How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Bike?
It is not quite possible to ship a bike in your car every time because not every trip can be made with the car.
In such scenarios shipping the bike through a third-party would be the best option in hand.
By sending it separately, you will not have to worry about the hassles that come with handling the bike around while transporting.
Now you might wonder how much does it cost to ship a bike. Well, the answer is not that specific. But we are going to try to answer that by giving you some estimation.
Alongside that, we will also provide you the necessary information that you should know before shipping a bike.
How Much Does It Actually Cost to Ship a Bike?
As we mentioned, the answer is not that specific. But there is a price range that you can take as a starting point.
With that said, you should know that not all the shipping companies have the same policy, and not all of them will charge you the same.
You might wonder why. Well, it is because not all of them will handle your bike around in the same manner.
With all of that aside, these are the estimated shipping costs for different shipping companies:
Ship Bikes
This shipping solution is the most cost-friendly option. As the name suggests, they only ship bikes.
That means they know everything that is related to handling the bike around.
However, they might not pack your bike for you. You might have to do the packing by yourself.
The starting price for shipping starts at 70$, and it will go up depending on the distance.
Bike Flights
This shipping company is another dedicated bike shipping solution. Much like the company that we mentioned above, they also know everything related to shipping and handling bikes around.
They usually have an excellent shipping rate. All you have to do is pack your bike, book a shipment, and then get your bike shipped. The starting rate is somewhere around 60$.
Bike Shipping Service
You might have many local bike shippers in the area that you are living in. They will most likely pick the road bike from your home and ship it to your preferred destination. You will not have to pack it by yourself.
However, the rates will vary. It will depend on the distance, the weight, and the dimensions. Most of them will have a slow shipping time.
FedEx
This shipping company is one of the commercial shipping solutions in the market. As they are commercial, they mean business.
That means the shipping rates are not going to be cheap. Depending on the distance and the dimensions, the prices can go up to 150$.
However, if you have insurance, the price can dramatically climb up.
UPS
Another commercial shipping company is UPS. They also mean business. The starting price for shipping something like a bike would be 100$.
And the price will go up depending on the distance, weight, dimensions, and whether you have insurance or not.
How to Pack Your Bike Properly?
As you know by now, you might have to pack your bike yourself before the shipping company picks it up from your home.
And if you do not pack it up properly, the possibilities of it getting damaged during shipping will be quite substantial.
With that said, these are the steps that you should follow to pack your bike properly before shipments:
Step 1: Disassemble the Parts
Start by removing all the parts from the bike. First, remove the handlebars. Then work your way through the front wheel and the saddle of the bike.
After that, take off the pedals and then try to remove the external cables. If you can not seem to remove the cables, then loosen them because if they remain stiff, they can wear or tear away while transporting them.
Then remove the front wheel and the rear derailleur. Do make sure that you let the air out of the tire after removing the wheels. If your bike has shifting gears, you will have to loosen them up too.
Step 2: Wrap the Parts
Once you have removed the parts mentioned in step one, you need to start wrapping them.
For this, we would recommend you to get foam and bubble wraps. Foam wrap or cushion wrap can be found online. These will eliminate the chances of the bike parts being scratched.
Start with wrapping the handlebars first with a foam wrap. Then wrap the saddle, the seat bar, and the front wheel. After that, wrap the pedals and the brake cables with a bubble wrap.
Cover the rear derailleur with a foam wrap and tie it with the back wheel. Then wrap the whole contraption with foam wrap again. Wrap all the exposed areas of the other bike parts with a foam.
If you have enough bubble wrap with you, we would recommend you to wrap the exposed areas with it first and then wrap them up with a foam wrap.
Step 3: Pack All the Parts Inside a Box
Find yourself an adequately-sized box for packing all the parts inside. It is recommended to place a piece of paper inside the box that has the destination address written on it.
This will ensure that even if the box gets badly damaged during shipping, the shippers will know the address from the paper. However, the box getting damaged to that point is highly unlikely.
After you have packed all the things inside the box, you need to shut the opening with a strong tape or wrapping tape.
Do make sure that there are no rattling or any of the parts are not bulging on the sides.
If the parts do rattles inside, place extra foams on the empty spaces. Also, make a list of the parts that you have packed inside the box.
Once you have packed the box properly, print the shipping details and stick them on the top of the box.
You can use a strong adhesive or a clear tape for this. After that, call your shipper or deliver the box to their pickup location.
What to Do After the Bike Gets Shipped?
Sending the bike is just the first half of the shipping process. The other half are the things that you have to do after you receive the bike at the shipping destination. These are the steps for that:
Step 1: Unpack the Box
First of all, unpack the box carefully. Make sure you have the right unpacking tools with you before you attempt to open the box. Do not exert force, or you can damage the parts that are packed inside.
Once you have unpacked the box, check whether the parts that are in the box are in the same condition or not.
If you find that the parts inside got damaged, then you need to contact the shipping company immediately.
In this case, having insurance always checks out. Apart from that, if they all are in the same condition as they should be, check whether all the parts are inside the box or not. If they are not, you should call up the shipper and sort it out.
Common Mistakes That People Make
There are some mistakes that people often do while shipping a bike from one place to another.
We are going to let you know about them so that you do not make the same mistakes when you are shipping your bike. They are:
Set a Limited Time
In most cases, shipping the bike will take at least two weeks. But if you demand a quicker shipping time, the shippers will usually not handle the box properly.
For example, if the weather takes a dramatic shift and it starts to rain or snow starts to fall, it would be better not to demand fast shipping.
Leaving Some Parts Unprotected
While packing the boxes, some tend to leave some small parts unprotected. Those parts can get scratched easily.
Other than that, many tend to leave empty spaces in the box. By doing so, the parts inside can collide with each other during shipping. And if they do collide, they can get damaged or get scratched.
In a nutshell, you should pack all your items properly and give the shippers enough time to ship the bike to your preferred location.
Should I Ship My Bike to a Bike Shop?
It is recommended to ship your bike to a nearby bike shop if you do not have any experience or do not have a general idea about what parts go where.
However, if you do know about the parts and have a general idea about assembling the parts, then you can just ship the bike to your house.
What Box Should I Choose?
Getting a cardboard box would be the most cost-friendly option. However, you will have to cover the inside with an adequate amount of foam for this sort of box.
If possible, we would recommend you to get yourself a dedicated shipping box that has thicker walls and has enough protection inside.
You will be able to find these types of boxes in the market. They are usually termed as “Hard Bike Case.”
Final Words
We hope that we were able to provide you enough details that now you have a general idea about the topic of how much does it cost to ship a bike.
With that being said, we would like to conclude here by hoping that the bike ships to your preferred destination in pristine condition.