How do you post a bicycle economically

Denis said:

I have a nice road bicylce which I would like to sell. However, if I get a buyer, I do not know how to get it to them for a sensible carriage cost. All the well-known parcel carriers I have approached either refuse bikes outright or have a size/weight calculator that comes up with a prohibitive cost.
Yet it must be possible because you see quite cheap bicycles advertised by the trade with free or nominal carriage.
Can anyone please let me in on how it is done?

Can't your LBS give you some helpful advice as to the couriers they use.
At the very least they will have spare cardboard bike boxes that their bikes get delivered in that you could package your bike in.
Otherwise specify buyer collects in your ad.

[quote="BomoSammo"]Can't your LBS give you some helpful advice as to the couriers they use.

'Buyer collects' would solve it but restricts the market, a lot.

I googled LBS in hope. Among 2.8 million hits, there is London Business School, Lancashire and Lincoln Business Schools, London Bach Society and Littlehampton Book Society but no couriers, although I didn't manage to read them all.

I'm new around here; is there a supplier called LBS or is it by any chance Local Bike Shop? I've tried that.

I just hope to find out what people in my situtation do exactly? Are buyers happy to receive a carefully packed box of bits or can bikes somehow be transported without mishap more or less as they are? I know there are people who could rebuild a totally disassembled bike from a pile of unidentified bits but not everyone can. Even if partly dismantled, - wheels off, bars and pedals turned, that sort of thing - the box would be quite big and carriers like DHL charge heavily for size, irrespective of weight.

Help!

[quote="Denis"]

BomoSammo said:

Can't your LBS give you some helpful advice as to the couriers they use.

'Buyer collects' would solve it but restricts the market, a lot.

I googled LBS in hope. Among 2.8 million hits, there is London Business School, Lancashire and Lincoln Business Schools, London Bach Society and Littlehampton Book Society but no couriers, although I didn't manage to read them all.

I'm new around here; is there a supplier called LBS or is it by any chance Local Bike Shop? I've tried that.

I just hope to find out what people in my situtation do exactly? Are buyers happy to receive a carefully packed box of bits or can bikes somehow be transported without mishap more or less as they are? I know there are people who could rebuild a totally disassembled bike from a pile of unidentified bits but not everyone can. Even if partly dismantled, - wheels off, bars and pedals turned, that sort of thing - the box would be quite big and carriers like DHL charge heavily for size, irrespective of weight.

Help!

Having a quick look on eBay most of the sellers seem to be quouting around £20 for p&p - you could always drop them a line and ask them who they use.[/QUOTE]

Now that is an idea. Thanks.