SoCaled 

I know there are many threads with this info - I have read some of them in the past, I can't seem to find a current one. I need to ship a bike from upstate NY to LA, CA. Anyone have the info on best option currently?

SoCaled 

At bikeflights if I enter the the "large box" size of 63"x13"x33" & 45lbs, I get a UPS ground ship price of $188.95 - This seems like the number I have seen people here toss around recently?
If I enter the same info into Fedex.com I get $526.79?
I called the local Trek store (which wiped out our locals) they tell me $80 to break down & pack and $40 to ship - Fedex? (supposedly with the same specs above) How can that be?

any other suggestions would be great

I just read a great thread on BF on shipping, but can not find it again

merziac

Frames only.

I just had one shipped AZ to PDX, $59 through efbay

Also one from NJ, $125

And awhile back from CO, $159

Complete bike from NOLA, $200

Gary12000 

If you are flying, you might consider United they have a very bike friendly policy, because we just shopped all the airlines ready for Eroica Cali later this year, Southwest and Jet Blue had a very small box size limit i think it was 803 inches which is a kiddies box size, whereas United will ship a bicycle as normal luggage for their standard price of $35.00 even if its oversize dimensions , we are bringing two bikes so that's a good deal for u. We did United last year and that's what they did, the counter person seemed a little confused as to why it was so cheap when she put it in the system, but the supervisor said "no that's correct" and even tried to save us more money by shipping them as first piece instead of subsequent pieces of luggage, this was in cardboard boxes from the LBS, that were 108 inches overall size.

They do require as do all airline you remove pedals and pack safely and you have to sign a damage waiver as its in cardboard not a hard case.

merziac

$543 in shipping for 3 frames and one complete in the last year.

merziac

At these prices, we have to get them cheap, want them really bad or both.

356geoff 

I recently shipped a bike from Ca. to Mi. The box I had was 57x32x8 and I figured the weight at 35lbs. Bikeflights wanted $190. I measured things and when I cut the box down to 46x32x9 it was $90. The box got fatter because the tires so I used 9" width. If I changed the width from 9 to 10" the price went back to $190. Moral of the story. Messing with the box dimensions is what it is all about.

cyclophilia 

For a recent bicycle frame shipment, Pirateship was slightly less expensive than BikeFlights.

The overall dimensions of the box make a BIG difference in the pricing: there is a surcharge
beyond a certain size.

SoCaled 

I am impressed you have kept it to only 3 frames and a bike this year!

SurferRosa

I believe Greyhound will still ship your bike for you, station to station*, on the cheap. And if you don't have a box, some stations can even sell you one of those for like $10.

* Speaking of...

merziac

Those were only the ones I had to ship in the last 12 mos or so.....

SoCaled 

So, I ride my bike down to the Trek store, tell them I had called earlier about bike packing/shipping, they direct me to the service area. Five employees there, all ignore me.
Finally one asks "Can I help you with something?" sounding slightly annoyed.
I said, "I called earlier about bike packing and shipping"
he replies "Yeah, I overheard that conversation and tried to get his attention but he wouldn't listen . . .we don't ship bikes"
I replied, "That's strange as the person I spoke to had quoted the shipping price, with dimensions and weight."
the employee replies, "Yeah he didn't know what he is talking about, we don't ship" "But you can talk to him he is right there" and points
I reply, "If you know better, I don't need to waste any more time"
the employee replies, "Well, he is the manager"
Manager is now walking over to us and says, "Uh sorry bro . . . I totally blew that one, I checked on our SOP and we don't ship"

I knew I didn't want to do business with a corporate death burger, but didn't know it was this bad.

Kobe 

I haven't shipped a bike in over a year but last time I did I used shipbikes.com. They use Fedex ground which is usually cheaper than UPS for me.

nlerner

Unfortunately, ship.bikes isn't any longer in the bike shipping business. They will sell you a bike box, however. BikeFlights was cheaper when it used FedEx, but now ships through UPS, as does PirateShip. I've mostly used the latter.

RobertUI 

FWIW...

I recently shipped a bike from Virginia to Nevada for ~$78. The best rate that I got was from UPS, but I got it by using PayPal's ShipStation. For whatever reason, they give me excellent rates, and it's now the only way I ship. I log into PayPal, then go to ShipStation and get my quote there. I then just dropped it off to my local UPS store. Fortunately for me, I already had a workable box, but it worked out cheaper and better than I expected.

peace

curbtender

Short trip it works, longer one increases the chances of loading/unloading and disappearing. Not sure if Amtrak would work for you.

merziac

Agreed, however this could be BS.

Trek has a travel division and I would bet they pack and ship for that so.....

I would raise cane with corporate just for fun.

fender1

I shipped a couple of larger, complete bikes using bikeflights in the recent past. I broke the bikes all the way down and zipped tied the wheels to the frame to make the package as small as possible. Cost was $104 from Philadelphia to Portland. It was a complete,1971 International, 25" frame in December of 2022.

It pretty much put me off shipping complete bikes anymore. Between the cost, which shrinks your pool of potential buyers, to the geometric puzzle of getting all this stuff in the smallest box possible and delivered safely, it became unfun.

iab

Just got a quote from Pirate Ship. UPS. Chicago to Buffalo. Box is 52x31x8. Insured at $500. $56.

merziac

"delivered safely", moving target, literally and figuratively.

Insurance is imperative and a bargain albeit a huge hassle in the end.

nlerner

I've taken to standing outside the airport with a bike packed up, trying to find a passenger who'll transport it as checked luggage for $30. Getting it to the specific destination/buyer is the part I haven't yet figured out.

repechage

Shipping now reads like purchasing an airline ticket.

this is the new world order

having a Shipping company commercial account seems to be the way to obtain predictable rates. I use one of two business neighbors at work. It has been a while, nothing shipped this year.

tjfastback66

Question - is this on their website or is ship station available on their app?

jiangshi

https://www.shipstation.com/partners/paypal/

Same rates as Pirateship, as far as I can tell.

daywood 

I am in the process of using them to ship two bikes coast to coast the other direction and it’s about the same as you paid. Having just packed up the first of the bikes, I can see what you mean about the packaging process. Their shipping box is pretty clever although expensive, but following their instructions, I had to nearly disassemble the bike. And I zip tied so much pipe insulation on it that it now looks more like some kind of grey balloon animal than a bicycle. I’m shipping the bikes for a ride rather than to sell them, so I’ll have to repeat the process for the return home. If I don’t figure out some ways to reduce the packaging prep, this may not be something I want to repeat. It may be easier to put them on the back of my RV and drive them there myself next time. 😀