I'm looking on advice for sending my bike (a beautiful german 1960s damenrad) back to Australia from Germany. Unfortunately the freight companies are asking literally 10 times the value of the bike to do that - between 300-500 euros! Does anyone know a good cheap way to get my bike home safely? I don't need to get the bike there quickly, just in one piece. Thanks.

Hi Emily,

I currently have a very similar problem. I want to get my bike from Germany to Minneapolis, but sending by mail would be extremely expensive (above 600 Euros) and customs declaration quite complicated (might be different in Australia). The only affordable way to get my bike here is if either I take it with me when I return from my next trip home or if one of my vsitiors from Germany bring it along as part of my/their luggage. Sending the bike as an unaccompanied package unfortunately is almost impossible.

Sorry that I don't have any better news.

Take care,

Christof

Thanks Christof. By the way, to follow up, I found by FAR the cheapest thing (I had quotes of 500 euros etc as well from frieghting companies) was to pull apart the bike (wheels etc off), and pack it into a box as small as possible and send it with DeutschePost. it cost me 80 euros - not bad! It would have been cheaper if my bike was not so heavy and archaic (weighed 22 kg all up - seat is going in my backpack). I got my box from a bike shop (for the big cardboard), and then put the bike into a corner, and gradually cut the box back to the minimum possible. The bike must have been a good 120 cm high, and 150 long or something (one of those big 1960s damenrad), and the box ended up being about 110x70x20 cm. We'll have to wait and see if it gets there, but at the moment it looks like the best option. I think it also depends on how officious your DeutschePost worker is, as I think they are not supposed to take boxes taller than 60 cm, but for once, they had no problem with the rules, or ddin't know them. I did have to remove items until the box weighed exactly under 20 though, even to the last 300 grams. Good luck! Emily.

Hi Emily
don´t you go back as well? I suppose the cheapest way is to take it with you on the flight. For bicycles there are usually good rates.
Otherwise I think it is just expensive unless you find somebody who moves to Australia, having a complete container and likes to add your bike.
Sorry, no other info
KATRIN*

I'm going back in a very indirect route, via the USA, with internal flights there. So add up 5 flights, with a chance of 80 or so euros fee for the bike on each, and all of a sudden it is not so cheap afterall. Hence DeutschePost option is very good value...

Hi Em,

80 Euros is to my very surprise an excellent rate through Deutsche Post!

The shipment is insured and you´ll get it fairly quickly.

Just for the record: Some shipping agencies like Wiesel offer containers which content is only dispatched after being full to a certain degree (Sammelcontainer). You´d be charged by cubic meter disregarding the actual weight and compared to UPS etc. it is next to nothing. The downside: you´d have to wait for the container to fill up and since it travels on a ship, it would take a while.

On minor reply to your assumption that you´d have to pay for your bike again and again one your several flight back home:
This would only be the case if you stayed overnight and had to check out your bike. Usually you can checck your luggage through how ever flights might be necessary. This shouldn´t cost you much, but it increases the chance of your bike being damaged drastically.

I personally feel that your made the right choice

Take care,
Björn

Hi Emily,

it sounds to me as if you got an excellent deal. For some reason it is a lot more expensive to ship a bike to the US. Additionally the customs duties are outrageous here. I guess that they assume that every large box might contain Saddam's weapons of mass destruction. I don't give up the hope that the situation here will improve after November 2nd

However, in early September, a friend will come to visit me in Minneapolis and will bring along my bike. So from September on, I will be no longer just half a person.

Take care,

Christof

Hello Guys

You need to pack it in a smaller box, if you disassemble the bike a bit it is much easier to send it.

I have shipped bikes Switzerland to New Zealand (box was stuffed full of chocolate, weight around 25kg) with Swiss Post for CHF220 (EUR150).

I think NZ Post is even cheaper going to Switzerland.

With both I used a cardboard bike box and had to make it as small as possible (take the forks out, wheels beside the frame) as they won't take a full sized bike box.

Tim