Can I ship a bicycle with USPS? [Yes, it may not be your best option though]

So you finally got around to setting 2 weeks aside to cycle from Miami down to Key West. The first thing that you want to figure out is lodging, because yes it is very beautiful, but second is that it’s mostly homes there rather than hotels and lodging. The second thing you want to figure out is can I ship a bicycle with USPS? 

The third is what ways can you look your best while cycling in tropical breezes while toning your body before the trip.

There are a ton of options that you can look to to have a bike shipped in the United States.

Of course, with USPS being known as the all around lowest when it comes to cheap bike shipping rates, you will ask yourself Can I ship a bicycle with USPS?

In this post we will discuss all of the shipping options that you have at a high level and why. I will go over all that you need to know to get you started and pointed in the right direction.

You will have an understanding of pricing, why pricing is structured a certain way, and all of the options that you have to get your bike from point A to point B. Finally, I will make a couple of recommendations to make shipping your bike easy.

Note: If you are preparing for a tour, you should consider if you are training through distance cycling or timing your rides, and which will be better to last long endurance rides.

Do you have a bike box?

These are the bike boxes that they are shipped in originally. If no, call your local bike shop in the morning and ask if they have any extras from their last shipment. Most will say yes.

If you live in a large metropolitan city, they may ask for $10 for the box. If that is a choice that you would not like to make, politely decline and call the next bicycle shop.

You other option is to purchase a bike box online. The reason that you would purchase a bicycle box as opposed to using a previously owned bicycle box is that the new boxes are made specifically for shipping.

They are steadier, and when the box is shipped to you, all of the items are also included to pack your box perfectly: Bungie cords, strap, wheel and cassette covers to protect the bicycle frame, axle protectors and an instructional video to make packing easier.

Can I ship a bicycle with USPS?

Yes, you can ship a bicycle with USPS. It typically will cost about $200 wherever you are shipping in the United States for 2-8 day shipping. There are other options as well depending on if you want insurance, or if you need it in a specific timeframe.

If you decide that you want insurance, the pricing will increase about $100 to $200 depending on the total value of your bicycle. Last time we looked around, a $5,000 bicycle will add on about $150-$200 of insurance for a total of $300-$350 shipping cost to ship via UPS + the cost of your bicycle box..

Do you want it cheaper to ship? The lowest rate that you will find will be either through FedEx or UPS when shipped between two business addresses. If you happen to work in an office building, this may be good news. This gives about 25% off of the price last time I took a look (earlier this year for my trip).

However, there is a lower option rather than USPS, UPS or FEDEX. 

Why did you not choose to work with USPS when shipping your bike?

An alternate is to fly with your bicycle. The $200 rate is a quote completely without coverage via USPS. With coverage, the price was about 2 times the amount, which is a choice some may not feel is an option for their situation.

Therefore, shipping with no coverage means that if anything happens to your bicycle when it is being shipped –

Yes, this means when it is being taken from your home, loaded onto a truck, placed in storage, moved from storage to be put on the plane, taken off the plane, placed in storage again, then moved to another truck, you may be up the creek.

Your bike may cost more than many, and you’re wasn’t sure if you are personally okay with that process even with bicycle insurance. 

What is the cheapest way to ship a bike?

The cheapest by far is $5 if you are riding on an Amtrak train from station to station. The cheapest reasonable price to get your bike from point A to point B is to fly with it. Almost every commercial airline will fly your bike either as a substitute for checked luggage, or for a rate of $50-$75. 

This is also considered “uninsured,” however, if you open your bike and see something wrong after you leave the flight and let the customer service know, they typically will take care of the cost. This is the case for reputable airlines who value customer service. When flying budget airlines, this is not the case and you will fly your bike truly at your own risk.

My experience with flying my bike with both reputable and budget airlines has been the same though. And the process of giving my bike to a check-in person, and knowing that there are three steps for the bike to go through gives me more piece of mind than shipping it via a carrier:

1. Check-in to plane trolley
2. Plane trolley to Plane storage
3. Plane Storage to plan Trolley
4. Trolley to carousel

Conclusion

Can I ship a bicycle with USPS? Yes you can. The rate is around $200. Other options are to go to your local bike shop and chances are that they will ship the bicycle for you as well.

The rate for a bicycle shop to ship your bike is typically around $150. To ship your bike your bike cheapest will be with a train.

However, the most reasonable in my opinion is to fly your bike on a plane in my opinion and from my experience when flying my bike to different places.