How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Mountain Bike

Last Updated on April 28, 2022

Knowing how much it costs to ship a bike is important if you’re a traveler or online seller.

Making long-distance trips to ride bike parks or selling your bike to someone online is expensive. Not only do you have to pay for the air or shipping freight. But you also have to consider the insurance and other port fees that come with it.

Knowing all these is important so you can prepare for the expenses. The last thing you want is to spend lots on fees just for shipping a bike.

In this article, we’re going to tell you how much it costs to ship a mountain bike and other details about it.

How Much It Cost to Ship a Mountain Bike?

The costs to ship a bike depends on the destination, bike shipping services, and shipping company. Most require you to pack the bike yourself with your own packing materials alongside a pedals wrap. While there are others, that will pack your bike with additional costs.

Every bike shipping services company has its own pricing for shipping a bike. This comes with its own specific kind of service features and duration.

To help you out with this, we’ve prepared a rundown on the shipping costs of the top bike shipping services companies that ship bikes.

Shipping costs

UPS

This usually costs $50 to $150 to ship a bike depending on the destination. You also need to pay extra for insurance. Check the local UPS store around you by searching the UPS store location on their site.

FedEx

It’ll usually cost you around $100 to $130 to ship a bike depending on the destination and chosen package. This doesn’t yet include insurance cost to ship.

You can then directly ask for more information from the FedEx office about their shipping costs, bike box used, preferences on shipping bicycles, bike frame, weight limit, and the estimated time the bike arrives.

ShipBikes

It costs you around $65 to ship a bike from bike shipping companies like ShipBikes. You either have your bike shipped from your home or from the bike shop.

They also have additional services like bike disassembly and packaging for an additional cost, which makes this ideal for bike buyers who want to lower shipping cost or cost to ship without having to depend too much on the bike box provided by the bike shipping services of an individual bike shop.

You might also like to avail their sports express package with the maximum weight allowance to make sure that the bike inside has an insurance coverage and is safe during the entire shipping process. Just see to it that you know how much does it cost so you can stick to your budget.

Packing Your Bike into the Box

The steps of packing your bike stay the same whether you pack it into a box or bike bag. Here is the step-by-step process of packing your bike for shipping:

  • Prepare bike tools and wrapping items like zip ties, foam padding, and wrap.
  • Put the right shifter on the highest gear and the front shifter on the lowest gear to remove tension.
  • Remove the handlebars, pedals, rear derailleur, and front wheel.
  • Deflate your wheels.
  • Wrap your handlebars, pedals, and rear derailleur with bubble wrap. Use zip ties to secure them on the frame. This prevents them from moving around.
  • Wrap your front wheel with foam or bubble wrap. Then secure it on the side of your frame with a rope or packaging tape.
  • Use a zip tie to secure the other moving parts of your bike.
  • Put more bubble wrap around your bike. Make sure there aren’t any metal parts rubbing against each other.
  • Place everything on the bike box. Then put a piece of paper with a written address of its destination.
  • Tape the box to secure it and make it ready for shipping.

What Happens to Your Bike When it Arrives

What Happens to Your Bike When it Arrives

There are several options when shipping a mountain bike. You can ship it to your hotel room so you can set it up and ride it at once.

Most mountain bikers also prefer to have it shipped to the nearest local bike shop when joining races. A professional mechanic then sets up the bike and makes your own bike race-ready straight from the bike boxes.

It then depends on your buyer’s address if you’re selling the bike to them. Also, make sure that you know how much does it costs

Taking Your Bike With You on a Plane

Every airline has its own weight or size requirements. So, it really doesn’t matter if you packed it in a box or bag. Each has its own price range which can go from $40 to $150.

You also need the right travel bag to use for your bike to ensure protection. Here are some of the best travel bag options:

Cardboard box

Using cardboard bike boxes is the cheapest way of storing your bike. But there’s a huge possibility of denting your bike with the way airlines deal with baggage.

Note that bike shipping is a delicate process, so you shouldn’t be too lax by letting any shipping service, such as the United States postal service, take care of it because it’ll take too much time if you choose couriers like these to ship a bike.

Soft bike bag

This offers more protection compared to a cardboard box. But sometimes handlers mishandle baggage. This might end up leaving scratches and dents on your bike. Add extra padding when using this.

You might have to pay more if this is the case, so know how much does it cost to ship a bike with a soft bag or with an oversize fee especially if you have a seat post sticking out from the box.

Also, make sure that you know how much does it cost to ship adult bikes or most bikes, or if you just want to ship a bike’s frame or rear wheel. Knowing the exact prices and shipping method will help ensure proper packing and help you prepare your budget.

Hard bike case

This is the best option for you because these are specifically made for shipping mountain bikes.

Using a hard bike case ensures your bike will be safe during your travels. You can also put other items in it to maximize storage space. The only problem with this is that they’re expensive.

You can get one from your local bike shop or other bike shops that sell a bike shipping box. But note that you are going to spend more if you buy one from a mountain-bike specific local bike shop as they will sell brand bike boxes made specifically for shipping bikes.

However, you don’t need to worry because some of these bike shops that sell bike boxes also have their own bike shipping service.

But then again, you also need to spend more on this professional bicycle shipping service because they are also going to include other premiums like bike tools carriers, bike insurance, and shipping label to ship a bike.

Conclusion

conclusion - shipping a mountain bike

There are many ways to ship your bike to places. But the most important thing is to choose the safest and most cost-effective way to ship your bike. Knowing how much bike shipping with a bike box costs will save you money and keep your bike safe.

You won’t have to worry about it, though, as long as you follow the tips on how to ship a bike in this article. Just do a lot of research on the best shipping companies in your place. And choose the best option while considering safety and price.

When you do, then you’ll surely be reaching many places with your beloved bike.