[Echo]

So, faced with the prospect of getting my bike to the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo, I've been researching ways to get it out there. The airlines charge $80 each way, which I always considered outright larceny. But right now, UPS and Fedex are both quoting $140 each way for ground shipping. I must be missing something here...

And please don't give me the crap about bikes flying free with an IMBA membership. Because first of all I am a member, and second of all you have to use a certain travel agency that charges exorbitant prices, and third of all even if you are a member and use the expensive travel agency, your bike can still only fly free on Frontier Airlines and America West.

 

[stosh]

I'm an asshat and I have nothing useful to add.

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>And please don't give me the crap about bikes flying free with an IMBA membership. Because first of all I am a member, and second of all you have to use a certain travel agency that charges exorbitant prices, and third of all even if you are a member and use the expensive travel agency, your bike can still only fly free on Frontier Airlines and America West.

Buy one of those nifty big plastic cases and just check it as luggage. Maybe throw in some clothes with it for effect........

-S.S.-

 

[wooglin]

No way fedex ground is quoting that kind of scratch. Double check. Use the on line estimator doohicky at fedex.com.

 

[Westy]

I just flew out west with my bike in a borrowed bike case. The guy at the counter wanted to charge me $80 for the bike then I dropped the United Airlines baggage rules on his ass. United will only charge if I had more than 2 checked bags, a third one would be $25 or $80 if a bag was longer than 62 inches. They wanted to charge me as soon as they saw it was a bike but after looking at the rules they let me fly it for free. My guess is that other airlines have similar rules, check out the actual rules and call the airline for comfirmation.

Oh yeah, most airlines will also charge you if a bag is over 50lbs.
If you need to bring more stuff than will fit into two checked bags ship out the lighter cheaper stuff like some clothes.

Echo- you will also want to make sure you have room to fly home with the Ridemonkey Cup!!

 

[Echo]

No way fedex ground is quoting that kind of scratch. Double check. Use the on line estimator doohicky at fedex.com.

I did, and I double checked on the phone.

 

[Echo]

My guess is that other airlines have similar rules, check out the actual rules and call the airline for comfirmation.

You must be better at BSing than me - I've tried that and never gotten anywhere. Actually US Airways' rules online specifically state bicycles are extra unless it's an international flight. Guess I should have flown out of Toronto.

Echo- you will also want to make sure you have room to fly home with the Ridemonkey Cup!!

They'll probably charge me $80 for that too, but it will be worth it

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

hey echo, i know a very guetto but effective way to ship a bike anywhere in the US fast and cheap.

GREYHOUND packages!. www.greyhound.com there is a link somewhere to send packages, o greyhound ship.

i used all the time to send my bike from alabama to miami whenever i traveled back to peru.
i remember i never paid more than 30 bucks each way PLUS it arrived in less than 24 hours. cant beat that.

you just drop your bike box at the closest greyhound and have it shipped to the closest greyhouns station on whereever you wanna go, and whenever you arrive, you pick it up.

 

[ghostrider]

I did, and I double checked on the phone.

Check one more time. What size box are you getting the quote for? Make sure it is under whatever the limits are for oversize. It should be closer to $50 to $75, unless something major has changed in the industry. Just ship it early enough so that you will have it for the race...

Don't worry about the Ridemonkey cup, I just created a spreadsheet, and it has the West Coast winning by 1.3465645385 laps.

 

[stosh]

hey echo, i know a very guetto but effective way to ship a bike anywhere in the US fast and cheap.

GREYHOUND packages!. www.greyhound.com there is a link somewhere to send packages, o greyhound ship.

i used all the time to send my bike from alabama to miami whenever i traveled back to peru.
i remember i never paid more than 30 bucks each way PLUS it arrived in less than 24 hours. cant beat that.

you just drop your bike box at the closest greyhound and have it shipped to the closest greyhouns station on whereever you wanna go, and whenever you arrive, you pick it up.

I had a 80lb bumper and a 20lb skid plate for my Xterra sent from Texas to NY for for like $80. It came in like 2 days.

It was a little scratched up but well worth the $.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Here's an idea - have your local LBS ship it from their store to another LBS in the town you're going to...........

I'll bet they get decent rates on bike shipment.

-S.S.-

 

[Echo]

Check one more time. What size box are you getting the quote for? Make sure it is under whatever the limits are for oversize. It should be closer to $50 to $75, unless something major has changed in the industry. Just ship it early enough so that you will have it for the race...

Don't worry about the Ridemonkey cup, I just created a spreadsheet, and it has the West Coast winning by 1.3465645385 laps.

Well according to Trico's website, the bike box is 47 x 30.5 x 10.5 which is oversize for both UPS and Fedex. I asked them on the phone if there was any way to get it shipped for less, and they said if those are the dimensions, those are the dimensions. Doesn't matter if it's a bike box or a block of wood.

 

[Echo]

Here's an idea - have your local LBS ship it from their store to another LBS in the town you're going to...........

I'll bet they get decent rates on bike shipment.

-S.S.-

That is a good idea. I'm in good with the shop here, no problem. I wonder if there are any shops out there that will accept the box without ripping me off or messing up my bike.

 

[SkaredShtles]

That is a good idea. I'm in good with the shop here, no problem. I wonder if there are any shops out there that will accept the box without ripping me off or messing up my bike.

