FedEx/UPS Strikes Again!!!!

[sales guy]

Originally Posted by 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.

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

Originally Posted by ultraman6970

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

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by pbarry

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]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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?

[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]

Originally Posted by huck*this

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]

Originally Posted by 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?

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.co...&ct=clnk&gl=us

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by zmudshark

Found the video, pretty slick.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...&ct=clnk&gl=us

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

[sales guy]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

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

Grease makes you go slow.