Au contraire .... It's all about Girth !!!!
From Oz Post's website:
F1.2.2 \u2013 Maximum size The length of the greatest linear dimension of an International Parcel
must not exceed 105 cm. The girth of an International Parcel must not exceed 140 cm. Some examples of how to measure the length and girth follow.
Cylinders If the parcel is a long cylinder, its axis (length) must not exceed 105 cm and its circumference (girth) must not exceed 140 cm.
Boxes If the parcel is box-shaped, then its length (its longest dimension) must not exceed 105 cm. The girth is achieved by measuring around all the other dimensions and must not exceed 140 cm. Eg. a parcel measuring \u2013 50cm long, 30cm high & 40cm wide (0.3m)+(0.3m)+(0.4m)+(0.4m) = Girth 140cm (1.4m)
Irregular shapes If the parcel is irregular in shape, its length is the distance between the two furthest-apart points on the surface of the article and must not exceed 105 cm. The girth, measured around the 'fattest' part of the article at right angles to its length, must not exceed 140 cm.
So from that (along with personal experience) I conclude that girth is
measured for 2 sides + top + bottom (at the "fattest") part - cannot exceed 140cm in total. The length in any direction may not exceed 105cm. Having sent frames from the US to Oz and from Oz to the US I can strongly remark that it does depend on the post office you go to as to how strict the size interpretations are.
It's a fine line and not easy to do. Ray Dobbins has it down pat with
regards to box shape (diamond) but every now and again they do measure
the box length from head tube to the dropouts (along the mexiumum diagonal) and often this maximum length exceeds 105cm. If the box was
siting more upright and resting on the chain stays then the measured length along the base is fine. It all depends on who's measuring. Except for larger frames and cutting a box too big the girth is usually fine ... but it does have to fit like a glove. It's always touch and go.
ciao,
Ben Kamenjas Kensington, Australia
>
> When a sender has reported this problem to me by email when trying to
> send a full bike down under, I've three times now been successful with
> the following;
>
> Go back to the post office & state that the recipient has explained
> that Australia Post will deliver as the it is a common interpretation
> mistake.... What is meant is two sides, not the girth.
>
> If it doesn't work, go to another post office...
>
> I've never not received a bike
>
> Anthony Kinder
> Perth, Western Australia (the worlds most isolated capital city)
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On 20/02/2009, at 3:38 AM, Via Bicycle <viabicycle@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Yes, Ray and jon are correct. Whatever the case, it was shipped and
>> received in excellent condition.
>> I guess I was lucky!
>> now I know for next time.
>> joel ralph flood
>> http://bikeville.blogspot.com/
>> philadelphia, PA
>>
>> On Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 1:30 PM, Jon Fischer <cuda2k@hotmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Appears his local USPS office may have misread Austria for
>>> Australia. I re
>>> cently shipped a frame to Germany which has a 108" limit, as does a
>>> numbe
>>> r of European countries. Unfortunately for the frame in question
>>> and it's
>>> potential destination of Australia, it is indeed a limit of 79" as
>>> Mr. Do
>>> bbins states. Here's the USPS website information on the Int.
>>> Priority siz
>>> e limit and the exceptions.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://pe.usps.gov/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Jon Fischer
>>> Dallas, Texas, USA
>>> http://velobase.com
>>>
>>> ---
>>> ---
>>>
---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> ------
>>> The Greatest Trophy of all is the sense of Accomplishment
>>> http://velobase.com | http://thecuda.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 09:43:34 -0800
>>>> From: raydobbins2003@yahoo.com
>>>> To: viabicycle@gmail.com; classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>>>> Subject: Re: [CR] shipping frame from US to Australia.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Ralph, the guys at your Post Office must like you, or they don't
>>>> know
>>> what
>>>> they're doing and you got lucky. The max size for Priority Int'l
>>>> is 79".
>>>> The limit goes up to 108" with Global Express Guaranteed (GXG),
>>>> and t
>>> he
>>>> price of shipping a 58cm frame by GXG would be about $400.
>>>>
>>>> Looks like your Post Office gave you the GXG size restriction, but
>>>> at t
>>> he m
>>>> uch lower Priority price.
>>>>
>>>> I helped out Greg Softley a few times by receiving bikes from US
>>>> sellers
>>> wh
>>>> o didn't want to ship outside the US. I would tear the bike down
>>>> and re-
>>>> package it to make it as small as possible and then ship it via US
>>>> Postal
>>> S
>>>> ervice. It was never less than $300, not including the wheels!
>>>>
>>>> This is what the the last re-packaged box looked like:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.raydobbins.com/
>>>>
>>>> This is the inside of the box:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.raydobbins.com/
>>>>
>>>> This particular frame was a 54 c-c, and it still was over the 79"
>>>> size
>>> limi
>>>> t. I don't believe you can box it any smaller than this.
>>>>
>>>> Maybe next time I can send you the box and you can ship it through
>>>> your p
>>> os
>>>> t office? ;)
>>>>
>>>> Ray Dobbins
>>>> Miami Florida USA
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --- On Thu, 2/19/09, Via Bicycle <viabicycle@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> From: Via Bicycle <viabicycle@gmail.com>
>>>> Subject: Re: [CR] shipping frame from US to Australia.
>>>> To: "jeffrey piwonka" <jmpiwonka@yahoo.com>
>>>> Cc: "classic rendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>>>> Date: Thursday, February 19, 2009, 10:04 AM
>>>>
>>>> Jeff,
>>>> I recently(jan. 2009) sent an on-topic frameset to Australia US
>>>> priority airmail for around $80, i think. it may have been less,
>>>> but
>>> I
>>>> know it was not more than $80. It was just a frame and fork(58cm),
>>>> so
>>>> the box was able to be smaller as the fork was not installed. I
>>>> had no
>>>> size restrictions problem. Just look on the USPS website, I think
>>>> the
>>>> max girth is 108" and that is easy to do a frameset under that. A
>>>> lot
>>>> harder to do a complete bike with wheels, but is possible.
>>>> joel ralph flood
>>>> http://bikeville.blogspot.com/
>>>> philadelphia, PA
>>>>
>>>> On Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 9:48 AM, jeffrey piwonka <jmpiwonka@yahoo.c
>>> om>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>> I've got some parts on ebay, one being a frame.
>>>>> I've had a question about shipping the frame to Australia and I
>>>>> think
>>>> there is no possible way to do it at a reasonable cost.
>>>>> USPS being the only possibility and they have some size
>>>>> restrictions th
>>> at
>>>> aren't generous enough for a frame and fork...
>>>>>
>>>>> Am I correct?
>>>>>
>>>>> some on topic parts that the US guys can see.
>>>>> http://ebay.com/
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>> Jeff Piwonka
>>>>> austin, texas usa.
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Classicrendezvous mailing list
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