How do you ship a Bike E???

[tishjennings]

Hi everyone,
We recently relocated from San Francisco to State College PA (I got a great job at Penn State!). Anyway, we moved using UPack and we have 2 Bike Es. One we were able to fit into the container but one was just not going to fit at the end. We drove two cars across country and thought we would just put it on the bike rack but (major bummer) we had already packed the rack. So I asked my son to borrow his rack but it didn't work for the Bike E so we left it with him with plans for him to ship it to us. It's been a couple of weeks now and we haven't been able to find a reasonable way to ship it. UPS says it's too big for regular ground and needs to be sent by freight which will be very expensive due to its size and weight. Any suggestions?? I really miss my bike! This is a great town for biking. There are paths everywhere and I'd like to get some biking in before the snow comes.
Thanks!!
Tish

[tutorblk]

Hi, recently my BikeE CT was shipped to me in Northern Ireland from a dealer in England using a parcel service similar to UPS. The dealer said he would send it 'part knocked down':
The bike came in 2 boxes: box #1 a small one held both wheels and the seat & seatback. Box #2, a longer one, held the frame, handlebars & chain. The dealer had removed the pedals, and both wheels, and carefully removed the DualDrive shift rod from the hub. He put that rod in an empty retractable ballpoint pen carcase and taped that to a spoke on the rear wheel. (important point, it's easy to bend - and easy to lose). There are manuals on internet about removing hub gear cable end fitting. He put the seat parts and wheels in cardboard box#1 he made by cutting down & folding a much taller box - everything was wrapped in bubblewrap.
He slackened the brakes to get the wheels off and in fact released all the cable ends at brakes, including the derailleur, kept them attached to levers/twistgrips. He removed any cable ties holding cables to the handlebar riser. He split the chain and wrapped it as a parcel inside box#2. He removed the derailleur - it went as a neat package in box#2. He telescoped and removed the handlebar riser from the headset, wrapped it and the cables in bubblewrap and laid it alongside the frame. Box 2 was long but width & height just enough to accommodate this frame/bars pack. Chain & derailleur was in box#2 also. He filled all the spaces with polystyrene chips - 48 hour delivery, everything safe on arrival and a happy afternoon rebuilding and adjusting (I'd never built or adjusted a bike before - some internet help gave me clues). Dealer said he sends recumbents to all parts of UK by this method.
Hope that helps!
Brian

[tutorblk]

I should have added - dealer must have used an entire roll of parcel tape binding inner parcels and outer boxes - he was determined nothing was 'going adrift'! Boxes were 'well armoured' :-) Brian

[leakyduck]

I have never shipped a BikeE, but I have shipped recumbents. Go to your LBS and get 2 bike boxes. Take the wheels, seat and handle bars off. Un-bolt the derrailleur and tape it to the frame. The frame all stripped down should fit in one box, if not cut the first box open on one end - cut enough off the 2nd box and slide it over the end of the first box and be generous with take. I like to use the re-enforced tape as it is stronger. When you get the boxes be sure that you also get to little round plastic things that they use on the ends of the axles when they shipped the bike originally. Take the shift rod out and put the plastic protectors over the ends of the axles. You should be able to get every thing else (wheels, seat, handle bars ect in the 2nd box. Use bubble wrap and styrofoam every where you can. UPS or Fed-Ex will charge you dimensional weight to ship, but they should take the package.

[wprogers]

Under Parts for sale - someone listed a "crateworks" shipping container on the 28th of Aug - might check with them.

[melsmiracle]

I read the posts here about shipping.
Can or will anyone share how they ended up shipping and how much it cost when you did finally ship across country or wherever you shipped to?

Thanks
Mel in Colorado