Importing bikes

Hey, I'm new on here, my name's Matt.

I'm looking to buy an OTP single speed / fixed gear (sorry, no spare time to build my own!), and I really like the Bianchi Pista. I'm in New York soon, and prices there seem to be pretty good, given the exchange rate ($4-500). Has anyone bought a bike and brought it home with them? I'm guessing that I could call ahead and ask a shop to sell me the bike in it's original packaging. Are there any issues with bringing them back as luggage on a plane? Customs charges? Any friendly bike shops to recommend?

My bike at the moment is an old Healing 10 speed racer, which I bought about 4 years ago from my local dump recycling shop for a tenner(!). Might convert it to single speed at some point, but it's pretty heavy.

The best thing to do is check what your airlines oversize baggage policy is. This info can sometimes be found on their website. I've done it. I did not have to pay customs, nor did I have to pay any excess charges. It all depends on the airlines policy.

You can bring bikes for free with some airlines (but they'd be built without pedals). This will also make it much less likely to be hit with customs (which is not as likely to be the case if you bring a packaged bike).

Thanks for the help. I'm flying with Virgin, whose website says that bikes are charged, but it doesn't say how much. Guess I have to call em.

Horatio - do you mean that I'm more likely to attract custom's attention if the bike is in the box, or out of it?

Virgin normally consider a bike as a second piece of check in luggage. At least that was the case for me.
quote from website:
Passengers can take one piece of sporting equipment free of charge, in addition to their free baggage allowance. The sporting equipment can weigh no more than 32kg.

and that =
Bicycles

Non-motorised bicycles including tandems, in protective box or bag. (Bike pedals must be removed, or fixed inwards, handlebars fixed sideways, to minimise risk of damage tyres can be deflated).

Yeah, sorry. That was unclear.

If I was a customs dude and saw a brand new packaged bike in a box, I'd be suspicious (if I even cared). If it's out of a box built, chances are they'd just assume you brought your bike with you. When I've flow with bikes they've always been built and no one seemed to even think twice about it...

Someone told me the other day that Virgin will fly bikes for free? I know AirCanada charges for bikes on domestic and flights to the US, but it's free international (excluding the US).

they are free!
read above^

Whoops. Too slow.

sorry.
They are free unless you have an extraordinarily heavy bike.

why doesn't he get one of the 900 you're going to import?

Surely the obvious thing to do here is to take the bike back in a bike bag like below, that way they should just see it as a piece of luggage?

1 Attachment

why doesn't he get one of the 900 you're going to import?

no the order will be limited to 99.

Thanks for the advice, guys.

Does anyone know of a good bike shop in NYC?

Thanks for the advice, guys.

Does anyone know of a good bike shop in NYC?

Ask Cornelius, i think he bought his tinanium frame there.

worth double checking what the airlines views are on the state of build of the bike, i brought a bike back from berlin a few years ago and was told the bike had to be broken down into its main parts and the cranks removed too. i struggled like mad to get the cranks off and skinned my knuckles into the bargin. when i then arrived at check-in i was told they would take the bike in its built up state! i wasn't best pleased. like i said get a definate on the conditions of carriage.

with virgin, bikes are allowed. thats from conditions of carriage and first hand experience.

A bit late but . .

I bought a DH bike back on BA from Denver to Heathrow in a Da Kine Bike Bag:

http://www.asilvertouch.com/articles.php?id=85

t was viewed as Sporting goods second bag, and although it came in over the 40kg limit they didnt bother charging me as flight wasnt full.

I bought the bag in Colorado, and sold it when i got back for what i paid for it.

I do regular trips to New York to buy snowboard kit, i just buy a wheelie board bag out there, load it up with all the gear i want and bring it back - customs never said anything, and BA has never charged me, then sell the bag on ebay when i get back.

Last year i traveled to OZ and came back via LA - i had a 10 hour stop over so went out and bought about a grands worth of snowboard kit, and just carried it on as hand luggage and didnt get stopped at customs either.

borrow a bag from somone on here and bring it back in that.

Here's a quasi-related question. What would be the best way to get a bike to meet me in France if I'm not going to be traveling with it (and have nowhere to ship it to)? I'm heading to Spain the end of the week with a friend sans velos. We're going to make our way to France where I'll be meeting up with my gf. If I can get my bike there, she can bring her bike on the train. Is this possible? I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to convince her to bring two bikes with her (which is understandable). Any ideas?

Pay someone to ride it out there and then get the train back. It's not the cheepest way, but I do provide a very professional service ;)

gf goin on eurostar? if so, get her to send the bikes via registered baggage. she'll have to check the bikes in at st pancras a day before she travels. that way the bikes are guaranteed that they're in paris (assuming you're goin to paris) when she arrives.

Thanks vinylvillan. Not too late either - I'm going on Thursday.
Not 100% sure that I'm going to buy one out there now, as I might use the employer purchase scheme
thing when I get back. We shall see...