Crazy bicycle idea

[ucrtwf]

Hi All,
My wife and I are heading to Coz again next month. An idea we had last time (from walking back and forth to town countless times from the Caribe Blu) would be to pick up some cheap bikes, ship 'em down there to ride for the week. Anyone thought of doing this? I would even give the bikes to the Cairbe Blu for loaners when we're done. Would the shipping of such a sizable box be outragous to the point where it would be silly?
Thanks for your thoughts,
Tim

 

[dtcmarical]

Having the bikes to make your travels back and forth to town sounds like a great idea. I am not sure, but could you possibly purchase bikes somewhere in town? I would think the shipping will be fairly pricey. Some of the folks that live there will no doubt answer these things later. Where we stay has loaner bikes and it sure makes the mile or so into town easier.

 

[Christi]

Shipping things to Mexico is not like shipping things within the US or even to most other countries.

1. It will be VERY expensive...probably more than the cost of an inexpensive bike
2. EVERYTHING shipped into Mexico will have to go through customs and duty will be assessed at whatever random value the customs agent feels like assessing. The more expensive and newer the item, the more duties you will pay.
3. If you are not a resident of Mexico, you would be required to have a customs broker to claim your package at customs on this end, when/IF it even arrives in Cozumel - this too will most likely cost more than the bikes themselves and would require coordination and communication ahead of time.

You'd be much better off bringing your bike on the plane as extra luggage (check with airlines on costs & restrictions) or buying one here. Bringing it on the plane may still cause you to pay duties on it when arriving here. I'm not sure if one bicycle per person is an exempt item or not, you'd have to check on that with Mexican customs as well. See what a pain itw would be to try to bring one for a short stay?

There are several bike shops here and you can get a very decent general-purpose bike here for less than $100. Start with the bike shop on 30th, across from the Pemex gas station.

 

[scubawife]

www.cozumelbikes.com $72/week

 

[Christi]

Isla Bicycleta - Cozumel Bicycle Rentals & Tours $72/week

I just called (the PDC number), and they did not reopen the shop in Cozumel again after Hurricane Wilma.

 

[scubawife]

I just called (the PDC number), and they did not reopen the shop in Cozumel again after Hurricane Wilma.

That's too bad. Looked like a very good option. Did you mention that they may want to change their site to include that info?

 

[Christi]

That's too bad. Looked like a very good option. Did you mention that they may want to change their site to include that info?

In fact I did I know a few of the larger hotels also offer bike rentals which would be another rental option. I'll ask my local bike xpert on staff if he knows where people can rent bikes these days.

 

[bcaderunr]

Great idea! We were just Cayman Brac Beach Resort and they had these beater cruiser bikes (with baskets) that got the job done. Aren't there bikes for sale at Chedraui? I'd kick in. We just bought a basic 15 speed bike at Target this summer for $69. What would the duty be on something like that if one had the receipt to show customs , Christi?

 

[ggunn]

We just bought a basic 15 speed bike at Target this summer for $69. What would the duty be on something like that if one had the receipt to show customs , Christi?

If you are going to buy a bicycle for this, why not just buy it locally? You'd avoid paying the duty and the hassle of shipping, and you'd be spending the money in the Cozumel economy.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

I had the same idea. I went by the local airport and even bought a bike box for $10 when they told me it wouldn't be very much. Wrong. Because of the oversized container as one of my checked pieces on an international flight I was going to have to pay an additional $100.

I checked with UPS and FedEx. To ship one bike down it was about $325 one way.

When I drove down I just put a bike carrier on the back and took down two. When I crossed the border I listed both bikes with a total value of $100 as they were not brand new. I paid less than $100 for a car load of stuff so the duty was quite small for the bikes.

Chedauri and Electra both sell new bikes and they will run you in the neighborhood of about $100 to $150 for a basic model.