[ORRando] Shipping bikes

[b hamon]

Here's some additional info about shipping bikes, from one who gets asked to do it a LOT at work:

1. UPS has gotten more expensive, and more picky. Bikes packed in carbard boxes settle during transport, and the box's measurements change as a result. UPS now re-measures large boxes at their regional depots, and if the new measurements don't match what was figured at the point of origin, UPS now slaps a "Fuel Surcharge" onto the cost of the shipment. For a bike, that surcharge ranges anywhere from 60 to 125 bucks. If you're already paying 75 to ship a bike cross-country this can be quite a jolt, since there's no way of predicting that surcharge in advance.
 
2. Lately our shop has had better success shipping bikes via Amtrak. For a flat rate of 60 bucks or thereabouts, Amtrak will transport your bike to one of 135 freight depots in the US. Downside: your destination may not be a designated freight depot, in which case, you'd have to ship it to the closest one and schlep by car to go and get it. Still, it's a pretty good option and just about every large US city's Amtrak station is also a freight depot. (Milwaukee? Sure. Oconomowoc? Not so much.) Another nice thing is that Amtrak sells the nicest bike boxes -- they're big and you almost never have to remove the handlebars (just loosen and turn sideways and down). Some stations will hold the box for you (for a fee) while you do your ride in that city, then give it back to you for the trip home. Call ahead to make sure.

3. Greyhound Package Express is also an affordable way to ship bikes cross-country (again, less than 70 bucks in most cases) but I haven't used it myself. 

4. In addition to isolating and stabilizing dropouts, you'll also want to make sure the cranks cannot move (tiedowns through one of the pedal-holes to a well-padded frame usually do the trick here); and wrap those chainrings too (I make a sort of bash guard out of layers of cardboard and a little foam padding). Also make sure that any loose parts (pedals, saddle, quick release skewers et al) are securely wrapped so they don't bump or clatter against the bike, and deflate your tires about halfway to avoid the risk of bursting in an overheated compartment or back room.

5. Last note, and not necessarily a shameless plug: If you don't work on your own bike much at all, you may want to hire a shop to pack your bike for shipping. Most shops in Portland charge between 40 and 60 bucks for the labor. If you don't know what you're doing, paying a shop is worth the cost. Another approach is to lern how to work on your bike more at one of several D-I-Y shops in town (the CCC, Bike Farm and Bike Repair Collective come to mind).

Hope this helps.
Happy riding --Beth Hamon

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