Fred, smaller frames are possible, but with only 3cm on each side, thick card board and the reasonable goal to pack it well protected it can be hard to achieve. They handle the 60cm really strict. Even if the box has 60,2cm at one tiny spot you've lost. But the main task will be to explain all that to the (unaware) german seller. The common boxes you can get for free at bike shops don't fit. So the seller has to build his own. It must be a right-angled box. If it's a bit out of shape its again considered as "oversized". Then you can't use the max allowed 120x60x60 because additional limitations apply (l+2*h+2*w <300). Packing even a small frame properly with this limitations can still be a tough task. Complete bikes with two 700c wheels are impossible. Last but not least the people at the post offices often don't know the rules exactly themselves, so they might accept a box that will be rejected at half way later (like in my case) or they refuse to accept a box which is okay. There are lots of sources for misunderstandings.
Dirk
BTW: The mentioned MENLO service accepts only companies as customers over here. The cheapest way I found so far to send my nicely boxed 60,5cm Cinelli SC to California is 250EUR with FedEx.
Matthew, if you read this: Mario has built a smaller box and gives it a second try today.
-- Dirk Feeken Heidelberg Germany
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Fred Rafael Rednor Sent: Donnerstag, 8. April 2004 15:51 To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]interesting german bikes
> for those who are interested in On Topic
> german bicycles there's the rare opportunity
> to see some of the rather rare examples on
> eBay right now (just to look, not to bid for,
> see my last mail).
Dirk,
Do you know if a smaller bicycle or frame (let's say 50 to
53cm) could be shipped from Germany. I'm interested in finding
a track bicycle from East Germany. If a miracle occurs and I
find one, will be possible to ship it to the USA for a
reasonable cost?
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia