FedEx/UPS Strikes Again!!!!

[sales guy]

FedEx and UPS strikes again! This time on the bike heading to Bicycling Magazine. FedEx damage on the way out and UPS on the way back to me.

A custom Extensor XCr frame, Rotor UNO hydro kit. Gotta love it. The brake lever, the only thing holding it together is the sticker!! The derailleur, it's actually snapped. The skewer is holding it in place.

Paint damage. Component damage. Lovely.

[wangster]

That's ridiculous. I think all bike companies should adopt VanMoof's strategy of making bike boxes look like TV boxes so the delivery people will ACTUALLY give a slight damn.

https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/25/13048668/vanmoof-shipping-damages-dutch-bicycle-design

[sales guy]

And these are only a few pictures. there are a bunch more sadly including the brand new carbon thomson handlebar all scratched up.

[cribbit]

This is what insurance and proper packing can fix.

I would never ship a bike with the rear derailleur still on.

I had a similar issue and had insurance and it covered the damage, but I also had Fedex admit to repacking my box during transit.

[ColonelJLloyd]

this is what insurance and proper packing can fix.

I would never ship a bike with the rear derailleur still on.

+1

[zmudshark]

Sometimes it pays to put things in a bigger box and pack properly.

[Blown Reek]

Imagine the carnage if UPS got hold of that!

FedEx>UPS.

[sales guy]

Imagine the carnage if UPS got hold of that!

FedEx>UPS.

Actually, I should correct the post, cause UPS was how it was shipped back. THEY killed the brake lever!

[sales guy]

This is what insurance and proper packing can fix.

I would never ship a bike with the rear derailleur still on.

I had a similar issue and had insurance and it covered the damage, but I also had Fedex admit to repacking my box during transit.


I had it insured on the way out. On the way back, they didn't insure it.

You can't pull the rear derailleur on this. It'll damage the hose for the derailleur. They actually shipped it back with it attached to the frame.

The hanger got bent on the way out. They straightened it. On the way back, it got bent again where it snapped.

It was really well packed. And there was a bit of extra space in the box. I didn't even include the saddle/post and front wheel. So there was plenty of space.

[davidb]

The rear derailleur was not removed for shipment. In fairness to the shipper do you have any pictures of the packing job. An Iron Case from Trico will ship UPS/FedEx. Just tape the label to the outside. Not questioning the damage or ones feelings.

[sales guy]

The rear derailleur was not removed for shipment. In fairness to the shipper do you have any pictures of the packing job. An Iron Case from Trico will ship UPS/FedEx. Just tape the label to the outside. Not questioning the damage or ones feelings.

Can't pull the derailleur on this. It has a hydraulic line to the derailleur. It bends and kinks the hose or rips it out of the derailleur like it did on the way out.

I used a travel case on the way out to RBA and back. FedEx even with a travel case dented the downtube, bent the hanger and pulled the actual dropout out.

[zmudshark]

I always take pictures of the bike packed in the box.

If RD can't be removed, shift to big cog, at least.

[Tickdoc]

http://i.imgur.com/gCk6b3F.gif

[sales guy]

I always take pictures of the bike packed in the box.

If RD can't be removed, shift to big cog, at least.

I took plenty of pictures packed and when it arrived.

It was shifted to the 28. All the way up.

[sales guy]

http://i.imgur.com/gCk6b3F.gif

I was getting something from my UPS guy one day and he climbed all over a bunch of small stuff to get my box. He had no problem jumping on stuff.

[AngryScientist]

with all due respect to you sales guy, these bikes could not have been packed properly.

for a high end frame with boutique parts (RD cant be removed!?!), a hard case should have been used for transport with the bike well secured inside.

we all know how these things go. it's a big box and they get moved around hastily. they are going to get tossed about, and if you pack in cardboard that can get crushed, dented and ripped, it will happen eventually.

for the average dude who is shipping his used cannondale to a new buyer - this rant is absolutely warranted.

for someone in the industry, who has started THREE individual threads about how much fedex sucks, it's time to ensure that anything that leaves your shop, or is shipped back to it is properly packed, OR just accept some losses/insurance claims.

sorry, but just my opinion.

[batman1425]

Can't pull the derailleur on this. It has a hydraulic line to the derailleur. It bends and kinks the hose or rips it out of the derailleur like it did on the way out.

I used a travel case on the way out to RBA and back. FedEx even with a travel case dented the downtube, bent the hanger and pulled the actual dropout out.

Maybe I'm missing something, but if it was in a hard sided travel case and secured properly inside, how could you get anything near this level of damage with out them flat out destroying the case?

[ColonelJLloyd]

RD really cannot be removed, wrapped properly and secured to inside of the seat stay or chain stay?

Hanger can't be removed so no risk of bending and a correctly spaced plastic or wood insert placed between dropouts?

I don't see how it's possible for handlebars to get scratched if the bike was properly packed.

I've learned the hard way by not being as careful packing stuff for myself or friends.

Lots of ways to skin a cat, but none of the better ones seem to be used here. Couldn't be with the resulting photos. It sucks, but whoever packed the frame bears the responsibility, in my opinion.

[oldpotatoe]

NOT taking sides but how was it packed? Sometimes no amount of packing will prevent damage(yup, those were tire tracks on box, true story)...but this stuff has to be package smasher, proof.

[-dustin]

Can't pull the derailleur on this.
that will be a major problem for Rotor.

[William]

Time to get serious... :)

I Kid...a little. When I was managing a company producing large carved/etched glass panels for art installations or architectural signage crating was the only way to go. Purpose build for the panels, sometimes large crates, and sometimes smaller ones built to attach to a pallet standing so that nothing could be placed on top of it. For shipping your bikes around as much as you do, and considering how much damage you've sustained already, I would look into a dedicated shipping crate made from tough composite/plastic material. Something a bit more substantial than your average travel bike case and much better than your average bike box.

Costs a bit more up front but at least your gear has a better chance of making it in one piece.



William

[chiasticon]

for someone in the industry, who has started THREE individual threads about how much fedex sucks, it's time to ensure that anything that leaves your shop, or is shipped back to it is properly packedI'd agree. these are high end bikes that you're shipping off for reviews; they're expensive and important. I'd also imagine that your employer/manager/etc is probably sick of it at this point and doesn't want to hear about how much FedEx/UPS suck. they want their bikes to arrive safe and sound and represent their company as well as possible. bikes get shipped all over the world every day. why do yours keep getting damaged?

absolutely no offense intended. and I'm not implying you're incompetent or something. just saying in my opinion it's time to figure out a solution.

[jtbadge]

with all due respect to you sales guy, these bikes could not have been packed properly.

for a high end frame with boutique parts (RD cant be removed!?!), a hard case should have been used for transport with the bike well secured inside.

we all know how these things go. it's a big box and they get moved around hastily. they are going to get tossed about, and if you pack in cardboard that can get crushed, dented and ripped, it will happen eventually.

for the average dude who is shipping his used cannondale to a new buyer - this rant is absolutely warranted.

for someone in the industry, who has started THREE individual threads about how much fedex sucks, it's time to ensure that anything that leaves your shop, or is shipped back to it is properly packed, OR just accept some losses/insurance claims.

sorry, but just my opinion.

This is really the long and short of it. You know how they're going to treat your packages. The only things you can do are pack better or start hand delivering.

[zmudshark]

I took plenty of pictures packed and when it arrived.

It was shifted to the 28. All the way up.Good luck with the claim, sounds like you tried. You really have had a streak of bad luck.

You may want to invest in something like an AirCaddy. They are not foolproof (ask jmoore), but so far I have had good luck with mine. I may have more to say if my bike arrives damaged tomorrow ;)

It really sucks to have something like that happen, especially to a zoot bike. I truly hope you come up with a solution. A custom crate or three based off an AirCaddy may be what you need. A bespoke bike crate may pay for itself in a short time.

Maybe an enterprising Paceliner can come up with an AirCaddy upgrade product? I'd pay good money for a custom case that would hold up on a UPS/FDX truck and require little assembly upon arrival. As a retired UPS driver, and someone who ships his personal bike on occasion, I would be happy to consult.

[William]

It won't be cheap, but I bet it would be a one time expense...

Custom Pelican cases...
http://www.pelican.com/us/en/pro/custom-cases/






William

[cribbit]

It won't be cheap, but I bet it would be a one time expense...

