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Kimchi Cowboy
Joined: 17 Sep 2006
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 Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 11:34 am Post subject: Bringing a Bicycle? |
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Just wondering if anyone here has brought a bicycle with them from overseas as part of their checked luggage, and if so, were there any issues with customs? I just bought a new road bike and I'm thinking of bringing it back to the ROK with me, but I don't want to get dinged for duty.
Thanks,
KC |
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The Bobster
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 1:28 pm Post subject: |
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| You can buy perfectly good bikes over here for right about the same money. Leave yours with a friend back home, save yourself some trouble. Thinking the cost of traveling it over would be about the as buyng a similar machine once you get here. Just trying to help. |
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Kimchi Cowboy
Joined: 17 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:54 pm Post subject: |
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Well Bobby, there's a lot going on there. Where to begin?
First of all (and you couldn't know this), I already have a "perfectly good" mountain bike back at my apt. in Seoul. However, since 99% of my riding (in Seoul and in Canada) over the past 6 years has been ON the road as opposed to off-road, I've decided to make the switch to a road bike. (There were a number of factors that went into that decision, including comfort over long rides, speed, and the fact that my old bike was just that - OLD!  ) And besides, I have too damn much money saved up and nothing to do with it.  At least, until I see my investor guy next week...
Now that I'm back in gloriously sunny BC for the summer, I decided, after years of debate, to finally go for it and bought me a Specialized road bike - which, after only 3 days, I'm loving to bits, as I can ride longer, faster, and farther with far less discomfort. So, seeing that I just invested over $1300 in a machine that seems sadly destined to getting only another 3 1/2 weeks of use until next summer, I was thinking of bringing it with me to Korea and getting some proper use of it over the fall / (winter?) / spring, instead of stowing it in Mom's Increasingly Crowded Basement. (Seriously, it looks like Fred Sanford's place down there...).
Secondly - and you really should know this, Bob - Quality bikes and accessories in Korea (i.e. "Western" brands) are FAR more expensive in Korea; to the tune of 30% or more than what one would pay "back home". A similar bike to what I just bought would probably run over 2 million won... IF I could find something in that same bracket, that is.
I know that I can get my bike flown over as a piece of checked baggage, so long as it's boxed properly - for no charge.
And, I'm pretty sure that I could sell my existing bike (Trek 3900, anyone? Great little city commuter / river trail explorer!) in Korea without too many problems.
All I really want to know is, will Korean Customs try to charge me duty for bringing in a nearly-new bike?
All the same, thanks for taking the time to reply and for trying to help. Cheers,
KC |
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twg
Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Location: Getting some fresh air...
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| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Kimchi Cowboy wrote: |
| First of all (and you couldn't know this), I already have a "perfectly good" mountain bike back at my apt. in Seoul. However, since 99% of my riding (in Seoul and in Canada) over the past 6 years has been ON the road as opposed to off-road, I've decided to make the switch to a road bike. |
Haven't you noticed the sidewalks here?
Stick with an off road bike. |
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pest2
Joined: 01 Jun 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:27 am Post subject: |
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To answer the main question about customs and bringing a bike:
No, there will be no issues about bringing your road bike on the plane to Korea from any other country. I've done it.. hmmm ... 4 times now.. and never ever had any problem. The last time I did it, I had a brand new Cannondale that I checked through... 4000$ bike... still in the box, and unassembled. No problem. No customs charge.
If you buy a bike, say, from Ebay, you can still get a better deal than buying one in Korea. I got an MTB that way for about 1500$. After the shipping fee (300) and the tax (300) the total (2100) was still less than buying exactly the same bike in Korea (2400).
If you want to get some bike parts from the USA (or any other country I guess) for less than 100$, however, there is no tax. But figure around 30$ for shipping... still, probably cheaper than getting it here
| The Bobster wrote: |
| You can buy perfectly good bikes over here for right about the same money. Leave yours with a friend back home, save yourself some trouble. Thinking the cost of traveling it over would be about the as buyng a similar machine once you get here. Just trying to help. |
Man, bobster. Are you really, "opposite-man" today? That was like the worst advice anyone could ever give about a topic.
First, bikes and bike parts are very very much over-priced and hard to find in Korea. Furthermore, most of the shops are run by incompetent rude flaky ajoshis who cant tell their heads from their buts....
For example, a certain new pair of shimano shoes costs 300$ in the USA but they're 500 here in Korea. Brand new Trek bike of a certain model is 4000$ in the USA but 6000$ in Korea.
I always avoid buying anything in Korea if possible, but especially bike things and especially if they're less than 100$.
Only caveat might be if you just want to get a cheap, >100$ bike to ride around for a short time while you are here... then get one of those Korean Lesbos.. err... i mean... Lespos.
OP: Korea isnt like the best place to ride on the road, though... unless yer like me and you live in the countryside... Still, there are a few places in and around Seoul. PM if you want advice about where to ride or how to meet some other people who ride if yer into that. |
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The Bobster
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:06 am Post subject: |
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| All the same, thanks for taking the time to reply and for trying to help. |
Well, I said I was just trying to help. Looks like I didn't ... sorry, but I tried. Honestly, we both know there are newbies who think it's impossible to even buy razors over here, we both know that. Obviously, you are a bike afficiando, more than I suspected, and if you paid that much for the thing it's probably worth the shipping and duties you'll have to pay, especially if you have the dosh anyway, besides which the locals will be oohing and aawing owver it. If you have the $, go for it, man.
But, hell, what do I know? I paid $100 once in overweight charges to the airline to bring over a lot of books I'd read already and in 5 years I think I've only reread half of them - feels comfortable to have them around, though, that's a fact. Maybe I oughta get off the 'net and crack one of them open again ...
Cheers to you, too, sincerely.
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Kimchi Cowboy
Joined: 17 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 12:50 pm Post subject: |
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Pest2 - Thanks for the info. The vast majority of my riding will be my 10-min. commute to / from work, and on the river parkways (Tancheon, Yangjaecheon, etc.) I'd been putting in some 35-40Km rides (Jamshil-Bundang, Jamshil - Yeoido, etc), but afterwards my back/knees were singing a tune. My new bike is great for those longer rides. Still debating, but definitely leaning towards bringing it.
...might need some help reassembling it, though...  |
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pest2
Joined: 01 Jun 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Kimchi Cowboy wrote: |
Pest2 - Thanks for the info. The vast majority of my riding will be my 10-min. commute to / from work, and on the river parkways (Tancheon, Yangjaecheon, etc.) I'd been putting in some 35-40Km rides (Jamshil-Bundang, Jamshil - Yeoido, etc), but afterwards my back/knees were singing a tune. My new bike is great for those longer rides. Still debating, but definitely leaning towards bringing it.
...might need some help reassembling it, though... |
Ah, yeah, you can do the path from Olympic Park (not too far from Jamshil, I recall) to the Han river and then go on the Han river and then turn left on the Tancheon to get up to Bundang. I guess thats like a 2 hr ride, out and back.
ahhh, better, you can ride all the way out to this place called, "paldang dam" on a certain set of roads, to this place called Yangpyeong, and then back through Namhansanseong.... its a good 5 hour ride, probly... But the last 1/2 of it is pretty much car- safe; just like riding in the US.
Anyway, good luck. Riding on the road is not as much fun in the Seoul area, but its better than nothing IMHO. And you can always hop on a bus on a weekend and go to almost any place in the countryside and have a great ride. |
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