I just finished packing a frameset in a Santa Cruz bike box. The frame was 57cm c-t-c. Anyway, I can't imagine fitting a larger frame in this box. I probably could have started with a larger box, and did some major cut down, as the box was longer than required by a couple of inches. Height was the minimum that would have worked. 66 1/2 girth, 41 long, that puts me at 107.5 inches. Nothing to spare on this one.

Box is about 24.5 inches high, 41 long, a little over 8 inches deep. Round up a little and you have my measurements above.

How do you do it?

I know in the past, if I got this close to 108, Fed Ed would tag me (their measurement would be more). Hopefully, the USPS will be better (they were on the last one.

Ship my stuff via Amtrak when I can...

My son and I are both over 6' so we need XL frames. I ride 64cm he rides larger yet. I have gotten a 65cm framed bike in an Amtrak box for it's trip up the East Coast. Another option might be Greyhound freight. I have actually shipped complete small car engines via Greyhound in the past.

Aaron

While I don't have any insight into the details, one fellow in California assured me he could - just barely, and to his own surprise - pack a frameset with a 63.5 (25") c-t-c seat tube and 60cm top tube within USPS dimensions (i.e. 108" all told, if I'm not mistaken). He initially said he couldn't do it (and that it would therefore cost $250 shipping to Canada instead of $60), then tried it out and made it work. I have no idea how he did it, or whether the precautions he took in packing were really adequate (or whether other dimensional aspects of this particular frame helped), as the deal did not go through. But he assured me it was possible, and with enough confidence to put that on the record on ebay with the USPS rate as the quoted shipping charge.

When I ship frames now, I pull the fork and secure it in the rear triangle of the bike. Then I get out the razor knife and go to work. The box comes out looking a bit like a parallelogram but it gets the square inches down quite a bit.

Got any pics? Particularly of something larger? How does the post office measure a parallelogram. (I have been thinking of the same thing, as there is wasted space in the corners for sure.)

This box holds a 59cm c-t top frame and fork (1978 Gazelle Champion Mondial) Top tube is 56cm. I am not sure how the post office would handle it. I use Fedex and measure as I usually do.

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Held this frame:

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USPS Parcel Post. 130" max.

My 58cm Masi came via UPS in a Felt box which I just measured as 51x28.5x7.5. It had an extra set of bars and brake levers as well. The seller took it to a bike shop in Richmond, VA which specializes in the tri crowd, so they ship lots of bikes for customers.

S

I have shipped a 63 cm C/C bike with 60 cm C/C top tube to fit in a 108" box that I custom made for the bike. I expect that you could fit a 65 cm frame. This involves some careful measuring and a reasonably rigid cardboard. I've also shipped a 60 cm bike with mudguards in a 108" box.

You can see how I packed bikes for shipment here

Unfortunately, that puts you at about 124 inches, which is OK for the 130 inch rate, but misses the very affordable 108 rate. Of course, it sounds like you got a complete bike. So thats pretty good for sure.

A 63cm frameset in a 108 box is incredible! Well done.

On higher end stuff, the shipping is not so critical. But I have quite a few donor frames, where if I can keep the shipping low, could be of interest to others, and clear out the workshop a bit.

This is how I pack complete bicycles and/or frame sets for the least expensive shipping possible. I have always managed to fit the bike or frame into a box that the Post Office will accept. You will notice that the wheels are taller than the frame and, with wheels measuring at least 62cm without tires installed...




The largest frame set I have shipped this way was a 1973 Raleigh International that I sent to Hawaii. I had no problem cutting a bicycle down to fit perfectly and comply with the Post Office size limitations...

All I know is I was quoted $60 for shipping.

S

One of the keys to getting a big frame in a box the angle. You need to angle the frame to the BB and headtube are along the bottom of the box.....the DT needs to run along the bottom. Doing this lowers the height of the box because the seat lug now angles down sometimes it slighlty shortnes the box because the rear dropouts are moved up and maybe in a little. The pic below is my 'dry fit' and there's one galring problem, the fork steerer is resting against the bottom of the box. I repositioned the fork.

