How to send an e-bike from DBN? With #bicyclecouriers!
Need to send an e-bike? Or a regular bicycle? From DBN to JHB or anywhere else in South Africa, or beyond? We collect every weekday. From all across the country. Main centers daily, and the furthest remote areas a few times a week. *Today we received probably one of the most comprehensive questions regarding bicycle transport, out of the last 5000 bicycles we have send. It came from Jean, who works for Aviation Safety Specialists, which partially explains the comprehensive Q&A. below used with permission. To show you how we transport boxed ebikes and regular bikes in SA. Let’s go:
“Good day, I’d like a quote to courier a used e-bike from Durban to Gauteng”
The scenario: A TREK RAIL ebike 29r with Bosch PowerTube 625Wh lithium-ion (removable, in the down tube). It will be boxed at around 150*30*85cms and 30kgs by a bike shop. Collection from a shop in DBN and delivery to a house in JHB. Value Rxxxk (withheld here). It was a bikehub sale through bikehub pay and a shop will die to pre-purchase inspection and boxing.
The questions:
Could you please confirm:
- Batteries: That you’ll carry the bike with the battery fitted, by road only, and how the battery should be packed (fitted or separately).
- Pricing: The all-in price for this box, including any e-bike or oversize surcharge, for both standard and 24-hour express.
- Timing: Collection days and estimated delivery date for standard service.
- Cover: Whether you can arrange transit insurance for Rxxx amount, the cost, and any exclusions (second-hand goods, e-bikes, batteries).
- Company: Which carrier moves the bike, how tracking works, and what proof of delivery you provide.
- Claims: Your claims process and the deadline for reporting damage.
- Shops: Whether you can recommend a shop in Westville/Hillcrest to box the bike if needed, and the approximate cost.
The answers:
“Hi Jean – thanks so much – this is the most comprehensive quote requested we have received over the last 5000 bicycles! May I use it as the template for a blog post to show what we cover? Details below. looking forward to send your N+1 bicycle”. Which we do.
Batteries: Yes we send the boxed bicycle via road freight not air freight. So the battery can remain intact on the ebike. No need to remove it.
Pricing: Price to send the boxed bicycle is either R799 for normal which is avg 3-4 weekdays // or R2999 for overnight delivery which runs MON-FRI. We work on avg 160*30*80cms per bikebox and are not too concerned about some added dims so yes the prices above are spot on and includes ebikes.
Transit times: We collect every weekday. Overnight is collect in the afternoon and deliver the following afternoon. With overnight service available during weekdays for last delivery on a Friday. Normal service is avg 3-4 days between main centers. CPT to DBN via JHB may take longer than a quick stint like CPT to GRJ or DBN to JHB.
Insurance: By default no insurance but it could be added at around 2-3% of the value of the bike, however if you are buying and will be adding it to your short term insurance anyway then easiest and cheapest would just be to let them cover the trip as well be specifying it as either all risk or goods in transit depending on their definitions.
Plus,
Carriers: #bicyclecouriers use many different service providers to enable least cost routing and have the best provider on hand for a certain route and timeframe. For example, we have over two dozen carriers on the books, integrated with our network of frequently collecting from and delivering to over 100 bicycle shops countrywide. In this example it will be either LASER, MTE, TMART or TRITON depending on the timeframe and dates you choose.
Claims: Report immediately, depending on which carrier usually a 24hr to 7-day window. Claims process needs to be accompanied with photos and evidence and description and repair cost. Quite frankly the happens next to never as we have had 1-2 incidents per 5000 bicycles sent.
Shops: As for shop recommendations, we send many bicycles up to Solomons cycles in DBN and I myself have also bought bikes and then had them checked out and boxed by KT cycles, both shops are close by you and both will ask around R300 for the box+labour.
Now you can do the same
From anywhere in the country. Book with #bicyclecouriers. Where can we send your boxed bicycle today?
