I picked up a bike box from Halfords, took pedals and front wheel off, and turned the handlebars. So the bike's now in a standard bike box (with a bit of a bulge). I assume this is the smallest space a bike will fit in.

It weighs 17kg all in, and is 130 x 85 x 30cm. Parcel2go, Parcelforce, etc say it's too big ("11.71 cubic feet is too large for this service").

If you've posted a bike before I'd love to know how!

check the indie dealers: I think On-one's we pages say they use amtrak?

A quick google tells me "Amtrak went into administration on August 22, 2008 and has ceased trading." 🙁

Try payperparcel.co.uk enter it as 120 x 60 x 20 20kg and it will cost you less than a tenner. They use DHL, who generally speaking don't carry tape measures. 😉

payperparcel say

"NOTE: Please ensure that the sizes and weights specified here are correct, we are now operating a zero tolerance to the oversize parcels using our automated tracking alerts.

No parcel over 31Kg is allowed to be sent under any circumstances.

Any parcel sent over the specified size will be held until the payment has been supplied along with an admin fee of £25 per parcel, parcels may be destroyed after 5 days of non payment."

😯

Is there no way I can honestly send a bike with no hassle? 😕

Parcel2Go.com

Is there no way I can honestly send a bike with no hassle?

In that case then, use 2 boxes that go below the 120 x 20 x 60. It will still cost you less than £20.

Simples!

I just posted one with parcel force. The dimensions according to their website are no one dimension greater than 1.5m, all three dimensions add up to less than 3 m and under 20 kgs.

I took the pedals off, laid the bike on its side on a big sheet of cardboard, bars off, wheels off, threaded bar in the rear dropouts, wheels on top, seat post and pedals and stuff in the spaces, packed all metal to metal contact with bubble wrap and parceled it up so it had at least two layers of cardboard all around. a fair bit smaller than you go it to.

Came to under 110cm x 80cm x 30 cm. Accepted in our post office

wheels off, mech off, lots of padding, should essily get it under 120cm.

How much TJ?

£35 for 24 hr guaranteed signed for insured for £300

Flexible size and weight limits

Standard Parcels is ideal for items up to 1.5m long and 20kg in weight, provided the combined length and girth doesn’t exceed 3m. We can collect parcels from your office as part of your regular business collection.

For more information, contact the Royal Mail Sales Centre or call one of our Sales Advisors on 08457 950950.

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/content3?mediaId=51000710&catId=400031

Looking at that its not clear if the specified size is length plus height plus width of length plus circumference. I certainly found another reference that said what I did above and have seen that specified elsewhaere I am sure

According to the blurb then, your parcel was over size
L = 110
G = 80×2 + 30×2 = 220
Total = 330 😯

Its a good job most folk in Leith can't count, let a lone use a tape measure 😉

(Ex Leither of quite a few years!)

EDIT: Written before your edit!

Hmmm – just found this:

# Check the individual parcel weight and dimensions are within the maximum weight and dimensions we accept by visiting our delivery speeds and country information pages. For the UK these are: weight – there is no limit to the weight of a multi-parcel consignment but individual parcels must not exceed 30kg; length and girth – the size of each parcel must not exceed 3 metres length and girth (measured around its thickest part) combined and 1.5 metres for the greatest dimension. Girth should be calculated as twice the height of theparcel plus twice the width of the Parcel measured around its thickest part.

http://www.parcelforce.com/portal/pw/content2?catId=17900220&mediaId=50000698

so I was probably oversize according to that

EDIT: _ I am sure I saw the L+H+W formula somewhere. Might have been a wee bit smaller than I quoted for the sizes

Oh well – if it ain't deliverd I am sure I will find out

I had a big argument with the Post Office a few months back about their T&Cs. I was posting a frame in a flatscreen TV box, and had to quote their own T&Cs at them to make them take the parcel. The guy behind the counter was using L+H+W till I set him straight. But I digress.

As geoffj says, TJ's was oversize, girth being distance around the box, ie 80 + 30 + 80 + 30 = 220.
Does all this mean the only way to send a bike is in two boxes?! I'm flabbergasted.

I am sure I could have got it within the size if I had taken the fork off as well as it was not much oversize. glad my postie is a bit daft 🙂 Hope it was delivered.

pipe lagging from your local wykes on the frame/fork legs.

wheels off, q/rs out an bubble wrapped and taped together.

for the dropouts cut 2 bits of wood to the exact width of both drop outs (make sure for the rear the bit of wood is wide enough to also protect the rear mech hanger, or take it off) then two screws + washers in each end to create make shift dropout protectors.

lots of bubble wrap……

should fit in a small box from most bike shops?

SENDITNOW £13.99 box no bigger than 1.5m one side and no bigger than 3m one side and thickest edge.30kg max.

senditnow says "Your parcel must not weigh more than 30kg, have any one dimension longer than 1.5m, and the total size of the longest dimension added to the size of measuring round the thickest part must be no more than 3m."

Same as all the rest.

I have measured up a Giant bike box for senditnow and it was OK. L+(W+W+H+H) < 3m
Guess it depends on the box you are using.

EDIT: had to take the handlebars off to fit it in the box so must be smaller than the one you are using.

There is bespoke bike shipping company on the web somewhere. They sell you a triangular box and can send it anywhere.

or try shiply. I moved a kayak this way.

I always post bike boxes with senditnow.com and only once had one delayed, and that was a HUGE box- almsot 2m long.

Can you not find someone who does mail order of some sort. I use the courier that is used in the motorcycle shop I sort of work at. Interlink.
A bike will not be heavy. It's not going to make 20 kilos, maybe not even 15. A standard bike box will be ok .
A bike is inside the couriers weight limit and easily inside the size limit. Therefore it goes insured, wanting a signature for under 9 quid.
Ask around.

recently bought a Nomad off ebay. It was shipped in a smallish bike box, which required the forks to be removed in addition to the usual wheel/bars etc. Got the impression this was deliberate to get under dimension limits that would have pushed the cost up.

Cost him 50ish quid to ship next day delivery insured to £1000 with
http://www.interparcel.com

last time i sent one i sent it in a bmx bike box the fitted in with dhl guidelines and took off wheels bars and forks and padded it and it went fine.

Never had any problems re. size sending bikes via parcelforce in card bike boxes (sent 3 in last month alone) – usually pedals+ front wheel off, reverse forks and fit plastic packing piece in dropouts, pipe lagging on frame,then cover in bubblewrap, front wheel packed beside bike (with extra card etc in between making sure axle ends are no where near frame tubes), remove bar/stem asembly in one piece and lay lengthways on top of bubble wrapped bike.

I didn't even know parcelforrce had UK size restrictions -I suspect if you use home collection then they dont check – I set one bike last month in a Pinarello box which is absolutely huge