Rather than using plastic spacers in dropouts when shipping I have lately
taken a slightly different tack.
I go to the hardware store and get one 12" long 1/4" threaded rod, 8 nuts,
8 metal washers and 8 hose nozzle rubber washers for each bike to be packed.
I hack saw the 12" lengths of threaded rod so that one section is somewhat
longer than the other. the longer bit goes in the wider rear dropouts. It
is far cheaper to buy a 100 count box of the metal washers and of the nuts
if you are going to pack many bikes. Hose washers are far cheaper than
regular fiber washers. too. Buy several lengths of rod at a time...it's not
very expensive.
Start a nut onto each end, followed with a metal washer and one of the
rubber hose washers, run it in at least an inch until you see where you'll
end up. Then put on another rubber washer, then a metal washer and then a
nut. You're ending up with rubber washer against rubber washer. Do this on
each end of the rod. Now you can put them into the dropouts with the rubber
washers on each side in contact with the drop outs so as not to mar the
paint or chrome, finger tighten the nuts as you see fit and you have a super
strong, easily adjustable, shipping spacer that the recipient will no doubt
re-use at some point. It makes a good place to put foam pipe wrap on, too.
Use a bit of it somewhat longer than the spacer and it will act to protect
the fork ends or bottoms of the rear drop outs in the box. Two bits of the
pipe insulation are even better at this critical point.
I know this sounds a bit like overkill, but last year I shipped a well
padded bike and had a rear dropout bent upon arrival. I vowed "Never again"
and started using this idea. I think perhaps it was list member Ed Braley
who I got the idea from.
Tom Sanders
Lansing, Mi