Packing and shipping wheelset to USA

General Help
1

My problem:
I need to pack and ship a wheelset to the USA. F*cking ebay user bid but didn’t first seek a shipping quote, so I want to keep it as cheap as possible so they don’t bolt.

I can pack the wheels in a box that I kept from some DeepVs sent from BellsBikeShop. This box packs the wheels beautifully, but it is unfortunately too big for Australia Post’s maximum dimensions (140cm girth requisite, but I have 172cm girth boxed). This I don’t actually get - a single wheel is about 130cm+ girth, so how does anyone send a wheelset through AusPost, even domestically?

If I can get the box within the size limits then it will cost about $80 through AusPost. But if I can’t, then next best that I can find is UPS for $175.

Advice sought:
Can anyone recommend either:

  1. A better way to pack the wheels so that they fit within AusPost’s limits, and stay in shape for the journey; and/or
  2. A cheaper international courier option that comes closer to the $80 that AusPost offers.

Thanks for any help.

2

Have you tried Pack and Send? www.packsend.com.au

3

Thanks I’ll give them a shot.

4

or interparcel

or e-go

5

i dont reckon e-go do international

ive posted things over the aust post size limits - you just need to get the right person at the right post office (go to a business centre) but bear in mind it cant go too far over because the crates they load into the planes are not real big.

6

Maybe the guy I got was a bit unhelpful. But, in any case, the 140cm girth restriction seems to be on the fact that they are put in sacks that are limited to items of 140cm girth - the guy at the post office showed me one. It seems a bit strange that every international parcel would go into a sack though? That would be a hell of a lot of sacks.

And yeah, e-go only seem to do domestic. But thanks for the link - I’ll use them in the future for domestic stuff.

The best bet is looking to be interparcel at about $154. I’ll see what Pack-n-Send come up with on Monday. I guess my bidder just has to wear it, or not.

7

For the record:

The best I found was $157.43 through interparcel with a 10% ebay discount.

8

Hi, just thought I’d bring this up again.

I’ve ordered a pair of wheels from the US, but they’ve bounced back to the sender because box was too big for Australia Post. The girth would obviously need to be more than 140cm for two wheels.

Apparently one alternative is Fed Ex for US $109. They’re good wheels but I’d like to find a cheaper option than that.

Has anyone had this trouble before? Parcels from Wiggle arrive via Australia Post, and their tyre boxes are definitely larger than the maximum.

Any ideas?

9

Wiggle come from the UK which has different size limits on shipping to Australia than the USA. If you look up both postal sites you’ll be able to work it out.

10

I’ve Express Posted wheels in a double Zipp wheel box with Aust Post.

really think it depends which store you go to. Try the one in Burnley if it’s close enough,

11

I’ve done a bit more research, Australia Post’s 140cm girth limit is the problem.

Wiggle use ParcelForce for larger international orders, since Royal Mail won’t send anything over 2kg overseas. Funny thing is that ParcelForce packages still turn up at Australian Post Offices, even though they haven’t really arrived through Aus Post.

Meanwhile the US Postal service has slightly larger limits for parcels than Australia - max length 116cm, max combined length and girth 165cm- ie: just large enough for a wheel box.

Still looking for a better option.
Meanwhile hopefully this helps as a warning if you’re looking at ebay wheels from overseas.

12

sorry maybe I should have started a new thread - i’m trying to get wheels into australia, not out.

13

Soz, I didn’t see the date of the original post.

Saying that, I’ve had numerous sets of wheels come in from the US via Aust Post in same said double wheel Zipp box.

Weird.

14

That is weird. I’ve also ordered a number of wheelsets from the US and each has arrived fine.

15

i’ve had wheels sent from the states for about $80 via USPS (i think). i’ve had someone else quote $340 via USPS, too, i think. it confuses the shit out of me.