When I bought my used NRS I had the guy at the other end ship directly to me from a LBS. The LBS also acted as an intermediary for the financial transaction. They held the check until I received and accepted the bike.

I think they shipped it for something like $25.

-S.S.-

 

[dh girlie]

If you ship it...insure it...don't be one of these cheap bastards that tries to save 10 bucks by not insuring it then crying when the thing comes back destroyed and then bitch about ups not paying for something you don't insure...whew!

 

[douglas]

Yo Dude!!

Bike Voucher Program
Each current annual licensed USA Cycling member is eligible to receive two (2) FREE one-way bike vouchers ($160 value) per calendar year as a member benefit. VOUCHERS ARE AVAILABLE WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. Starting in 2003, vouchers come with a peel-off sticker confirming the validity of each voucher. These vouchers cannot be duplicated. To get your FREE vouchers, click here.

http://209.177.135.180/news/user/story.php?id=563


mine:

 

[Echo]

Cool Doug, I requested some.

 

[CHOP]

PM Stiff. He has often talked about how he has traveled all over the world with his bike (Bighit) and clothes in only 2 suitcases.

 

[Echo]

PM Stiff. He has often talked about how he has traveled all over the world with his bike (Bighit) and clothes in only 2 suitcases.

I thought about that, I don't think I want to deal with that much assembly/disassembly though...

 

[Westy]

Just buy a new bike from Supergo when you get out west, return it after the race. Take that big mail order shop!!

 

[binary visions]

I shipped my Giant AC frame & some components through USPS - priority mail, got there in 3 days, for less than $30. That means that even if your wheels need to go in a different box, it'd be less than $60.

Come to think of it, try shipping it in two boxes - it might be significantly cheaper since you may be able to get both boxes under the "oversize" requirement.

 

[draco]

a complete bike, partially disassembled, will fit entirely inside of a cannondale box, readily available at park ave bike. we are also a ups shipper directly, so it can go right from the shop. Here to old pueblo shouldnt be more than $50, insured and all.

you can get good rates from USPS, but the size restrictions will get you.

if you ship it from a shop here, to a shop there, stick it together yourself, and repeat, it really should only be about a hundred bucks.

now i do agree that in smaller boxes, it can be done cheap. I shipped TJ's frame from here to cali overnight for $57.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

I'm shipping my bike to Tucson using bikeflights.com; Wound up costing something like $275 round trip with $6K insurance. I stuffed riding gear and tools, clothing, and sleeping bag in with bike, inventoried and priced it up. The gear would cost me roughly $1.2K to replace on top of the bike. I will now be thoroughly nervous until I have returned from the trip and the bike and gear are back home.

 

[Jozz]

Flying with the bike was too expensive?

 

[Nick]

Last time I flew with a bike it was $160 r/t and I packed enough gear/clothes into the case to travel with just a carry on. One time before that the airline lost my bike case (in PHX, coincidentally) and I missed the first day of riding before they found it a few states away and delivered it to the front door.

 

[Jm_]

Alaska Airlines never charges me flying out of Anchorage, as long as it's 50lbs or less for the bike+case. I have traveled a few places with it and did get charged from Phoenix back to Alaska, for the "oversize" thing, $75. Can't complain too much though because of the times I've not gotten charged.

 

[maxyedor]

Just buy a new bike from Supergo when you get out west, return it after the race. Take that big mail order shop!!

You know it's an old thread when Supergo gets mentioned...

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Flying with the bike was too expensive?

That was the premise. The box weighed in at 65 pounds. It's insured and they provide bike rental money if it's late. I also trust bikeflights and FedEx way more than I do the airlines.

 

[mandown]

Being too crippled to ride has some financial advantages.

 

[Serial Midget]

The JBP I thought I knew would have riden the bike along with a Bob Yak trailer and would have left sometime in late January...

 

[johnbryanpeters]

The JBP I thought I knew would have riden the bike along with a Bob Yak trailer and would have left sometime in late January...

Well, yeah, that's still in there someplace pretty strong... A buddy's actually doing it. Left in October or something, went down to Key West, then across the south and the last I heard he's in California someplace. This summer he comes back on the northern leg, as I understand it.

And... if I was following that core instinct , I'd be headed to Tierra del Fuego, with the hope to try to make it through the Darién Gap alive enroute.

 

[Wumpus]

Plus you don't have the TSA opening up your box and screwing your bike up.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

TSA has always been respectful of my bikes. Not sure what they make of dirty clothing on my return legs, but not my monkeys, not my circus.

 

[Sandwich]

zombie thread but I had great luck with shipbikes.com. Basically a wholesaler abusing their discount rate, but it cost me like $60 to ship a bike to ohio.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

zombie thread but I had great luck with shipbikes.com. Basically a wholesaler abusing their discount rate, but it cost me like $60 to ship a bike to ohio.

With or without insurance?

 

[Wumpus]

With or without insurance?

Have you asked your home insurance agent if it might be covered thru them?

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Have you asked your home insurance agent if it might be covered thru them?

No. I do this some seldom that I'm never quite prepared for it. I guess I need to do it before our planned Montana trip.

 

[Sandwich]

YeS< I paid for it, but didn't expect much out of it. I saw another poster on here who had shipped a frame which was damaged in transition, but they didn't cover any part of it even though he had paid insurance. It arrived in OK shape, if I had packed it better it may have arrived better, but I thought I had done a good job. It's just fedex, so if they suck, then shipbikes.com sucks.