Shipping a Bike

I wanted to post a few words of warning to people who are shipping their
bikes. I do this all the time, because the cost of bringing it on a
plane is higher and the TSA tears everything apart. Up until now, I
have not had a problem with FedEX, although I have had numerous problems
with UPS in the past. Usually I use my Trico Iron Case which is
virtually indestructable and holds things securely. I had to ship
another bike to a different location, so I have to use a cardboard bike
box for the one going to San Diego.

1. Never pack loose items in the bike box. Zip tie everything to the
bike if you must put them in there. Another cyclometer bites the dust!

2. Secure all the bolts. Make them as tight as you would if anything
was attached to them. This goes for stems, rings, skewers, etc. The
monkeys are no longer gently moving items marked fragile and do not
crush. There are tossing them and things get jarred. Upon my arrival, I
was missing 1 thomsom stem bolt and two springs and the end bolt from my
front skewer.

3. Wrap the box in plastic shrink wrap. They poke holes and when it
rains, things get wet.

4. Use a wooden shim between your derailleur and the cassette. Shrink
wrap it to keep it in place. Do not crush must mean pile as mucoh sh!t
on the box as you can. Outcome was a bent hanger. You should have seen
the chain suck incident I had on La Jolla Village Drive. Very
embarassing, especially in front of all the cute UCSD chicks. Luckily,
some roadies here are nicer than on the east coast and actually stop to
help you, mountain bike and all.

5. Don't assume they know how to measure and weigh items. My 27 pound
bike with box dimensions of 50" x 28" x 6" was billed at 45 pounds with
dimensions of 56" x 36" x 8. The result was a charge of $90 instead of
$37, which I am still disputing.

And don't think baggage handlers are better. For the second time in a
row to San Diego, the monkeys in Philly decided to leave half the bags
off the plane because they were tired. If you want to ride when you get
to your destination, pack your riding gear in a carry on.




--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

Ride-A-Lot" "mitchel[nospam] wrote:
I wanted to post a few words of warning to people who are shipping
their bikes. I do this all the time, because the cost of bringing it
on a plane is higher and the TSA tears everything apart. Up until
now, I have not had a problem with FedEX, although I have had
numerous problems with UPS in the past. Usually I use my Trico Iron
Case which is virtually indestructable and holds things securely. I
had to ship another bike to a different location, so I have to use a
cardboard bike box for the one going to San Diego.


time for a second iron case, eh?

ps

small change wrote:
Ride-A-Lot" "mitchel[nospam] wrote:

I wanted to post a few words of warning to people who are shipping
their bikes. I do this all the time, because the cost of bringing it
on a plane is higher and the TSA tears everything apart. Up until
now, I have not had a problem with FedEX, although I have had
numerous problems with UPS in the past. Usually I use my Trico Iron
Case which is virtually indestructable and holds things securely. I
had to ship another bike to a different location, so I have to use a
cardboard bike box for the one going to San Diego.



time for a second iron case, eh?

ps



As an insurance policy, it is probably worth it. But this was the first
time I ever had two bikes in two different parts of the country.


--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Ride-A-Lot:

Up until now, I
have not had a problem with FedEX,


$37 vs $90 aside, could you give some sample rates/destinations?

I'd been going on the assumption that a bike in a case was inherantly oversize
per the 62" rule.

The Trico Iron Case is UPS and FedEX approved for regular ground rates.
With the Trico you take both wheels off, so it's just the length of
the frame. Now, keep in mind I am not a giant like you. I ride a 15"
frame which I am sure is way more compact than your XL and fits in the
Iron Case perfectly. Same with a regular bike box. I have never paid
more than $45 to ship via UPS and FedEX.

The combined length, height, and width has to be less than 141".

