General Cycling Discussion - Shipping a bike

Hi,

I'm licking my wounds after a trip to the UPS store yesterday. I went to ship a bike I sold online. When the two boxes were weighed and measured (bike in one, wheels in the other) the verdict came to over $200! I have to mail another in a few days, and I'd like to know if there's an alternative that won't make me feel gouged.


I specified UPS ground, and insured the package for $400, which was the purchase price.

I'm about to ship another valued at $1000, and I'm more than a little apprehensive.
Thanks,
Mark

Hi,

I'm licking my wounds after a trip to the UPS store yesterday. I went to ship a bike I sold online. When the two boxes were weighed and measured (bike in one, wheels in the other) the verdict came to over $200! I have to mail another in a few days, and I'd like to know if there's an alternative that won't make me feel gouged.


I specified UPS ground, and insured the package for $400, which was the purchase price.

I'm about to ship another valued at $1000, and I'm more than a little apprehensive.
Thanks,
Mark


I had a bike shipped here in May by Fedex, i think the cost from CA to NJ was about $60.
also.. the UPS stores are privately owned and charge a premium for their shipping.
maybe ask your LBS how they ship/receive their bikes

Go to your LBS.
Shipping prices have been going up, but last year I shipped a bike through my LBS and it cost $50 for them to pack it and another $50 for the shipping. So about $100 total. It was totally worth it to me to pay the extra $50 to have the lbs take care of everything for me.

Thanks for the advice. I'm moving bikes with the intention of building up an Atlantis. I'm friendly with both LBS's as well as the local UPS driver. I may call to see if I can arrange pickup at my office as well.

I may call to see if I can arrange pickup at my office as well.

Also, incase you didn't realize it, those UPS shipping centers are expensive as heck to box/ship for you, but if you do all the packing yourself and apply the pre-paid shipping label you can drop it off at those same centers for free. Or hand it to your local UPS driver when he drops another package.

The only problem i've had with packing myself is that if there is a problem with damage to the item, UPS might turn around and deny your claim based on some nonsense about your packing job not being good enough. Doesn't matter if the box looks like it was drop kicked several hundred times. :rolleyes:

Also, incase you didn't realize it, those UPS shipping centers are expensive as heck to box/ship for you, but if you do all the packing yourself and apply the pre-paid shipping label you can drop it off at those same centers for free. Or hand it to your local UPS driver when he drops another package.



It doesn't matter UPS is expensive period. I am really not sure why they are so much more expensive than FedEx.

It doesn't matter UPS is expensive period. I am really not sure why they are so much more expensive than FedEx.

True but not NEARLY as expensive if using the shipping store to pack and ship.

I've been finding ups and fedex to still be pretty close to each other. Depends on dimensions and weight.

DHL is typically cheaper than ups or fedex. I've been using them a lot lately and drop off at my local Office Depot right down the street from my office. But I just shipped a frame/fork using UPS (and dropping off a the local store) and it only cost about 30 bucks. It only went from Houston to Dallas though. But it was still the cheapest price I found.

True but not NEARLY as expensive if using the shipping store to pack and ship.

I've been finding ups and fedex to still be pretty close to each other. Depends on dimensions and weight.

DHL is typically cheaper than ups or fedex. I've been using them a lot lately and drop off at my local Office Depot right down the street from my office. But I just shipped a frame/fork using UPS (and dropping off a the local store) and it only cost about 30 bucks. It only went from Houston to Dallas though. But it was still the cheapest price I found.

I too <3 DHL

I was able to get a bike box free from a lbs; you should be able to just call around, bikes come in, boxes get left in the back.

from Philly to Jacksonville it was between $27-35 each way (they even picked it up at my work and dropped it off at my parents house!). The way it works is that you fill out your box's dimensions online and schedule a pickup, I may have lied a bit on one of the trips, they didn't catch it so I paid less.