Bringing road bike from US/elsewhere

[Rajeev Muralidhar]

hi all,

Does anyone have any experiences/recommendation on bringing road bikes from US/elsewhere (either used or new)

Specifically:
1. Importantly, does it make sense to bring a road bike from US that has thinner tires/tubes etc. is it hard to maintain bringing them from outside?
2. shipping/handling of the road bike itself on flight
3. setting it up again here in blr - looks like there are several experienced bikers here, are there any places where the shipped/packed bike could be set up.

thanks
rajeev

[Yogesh N. Rao]

Rajeev,

Don't buy foreign brands available in India (like trek or giant). It will cost you more money if you add up the cost, shipping cost, and customs duty. For new bikes, it is worth buying a brand not available here (say, moulton) and importing.

For used road bikes, it's worth buying in the US. The cost is lower, no customs duty to pay (ok, I at least got away without paying after I argued with the crooks in white clothes), and shipping could be free if you plan your airline and luggage carefully. Cost in the US is lower because it has a much larger used road bike market (craigslist.com) than India. US also has a stronger use and throw culture which prompts them to sell used stuff for cheaper. In Bangalore, a used road bike is normally extremely well cared for (you would be either very rich or very insane to spend lots of money on a good road bike and let it rot in your garage) and hence, sold for a higher price.

My 2 np (that's naya paisa and not "no problems"),
Yogesh

--
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[Arvind Ganesh]

I agree with Yogesh. Used road bikes off Craigslist can be a great deal, also previous year models can be found at clearance prices. 

You may find this guide on how to box a road bike useful http://www.jimlangley.net/wrench/boxabike.html

It's better to do the boxing/unboxing yourself. If you are paying someone to box your bike in the US, be sure to factor that into your costs. 

Airlines have varying policies on transporting bikes, do some research before you book your ticket and pick one that is more bike-friendly. No additional costs if checking in as part of your luggage allowance, would be nice. Anyone know of airlines that permit this?

-Arvind

[Yogesh N. Rao]

Couple of additional points from my personal experience:

* Seek professional help with boxing and unboxing. The bike box will definitely get thrown around. It will be a case of penny wise, pound foolish if you don't spend that extra USD50/75 for getting the bike boxed properly.
* There is an additional angle to be aware of with airlines. Lot of code-shares these days. You may book a ticket on Air France, but your carrier may turn out to be Delta. Similarly, you may have a Lufthansa ticket, but your carrier may turn out to be United airlines. US based airline carriers have become stingy after the economic melt-down. So, make sure you know who is the carrier bringing you to your European transit and Good Luck!!!

[Sudhindra Aithal]

My cousin got a second hand Schwinn from the US last year.He brought it here as checked-in luggage in BA.No extra cost and no problems with the customs at the Bangalore airport either.

Sudhindra

On Mon, Sep 6, 2010 at 10:07 AM, Arvind Ganesh <arv...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Kavindra Joshi]

Hi All , 

I presently own a firefox road pro 0050. I may upgrade to a newer road bike. I have a few questions regarding that 

a) Which are reliable websites where I can look for Road bikes ? I dint find used bikes in craiglist.com.

b) What are the things to look for in a used road bike ? Has any one done such a purchase ? Does Singapore also has that system of used bike purchase ?

c) Now I am neither travelling to US nor do i anyone rerturning from there ? How do I purchase used road bike then ?

d) How does the custom clearance work ? Are there sites which do free home delivery ?

Regards

Kavindra

Regards

Kavindra

[Arvind Ganesh]

Hi Kavindra, 

I have no experience with road bikes, but I have bought and sold other bikes. There are many ways to find used bikes in the US. However, I would not attempt to buy one without checking it in person. Buying off Craigslist is much like buying a bike off someone here in Bangalore. You see an ad, you respond to it, they get back to you and you meet up to check the bike and agree on a price. Alternatively, you could visit a local bike store where they service and sell used bikes. Either way, there are no guarantees attached to used bikes, you need to make sure that you like the bike and it's condition before closing the sale. 

-Arvind

[Sreepathi Pai]

On Mon, Sep 6, 2010 at 2:02 PM, Kavindra Joshi <kavindr...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi All ,
> I presently own a firefox road pro 0050. I may upgrade to a newer road bike.
> I have a few questions regarding that
> a) Which are reliable websites where I can look for Road bikes ? I dint find
> used bikes in craiglist.com.

Although Craigslist Bangalore is used more than the other craigslists
in India, bikes come up very rarely on that site. For bikes for sale,
look at bikeszone.com in the for sale section. I believe there are a
number of used road bikes on sale right now over there.

<http://bikeszone.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=8>

--
Sreepathi Pai

[Yogesh N. Rao]

A used road bike (excluding used hero hawks here) sale in Bangalore is a once in a blue moon event. I was referring USA based craigslist websites. In India, craigslist is rarely used, if ever.

[Adarsh J]

Rajeev,

If you plan well, you can get a good road bike in the US and bring it with you when you travel.

Most airlines let you carry bikes at no additional cost (the box in which you pack your bike is considered one piece of baggage, depending on the airline). As we know, we are allowed two bags, so if you can fit your clothes and stuff in just one bag of 23 kilos, you probably can get your packed bike for free. I know Singapore Airlines definitely has this option.

A lot of good brands are available for reasonable prices in the US. I got my Scattante 560 Road Bike at Performance Bikes (it was a previous year model on clearance sale.) Check out www.performancebike.com.

If you're going for a used one, Craigslist is good, but you need to be able to spend time looking for good ones, and to inspect the bikes in person before you go for one.

-Adarsh.

On Mon, Sep 6, 2010 at 9:25 AM, Rajeev Muralidhar <rajeev.m...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Yogesh N. Rao]

I looked at Fuji bikes from performance bikes last year. Problem is that you would be taking a risk without trying out the bike. Do not buy a bike unless you are confident about the fit. For example, 57 inch specialized allez model bikes fit me perfectly. But, 56 inch trek 1.5 fit me well. So, try before you buy, esp if you are investing > USD 900 on your bike.

[Adarsh J]

Yes, I agree. I wasn't suggesting to buy online without trying out. It's very important to try out the bike you're planning to get - whether used or new.

-Adarsh.

[Rajeev Muralidhar]

Thanks everyone for the responses.

One more question - how easy/difficult is it to get new tires/tubes for such bikes here in bangalore. i guess the US road bikes have much thinner tires & tubes. given the road conditions here, quite likely there will be a lot of flats:) can i easily get tires/tubes here?

thanks,
rajeev

[Sudhir P]

yes... you'll get them here

at BOTS, wheelsports etc

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