Dave Whitney wrote:
> I've shipped 10 or 12 bikes and frames in the past couple years with
> no problems until a few weeks ago when the Fed-Ex elephant sat on my
> Eddy Merckx frame. (still pouting here...).
>
> I always put in a rigid spacer between rear drop-outs and in the fork.
> Styrofoam sheets below the frame, and between the rear drop-out ends.
> If it's a pre-paint shipping like my Merckx, I don't wrap each tube.
> If it's a pretty bike, I put on foam pipe insulation over every inch
> of the bike - including the BB.
>
> Bubble wrap or those big air-bags to completely fill the box. I
> always use a bike-shop frame box, and mark it with Up arrows, do not
> crush notes, bicycle-enclosed notes, everything.
>
> Still, when something heavy drops onto the flat side, it can do
> damage. One seat stay was bent far enough to bend the other one.
> Like I said - elephant.
>
> Now I'm looking at buying a hard-case like a travelling case to move
> bikes back and forth. Not sure how else to protect from ham-fisted
> freight handlers.
>
Whilst I agree on a specific bike hard shell case being the best solution to shipping bikes safely I can add a little tip that Raoul Delmare (Raoul baby - where 'ya at ?) tipped to the list a little while ago if shipping just a bare frame; In addition to securing the ends and adding something to the top and bottom to soften a blow a 2 litre plastic soda bottle or even some of the wide mouthed large plastic water bottles suspended between the main triangle with the cap left on tight can soften quite a blow from a side on squashing. You see it's light, if needed can be pre-squashed to fit most any width and with cap in place the air pressure makes for a very strong bit of moulded plastic shock absorber especially when it will spread the load along the cardboard sides. Use more bottles cut up with an exacto knife to make an umbrella or cup with some bubble wrap to protect the bottom bracket and the seat lug too. I stood on a box with this barrio system - some of you I suspect may not be able to recreate or attempt this stunt. It may not be needed, might not save your bike from a forklift but for the most is worth trying and costs you zip. Just remember to use empty bottles and if needed some brand of contents can be used to clean some bike parts.
Ok, yes the PET plastic bottles should be recycled but if you find one in somebody else's garbage and re-use them for other frames, in a way your saving the world from more junky landfill waste and for no money you got yourself a great piece of "frame saver" that works well and is within the realms of keeping within a shipping company's weight restrictions. Add another between the stays too and remember to cover the paint of any tubes before you make a "spider web" of tape to hold the bottles in place. Sounds wacky, works very well. If you ship a bike with wheels and parts together it's always going to be an inelegant solution and much trickier to ensure a safe arrival every time - 2 boxes costs more but at least lets you sleep at night and often saves you from waiting for months on end if you need to make a claim for damages.
Careful with hard shell bike boxes if you rider a large frame, some of them is just too small.
Sorry to hear of your misfortune Dave.
ciao,
Ben Kamenjas
Sydney, Oz