Custom Pelican cases...
http://www.pelican.com/us/en/pro/custom-cases/






William

Difficult for a bike seller unless you also pay for the buyer's return shipping for the case. And dimensions/weight may incur additional shipping costs.

[William]

Difficult for a bike seller unless you also pay for the buyer's return shipping for the case. And dimensions/weight may incur additional shipping costs.

That's true, but one must weigh the cost/benefit ratio. So far getting new rides to shows has been problematic for the OP. You are screwed when it shows up damaged. Look at all the options and determine what makes the best sense to consistently get your goods to the destination in one piece. Too many hours wrapped up in your show pieces to rely on just duct tape and cardboard with FedX and UPS involved.






William

[Imaking20]

Regarding the RD - I thought I read somewhere that the hydraulic lines on the Rotor kit were one use only. If that's the case, I'd probably avoid removing the RD to ship as well...


That said, the group is basically trash now. I'll take the cassette! :)

[zmudshark]

My understanding is that most, if not all of these damages have occurred with bikes sent for review or show, not to the end consumer? Am I wrong?

The bikes are being sent as assembled as possible, not broken down. Am I confused, as usual?

[William]

My understanding is that most, if not all of these damages have occurred with bikes sent for review or show, not to the end consumer? Am I wrong?

The bikes are being sent as assembled as possible, not broken down. Am I confused, as usual?

That's what I'm commenting on.




William

[jambee]

Now think about the absurdity of the customer (i.e. the person shipping) PAYING to insurance the goods sent.

Why is this absurd?

Well, the customer is paying insurance IN CASE THE SUPPLIER MESSES UP.

Think about this for a second. Do we pay Ford to insure that the car they sell us can actually break? Do we pay Safeway extra insurance in case we get sick from the apples we buy there? Do we pay insurance cost for the airline to NOT loose our luggage?

Nope.

The shipping and transport companies are the only ones that charge us MORE to make sure that if they mess up, we can get some money.

***sigh*** Shipping and receiving is just an awful business.

[stien]

Second pic, double rim rear wheel in the background? Vintage fat bike!

[sales guy]

I should've posted more the first time but I was busy and trying to deal with a ton of stupid stuff. So here's all the details.

So this is our Extensor XCr frame. It was built up at a shop for Bicycling Magazine. It was supposed to be in the buyers guide. Clearly not now tho.

When I got the bike back from the build we ended up switching the wheelset out cause Lightweight wanted them back for something. No biggie. Plus Rotor was going to send us their new hubs anyways. But after we switched the wheels, it was making some horrible noises and we had to trouble shoot it. After a month of working on it here, they said we needed to send it to them cause they couldn't figure it out over the phone.

Now, there's where everything went sideways. Originally, they wanted me to send the frameset and they build it up there. I was headset against it for fear of damage or something needing done and it not getting done to my satisfaction. As it were the BB shell needed ground out for the hydro lines. Which I did at the shop. That took a couple hours cause the tubing killed dremel bits quick.

So that's why we met up.

I packed up the frame and fork like I usually do. 3/8" thick foam pipe insulation on all the tubing. See attached pictures. Note, RBA removed some packing materials in their picture. And they also said they have never had a company send a bike so well packed before. I do this for every single frame/bike. Bikes get side to side bolstering so they don't move around. Frames, they get suspended in cardboard so they don't touch the sides. I also put block in the dropouts. Rear Der gets removed when possible. Bars get full foam wrap from one end to the other. Levers get foam wrap. It's very well packed.

So when i sent the bike out, I tried to take off the rear derailleur but it was starting to kink the hose trying to get it out of the way. So i put it back on. As it was, the hose ripped out of the rear derailleur and had to be re-bled by them. The hanger bent on the trip out. They also said there was one chip in the frame(headtube).

When they got it they re-bled the shifters and brakes. They did some other things that kind of sort of fixed the problem. It's still there. Just 75% and not 100%. They packed it back up but used the foam from the handlebar for something else. So the bar is all scared up due to that. The other chips/paint damage is for the same reason. packing materials removed. i had foam on the rear derailleur. it came back with out it. I had foam on the bottom of the fork. it came back without it. I had it on the cranks and other parts and it came back without it. Most of the damage happened on the way back which sadly, they did not insure the shipment.

