This is sheer impatience really as I know that if I just stop thinking about it, it will arrive anyway. But like a kid on xmas eve I’ve been tracking my bike on the DHL website all day.

It’s an emotional process. It all progressed so quickly. From the initial email this morning which kindly informed me that my bike would be shipped some time this week, to receiving a tracking number, to receiving three subsequent status updates, it appeared to be all systems go. Apparently the shipping process is now 40% complete, all in one day!

Which leaves me wondering….
Is the quoted delivery time of 10 days simply a worst case scenario? Do the elves at DHL work through the night? Will my bike be on a transcontinental flight while I sleep, or being loaded onto an asthmatic tug boat? Could I be shredding the gnar-bar by the weekend? I’m gagging to huck my new local booters.

A bike leaving Germany earlier;

I got mine from Canyon and it was a week (bang on seven days) from placing the order to large box arriving by courier.

Five days to get out of Germany and another two days across the UK.

It’s in the couriers interest to get stuff moved along the supply chain as fast as possible so they don’t have storage costs.

I will stop clicking refresh for the night. Hopefully there will be another thrilling step in the journey tomorrow.

You know I was totally fine before I knew it was on the move, now I think I’ll crack if it takes 5 days just to leave Germany!

If it was collected by DHL today, it’ll be at (iirc) East Midlands airport by about 5am, and probably sat at Aachen-Maastrict right now.

That’s my experience, of parcels both in and out of Germany.

No clue how long the UK side would take, but here, that 5am arrival would be forwarded 3-4 hour drive to Frankfurt, and be on the delivery van typically with a mid morning delivery attempt. Unless it was a public holiday, when they don’t work at all.

Can’t remember how fast, but mine certainly arrived a couple of days faster than I expected.

My Bke from Germany went like this

Wednesday – Despatched
Thursday – Makes it’s way through Germany
Friday – Still In Germany
Sat-Sun DHL Don’t work
Monday 0001hrs Leaves Germany – 0700hrs Arrived in UK
Tuesday 1400hrs – On my Doorstep

Timings close to that effect 😀

Now that is the kind of insider knowledge that you just can not get anywhere else.

I am very hopeful of a prompt delivery.

I think mine was sent on a Friday and with me on Tues/Weds. UPS and Canyon

My Canyon went to their uk office first, not direct. That added a few days.

Buy German in England, makes life a little easier.

I placed an order with Canyon on 1 April. Got an email confirming the order on 4 April. Was told by Canyon today that the order is ready for dispatch, and that it will be handed over to UPS within the next two days.

Judging by the timings listed above, I guess it will be here early next week. So, about two weeks from clicking buy to first throwing a leg over it. Seems reasonable to me.

I thought I was on course for a record setting delivery time but this morning I woke up to this;

Wed, 10.04.2013 19:34 h – United Kingdom – Due to an address error, the shipment could not be delivered.

Wed, 10.04.2013 21:28 h – United Kingdom – The shipment has left the import parcel center in the destination country.

Thu, 11.04.2013 02:02 h – United Kingdom – The shipment is being prepared for delivery in the delivery depot

Thu, 11.04.2013 07:35 h – United Kingdom – Due to an address error, the shipment could not be delivered.

Thu, 11.04.2013 07:36 h – United Kingdom – The shipment was misrouted.

Sounds like something has gone very wrong somewhere! I know YT have my correct details as I confirmed them more than once.

Oh woe is me….

erk. Sure that’s not Yodel? (wouldn’t fit in a wheelie bin anyway)

It has arrived!

Despite a massive list of error messages on the tracking status, including one one from the early hours of this morning which made it sound like the bike was on it’s way back to Germany, it arrived at 8:30 this morning.

Exactly three days from pick up to delivery so I’m very happy with that. I’m pleased the actual delivery service works better than the website.

We don’t want to see shipping updates, we want to see a new bike.

Just the bike please. None of that ‘unboxing’ weirdness that pervades the tech industry.

I understand you’re probably frothing at the mouth unpacking your new bicycle right now but a few pics would be nice. 🙂

Off at a slight tangent, due to Euro-linkyness the Canyon I’ve been keeping an eye on has gone up £30 since Monday!