stephend-

I love my bike, and don't want to part with it if I move. I am wondering if anyone here has shipped a bike to the US?

If you have, can you give some comments on what type of packing you used? It's been suggested I scrounge a bike box from the shop I bought it from - seems like a good idea!

Also, did it get there undamaged?

An idea of cost (surface or air) would be handy to know too!

Cheers,

Stephen.

dbj1000

I haven't done it, but I've seen it done. There are standard boxes. I believe the airlines will provide you with one for a fee. You take the handlebars off (or turn them through 90deg if it's not a racer), take the pedals off and sometimes the wheels too.

I'm sure Googling "bicycle shipping" would find all the info you need.

I loved my bike too... built it by hand... but didn't love it enough to ship it over. Left it locked to a drainpipe in my dad's garden. Apparently it's still there, corroding into a pile of Reynolds 531c rust!

Bob

Unless it's a top end bike or a custom made frame, sell it and buy new as shipping won't be worth it.

Otherwise, take it apart and ship the frame, in a bike box as cargo and get new wheels etc when you get here, be cheaper and less likely to get knackered.

Still not really worth doing though....

thinbrit

This company could give you a price to ship your bike, and also supply the box too.
http://www.shipping-overseas.com/packaging.html

dbj1000

Uh... seriously, would you trust a company with a website design like that???

Bob

I've seen worse

henryh

Some airlines will (or would) let you take a bike on board, even for free - classed as "sporting equipment". You have to take the wheels off.

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb...ts/cycling.jsp

hobbes79

I took mine on a British Airways flight. I knew someone at BA who increased my luggage allowance from 2 to 4. A bike counts as a bag (at least when I did it). So didn't cost anything to transport which was the only reason really.

Had to turn the handle bars round 90 degrees and take the pedals off. Then wrapped it up in a few bin bags and lots of tape! I could leave the wheels on.

Not sure about sending by post.

stephend-

Thanks for all the great tips - I had no idea an airline would allow you to take it on in addition to luggage.

So either that, or ship it with my furniture sounds like the two best options if I want to keep my trusty racer without spending a fortune.

stephend-

Wow. It was like being in 1995 again!!

dunroving

I have shipped several bikes. More important than how you do it (I think taking on as extra luggage is pretty reasonably-priced and very convenient) is making sure it's packed probably. If you take the wheels off, you should put spacers between the drop-outs and forks (so they don't get bent), cover everything in bubble wrap (foam pipe insulation is a cheap and effective way of protecting the frame tubes) - if you Google, you should find useful infomation on how to pack your bike. Your local bike shop may even pack it for you for a reasonable price.

If you think you may take it on the plane, call the airline to check how much, etc. (I think they vary a lot in terms of price). Also consider joining the League of American Cyclists - several airlines give discounts for shipping a bike if you are a member.

another bloody yank

I dunno... It proves they can pack a lot of stuff in box and that's what a client needs them to do, right?

thinbrit

Do you base your trust of a company on how impressive a web site it displays?

starky

I shipped all my stuff over and threw in my bike at the end. I did not even pack it in anything. Then it arrived here in Boston 6 weeks later, not a mark on it.
I still have not taken it out of the basement since I got it :-) adding the bike to my shipment did not increase the price, which is why I did it really. I got a flat rate for a certain amount of space between 75-100 cubic feet or something like that was about $1000 at the time.

Bob

well it's been a few years since geocities was around, and first impressions and all that