So the problems, yes, partly packing partly shipper. Cause the only way you bend a hanger is if the box i played down and stuff put on it. The brake lever, who knows how that happened. the bar, i'm gonna try and wet sand it smooth but it has some serous gouges in it. the hanger needs replaced cause it's cracked.

So yes, it's FedEx's fault on the way out. And yes, it's UPS's fault on the way back. But yes it's the shippers fault on the way back. If it's my fault on the hanger on the way out fine. But there wasn't much I could do. And the boxes I use are slightly larger width, length and height than the normal ones to make sure I can add padding. I am almost thinking of getting a full foam sheet to put on either side of the box to avoid more compression damage.

But that's the full story as to what happened.

[jtbadge]

No padding on the der hanger for frame picture. No padding around ser for partial build. Zero surprise both were damaged. The corners take the most abuse in shipment, and that's a sensitive part of the bike that needs more care than it was given.

[sales guy]

No padding on the der hanger for frame picture. No padding around ser for partial build. Zero surprise both were damaged. The corners take the most abuse in shipment, and that's a sensitive part of the bike that needs more care than it was given.

The frame had padding around the dropouts before it was shipped.

The complete bike had padding around the dropouts and the derailleur was removed during shipping for that frame. The derailleur was put in a padded pouch and zipped to the padding on the chainstay so it didn't move.

The complete bike in the box, that arrived to RBA perfect. No damage at all. On the way back it was damaged. It was not returned the same way as in the picture. When I got the bike back, it had/has a dent in the downtube, the der hanger was bent. The drive side dropout was bent backwards and the derailleur was attached and shipped attached.

[cmbicycles]

Doesn't someone make giant bags filled with expanding foam to literally encase stuff in thick foam once it cures? I've received some things that something similar was used... never bike related. Don't know whether it would work for bikes but maybe worth looking into. Two pre-shaped foam shells, place bike in the middle, place in box, seal n ship... and hope they don't run it over with a truck or a fork lift.

[zmudshark]

Doesn't someone make giant bags filled with expanding foam to literally encase stuff in thick foam once it cures? I've received some things that something similar was used... never bike related. Don't know whether it would work for bikes but maybe worth looking into. Two pre-shaped foam shells, place bike in the middle, place in box, seal n ship... and hope they don't run it over with a truck or a fork lift.Yes. It actually comes in two 55 gal drums and expands to fill the voids. I have no idea on the cost. Easy to use, may be some upfront costs. A factory I used to deliver and pick up from used it for expensive, custom molds.

Movement is what kills anything in shipping, that would eliminate any movement.

I doubt it would reusable, so it may not be worth it in this situation. I still think something like an AirCaddy is the best bet.

[pbarry]

Stop messing about and build plywood crates.

[sales guy]

Yes. It actually comes in two 55 gal drums and expands to fill the voids. I have no idea on the cost. Easy to use, may be some upfront costs. A factory I used to deliver and pick up from used it for expensive, custom molds.

Movement is what kills anything in shipping, that would eliminate any movement.

I doubt it would reusable, so it may not be worth it in this situation. I still think something like an AirCaddy is the best bet.


the expanding foam could be interesting but probably hard to work with for something like a bike.

It's funny the people who mentioned air caddy. PEZ mentioned them cause i have a bike for him. and he knows what's going on. he mentioned them. Never used an air caddy.

[zmudshark]

the expanding foam could be interesting but probably hard to work with for something like a bike.

It's funny the people who mentioned air caddy. PEZ mentioned them cause i have a bike for him. and he knows what's going on. he mentioned them. Never used an air caddy.

The foam is actually easy to work with, but time is of the essence. You need to get the bike in place while it’s still ‘warm’.

An Aircaddy costs $100, and you can buy another outer shell when it wears out. Check them out. Be aware that they are expensive to ship, though.

[zmudshark]

My bike in an AirCaddy arrived safe and sound today. The AirCaddy has made at least 4 cross country round trips and has at least one, maybe more trips left in it before I buy the new skin.

I would highly recommend it for personal/show/review bikes. I did fashion an insert for the front wheel, which the caddy doesn't have. I'm not sure it's needed except for piece of mind. You do have to rotate the bars, but not remove them, if that's an issue.

