Re: [CR]Shipping a bike.

<BruceCumberland@comcast.net> Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 10:34 AM Subject: Re: [CR]Shipping a bike.

> 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
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Thomas R. Adams, Jr." <kctommy@msn.com>
> To: <DTSHIFTER@aol.com>; <lynnmiller@optusnet.com.au>;
> <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