I went online to the UPS site and entered my TRICO case and 50lbs. I entered DEN to FLD and it was $40 for ground but when I rounded up the size of the case to 47X31X11 the quote went to $90. The case measures 47X30.5X10.5 according to website.
Anyone have an estimate on what it cost to ship (ground) a bike in the US?
Are there better options other than flying with it?
Thanks
In my experience flying with your bike is almost always cheaper than shipping it to the location. Just make sure you have a good bike case because those airline bag handler people are animals and will throw your bike all over the place even if it says fragile!
In my experience FedEx ground is cheaper than UPS. I shipped my mtb to FL from PA and back in Oct. The bike box was packed with all my riding gear, and I think the cost was ~$35 with insurance. Even better my buddy had it built up when I got to his house.
FedEx Ground hands down…drop off at Kinko’s…the biggest difference comes from much cheaper insurance…delivery will be quicker than UPS as well…no comparison… I thought the online calculator was a mistake and it was even cheaper when I paid for it.
My first air trip to an Ironman, I shipped my bike from RI to Panama City Fl for about $50. When I went to ship it back, they wanted $130 at some store front shipping place. Ended up going to the UPS terminal but still payed about $110. I never did get an explanantion as to why it costs so much on the return trip.
I fly with the bike now, just a pain dragging it through the airport. My home airport is the worst, they open up the bike box every time.
Mike
The cost was more on the return because they charged you for dimensional weight. You got lucky on the way out and only had to pay for the actual weight of the bike and case. My bike case is right on the borderline. Sometimes I get lucky and sometimes not. I was pretty shocked the first time I got dinged. One inch of dimensional weight putting you into the oversized catagory will pretty much double your shipping costs.
Also, always put your bike case in cardboard if you want it to be covered by insurance. Shipping containers are not covered, so if you just ship the case naked it is now the container and is not covered.
However, in my case, the cardboard box is what ends up pushing me into oversize, so I risk the case rather than pay the extra shipping.
Good to know that fedex is cheaper. I have to ship my bike back to WI after IMAZ - I’m staying down there for an extra week of vacation driving around the state and don’t feel like lugging my bike around.
Sounds like your bike box is very similar to mine: RIGHT on the border between oversize 2 and oversize 3. I shipped a bike this summer from ORE to MN; to MN was $40.00 or so, return trip was $90.00. I had to fly out early in the morning so my mom took my bike to the FedEx depot for me. If I would have been there, I could have argued my way out of the higher price. But, the story has a happy ending: we pursued the matter, and just by providing a tracking number for the shipment from OR to MN, we were able to get a refund for the difference. FedEx did right by me, so I will use them again if I ever have to ship a bike.
Bottom line, make sure they accurately measure the bike box (it’s all in where the stretch the tape from). And, once you’re in at the oversize 2 price, save all documentation so you don’t get burned.
How much do they charge to fly a bike now, anyway? Last I heard it was $80.00 each way, non-negotiable. I miss the old days when you had a slight chance of talking your way out of a fee (yes, I’ve done it, and have had airline personnel “look the other way”)
We run an internet business and ship bodyboards all over the world. Those of you that ship your bike are in for a sobering reality that UPS and Fedex, as of yesterday, have eliminated the OS1, OS2, OS3 thing. Now, the rule is that if a package is over 3 cubic feet (which most bike boxes are), you will pay actual DIMENSIONAL weight on the box from now on. So, for example, my bike box, which is 48 x 15 x 30 will now ship as a 112lb package. So, from California to, for example, Maryland, even with our UPS daily pick up (discount), this will cost $104.02 to a commercial address. Residential address will cost even more. The good thing though is if your package is large, but still under 3 cubic feet, the price to ship will be based on actual weight. Example? We ship bodyboards in boxes that are 48 x 23 x 3. Before Jan. 1st, we were billed at dimensional weight for these, so they’d ship as a 30lb package even though their actual weight was only 7 or 8lbs. Now, they come in under the 3 cubic feet cutoff, and will ship as 7 or 8lb packages, virtually cutting the shipping cost in half for these! So, cramming your bike into an even smaller box will save you alot of money! The largest box you can still squeak in to get under 3 cubic feet would be 45 x 23 x 5. I think you could fit a bike in a box that size if you are creative enough.
forgetting my math. What is 3 cubic feet exactly. 36 x 36 by ? or .other examples.
Thanks,
Barb
multiply L x W x H in inches, then divide by 1728 to get cubic feet.
I wonder if DHL has changed as well…
forgetting my math. What is 3 cubic feet exactly. 36 x 36 by ? or .other examples.
Thanks,
Barb
That box needs to be just 4" thick.
This new rule is a pain, last year I sold a 62cm frame (no forks) on ebay, and shipped it in a box 3’ x 3’ x 10" (7.5 cuft). Cost from NJ to Ohio was just $10.84 with UPS, a great deal! This year the same shipping will involve open wallet surgery.
Uncle Phil’s exactly right.
So a box that’s 45" x 23" x 5" is like 2.99 cubic feet. Just makes it!
Thanks. This could be a consideration for anything large.
Barb
wow…just re-checked…dunno the actual size of my ironcase…but the relative prices for a 40lb, $3000 box at 36" x 36x11 and a 40" x36x11 is $34 and $94!
Amazing what that 4 extra inches can do!
Looking at the FedEx Ground rate lists, the dimensional pricing doesn’t kick in until Feb 5…so a few more weeks before they start gouging us.