Selling a bike - question about posting?

Schoey

Hi all,

I've currently got my allez up for sale on fleabay. I've initially put the advert as being collection only, but I've had lots a question asking if I can post it to so-and-so.

Question is - could I post it? Approximate how much would it be (with UK)? I know parcleforce have a size limit. Will a road bike be under that?

If anyone have any advice please get back to me.

Many thanks
Schoey

andyp

I posted a bike I sold on ebay just last week. I packed the bike in a box from my LBS, well packaged in cardboard and bubble wrap, and then went to my nearest main post office where I sent it via Parcelforce on their 48 hour delivery service. It cost £18 I think.

There is a size limit but I think my box was just under it - it's 1.5 metres in length. The post office didn't have a tape measure so they couldn't measure it anyway. I just stood it up on it's end and said, "I'm 6' tall and it comes up to my chest so it must be less than 5'!" They didn't argue.

My buyer received it a couple of days later unscathed.

Schoey

Excellent thanks - so if I say £20 it won't be far wrong.

How best to compress the bike down.... did you take both wheels out or just the front and turn the bars?

andyp

Schoey wrote:

Excellent thanks - so if I say £20 it won't be far wrong.

How best to compress the bike down.... did you take both wheels out or just the front and turn the bars?

I took out both wheels and removed the seat post. I loosened the front stem bolts and turned the handlebars so one end was tucked under the top tube. I put pipe lagging around as many tubes of the frame as I could, taped the cranks in place then wrapped the bike in bubblewrap and put it in the box.

Each wheel was wrapped in bubblewrap and then placed in the box beside the frame. I then packed any gaps left in the box with more bubblewrap.

That might have been overkill but my buyer (who'd spent £500) got a bike that wasn't damaged.

Schoey

Thanks for the info Andy - thats really helpful.