UKC

Is anyone travelling to Nepal in Jan or Feb 2025? We are two English cyclists currently riding our bikes around the world - hoping to get back to the UK by September this year. Sadly, one of the front hubs on our bikes has broken - It is the second time that the bearings in it have failed during our trip! We have agreed with SON (the manufacturer of the hub) that it can be replaced under warranty but they will only post it to the UK or Europe. Is anyone flying to Nepal in January or February 2025, who might be able to bring the replacement hub with them? We would be forever grateful!! 

Any help would be much appreciated. 

Tom & Sarah 

In reply to Tom&Sarah:

Could you share a social media link on this thread? That’s easier to share more widely 

In reply to Isabelle Booker:

Yeah sure, here is an Instagram post we shared if you'd like to also share that would be so great, thank you. 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEob-SLJ662/?igsh=Z3l5ajFkZ28ybndo

In reply to Tom&Sarah:

Do you know anyone in the UK who can receive the hub and then post it on to Nepal? 

In reply to GDes:

Yes that is a last resort option for us, but postage into Nepal is very unreliable so we worry it would get lost! 

In reply to Tom&Sarah: try the big / small trekking companies. There are lots .  If / when you are in ktm go abs tell your story to the office staff at Himalayan encounters . They are the agent for lots of trekking companies . They might be able to sort something out .

In reply to mike123:

Thank you - great suggestion! 

In reply to Tom&Sarah:

Why will they not send it to Nepal?

Is it a cost issue or perhaps they concerned with customs issues.

So long as you are prepared to pay for say DHL or FesEx or whoever to ship it, I cannot understand why they would have an issue.

I would ask them "why"

I do not do Instagram, do you have a blog.

In reply to Godwin:

Because the chances of actually receiving it are minimal 

In reply to Tom&Sarah:

As you have worked out don’t post it .

Not quite the same but in a similar vein , about 30 years ago I had a bag of climbing gear caught up in Nepal customs . It had been shipped ahead of me as I was working somewhere or  other nearby and it seemed like a good idea . Luckily I got into Kathmandu a week before my mates and they were also arriving early . I spent several days doing nothing but getting my bag and wandering around thamel looking for all the kit I needed that was in the bag . I did eventually get it but only after paying a hefty amount of baksheesh via an agent . 
Another tale has just popped into my head . On another trip I had all

my gear in one of those large black north face kit bags with yellow writing on it that lots of people used .The bag was already all bashed up and sorry looking . As all the bags were going around the carousel my bag didn’t appear but left on there was exactly the same bag as mine but a brand new one . It slowly occured to me what had happened . Very apprehensively I explained to customs that this was not my bag but open looked exactly the same . They said if I wanted to I could have it . We opened it up and it was full of brand new north face kit , brand new plastics, axes , crampons etc etc . All new and very Gucci . But all for sonebody who was clearly about 6 foot six tall. My bag was full of all the same items but all for somebody very much not 6 6  and also mostly very welll used . Including a pair of plastic boots that were pretty muck kbackered . The ones in the bag were brand new . The bag belong to an American called Dan . I m still amused by the thought of Dan opening the bag up and slowly pulling out all my knackered kit that was several sizes too small for him . I did work out that I could probably sell all the kit and replace mine . Again by total fluke a very helpful Nepali customs officer quickly got his head around what has happened and said he would sort it and if my bag did not reappear I could have this bag . Anyway Dan went back to the airport with my bag and got his back . 
I still use the mountain equipment version of those bags but always tie coloured ribbon all over them . 

In reply to mike123:

Really, I have sent stuff all over the world, and the key is filling the paperwork and reading the instructions.

A small parcel like a hub in a cubic small box to be collected from the office of a major carrier I  would think reasonably low risk.

It's when people try and dodge customs, incorrectly label or package that causes problems.

FedEx to Kathmandu should be as simple as FedEx to Sydney.

It would be interesting to know why the manufacturer resists this, I use a chain drive because it can be mended anywhere, but I believe funky hubs like Rohlhoff are excellent and very very rarely fail, bit if they do, saying one will not send out of Europe kind defeats the object.

In reply to mike123:

I made a living importing paragliders into Nepal using Fed Ex and DHL. In 22 years I received every shipment.

In reply to Adam Hill: hands up . I didn’t read the reply . I thought they meant “normal “ Post . Happy to bow to your superior knowledge . ( not meant snarky ) . Could be a good solution 

In reply to Godwin:

Yes we have a blog, if you are interested it's:

https://tumblingdiaries.co.uk/

Yes we might look into DHL or FedEx if we can't sort anything else.

In reply to Adam Hill:

This is helpful to know, thank you. 

In reply to Tom&Sarah:

Perhaps worth noting that Jan-Feb isn't the climbing season in Nepal .. nor the kayaking season.  i.e. there might not be many climbers heading out at this time.

Maybe an email to Jagged Globe might work:  https://www.jagged-globe.co.uk/climb/exp/nepal.html

Good luck!

In reply to StuPoo2:

I've seen this thread, but as you surmise we don't have anyone going out at this time of year.