Shipping "The Precious"

[neocelt]

I will be flying from Virginia to California in August to participate in my first century ride (the "Cool Breeze" century) and I need some input on the best way to get my bike to the Left Coast and back in good order. I know how to pack it properly and have a bike shipping carton, but I'd love some input on how the airlines deal with bikes, and whether it might be better to ship it ahead via a freight or express carrier (UPS, FedX, DHL, or ???). What is the least expensive and safest way to get 'er done? Thanks in advance for your considered responses!

Live out loud!
Aden

[pll]

I have seen the following combination suggested in more than one place (bikeforums and http://www.bikemecca.com/techstuff/packing.html):

Colorado Cyclist bike box (http://www.coloradocyclist.com/product/item/CXYULZDY)
Fedex or UPS ground (in bikeforums.net, someone suggested Fedex ground is cheaper than UPS ground)

I am curious myself about this question.

PS: I checked the Fedex rates, using the measurements for the box linked above and assuming the total weight would be 30lbs, and for Fedex Home Delivery (4 business days) the estimated cost would be $74.84. I think the typical cost of taking an oversize bike case in the airline is $100 and sometimes more.

[KathiCville]

Hey, Aden!

How are your knees??? Jane says you took quite a tumble yesterday, yikes!

When I went to MS back in April for a week-long bike tour, I used UPS to ship my bike. I think it cost me about $50-60 each way, including ample insurance. I packed it up, took it to the UPS store here in Cville and off it went. I inquired about a week ahead of time about the when's and how's of bringing the bike in to the store to be sure it reached its destination with a bit of time to spare.

I think Jane might have been the one who counseled me to use a shipping service like UPS rather than entrust my chariot to the airlines.

Be careful, would ya???? Enough reports about the self-inflicted carnage you've endured recently from slipping on bridges, clipping wheels, and generally smackin' the ground, LOL! Remember: You can't do a century if you're in a body cast!! :D

Edit: Hmm, I think the cost might have been more like $70, 'cause I 'overinsured' the bike a bit just to play it safe.....

[mimitabby]

we shipped two bikes to Arizona from Seattle last year via the airline.
We had my bike very very carefully packed, with nothing else in the bike box but it and a few little things. NO PROBLEMS.
We also shipped Raleighdon's old Raleigh, and put a lot of stuff in that box with it. Guess what, a derailleur got bent.
It's very expensive to ship via airlines, so you do need to shop around and see what works better.
Since bike boxes are so big, they're hard for the airlines to lose of course, although i'm sure it happens.
prices for all kinds of shipping are going up, they have to, because they're all paying for petroleum too.

[OakLeaf]

I haven't shipped a bike, but having shipped camera equipment and all kinds of other stuff:

Personally I would fork over whatever the extra cost (and I know it is substantial) to ship express rather than ground. Generally express shipments get much gentler treatment.

Also, I would not trust UPS with anything important. Insurance is fine, but it only covers the value of the bike, and if you wind up not being able to ride because they wrecked your bike, you're out your vacation (consequential damages aren't covered). I can't tell you how many parcels I've received via UPS where at least the packaging was totally destroyed.

[neocelt]

I am so busted (and right here in cyberspace!). I am living proof that women are smarter than men! Yes, I made a rookie mistake and paid for it dearly (leaving a fair amount of my epidermal layer on the tarmac). You need to come out more--see what fun you're missing? Jane assured me she wasn't going to post a ride report (did she tell you about the bee that stung her face, or how Bates' seat post clamp screw busted?), but she didn't promise not to tell everyone individually! I will persevere and I will improve (if I live that long...). Thanks for your concern; always nice to know someone cares...

Onward and upward!
Aden

"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing at all."

--George Bernard Shaw

[KathiCville]

Sorry, Aden, for "outing" you, LOL! It's OK, we're a friendly bunch. 'Sides, it happens to everybody! I took two utterly graceless tumbles on my MTB on Sunday. Nothing that left any tell-tale marks, but my ego was bruised......;)........Schedule is annoyingly full at the moment, but I hope to get up to your neck of the woods in the next week or so for a cruise with you and Jane.......Hope your century training is going well!

P.S. Yes, I did hear about the bee sting and the seat post. Sounded like a three-ring circus! I told Jane she needs to start sporting a motorcycle helmet.......

[divingbiker]

I've shipped my bike on an airplane three times (1.5 round trips) and didn't have any problems. I chose not to use UPS, FedEx, etc because I didn't want to be without my bike for the 1-2 weeks it takes to ship at a reasonable price. The first time it cost $25 each way; last week it cost $80.

I load all my extras in the bike box, and put my seat bag between the rear stays (along with a block of wood) to keep it from getting bent. So far, so good on keeping the bike intact.

[Tokie]

Hi! Advice from friends - do not pack your shoes, helmet, pedals, in with your bike. The box could be damaged and smaller things could fall out, helmet damaged, etc. You could always rent,borrow or buy a new bike if yours is lost or damaged, but at least you'd have your own shoes, pedals,etc. Good bike packing tips available on triathelete web sites. We are using fed-ex this summer. You always worry until you open the box or bike case and see that your baby is ok! Tokie

[mimitabby]

Tokie, depends on the box. The bike boxes we have are unbreakable. Let's put it this way; if they break one of those bike boxes, the bike will be destroyed too.
we have one of these:

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/orsracksdirect_2006_16784093.jpg

[Veronica]

Here's how we do it.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=7745&highlight=nova+scotia

It's a lot easier to pack with one bike, or the mountain bikes. If you fly first class, your bike often flies free. :cool:

Jet Blue has been pretty reasonable. I think it was about $50 each way.

