sending a mountain bike via courier

lordmerchant

this has probably been covered lots, I've done a quick search on forums and Google but am getting stuck in a perpetual loop!! I am sorted for wrapping package (box from LBS) I'm having trouble finding a courier for the bloody thing I have been to various sites for a "quick quote" and they are anything but!! After entering my info (various times) on shiply.com and uship.com I am told parcel dimensions are too large or quotes will be mailed to me (no luck there - checked spam etc)

There has to be somebody here who has done this recently, who did you use how much did it cost - my dimensions are

weighing in at 14kg-ish, dimensions of 170cm length, 25 width, 100 height

lordmerchant

never mind, no good at forum search but got it with google eventually, paisley freight do a bike deliveryand are very reasonable it seems

ilovedirt

Erm, pretty obvious choice - parcelforce? Yeah there's horror stories, but they're probably the biggest courier company in the UK so there's bound to be. I've never had any problems, touch wood.

chazkayak

Im in Germany and have sent various sized parcels from mountainbike to snow board size, no problems.

I used companies like Parcelforce, GLS, HermesPacketshop, they all have different rates for different sizes so worth considering all options. GLS are quite reasonable.

pilch

DPD, they do all of on-one's stuff

DodgeT

I used paisley freight (who use TNT) and the service was spot on. Cheapest I could find too, parcelforce wanted about £40 versus paisleys £21.

steve_muzzy

Third for paisley. Plus they don't need sizes, just tick bike!

supersonic

I try and cram them into the smallest boxes I can - wheels off etc. Managed to send bikes in 120x70x25 boxes before for less than a tenner with parcel monkey or parcel2go.

cat_with_no_tail

ilovedirt wrote:

Erm, pretty obvious choice - parcelforce? Yeah there's horror stories, but they're probably the biggest courier company in the UK so there's bound to be. I've never had any problems, touch wood.

I always use parcelforce, partially because they are very good, and partially because we have no alternatives here unless you want to pay a million billion pounds for FedEx or DHL.

I must have used them 5 or 6 times now and have always been very happy with the service. They stick to the time you request collection, and always have it delivered well within the 48hr period.

They do regular parcels, if you can squeeze it in a box no larger than
Maximum length: 1.5 metres
Maximum circumfrence: 3 metres

I've found this to be *roughly* the same size as a box for a small framed bike from the likes of spesh and giant. Although you can just hack down a bigger box to make it fit.

Failing that though, for a little extra, you can use a mahoosive box and pay for the 48hr large parcel service, which allows a box up to 2.5m length and 5m combined length and width.

Usually costs about £25 for a 48hr service, collected from my house the day after booking.

Abra

Cat With No Tail wrote:

unless you want to pay a million billion pounds

Pah. That’s pocket money for a Squallion Jillionaire like me....