12 (No. 4746540)

Bicycle transport category comes in handy when you are going on vacation and you need to ship your bike. You may also use it if you purchased a bike online and you have to move it home. Other typical reason for posting a listing in Bicycle Transport section is wanting to ship a bike as a gift to someone.

Getting the bike ready for shipping

The best box which you can use to ship a bike is its original package. Of course, particularly if the bicycle has been used before, you may ship it without the box but it poses the risk of damaging more fragile parts of the vehicle (such as bicycle chain). If you do not have original packaging, try to find a container that is the most similar in size and shape – the less free space left after placing the bicycle in the container the better. Before placing the bicycle in the box, you should detach all the mobile elements – e.g. lights or saddles.  Once you have detached mentioned parts, it is best to place them in separate package or enclose them in cardboard and attach the elements to the bicycle frame. Furthemore it is a good idea to wrap the handlebars as well as the frame in bubble foil (the layer of bubble wrap should be at least 2 centimeters thick. All of the protruding elements (for example gears should be secured with cardboard overlay. Any empty space remaining in the container after putting the bike in should be filled with cloths, bubble wrap or sponges. Filling the free space is going to minimize jostling during transportation because the bike will not be able to move around in the container. The last step is closing the container and securing it with wide tape. 

If you would rather find a transport provider to transport the bike, you do not have to provide the materials required to secure your bicycle for shipping – the transport provider can do that for you. Furthemore, the transport provider usually can acquire professional packing materials which will ensure that your bike will be shipped with maximum care.

Price of bike shipping

Cost of bicycle transportation mostly depends on the route length as well as the size and weight of the loads. Another price-defining factor is desired unloading date (the tougher the deadline, the steeper the price).