[CR]Was...$140 to ship a Paramount from Indiana to California Now....Shipping offer

(Example: Humor)

Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:08:33 -0800
From: "J Sexton" <jvs@sonic.net>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
References: <MONKEYFOODAj8GgNlqw000025a8@monkeyfood.nt.phred.org>
In-Reply-To:
Subject: [CR]Was...$140 to ship a Paramount from Indiana to California Now....Shipping offer

I agree with Fred. I will take it a step further and offer to act as middle man for any C.R. member who needs a bike shipped from Northern California. I work in two local bike shops, so have access to bike boxes, axle braces, etc. You pay for any extras like tape or pipe wrap, and I'll do the deed.

Jay Sexton Sebastopol, CA

Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 13:05:54 -0800 (PST) From: Fred Rednor <fred_rednor@yahoo.com> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR]$140 to ship a Paramount from Indiana to California? Message-ID: <771053.82471.qm@web34201.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii MIME-Version: 1.0 Precedence: list Reply-To: fred_rednor@yahoo.com Message: 2

> $175 does sound a bit steep, as most shops I've ever > used are at most about $50 to pack a full bike for > shipment. I've purchased a few bikes from Craigslist > from outside Wisconsin on Craigslist where the > seller only wanted the bike available for local pick > up, but what I do is just ask them that > once I've paid for the bike they drop it off at there > local shop and I arrange packing and shipping with the > shops manager, and I specify Fedex as the shipper because > their rates are much less than UPS, and provide much > better service. As said over the last few years all shops > have asked between $25 to $50 to pack the bike, and once > this is done I arrange for Fedex to pick up the bike, as > I've a Fedex account.

Fellow list members,

In my experience, when a bike shop charges $50 to $75 for packing and shipping a bike, the results will not be up to the standards of the typical CR list member. You might be lucky, and have your bicycle arrive intact, but don't be surprised if in fact it arrives damaged.

Although, $175 seems excessive, if the bike is packed in accord with brother Wayne Bingham's directions, the cost for labor and materials could indeed reach $175: http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=classicrendezvous.10105.0227.eml

I have had 2 bikes shipped from bike shops for about $65 each time. In both cases I mentioned that I would be happy to pay more for a really superlative job of packing. In both cases I was told something like "Don't worry, we're professionals - we do this all the time." Note that these were both track bikes, without derailleurs of brakes to get in the way.

In one case, the frame arrived dented, where it had been struck by the end of the front wheel's axle. In the most recent case, I was lucky that the bicycle arrived with only damage to the paint, since the right side rear fork end was protruding from the box.

On the other hand, I had a track bike sent from England - packed by a CR list member - and it arrived totally unscathed. It was packed as you would want it to be done: with lots of foam pipe insulation and bubble wrap, etc. I imagine it added about $30 to the shipping cost, but it was worth it.
      Best regards- but beware!
      Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)