I have a line on a very nice used bike… at the very, stretchy top end of my budget. I’m looking at shipping options, and it seems bike shipping containers/boxes run upward from $250 or so… added to the shipping, insurance (a must) as well as the tax I’ll have to pay to get the thing into the country – it’s starting to look less doable.
Do bike companies ship their top end bikes in regular cardboard boxes? Has anyone here simply reused one of these boxes and had the contents make it to the destination undamaged? Is that commonly done, or is it considered a risky proposition? Do the wheels go in with the bike, or do those typically ship separately? I’m thinking of using bikeflights.com for shipping, as it seems they know what they’re doing (based on recommendations from a recent post). The shipping itself would be within the US, as I’d drive down and get it.
I went to London for a race this summer and used the cardboard bike box that the bike came in and the bike was perfectly fine. I took the bike on the plane over and shipped it back since I was traveling after and didn’t want to bring it with me. All bikes come in these cardboard boxes from the factory.
Shipping in the cardboard box is fine. I would request that the seller have the bike professionally packed by a bikeshop. With the right amount of bubble wrap and proper packing the bike will be fine.
Yes, bike companies ship all of their bikes in card board boxes. Boxes can be reused a lot of times. We reuse boxes a lot. As long as the bike is packaged well (and insured) your risk is typically low. Everything (frame/components/wheels) can fit in a cardboard bike box. Typically, you have to take off the seat post, pedals, handlebars, and front wheel.
To answer our questions.
The title questions - yes.
Your next ? - yes
yes no it’s not risky
yes wheels in box often the rear wheel is left in the frame
Thanks everyone for the replies. Does the TSA open boxes for stuff flying within the US, or only across the border? Do they do that for FedEx packages as well??
Editing to clarify that I’d definitely be shipping the bike, not actually traveling and flying with it.
I have a line on a very nice used bike… at the very, stretchy top end of my budget. I’m looking at shipping options, and it seems bike shipping containers/boxes run upward from $250 or so… added to the shipping, insurance (a must) as well as the tax I’ll have to pay to get the thing into the country – it’s starting to look less doable.
Do bike companies ship their top end bikes in regular cardboard boxes? Has anyone here simply reused one of these boxes and had the contents make it to the destination undamaged? Is that commonly done, or is it considered a risky proposition? Do the wheels go in with the bike, or do those typically ship separately? I’m thinking of using bikeflights.com for shipping, as it seems they know what they’re doing (based on recommendations from a recent post). The shipping itself would be within the US, as I’d drive down and get it.
I ship all my bikes in the box that Trek Madones come in. They are wider, have straps to secure the bike, the cardboard is thicker and the box opens up in half if that makes sense vs opening up at the top. It makes packing really easy. I routinely send my P5 from MN to CA via Fedex Ground with this box. I insure it for $7500 and it costs right around $130.
Shipping? Yes, a well packed, sturdy cardboard box will be fine.
Flying? No way I’d chance it. The problem lies with the TSA and baggage handlers.
Agree. Would you pack your LED TV back into the original cardboard box and check it in to airline baggage?
26 years of flying with my bike across the Pacific to Nth and Sth America,flights to Asia,NZ and countless domestic in Canada the US and Oz in a cardboard box and I have never had a problem.
People overestimate the chances of getting shit damaged and it is my experience that cardboard boxes are looked after a little better than hard shells when in transit. I do find it funny that folks will shun cardboard boxes but are happy to travel with soft shell bike bags.
Just wrap the whole damned box with packing tape to strengthen it and give it some degree of waterproofing.
My new Cervelo came from USA to New Zealand in a cardboard box. As long as it’s well packed, ie every tube individually packed with pipe insulation, and/or bubble wrap, and then all the bike stuffed in the box, with all gaps filled with crumpled paper or more bubble wrap, it should be fine.
Remember to photograph it before it goes in the box (plenty of detail pics) and pics as it goes in the box, and get full insurance, you have little to worry about, except what to have for dinner tonight/
Shipping? Yes, a well packed, sturdy cardboard box will be fine.
Flying? No way I’d chance it. The problem lies with the TSA and baggage handlers.
Have had extremely poor care taken by TSA after inspections! Lucky if 2 out of 4 latches are closed on triall3. Once i only had once latch done up and all locks gone! I have no faith in them what so ever and my concerns were met with a brick wall. There response was…“they are there for security of passengers, care of your bike is not high on our priority list”
I sold a frame on here and built a wood box to ship it, 3/4" ply box with 1/4" ply skins. The buyer got just the frame, no longer in box, that was shipped through UPS with insurance. I have shipped and received a few bike in cardboard boxes without issue.
Where are you located? Have you considered renting a hard shell bike case, sending it down to the seller and having them professionally pack the bike into the rental case?
I’ve had two bikes shipped to me from California to Michigan in cardboard boxes this year. Both were the bike manufactures boxes, arrived in very good condition.
One bike from Nytro had so much packing on it that it took me an hour to get it out of the box and packaging material off of it so that I could assemble it.
The other was an Ebay bike from a shop that had packaged it nearly the same as Nytro did. They went above and beyond what I would have expected but probably needed.
I just used a new box from performancebike.com to ship to Florida and back, you may think about getting one of those. I got mine for just under $200, I like it better than the clamshell and trico cases that I’ve used.
