It's Time to Start Packing My Bike

I'm taking today off. My legs and body need a little rest. But I will use today to unpack my Aircaddy shipping container and see what is required to get it ready to ship my bike to Seattle, Washington for the RedSpoke Ride. This is the annual Redmond, Wa. to Spokane, Wa. ride across the state of Washington, a little over 300 miles. I could perhaps rent a bike in Seattle but think I should take my old comfortable and broken in cycle. It's been modified substantially to fit my unique body (XXL) and weight (heavy). The shifters, handlebars, saddle, front chainring, rear cassette and wheels are all upgrades to the original Specialized Sequoia road bike. I'm pretty sure I won't find an off-the-rack rental to fit me like my trusted Sequoia. So a few weeks ago I ordered an Aircaddy box to ship my bike to Seattle. You can find their web sit at www.shipbikes.com. The system consists of a double corrugated cardboard box that is triangular in shape and designed to be safe, simple and less costly than other methods. The box costs $99.95 and basically you just have to take the front wheel off, the saddle off and turn the handlebars down in order to get your bike ready to ship. They have an arrangement with Federal Express to ship your bike in the Aircaddy for as little as $58.00 with delivery in 1 to 5 business days. Seattle from Clearwater, however, will cost me about $100 each way door to door (from my door to Kim's door). I'm impressed by the box. Its triangular design is supposed to withstand a force of up to 3500 pounds and it's fairly simple to set up. The box is designed to be used 5 to 6 times, then you can order a replacement box for $39.95. If you want to ship via the airlines they have a set of wheels available for an additional $59.95. The cost via Delta would be $150 each way (ouch!). So I think I am ready to ship and the day off felt good.