leejo

Dear All,

We are starting to sort out what going to Oz, with us!

We both enjoy cycling. I have a new mountain bike which I want to take with us on the plane.

Has anyone done this?

If so, what was the cost?

Are mountain bike more expensive in Oz, than UK?

Cheers

Lee

WBB

i know you can take a bike on the plane as part of your allowance, we are taking bikes but will be putting them in our container, not sure if the airlines charge any extra for a bike though.

menna

Dont know about the cost of taking bike on plane,but I am taking my marin mount vision in the container, Did some research about prices in oz and you are looking at £200 extra on buying a mount vision in oz which I thought was a hell of a difference.

owieb

We shipped our bikes by air freight, a mount vision and a Sub 5. It cost us about £300, but we filled the boxes with loads of other stuff as well. So things that we wanted quickly, such as kitchen bits, computer equipment, books, clothes etc all went with the bikes. Probably cheaper than paying at the airport and you can get more out.

If you've got a good bike, then I'd bring it out as there doesn't seem to be much choice in Perth (not sure about other cities).

Infact, not many people here had seen the Sub 5 and it gets a lot of attention when we take it out!

Rob&Marisa

I`ve taken a bike with me on the plane before (around europe).

It was just part of my allowance.

All I did was take off the pedals and wheels, cover the frame in that foam pipe insulation and tie the wheels to the frame.

You can get special boxes or bags for your bike.

As always check with your airline.

Foggies

my Orange is coming out in the container along with the childrens Specialised machines. If I had the choice again, I would probably bring it on the 'plane as I'm missing it like mad, plus I can't shift those extra kilo's that seem to magically appear after Christmas!
One thing to consider when buying in the UK and bringing a new bike out here is that if it is less than a year old you may well be nobbled for tax, in the form of import duty or GST(?) not too sure what it would be, but it's something to consider.
I'm due a new bike (40th Birthday pressie) so went through this a few months ago. My biggest concern though was the after sales service you get when buying a bike. The equipment may be slightly different, etc-there are a lot of variables.
I think it is worth getting a bike once you get here, you would then get a few services thrown in, if you're lucky, you get to know people in the shops, (hopefully fellow mountain bikers), you should not have so many worries if anything goes wrong, your warranty will be easier to use, etc.
You can get a good range of bikes here, I've seen Specialised (fancy an epic myself), Cannondale ( Hmmmmm, Jeckyll 800 is quite nice too), Trek, Giant (Oh, not forgetting the VT 2) and a few others although I've not seen any Orange or Marins yet.
For a price comparison, we bought Claire a Giant XtC 2: 2004 model we had the stem changed for a shorter one, the seat changed for a more forgiving one (for the fairer sex), and an additional set of peddles until Claire feels confident enough to try out the SPD's. it was on the shop floor for $1795 but we haggled a bit, as is our won't, and got it for $1550 (About 659 UK Pounds) which for the level of spec, we're quite happy with. If anyone can get a price from the UK it would be interesting to make a comparison. We also got a service thrown in after 3 months.
This was from Strathpine Cycles, just North of Brisbane.
Just a note, our bikes had to be completely clean prior to being packed and were THEN sprayed by the packers before being stuffed in the container.
If anyone North of Brisbane fancies getting together for a ride some time , I'd be up for it! (Once my trusty steed arrives that is!
Cheers
Marc & Claire.

deedee

as a really keen mountain biker to another...did you know Aus is the most expensive place in the world to buy bicycles!Its true

ABCDiamond

Try K-Mart $99
I admit, the basic cheap type, probably made in China

owieb

Luckily I've not had to buy one here. When looking at them they didn't seem that expensive, but then it's been a while since I bought a new bike!

mr mover

Do,nt want to scare you Lee but ,bike riders in oz, [both push &motor] are known as "temporary Australians", good luck...... MM

Megalania

$10 at Revolve, the re-cycle station.

WBB

$10...you could'nt buy a brake cable for that sort of money.

Megalania

Ask nicely and they'll throw in free red back spiders.

bexta

Hmmmmm. I have been riding a bike (although I am a roadie, not a MTB'er) off and on since 1990 around Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and for the first 5 years it was my only transport. The point is I have not yet been hit by a car or had a big stack at all. This would be because I do:
-listen for cars
-check behind me all the time (goddamn those trucks are WIDE)
-assume every car driver is a dickhead and WILL pull out in front of me or WILL open their car door right as I go past....

So get out there and try it- as long as you follow the road rules, you will survive- and the more people we have doing it the more power we have!

leejo

Rob&Marisa

I am interested in purchasing a bag or box for my bike. Can you recommend a web site?

I think if I am going to take my bike. Then it will be on the initial flight and not shipping later. As I feel, it will come in most useful on arriving.

Joanne - 3 suitcases of clothes!
Me - couple pairs of shorts and T-shirts, plus bike.

Cheers

Lee