even offer Global Priority , on boxes with some weight in them , to Australia ! I didn't ask , and don't recall exactly , but the standard guess is that it should arrive in something like 4 or 5 days .
6.) The absolute "top-of-the-line" is "Global Express" . When you walk into a Post Office , with a large box , and ask to send it by Global Express , you can expect to pay some real money . You are now putting yourself up into the stratosphere of super-deluxe . Some people may experience nose-bleeding at those altitudes of pricing ! When I called this morning , and asked about an imaginary 15 pound box to Australia by Global Express , the nice person tried . But the computer wanted an actual label to scan , and an actual weight on the scale . So , we couldn't come up with a price . ( if I'd been there in person I could have looked it up in a very large book - but the person I was talking to on the telephone had other customers to help ! ) Global Express arrives with some serious speed . I've sent a letter from Kansas City ( middle of the U.S.A. ) to London , with delivery there in less than two ( less than 2 ) days ! I don't know if boxes travel at the same incredible speeds .
7.) I would strongly recommend "Parcel Post" "Airmail" .
8.) However , even though "Global Priority" seems to be not available , and we know that "Global Express" is very-very expensive . . . Still , Global Express may be cheaper than sending it by commercial companies such as U.P.S. or Fed.Ex. !
Raoul Delmare
Marysville Kansas
<classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 7:43 AM Subject: Re: [CR]Shipping a bike.
>
> I've been able to ship 63cm bikes through USPS in compliance with the 108
inch size limit, but it takes two boxes; one for the wheels and one for the
frame. And you have to scrupulously minimize the size of the box around the
frame to meet the size limit. I had to repack a frame once when I didn't
notice the box I scavenged from the bike shop was 8 inches wide instead of 7
inches. The two extra inches (girth measures top and bottom width) put me
at 109 inches, and the clerk at the desk had no sense of humor.
>
> Of course you have to remove the wheels, pedals, seat post, handlebars,
and drive side crank (or at least the chainrings, which is probably too much
work) to get a 63cm frame to fit. The seat cluster is then the tallest
point on the frame. You may or may not be able to leave a seat post in
there for protection. On one extremely long frame I had to cut another inch
off the height of the box to meet the 108 inch limit. A smaller frame is
obviously easier. With the fork spun 180 degrees, the length of the box is
about 40 inches, which gives you 27 inches for height, assuming a 7 inch
wide box. 40 + (2 x 27) + (2 x 7) = 108. Amazing on my frames how often
the height is exactly 27 inches.
>
> It is possible to leave the handlebars on if you unwrap one top section to
enable you to slide the bars towards the back of the bike after twisting
them 90 degrees to the right or left. I usually just unhook the brake
cables, pull the whole handlebar assembly and ship with the wheels. You may
also have to pull the front brake and spin the fork 180 degrees to shorten
the frame a few more inches.
>
> Two boxes through USPS has always been cheaper than one big UPS or Fed Ex
box, but I don't know about Australia and USPS Global Express rates. As
always, stuff that box full of non crushable packing material to prevent the
mail gorillas from mangling the bike. I usually put removed items in with
the wheels box to avoid having loose items roaming around with the frame,
scratching the paint.
>
> Tom Adams, Shrewsbury NJ
>
>
>
>
> >From: DTSHIFTER@aol.com
> >To: lynnmiller@optusnet.com.au, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> >Subject: Re: [CR]Shipping a bike.
> >Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 06:59:48 EST
>
>
>
>
> >In a message dated 10/30/03 2:24:50 AM, lynnmiller@optusnet.com.au
writes:
>
>
> >Could anyone here tell me the least expensive way to get a bike from
> >the US to Australia? I have been quoted some very hideous prices.
> >I am sure among the collectors here, there is plenty of bike shipping
> >experience.
>
>
>
>
>Morning Lynn,
>
>The least expensive shipping is usually with the US Postal Service,
however,
>they limit the size of a package shipped to Austrialia via airmail parcel
or
>economy (surface) to a maximum of length + girth = 79". If you go with USPS
>Global Express, the size gets increased to 108" which is barely enough to
fit a
>complete bicycle (with creative packing) as long as it's not a very large
>frame. Global Express should be much less than either UPS or FedEx however.
>UPS and FedEx are very expensive (I know) and I have been told by a few
folks
>that Airborne Express is much less than UPS & FedEx, but I have no direct
>experience with that carrier.
>
>Best,
>Chuck Brooks
>Malta, NY