# Price to ship a bike?



## Chase1996 (Jun 30, 2010)

For those of you that have bought and shipped bikes...what's an average price I can use to calculate my shipping costs if I am selling via the classifieds? What is your packaging methods? One box, or two? How much breakdown of the bike do you do?


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

complete bike about 100 in the US all in one box. Packing may be extra if the LBS do it it could be anywhere from $30-50. 

Frame only from $35-70 depending on the size of box.

You can just get the box from bike shop they should give you one for free, if they have them. You can pack it yourself and just pay for the packing supplies.

Packing the complete bike, you need to remove the wheel and loosen stem so you can better adjust handle bar position. I bubble wrap the stanchions, BB, headset, and remove der hanger zip tie it on to the handle bar. It takes a few arrangement to get the perfect fit, for me anyways. 

I have shipped bike for less but that's the avg.


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## Chase1996 (Jun 30, 2010)

Thanks! Just what I was looking for!


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## o0adam0o (Oct 10, 2010)

This thread might come in handy.


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

If you have to protect the tubes on your frame try pipe insulator, I bought them from Home Depot, they are pretty cheap. I can just cut them to size, wrap the down tube, top tube, ect. then secure it with zip tie. cheaper and easier than bubble wrap. 

Best to fill the box with newspaper, avoid using peanuts. They are expensive and your buyer will hate cleaning up after it.

A few times I shipped a FS frame to my brother, I just separate the front and rear triangle. It save the space and shipping cost. The only catch is the receiver has to know how to put it back together, you can also take pic before you take the frame apart just in case.


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## jrabikerepair (Dec 29, 2009)

When distributors ship bikes, they simply use foam sheets or cardboard taped around the frame (and why the reinforced tape???) Go by your LBS and ask them for a bike box, it makes it much easier.
Take the Front wheel and pedals off, take off the handlebars, while leaving the cables attached. Put some foam or cardboard around the axles (front and rear) to keep them from poking out of the box as well. Zip tie some of it together so it doesn't rattle around. Newspaper can be used, but if boxed properly you should see no use for it.


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## jpeters (Nov 19, 2010)

1,000,000,000,000 Dollars only for the US and Canada


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## mtbGreg (Feb 15, 2010)

jpeters said:


> 1,000,000,000,000 Dollars only for the US and Canada


Please note: this is just a ball park. Actual cost may be $1,000,000,000,001 ..... or just your first born child.


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## nitecrwlr (Oct 8, 2008)

I just took a box to a FedEx parter shipper and they wanted $180! What am I doing wrong? How do you guys ship it for so little?


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

nitecrwlr said:


> I just took a box to a FedEx parter shipper and they wanted $180! What am I doing wrong? How do you guys ship it for so little?


Where are you shipping from and to. Did you get a box from a bike shop?


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## dunerinaz (Mar 5, 2009)

I paid the LBS $30 to professionally pack the bike in a bike box and for some strange reason, fedex only charged me $48 to ship the bike from AZ to TX.


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## equalme (Sep 8, 2010)

There is a big difference between regular and oversized shipping via Fedex and UPS. When I returned my Jamis Dakar back to JensonUSA, an inch or two made a difference between $50 and $180. It's stupid, but they do that. Plug in the sizes online and adjust the box as needed.


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

You have to think when it come to bike shipping, you are paying dimensional weight, not actual weight. The box you are shipping has more D-weight than actual weight. For example the 5lbs frame in a 5 lbs box get ship at about 50lbs d-weight. If you have big cube packing box your are wasting your d-weight.


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## equalme (Sep 8, 2010)

mimi1885 said:


> You have to think when it come to bike shipping, you are paying dimensional weight, not actual weight. The box you are shipping has more D-weight than actual weight. For example the 5lbs frame in a 5 lbs box get ship at about 50lbs d-weight. If you have big cube packing box your are wasting your d-weight.


Weight didn't make a big difference..if any at all to the cost as long as it wasn't crazy heavy. Size is where the oversized fees kicks in.

@45 lbs:
Box #1 sized: 60"L x 10"W x 25"H is ~$44 via Fedex Ground.

Add 1" to either dimensions and it will increase to ~$100 via Fedex Ground

Box #2 sized: 60" x 10"W x 26"H is ~$101 via Fedex Ground. Same if it is (61"x10"x25" or 60"x11"x25").

The box that JensonUSA shipped my Jamis Dakar had to be modified a bit to be within that dimension. Even though the middle of the box bulged a bit, Fedex did not say anything about it as long as it was close enough. I just created my shipping label online and dropped it off...they weighed it and that was it.

Remove front wheel, handle bar (leave it hanging by brake/shifter cable and zip tie it down to frame), and seat/post. Deflate your tires. Protect your axles or any parts that will rub/bang together either against each other or on the box.


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## jpeters (Nov 19, 2010)

Yeah you need to make the box as small as you can I had the same thing in Germany with DHL its the size that will kill your price.


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## nitecrwlr (Oct 8, 2008)

I'm shipping it from Westminster, CO to Canfield, OH. The FedEx guy and I measured the physical dimensions of the bike and calculated how much it would cost if we cut the box down. It went from $180 to $125. I am returning a $360 bike back to Nashbar. I would keep the bike if the toe overlap wasn't so bad. They are supposed to send a shipping label via US mail. I'll never buy another bike sight unseen! Lesson learned.

Thanks for the info gentlemen.


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## jpeters (Nov 19, 2010)

You can get bikes online you just need to get it from a good company. Most good companies give you free return shipping with a 7 to 30 day test drive. Its ok to order online and you can save lots of money you just need to make sure of the fine details first.


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## nitecrwlr (Oct 8, 2008)

Which online vendors would you trust to purchase a bike sight unseen from jp?


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## aa240sx (Jun 28, 2008)

Has anyone here got any experience with Ship Bikes dot com? They do a ton of shipping with FedEx and pass the volume discounts on to you. Just got a quote from San Diego to Atlanta for 65 with insurance. Seems legit since they've been in business 7 years.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

I used them a couple of years ago.

They didn't screw up my bike or anything, but I don't know if I'd do it again. I remember it being kind of a pain.

My big bike shipping revelation a while ago was Greyhound Freight. Also that if you call ahead, bike shops are often very happy to dump off a bike box, complete with packing material, on you, and if it was for a high-end bike, it's very, very sturdy.


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