Shipping a bike from Holland to the UK

[Andrew_Culture]

I'm keen to buy a cargo bike but in the uk they are expensive. There are ton so of bikes that would be perfect on a Dutch auction site called Marktplaats. I have contacted a seller to ask if they would sell to me here in the U.K. They are happy to do so but want me to organise the shipping, which is fine.

I've heard a rumour that DHL have a bike shipping service. Has anyone here used it?

It's worth spending a bit on the shipping because the savings are huge. The bike I want is £1,700 new in the UK but around €600 second hand on Marktplaats.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Incidentally I live near Harwich but haven't yet found a ferry ticket that would make it cheaper for me to go and fetch the bike myself.

 

[srw]

Incidentally I live near Harwich but haven't yet found a ferry ticket that would make it cheaper for me to go and fetch the bike myself.

If you've got the prices right then even going tonight, on the most expensive ticket available, and coming back tomorrow night, both with the most expensive cabins available, and including a car, will save you about £600.

Going out as a foot passenger and back as a cyclist will cost you £160, including the cheapest cabins possible. That'll save you about £1,000.

 

[Cycleops]

Yes, there must be cheap and off peak fares. Might be better and cheaper to go personally and bring it back. Obviously you'll have to get the bike well packed for shipping. Would they do that for you?. I've used DHL to get stuff here and they are great. You get accurate tracking on their site. To give you an idea of cost Evans want £300 to send me a bike here by DHL.

 

[Globalti]

Wow. Simple airfreight to Accra would be a lot less than that; the only problem is that you need a clearing agent.

 

[slowmotion]

Take the night ferry on your outward and return trips. You get a cabin to yourself and the ships are pretty smart. I've never paid more than £140 for the round trip. I've no idea where in Holland the bike might be but the trains from the Hook run frequently. Once you've picked the bike up, just ride it back to the ferry down the excellent cycle paths. Regard it as a short holiday, not a shipping problem.

Edit: you might want to check with Stena that cargo bikes travel for the same fare as regular bikes.

 

[mjr]

Edit: you might want to check with Stena that cargo bikes travel for the same fare as regular bikes.

I'd be shocked if they didn't. IIRC the two types of bike accommodation on the car deck are fences that you park alongside (although most cargo bikes are longer than typical bikes, there's usually plenty of fences and I suspect one could still park a typical bike alongside) or saddle-hooks that you park through (where the extra size of the cargo bike would be basically irrelevant). Take plenty of straps and bungees to lash the bike down, just in case.

 

[Dave 123]

Duathlon.

Swim there, ride back.

 

[User169]

One word of caution. There are no rules when it comes to Marktplaats.

If you are going to travel there in person, I'd make sure that they've at least changed the listing to reserved and have agreed to hold off selling it to someone else.

 

[subaqua]

DHL do indeed do a bike shipping service as it was them that delivered my bike from Germany to me . Shipping was included on that one but I think it is about £80 .

 

[User169]

NS can be brutal with bikes...

 

[slowmotion]

Duathlon.

Swim there, ride back.

If you took a pair of rowlocks and some oars, you could complete a triathlon by rowing it back across The North Sea.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

One word of caution. There are no rules when it comes to Marktplaats.

If you are going to travel there in person, I'd make sure that they've at least changed the listing to reserved and have agreed to hold off selling it to someone else.

Good to know thank you.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I have been offered a Bakfiets at a decent price through a parents' cycling group on Facebook. As much as I love an adventure I'm hoping to avoid having much of one.

 

[Saluki]

[QUOTE 4787025, member: 45"]Maybe we should set up a CC Dutch bike sale website. We could take it in turns riding them back.[/QUOTE]
Now that is a cracker of an idea. Mini breaks and helping out fellow CC-ers all rolled into one