Re: [CR]Shipping a bike.

(Example: Production Builders:Peugeot:PY-10)

From: "P. Lynn Miller" <lynnmiller@optusnet.com.au>
To: "Thomas R. Adams, Jr." <kctommy@msn.com>
References: <BAY4-F21CHhhBIYsOoc0000ebab@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]Shipping a bike.
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 08:29:29 +1100
cc: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>

Gentlemen,

Thank you so much for the advice. The bike in question is actually a bike that was highlighted here on the forum that is currently on eBay. -

Raleigh 24" Small Bike - http://ebay.com/<blah>

I have been trying to find a bike for my son, and the only thing I can find here in OZ is small MTB style bikes that are heavy and poorly built. Since he likes to ride quite long distances, he thinks nothing of jumping his BMX and riding 10km, I want to find a road bike style bike to make it much easier for him to cover long distances. He is just turning 7 in January and already loves to ride his legs off.

My question is - Is this bike on eBay sufficiently rare enough to spend a lot of money on the actual bike purchase and then spend close to a $100US to have it shipped to Australia or do these bikes come up quite frequently and so I should be frugal with the amount of money I spend on the actual bike itself and just be patient till my number comes up and get a bike at a good price?

I am sure I have opened my self up here for open fire with other potential bidders, but I am asking for an honest assessment of the situation.

Thank you again,

P. Lynn Miller Sydney, Australia ----- Original Message ----- From: Thomas R. Adams, Jr. To: DTSHIFTER@aol.com ; lynnmiller@optusnet.com.au ; classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: Friday, October 31, 2003 12:43 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