Bike boxes range in width from 7" to over 8", when I pack frames I look for as close to 7" boxes as I can. I dont think chopping a box into a parralellogram helps, you still have lenght plus girth in which case the sender (fedex/usps) will measure H X L X W and lose what I feel are important voids in the box which offer crush protection.

Reverse math it:

108" - 14" (widthx2) = 94"

94" - 52" (heightx2) = 42"

42" = maximum length

With the fork removed I'm sure a 64cm frame can fit in a 42 x 7 x 26 box. A neat tricjk is to measure the length and mark the tape then wrap the tape around girth of the box from that point, it's easy to save a few inches that way.

randy when you package up a bike the way you have shown, do the recipients get angry, I would believe most would have to bring it to a shop for re-assembly. Your method is a way I would like to do it to ensure no damage, but am worried they might be mad at a extra expense.

I have never had a complaint. On the contrary, I have been commended many times for my effective packing and tracking efforts/results. My customers have express no ill concern, primarily because I believe in good communication prior to making a deal. I ensure that my customer has answers to questions that he or she might not even think to ask. I do this to help ensure that there are no unpleasant surprises when the package arrives.

However, no matter how hard I try or how much information I attempt to share, regarding purchasing bicycles and components on-line, confusion does crop up, from time to time. When that happens, I usually as the customer what he or she would like me to do about the problem, allowing that person to state both their problem and possible solutions.

[QUOTE=fender1;14116437]This box holds a 59cm c-t top frame and fork (1978 Gazelle Champion Mondial) Top tube is 56cm. I am not sure how the post office would handle it. I use Fedex and measure as I usually do.

[IMG][/IMG]

Are the paper towels to wipe up the blood spatter from the box cutter?

I have done a couple of 69cm complete bikes and have had to pay the overage both times. FedEx ground was $115.

A few years ago, I had a guy ship me a bike on Greyhound from Florida. It was super cheap... around $50 for a 65cm complete touring bike. The guy that boxed the bike had never done it before and basically removed the front wheel and wrapped it in newsprint, cardboard, and packing tape. Consequently, the package was the size of coffin!

I think you have to drop-off and pick-up at the stations; and not everyone wants to visit the Greyhound station, but the prices can't be beat!

I shipped a 25 inch frame Schwinn Voyageur to AK in a 108 inch box. It is all about the angle & your skills with a box cutter.

It sure wasn't easy though. I much prefer the lower 48 shipping with fedex ground.

I shipped a bike via Greyhound to a friend. They were hacks on the receiving end. They never called my friend to tell him the package was there. I told him what the bike box looked like and he had to go pick it out of their holding area after they denied they received it.

Never, ever, ever, use Parcel Post to ship a frameset, or a complete bike, for that matter, in my opinion. Unless you want the frame damaged!

Stay under 108" - I've shipped up to 62 cm. c-t frames by Priority Mail in the past. Waterford's box supplier makes a great box. Waterford calls it their 'export box.' I bought some of those at one point in the past, and they worked great. They were not expensive, especially considering how strong they were.

That's a 124-inch box. Overkill for a 58-cm. frame, plus it gets a huge shipping surcharge for being over 108"....

108 is half or less 130 rate. Now if that included the charge for the shop to pack it, that is really cheap.

Jim, I like your angling of the frame in the box. Last box I used was 24 inches high, 26 as you suggest would have been a lot better. Box was also needlessly too wide, at 8.5 inches. I would have much preferred that extra width (8.5 vs 7) had been added to the height.

+1 To below: I have always had good luck with USPS: I shipped a lot of stuff that way, over 1000 ebay transactions (not much bike stuff but a lot of fragile items), all have gone USPS, some parcel post, some priority. Meanwhile, my experience with UPS has been dismal....

Damage is directly related to the quality of the packaging.

all I know is, IT FITS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a triplet shipped from the West Coast to the East Coast by Greyhound. There is no way that it would ever fit into a 130" box. I tracked its progress and had to pick it up but beyond that it worked well (I didn't get any notification when it arrived).

I couldn't agree more! I used to get my daughters to stand on my boxes before shipment to see if they could withstand the force. I still do turn the box in every direction to see if anything with in the box is loose and moving around. If something is loose before it gets shipped, you can be assured that during shipment it will shift.