Let us know how your sage resolves.

[sales guy]

My bike in an AirCaddy arrived safe and sound today. The AirCaddy has made at least 4 cross country round trips and has at least one, maybe more trips left in it before I buy the new skin.

I would highly recommend it for personal/show/review bikes. I did fashion an insert for the front wheel, which the caddy doesn't have. I'm not sure it's needed except for piece of mind. You do have to rotate the bars, but not remove them, if that's an issue.

Let us know how your sage resolves.

i have shipped things in the bike world for a long time. Just recent.y there has been a bunch of problems. Mainly with FedEx. Between them losing two identical boxes saying the labels came off(they didn't) and than having these two bikes damaged. I have used DHL to ship things back and forth to Britain and have never had an issue. Oddly, back when I was in shoes and accessories, I used FedEx and never had a problem. Just now. The damage on the way back was UPS. That was poor packing on the way back. But you gotta bounce the box around a lot to damage things in the middle of the box.

I will look into air caddy. Never used them. I know Allied used them when they drove out to SLC for NAHBS. Their van was full of them. I did something different which i always do and never had a problem. The FedEx/UPS thing this time kind of bugs me more cause I was worried about shipping the bike out to begin with. I have shipped dozens of frames and every single one has been perfect. Only a few bikes. And of them, 3 damaged out of 8 completes. I guess it's just bad luck right now. But it really sucks.

[loxx0050]

Maybe you should invest in some shipping shock indicators. Place one outside and inside the bike box or container. Then you have proof it was mishandled (or hopefully not mishandled). If you buy them in bulk (say a pack of 25 or 50) it ends up being a few bucks each sensor.

[54ny77]

For your really nice bikes (or any bike for that matter), why not just ship the darned thing in a bike hard case and ask the recipient to send it back via a postage paid label?

Problem solved.

[ultraman6970]

Plywood? isnt cheaper just get hard plastic bike cases?? Never had a problem with mine and survived 2 overseas trips back and forth.

[sales guy]

For your really nice bikes (or any bike for that matter), why not just ship the darned thing in a bike hard case and ask the recipient to send it back via a postage paid label?

Problem solved.

Never thought of that. I'll have to look into them.

Plywood? isnt cheaper just get hard plastic bike cases?? Never had a problem with mine and survived 2 overseas trips back and forth.

Maybe you should invest in some shipping shock indicators. Place one outside and inside the bike box or container. Then you have proof it was mishandled (or hopefully not mishandled). If you buy them in bulk (say a pack of 25 or 50) it ends up being a few bucks each sensor.

I do have hard cases. Some people(magazines) don't like them shipped in hard cases. They may not have room for them. I sent one out to someone and they actually sent the bike back in a Trek cardboard box. They forgot the bike came in a hard case. You'd be surprised how often you are told no cases or that they forget them.

[oldpotatoe]

Stop messing about and build plywood crates.

Finally somebody said it. I bought a 1956 bike, can't remember the name(it's hanging in Vecchio's), really not that special, but it came in a wood crate. I'm NO carpenter, but I could have made one..2 by 4s, plywood sheets..anchored inside so it didn't move around..For one of these Zillion$ grail bikes...but hindsight is always 20-20..

PLUS the rig sounds really complicated, getting it set up, running, w/o issue or problem. Just a observation from reading some of the posts. 'Fragile' comes to mind. IMHO, of course.

When they got it they re-bled the shifters and brakes. They did some other things that kind of sort of fixed the problem. It's still there. Just 75% and not 100%.

[sales guy]

Finally somebody said it. I bought a 1956 bike, can't remember the name(it's hanging in Vecchio's), really not that special, but it came in a wood crate. I'm NO carpenter, but I could have made one..2 by 4s, plywood sheets..anchored inside so it didn't move around..For one of these Zillion$ grail bikes...but hindsight is always 20-20..

PLUS the rig sounds really complicated, getting it set up, running, w/o issue or problem. Just a observation from reading some of the posts. 'Fragile' comes to mind. IMHO, of course.

I'll have to look into it. PM sent.

[unterhausen]

heck, for a bike like that I would use one the local company that crates things and sends them by truck. It's more than fedex/ups, but otherwise amazingly cheap. Also, I would find a company like that at the terminus to send it back. In any event, I would have them use my account to send it back if they are too cheap to use insurance.

