What's the best method ?, i have a couple of people wanting to buy my bike on E-Bay, never done it before, so how do you weigh it if you don't have scales ? as i think it goes by weight = cost, and who ever delivers it do they collect it from you door ?, cheers in advance.
Sending a Bike
- Thread starter MrRidley
- Start date
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Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
I dont know the exact answer to your exact question but posting by courier:
Quite often it goes by a combination of weight and size.
If you cant weigh it, check the manufaturers spec (if you know the bike manufacturer and model look it up on their website) for a rough guess at the weight of the bike.
From what I've heard places usually pack a bike with pedals removed and handlebars twisted to get bike as flat as possible. Ask a LBS if they have a box from a bike they took delivery of that you can re-use.
Regarding it being picked up from you, that depends on the courier and the delivery method you choose, you might have to take it to your local office. You can probly ask them to collect it but may incur a cost.
Quite often it goes by a combination of weight and size.
If you cant weigh it, check the manufaturers spec (if you know the bike manufacturer and model look it up on their website) for a rough guess at the weight of the bike.
From what I've heard places usually pack a bike with pedals removed and handlebars twisted to get bike as flat as possible. Ask a LBS if they have a box from a bike they took delivery of that you can re-use.
Regarding it being picked up from you, that depends on the courier and the delivery method you choose, you might have to take it to your local office. You can probly ask them to collect it but may incur a cost.
hubgearfreak
Über Member
get on the scales whilst holding the bike
get on the scales without holding the bike
subtract the second number from the first, and that's about what your bike weighs.
as for posting bikes, £25 seems about the standard cost for ebay, why not just quote that and keep or pay the few quid difference?
get on the scales without holding the bike
subtract the second number from the first, and that's about what your bike weighs.
as for posting bikes, £25 seems about the standard cost for ebay, why not just quote that and keep or pay the few quid difference?
bobg
Über Member
- Location
- Crosby Merseyside
Just posted a frame today. Took it round the PO already boxed and asked for 48hour Express which is about the cheapest Parcel Force rate. They weighed it ( approx 10k)... heavy old BMX... and it was £12.50. The bloke who runs our LBS rings Parcel Force, quotes the box dimensions and picks a weight that allows him to pay the minimum that sounds right and they come and collect it. He's been doing it ths way for ages it seems and nobody has test weighed his stuff Ring at about 2.30 cos if you book them before 3 they come the same day and you dont have to hang around waiting for ages. I dont think he pays extra for collection
I prefer the former option...
I prefer the former option...
swee'pea99
Legendary Member
First, get a bike box from your LBS. They'll bve happy to give you one for nothing - it's just litter they now don't have to get rid of. Then pack your bike - you'll have to take the pedals off, possibly the saddle, and twist the handlebars to line up with the bike. Then weigh it - see bathroom scales approach above - measure the box, and see what's the best quote you can get from these people. http://www.interparcel.com/. I've always ended up using their DHL 48 hour service (they collect), but I should add that I've never sent a bike.
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
As per others, box from bike shop, you'll probably have to partially dismantle bike to fit, then I use Parcelforce, last one cost me £20 and they collected from my house.
I found a courier through e-bay - search under couriers. Set up the pick-up directly with them - approx £25 for next day delivery anywhere in the country.
Make sure you use a box from your LBS and wrap the wheels in bubble wrap - the guy I bought from didn't and when it arrived with me the frame was scratched to buggery, the skewer had gone through the packaging and bent etc. Cost me a fair bit.
Lesson learnt from me is make sure you contact the seller first, make sure he is not a half-wit and is happy to take a bit of effort - mine didn't despite me paying well over the odds and bunging him some dosh to wrap it up.
Good luck.
Make sure you use a box from your LBS and wrap the wheels in bubble wrap - the guy I bought from didn't and when it arrived with me the frame was scratched to buggery, the skewer had gone through the packaging and bent etc. Cost me a fair bit.
Lesson learnt from me is make sure you contact the seller first, make sure he is not a half-wit and is happy to take a bit of effort - mine didn't despite me paying well over the odds and bunging him some dosh to wrap it up.
Good luck.
02GF74
Über Member
get down to halfords or you lbs and ask for a box - they are boundto be chucking some out.
then you need to remove wheels and loosen bars, maybe even remove them to fit inthe box.
posting - parcel forve will do it but there us some stupid rule involvling 1.5 m so check that first.
only other thing is to figure out how to deal with buyer who says that a bunch of bricks was sent in the post and then reneges via paypal so you bike.
then you need to remove wheels and loosen bars, maybe even remove them to fit inthe box.
posting - parcel forve will do it but there us some stupid rule involvling 1.5 m so check that first.
only other thing is to figure out how to deal with buyer who says that a bunch of bricks was sent in the post and then reneges via paypal so you bike.
Klaus
Senior Member
- Location
- High Wycombe
If you do have a reasonably sized car maybe it can take the bike - arange a halfway meeting point and perhaps charge by the mile. I have done this with other bulky items and met at motorway service stations.
Sheffield_Tiger
Guru
Get some threaded rod and fix it between the fork dropouts like so (where o is a nut, || is the dropout and --- is the threaded rod)
-o||o---o||o-
Stops the forks from being bent in transit...having worked in both a bike shop and mail order, I've seen what damage couriers can do, some of it I can't quite work out HOW they do, but they manage it
-o||o---o||o-
Stops the forks from being bent in transit...having worked in both a bike shop and mail order, I've seen what damage couriers can do, some of it I can't quite work out HOW they do, but they manage it
Globalti
Legendary Member
You can protect both forks with a piece of timber slipped between them, with a screw in each end. When you get the bike box make sure you also get all the cardboard boxes, tubing and foam packing materials that came with the bike as they will be useful. Remove the skewers and pad the axle ends. Wrap the wheels in bubble wrap, and the frame in as much cardboard roll as possible. You'll need a big roll of packing tape to finish everything off. Remove any old labels and address the box clearly in thick black felt pen or with printed labels. You'll need to do all this at the point when you market the bike so as to know the total weight - borrow some bathroom scales from a neighbour. Write the buyer's cellphone number on the address label as well for the courier.
biggs682
Touch it up and ride it
- Location
- Northamptonshire
go to local halfors or bike shop and they quite happily give boxes away and then contact paisley frieght.com who charge 21.50 incl and arrange city link to pick up bike in box and ship for next day , have used paisley 5 times so far without any aggro so they get my business along with city likn
