scale

just got back from fedex. I shipped one wheel (700c) in a wheelbox. The thing couldnt have weighted 5lbs. Its cost $45 from MN to CA. Never again......

alcjphil

Shipping costs are based at least as much on volume as they are on weight. Wheels weigh very little compared to the volume of a box needed to ship them. The cost is in the volume

Needles

You can ship a whole bike, in a box, front wheel removed, for $39. At least that's what I paid to have one delivered. (UPS)

CliffordK

As with many enterprises, each customer pays a different amount for shipping. So, if it was a large corporation that frequently ships stuff... they would probably be paying half that.

Just like when you fly on an airplane, you have no idea if the person sitting next to you is paying half as much as you are, or twice as much as you are.

Personally I get a bad feeling when I get stuck paying the highest possible charges.

Keep in mind, not all shippers are created equally. The USPS has finally started trying to be competitive in the small freight business.

Of course, if you had shipped that wheel from Beijing, it probably would have only cost you $20.

dksix

I just had a complete bike shipped to me in TN from CA, FedEx cost was $84 including the "bike box". I did have it shipped to that factory where I work instead of my residence (often shipping to business addresses will reduce the cost). The company I work for gets about a 35% discount from what going to The USP Store cost.

scale

the residence must have been what killed me. I lost money on the deal in the end. I couldnt believe it was that expensive. Oh well...live and learn i guess.

Elvo

It would've been ~$25-30 if you used your corporate UPS account and shipped to the buyers work place.

Strange

I recently had to FedEx a sleeping bag to Japan. The bag & all the trimmings came to less than two pounds, and it fit into a box about half again as big as a shoe box. Cost me USD200.00 in shipping. I like to have a heart attack when the clerk told me what it was gonna cost. I was speechless when I walked out of there.

chaadster

Did you go directly to FEDEX, or through a 3rd party place, like The Box Store, to send it. Did you buy the box in that price?

indyfabz

Yeah. In June I shipped my large, heavy a** touring bike and two racks (total estimated weight was 60 lbs..) with $1,400 in insurance from Philly to Rapid City, SD for something like $47 dollars using Bikeflights.com.

OP: You must be doing something wrong.

Looigi

I'm sure you all know that you can go to the FedEx, USPS, UPS...websites, input size, weight, origin and destination and get the price and even pay for and print out a paid shipping label right there. Of course you can also explore the effects on price of more or less weight or the size/shape of the package.

andr0id

Take a look at https://www.bikeflights.com and other such services.

They are large accounts that let you piggy back on their rates for a small fee rather than pay the full walk in the door retail price.

I shipped my frame to be painted with $2500 insurance for about the same price as your wheel.

A single wheel box is $15 shipped by BikeFlights plus a few more dollars for insurance if you want it.

RidesaJapanese

I sell professionally refurbished and seasoned antique and vintage cast iron cookware, I've become very skilled at safely exploiting the flat rate boxes. On larger items over a distance they usually get socked with around $30 to $40 in shipping. You have to really pack it well too, or they'll break or crack in shipping.

Jiles

I bought a Trek X-caliber off eBay last week. It was shipped yesterday and seller informed me that he used UPS ---AND--- USPS??
He stated that UPS didn't have a box big enough for the whole bike **********?
So he shipped the wheels by USPS.
That makes no sense to me.

Dave Horne

I live in the Netherlands and ordered a Brompton many years ago from a store in Dublin, Ireland. I was there to visit a friend while he was at a conference. I picked up the bike from the store, biked around Ireland for four days and brought it back on the plane.

ExtremeHo

I'm located in Asia now, shipping of usd100~ is a norm for me.

Most expensive i've paid for shipping is in ghe vicinity of 350

fietsbob

Buy Stock in Fed Ex then you can vote to lower your own dividend returns by cutting prices.

SpeshulEd 

I was in the fish hobby for awhile...you think wheels are expensive to ship, try a 12", 20lb fish in a bag full of water that needs to be overnighted.