But after my friend's tandem was crashed by a magazine, I'm not sure the exposure is really worth it.

[sales guy]

heck, for a bike like that I would use one the local company that crates things and sends them by truck. It's more than fedex/ups, but otherwise amazingly cheap. Also, I would find a company like that at the terminus to send it back. In any event, I would have them use my account to send it back if they are too cheap to use insurance.

But after my friend's tandem was crashed by a magazine, I'm not sure the exposure is really worth it.

I don't care if it's crashed by a magazine. At least it was being used. But for this, to just be sitting in a box and get trashed is heartbreaking. At least for me.

[sales guy]

I love this idea. At least for frames.

[FlashUNC]

Thirding the plywood suggestion. Every Speedvagen that leaves Portland goes in one of these bad boys. If you're gonna ship high end bikes, why cut corners there if you haven't cut corners building the darn thing?

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5946c22886e6c05d951c812a/t/59d4223e2aeba5469ae729be/1507227359236/Shipping-sled-Manny-Foret.png

[sales guy]

I'd never seen that ^^^^^^ before.

Although that wouldn't work on a few of our bikes like the Exemplar with painted rims.

[huck*this]

I wonder how much it adds to shipping and if it would have to go freight?

[zmudshark]

Ryun has a few more pictures in this thread:
https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=167550

That is a fantastic design. I see they use a cardboard skin around the base (smart). Does anyone have a picture of the complete crate/box?

[zmudshark]

I wonder how much it adds to shipping and if it would have to go freight?
That could still go UPS/FDX. Shipping cost on par with an Aircaddy. The only disadvantage I see, is the bars need to be removed and secured.

edit: Now I see how they secure them.

[cmbicycles]

Thirding the plywood suggestion. Every Speedvagen that leaves Portland goes in one of these bad boys. If you're gonna ship high end bikes, why cut corners there if you haven't cut corners building the darn thing?

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5946c22886e6c05d951c812a/t/59d4223e2aeba5469ae729be/1507227359236/Shipping-sled-Manny-Foret.png
Somewhere there is a video of unpacking a bike from this box/crate. It's definitely well thought out, and unique. Given the recent string of shipping issues I'm sure you could design a similar system that would work for your bikes/rims/etc.

[zmudshark]

Found the video, pretty slick.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:sGOlSv6tFW0J:www.thevanillaworkshop .com/opendisbox/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

[oldpotatoe]

Found the video, pretty slick.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:sGOlSv6tFW0J:www.thevanillaworkshop .com/opendisbox/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Yowser, however it's too bad grease is still an illegal substance in Oregon...since none used on that bike...:eek:

[sales guy]

Yowser, however it's too bad grease is still an illegal substance in Oregon...since none used on that bike...:eek:

Grease makes you go slow.

[choke]

I have found that FedEx is pretty good for the most part but this ongoing saga makes my head hurt. All of these places are no more than 60 miles from each other.

11/17/2017 - Friday
10:54 pm Departed FedEx location FEDEX SMARTPOST City A

2:14 pm Arrived at FedEx location FEDEX SMARTPOST City A

11/16/2017 - Thursday
5:14 am Departed FedEx location City B

5:07 am Arrived at FedEx location City B

11/15/2017 - Wednesday
10:59 pm Departed FedEx location City A

4:43 pm Arrived at FedEx location City A

1:19 am Departed FedEx location FEDEX SMARTPOST City A

11/14/2017 - Tuesday
3:13 pm Arrived at FedEx location FEDEX SMARTPOST City A

2:01 pm In transit to U.S. Postal Service in my town

6:25 am Departed FedEx location City B

6:18 am Arrived at FedEx location City B

2:02 am Departed FedEx location City A

11/13/2017 - Monday
3:49 pm Arrived at FedEx location City A

3:01 am Shipment information sent to U.S. Postal Service

12:27 am Departed FedEx location FEDEX SMARTPOST City A

11/12/2017 - Sunday
9:01 pm Arrived at FedEx location FEDEX SMARTPOST City A

[zmudshark]

I have found that FedEx is pretty good for the most part but this ongoing saga makes my head hurt. All of these places are no more than 60 miles from each other.

