If you know what you’re doing, shipping a bicycle is relatively simple. We’ll go over the fundamentals of bicycle shipping in this article, including how to pack your bike securely and how to pick the best shipping option. There are a few things to be aware of so that everything goes smoothly when shipping for vacation, a race, a cross-country move, or to sell your bike.
How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Bike?
The level of bike shipping services you need and the shipping firms you choose will both have an impact on how much it will cost to ship your bike. You can expect to pay between $50 and $250 depending on the distance and method of shipping a bike and how much time and effort you put into packing (longer distance, faster shipping, professionally packed).
For instance, if you need your bike quickly, be prepared to pay more for disassembly and boxing services as well as the actual bike shipping box.
Depending on your needs, a number of specialized bike shipping companies can offer more affordable rates and better service. The size of your bike, the distance, and the service you select will all have an impact on how much it will cost to ship your bike.
You should ship your bike with the help of specialized bike shipping companies. You will be guided step-by-step through the process, and they even have online resources to assist you in disassembling and packing it. However, if you don’t exercise caution, you could damage your bike in the process.
Shipping Methods For Bicycles
Of course, UPS and Your bike will be shipped by FedEx, but you’ll have to pay for the service. If shipping directly with one of these carriers, in addition to sending your own bike, you’ll also need to consider how to pack it.
BikeFlights, Sports Express, and ShipBikes are just a few businesses that specialize in transporting bicycles. Regardless of which option you select, the size of your bike, the distance traveled, and the bike shipping service will largely determine the shipping cost.
The process can be streamlined by using a bicycle shipping company like BikeFlights. After you place an order, they will send you a box made specifically for your bike. They offer online resources and courier services that will ride your bike up to your door to assist you in disassembling and packing it.
The fact that they ship more bicycles and are skilled at doing so means that a service like this gets better rates from shipping companies. UPS will give you the “rack rate” if you call for a quote from someone who ships a bike every few years.
Bikes weighing 30 pounds or less can anticipate shipping costs ranging from $50 to $400. Yes, that does cover a lot of ground. The prices listed below are for shipping a bicycle from New York to San Francisco.
What Errors Are Common In Bike Shipping?
“People not packing their bikes properly is the most frequent error we observe. ” We’ve taken the time to create a variety of resources for those who want to fill their bikes and guarantee that they arrive in good condition. A wheel axle end that hasn’t been shielded from contact during shipping could hurt a down tube or seat tube that isn’t adequately padded.
It’s common to overlook the need for extra time when shipping your bike. Even if the weather is ideal where you are and where you are going, shipping delays could still happen because of bad weather elsewhere along the route, such as heavy rain, snow, flooding, or hurricanes. To be safe, when shipping your bike, make sure it arrives at least one or two days early.
Shipping A Bike Is Expensive Due To Their Large Sizes
A bike’s total dimensions, which include its height, width, and length, make it a large object that any shipping company will deem oversized. In fact, because they’re so large, most bikes can’t even be shipped through USPS! Due to the fact that USPS only transports mail and smaller packages, they have strict maximum dimensions that they permit for their shipments. Even when you disassemble a bike into individual parts that fit inside a single box, the final dimensions are frequently larger than what USPS is allowed for.
Since this is the case, you’ll need to choose another carrier other than USPS to ship a bike…and in our experience, you’ll get the best rates with UPS.
If you’re wondering why UPS is the best choice over other carriers like FedEx, it all comes down to cost. In general, UPS is the best carrier for sending large, oversized boxes and other heavy items. They provide comparable services to FedEx (like ground and overnight delivery), but typically charge less.
The Cost Of Shipping A Bike Depends On The Weight (or The Size)
Even though UPS specializes in heavier shipments, most bikes weigh between 15-80 pounds depending on the style, and considering UPS accepts shipments up to 150 pounds, bikes aren’t all that heavy. However, UPS often prices large packages based on their dimensional weight, and not their actual weight (they charge based on whichever is the greater number). Dimensional weight, or “DIM,” refers to how much space your box takes up on a truck, based on the total volume of your package. You can read about the unique formula used by carriers like UPS to determine DIM in our article on dimensional weight.
Bike packages tend to have relatively high dimensional weights, which makes shipping them expensive because you frequently pay based on the size of your box rather than its actual weight.
How Long Does Shipping A Bike Take?
The majority of shipping services give a 3 business day estimate, but it may take up to 5 business days. BikeFlights offers a $500 money-back guarantee that your bike will arrive on time. It’s best to schedule your bike’s arrival for midweek if you need it for a weekend race so that, even if there is a delay, you will still have it in time for the event.
BikeFlights calculates the cost of ground shipping a bike for six days from New York City to Boulder, Colorado at $75 without any type of premium insurance protection. Although it will cost you about $390, you can upgrade to 3-day air.
For only $65 and a trip from Denver, Colorado to San Francisco, BikeFlights will deliver your bicycle to you in 2–3 days.