V.

[IFjane]

I am so busted (and right here in cyberspace!). I am living proof that women are smarter than men! Yes, I made a rookie mistake and paid for it dearly (leaving a fair amount of my epidermal layer on the tarmac). You need to come out more--see what fun you're missing? Jane assured me she wasn't going to post a ride report (did she tell you about the bee that stung her face, or how Bates' seat post clamp screw busted?), but she didn't promise not to tell everyone individually! I will persevere and I will improve (if I live that long...). Thanks for your concern; always nice to know someone cares...

Onward and upward!
Aden



Ok Aden - first of all, how was I to know you were going to show up at TE??? hmmmmm????? And second, if you look up the June 15 rides thread, you will see I didn't mention any names! Kathi is such a sleuth that she figured out who the usual suspects were. :D

I have years of experience shipping bikes - let's talk. ;)

[mimitabby]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/fashion/12physical.html?ref=fitnessandnutrition

The Fourth Leg of the Triathlon: Bike Transport
By YISHANE LEE

THESE days, triathlons take place all over the country, and getting your bicycle to them can be an endurance event in itself.

Although the majority of athletes drive to races, USA Triathlon said the growing national interest in its big events means more racers are flying. Sales of bike travel cases have grown correspondingly.

Bill Langford, the president of Tri All 3 Sports, a manufacturer in San Clemente, Calif., said sales grew 20 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year. Hard cases like Tri All 3’s are meant to withstand airline baggage handlers as well as shipment by ground, but the tradeoff is weight. Soft cases can help skirt airline weight limits but generally can’t be shipped. Both types have interiors that either cushion or lock in the bike frame once the wheels are removed.

Tony Claudino, 37, a triathlete from Brooklyn who will compete in the Ford Ironman World Championship in Hawaii on Oct. 11, tested five bike cases. He frequently travels with his bike, and owns the Trico Sports Iron Case, which is hard plastic and weighs 31 pounds. Besides protecting the bike, he said, a case for use on a plane needs to be easy to pack, move and access, particularly after inspection by the Transportation Security Administration.


there's more... go to the link

[neocelt]

Great ideas and loads of thoughtful input. Thanks to all for sharing your wisdom and experience with a noob. I don't plan to be flying with my bike on a regular basis, so the hardshell cases are not a viable option (unless perhaps I could rent one...). As there seems to be pros and cons to both shipping and carrying as baggage, I'll need to pursue "due diligence" and weigh my options accordingly. Thanks again for the beneficial input (and the links!); I do appreciate it. I'll check back in when I've gathered a bit more hard data (prices, etc.)...

Ride hard!
Aden

PS: Jane--we'll talk...

[motochick]

Greyhound bus. It was way cheap to ship our tandem frame that way. Just need a bus hub to pick it up at. May be worth checking into.

Brenda

[divingbiker]

Aden, I'm in the DC area and would be happy to lend you my hard case for your ride in August. I'll be back home with it next week, so if you're in the area any time before your trip, I could meet you with it. (It's big like Mimi's, so you need a big car!)

Just PM me, and I'll get back to you after Sunday when my ride ends.

[wavedancer]

We just returned (a few hours ago) from a mountain biking trip to California. We flew with the bikes from Boston to Oakland, non-stop to minimize luggage transfers. We used hard-sided cases similar to the Trico and a Team bike case. Everything came through fine, although we took a lot of time packing, padding, and strapping everything together so nothing could escape if the cases were opened by TSA.

We watched the TSA agent hand search the cases in Boston, and nervously tried to give him instructions about how to latch the cases back up (the latches were a little tricky on the Team case). He did remove a couple of gear items that we hadn't tied down, but managed to get them back in OK. On the return from Oakland, there was no sign that they had been opened by TSA.

We flew Jet Blue, who still charge $50 each way. That was the cheapest we found on the airlines currently. The Jet Blue agents in Oakland seemed to be very familiar with handling bikes. In fact, they kindly added my special bottle of extra virgin lime olive oil that I had unthinkingly padded carefully and placed in my carry-on bag. Even the TSA agent in Oakland was kind and understanding as he pulled it out of my bag and escorted me back out of security so I could take it back to the Jet Blue counter and get it into my checked bag. As luck would have it, the baggage claim checks on my receipt were the bike cases. But they put it in the case and it arrived safely!

When I priced out shipping coast-to-coast through FedEx, it was going to be well over $100 each way for each bike. If you are not flying so far, that would probably be less.

If you use a cardboard bike case, make sure you pad it well. Someone put another bike on our flight home today in a cardboard box that looked like it came through OK, but the rear axle was poking out the side :(

The mountain bikes required quite a lot of disassembly to fit into the cases. Road bikes would probably have been an easier fit. For future travel, we are thinking of looking into the Velo Safe II. Both bikes could go into one box, reducing the airline charge, and should require less disassembly.

It was great to have our own bikes out there, but the logistics can be a little challenging!