11/17/2017 - Friday
10:54 pm Departed FedEx location FEDEX SMARTPOST City A

2:14 pm Arrived at FedEx location FEDEX SMARTPOST City A

11/16/2017 - Thursday
5:14 am Departed FedEx location City B

5:07 am Arrived at FedEx location City B

11/15/2017 - Wednesday
10:59 pm Departed FedEx location City A

4:43 pm Arrived at FedEx location City A

1:19 am Departed FedEx location FEDEX SMARTPOST City A

11/14/2017 - Tuesday
3:13 pm Arrived at FedEx location FEDEX SMARTPOST City A

2:01 pm In transit to U.S. Postal Service in my town

6:25 am Departed FedEx location City B

6:18 am Arrived at FedEx location City B

2:02 am Departed FedEx location City A

11/13/2017 - Monday
3:49 pm Arrived at FedEx location City A

3:01 am Shipment information sent to U.S. Postal Service

12:27 am Departed FedEx location FEDEX SMARTPOST City A

11/12/2017 - Sunday
9:01 pm Arrived at FedEx location FEDEX SMARTPOST City A


Smartpost is the key word.

That is an extreme economy service. USPS does the last mile at a controlled rate.

[C40_guy]

The rear derailleur was not removed for shipment. In fairness to the shipper do you have any pictures of the packing job. An Iron Case from Trico will ship UPS/FedEx. Just tape the label to the outside. Not questioning the damage or ones feelings.

Second on the Iron Case.

However, I think my Iron Case has grown over the years. It used to ship for $40 or so each way, last time I checked it was $150.

The case just slightly measures oversize. If it were a hair smaller it would still ship for $50-60.

I also think that Fedex has gotten a lot better (worse?) with regard to measuring the box. I did catch them, at one point, with ludicrous measurements...something more square than rectangular!

[MrCannonCam]

I agree on most people's views on the better packing etc I'm on your side...

Buttttttttt throwing it out there as it'd make most of you cringe...

I worked at a Specialized dealer, you guys should see how little packing Specialized uses on their bikes. We've gotten $8500 S-Works Tarmacs in with just small plastic protecting the RD, minimal on the frame, no more packing than the base Allez, very minimal.

While their packing is strategic in a way, I still go overboard selling used bikes in my packing. Especially with carbon frames, I don't like taking any chances with any exposed areas that could be subject to an impact. Especially with FedEx's track record of late....

[BRad704]

My last bike was a new Raleigh via eBay and the packing was impressive, although my experience is limited. Everything was very methodically placed and secured.

Delivered by FedEx with only one nick in the bar tape. I can live with that.


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[CAAD]

I agree on most people's views on the better packing etc I'm on your side...

Buttttttttt throwing it out there as it'd make most of you cringe...

I worked at a Specialized dealer, you guys should see how little packing Specialized uses on their bikes. We've gotten $8500 S-Works Tarmacs in with just small plastic protecting the RD, minimal on the frame, no more packing than the base Allez, very minimal.

While their packing is strategic in a way, I still go overboard selling used bikes in my packing. Especially with carbon frames, I don't like taking any chances with any exposed areas that could be subject to an impact. Especially with FedEx's track record of late....

Same with the factory packaging of most Trek's. BUT they come freight, on a pallet, the entire truck is just bikes, nothing stacked. The project one bikes have nice boxes with velero straps and so on. But again they arrive with a freight shipment with just bikes. Trek knows they can minimally package these things because the freight is controlled from source to destination.

[dave thompson]

Having shipped many bikes and frames I found the keys to keeping the contents of the box in good shape was; 1: keep the bike/frame from moving around inside and 2: most importantly keep the box from being crushed or collapsing by hot gluing stiff cardboard tubes cut to the correct length in strategic locations inside the box. I generously pad the frame with pipe insulation and then glue the aforementioned cardboard tubes at the top tube/seat tube, top tube head tube and seat tube/down tube bottom bracket junctions. If done properly it prevents the bike/frame from moving and the box from being collapsed. If necessary I’ll also glue cardboard tubes inside the seat stay/chain stay junction and in corners of the box where I think possible damage may occur.

Because the bike box freight charge isn’t based on weight, I’ll glue the tubes anywhere I can.