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

"Ride-A-Lot" wrote in message
...
|I wanted to post a few words of warning to people who are shipping their
| bikes. I do this all the time, because the cost of bringing it on a
| plane is higher and the TSA tears everything apart. Up until now, I
| have not had a problem with FedEX, although I have had numerous problems
| with UPS in the past. Usually I use my Trico Iron Case which is
| virtually indestructable and holds things securely. I had to ship
| another bike to a different location, so I have to use a cardboard bike
| box for the one going to San Diego.

snip

All of these things have become the reason we will not ship bikes for our
customers. We will pack a bike in the same way one arrives from the
manufacturer but the customer is responsible for the shipping, taking us out
of the loop.

Nelson Binch wrote:
"Ride-A-Lot" wrote in message
...
|I wanted to post a few words of warning to people who are shipping their
| bikes. I do this all the time, because the cost of bringing it on a
| plane is higher and the TSA tears everything apart. Up until now, I
| have not had a problem with FedEX, although I have had numerous problems
| with UPS in the past. Usually I use my Trico Iron Case which is
| virtually indestructable and holds things securely. I had to ship
| another bike to a different location, so I have to use a cardboard bike
| box for the one going to San Diego.

snip

All of these things have become the reason we will not ship bikes for our
customers. We will pack a bike in the same way one arrives from the
manufacturer but the customer is responsible for the shipping, taking us out
of the loop.



I went to a local shop here in La Jolla to get replacement parts. First
I want to plug U.C. Cyclery in La Jolla. What a great little shop with
tons of great parts including genuine Thomson bolts. They were very
friendly and knowledgable. Anyway, I told them what happened and they
said it was getting worse. They now refuse at least one bike package a
week. I would have filed a claim, but you have to do it within 24 hours
and it was already at the hotel a few days before I got here.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

Per Ride-A-Lot:
Up until now, I
have not had a problem with FedEX,

$37 vs $90 aside, could you give some sample rates/destinations?

I'd been going on the assumption that a bike in a case was inherantly oversize
per the 62" rule.
--
PeteCresswell

"Ride-A-Lot" skrev i meddelandet
...
I wanted to post a few words of warning to people who are shipping their
bikes. I do this all the time, because the cost of bringing it on a plane
is higher and the TSA tears everything apart.

Is this some new routine? We have flown plenty with bikes, always check them
in as our personal luggage, apart from the airlines tags we post our own
signs on the boxes, "this is a bicycle, it is personal luggage, going with
such and such flight," etc.

So far, touch wood, we never har any problem, and there have been a lot of
flights, we have taken the bikes like this to, and from, Geneva, New Delhi,
Bangkok, Singapore, Mallorca (several times), Tenneriffe, Denver, San
Fransisco. Have also flown one way with boxed bikes from San Fransisco and
San Diego.

We use the boxes the bikes are delivered in to the shops, take of the front
wheel and add a little foam pad around sensitive spots.

Boxing http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/California/Riding/packing.jpg
http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/singletrack...rance20030.jpg

Checking in with BOBs in San Fransisco
http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/California/...boxedbikes.jpg virtually all our
stuff are in the boxes, tent, stove, clothes, etc, etc.

Per

We learn and we don't make the same mistakes again.
This makes us better at what we do. We are not the fools that never
learn and make mistakes over and over again. But maybe you should leave
a bike in SD since you keep ending up their on business.

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Ride-A-Lot:

Now, keep in mind I am not a giant like you. I ride a 15"
frame which I am sure is way more compact than your XL and fits in the
Iron Case perfectly.


The Trico spiel says 10 x 46.5 x 30 inside dimensions.

Looks like my beast fits within that.

The closest dimension is the wheelbase - which measures 45" with the forks
reversed.

I guess wheels on the case are moot, given use for FedEx as opposed to airline
check-in.

I have a close fit with the Titus but not the Ellsworth. Strange,
because I thought the Id was a longer bike. I always have to zip tie my
derailleur up to the chainstay.

The wheels are good for rolling it around the hotel lobby and to your room.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws