Are you in the process of buying, selling, or moving a bicycle?
Have you been pondering the logistics behind shipping it? Having a bike can be very convenient to take you around. However, it might be over-encumbering at first to learn how to take your bike around as well.
We can answer one question right now: bikes are shipped in boxes. And in order to ship your bike, you need to know everything about bike box dimensions.
Types of Bike Boxes
You will find a lot of shapes and sizes when choosing your box, but you will generally have to choose one of three options.
Hard Cases
Very secure and will protect the bicycle well. The outside casing is usually made out of plastic and on the inside, you get soft padding. This padding acts as a cushion to absorb any falls.
The drawbacks of hard bicycle cases are that they’re a lot more expensive than the other types of boxes, not to mention, heavier and much bulkier.
Cardboard Boxes
Much lighter than hard cases, and usually acquired free of charge from your local bike shop. They’re also easier to dispose of when you’re finished.
This simple cardboard case won’t come with the same protective features. There’s also the risk when shipping over long distances. If the box bulges out during shipping, it could be returned to you.
Bike Bag
Between the hard cases and cardboard boxes, you have the bike bag. Portable to carry, you can travel with it and fold it up when it’s not in use to save space.
In contrast, the bike bag does not work for shipping whatsoever and is ideal for transporting your bike on an airplane, car, train, or subway.
Size and Weight of Bike Boxes
Most bikes will weigh anything from 15 to 19 pounds.
This might not lead to a clear answer on how big you need the box to be, but if you want the bike to fit, it should be at least 43x11x32 inches.
This is considered the base bike box size. If you do not exceed these dimensions, your package should fall within the international shipping size limit.
You can find bigger boxes as well, but not by much, and it also puts you at risk of not passing the shipping size limit.
FedEx has bike boxes that are 54x28x8 inches. This is dubbed by FedEx as a bike box that would fit almost every bike on the market. If you go any higher, you are most likely going to get prohibited from shipping your bicycle.
Which Bike Box Dimensions Are Right for You?
The easiest way to determine which bike box will fit your bike is by reference to your own height.
If you are anywhere from 4’11’’ and 5’3’, you would need a bike box that’s 13 to 15 inches in length.
If you are more than 5’3’ and up to 5’7’, you should be fine with a 16-inch long bike box. If you are 6 feet or taller, then you might need 17 inches long or more.
The bigger the box, the higher shipping fees may be, so keep that in mind.
Bike Box Dimensions on Land Shipping
Shipping your bike by ground can be less expensive and quicker than shipping by air. Most companies guarantee on-time delivery and offer up to $500 compensation if the bike is late.
You can choose to ship your bike online through Bike Flights. The process is very simple, you enter your starting point and destination point, then you get a quotation for the cost of shipping.
This is by far the best option because you don’t need to worry about the technicalities of your bike dimensions.
If you want to send a medium-sized bike from New York City to San Francisco, it will cost you around $59, in addition to shipping fees.
You can also have the option to deliver your bike on a specific date, through the “deliver by” feature. Once you’re done setting up the journey, you can decide on a day for pick up and you’re all set!
There are other shipping services like FedEx and UPS, who decide their quote based on weight and size.
You can send a 54x29x8 inches bike box that weighs 55 pounds and ship it through FedEx from San Diego to New York for about $62, so it falls within the same price point.
Most shipping service will substantially increase their fees when you go over a certain limit, UPS generally recommends 62-dimensional inches. If you go over that, the shipping cost doubles.
Bike Box Dimensions on Air Shipping
When FedEx and UPS are not enough, sometimes you’ll have to transport your bicycle via airplane. If this is the case, then you’ll need to learn about the different dimensions for bike boxes on planes.
You should know that box size requirements will vary from airline to airline. Some airlines also allow certain types of bike boxes, like cardboard. You should know that it’s always best to contact your airline before deciding which bike box to get.
Most bike boxes pass the airline’s requirements if they’re under 62-dimensional inches, that is, the sum of the length, width, and height.
If you exceed that limit by even a smidge, your package will get categorized as luggage. This can make you end up paying double the fees to ship your bike.
Airlines also seemed to have decided on one weight limit for all bikes, and that is from 50 pounds and up to around 70 pounds. If you have a larger or heavier than usual bicycle, you might find yourself looking for other shipping methods.
It is also worth mentioning that most airlines will not accept a cardboard box, so you will have to opt-in for a hard case if you want to ship by air. If you’re shipping by air, you don’t need to fret about size and dimensions because airline fees are determined by weight.
Airlines also impose additional requirements when shipping bikes with them. Some of them are:
- The tires must be deflated.
- The handlebars must be positioned parallel to the frame.
- The pedals must be removed from the bicycle.
- If the bicycle’s length is over 140cm, the rear wheel must be taken off and put next to the bike, inside the box.
In Conclusion
Bike boxes are efficient tools to ship your bicycle across the world. Packing your bike into a box might seem daunting at first, but good planning ensures that the recipient will receive his bike in one piece.
Don’t forget to check in with your local shipping companies for more information about the permissible bike box dimensions. Good luck!