Last month I picked up my new “do it all” gravel bike and will be uploading my initial review and thoughts on that, I took the decision to sell the Boardman URB 8.8 that I picked up last year as I’ll not use it as much and the demand remains pretty high.
I had listed the bike on Facebook Marketplace and while I had no shortage of interest there were no serious buyers, I received a message from someone in Leeds who was keen to purchase the bike at asking price and cover any delivery costs. When this buyer sent me the cash through a means with no buyer protection and a lot of trust in the seller I done some research and ordered a delivery package with Paisley Freight, I paid £54.99 which included the packaging required (Box, Bubble Wrap & Tape) and next day delivery.
I submitted my order on the Friday evening and on Monday afternoon I received the flat packed box that you see on the left hand side here. It didn’t take long at all to open the outer packaging and roughly fold the box into shape. The bubble wrap they provide is a little sparse, there was enough for me to cover the bike frame and surfaces. I used the tape to solidly tape up the bottom of the box.
I sat the bike itself in front of the box to get a rough idea for size and what I’d need to remove to make it fit. In the end I removed the following;
- Handlebars
- Pedals
- Front Wheel
- Front Mudguard
With those parts removed I done a test fit of everything into the box to ensure I was happy with it. There was a little room that would allow for covering all the parts with bubble wrap – I put the pedals, quick release skewer and a spare pedal spanner into a jiffy bag so they wouldn’t get lost or rattle around inside the box. With the handlebars and frame covered with bubble wrap I cable tied the handlebars to the frame so they wouldn’t move around inside.
With everything neatly and securely packed up inside I taped up the top of the box and attached the label that Paisley Freight provided via email. If you don’t have a printer it isn’t a problem – you can simply write the address onto the box and the courier will handle the label. I had the bike all packaged up for around 5PM on the Monday afternoon/evening.
On the following day (Tuesday) the courier arrived to collect the bike, no comment was made regarding the packaging or the weight. I also wasn’t provided a confirmation of collection. I understand that Paisley Freight may sub-contract to different firms, in my car it was APC Overnight who handled the delivery of the bike.
I received an email message on the Wednesday afternoon from Paisley Freight confirming delivery, around an hour later I received a message on Facebook from the byying confirming that they’d received the bike and seemed overall satisfied with the condition and delivery.
In summary I’d have absolutely no hesitation to use Paisley Freight and recommend this service. To anyone using this I’d ensure that you have a pedal spanner and suitable allen keys to remove any parts needed to fit the bike into the box.
You can read more about Paisley Freight and the services they offer on their website at www.paisleyfreight.com