If you are a passionate cyclist who has to travel to different destinations, then knowing how to ship a bicycle cheaply, definitely helps. This article, on affordable bicycle shipping, will tell you just that. Why not have a look!
In today’s times, when people travel a lot, it is important that we know of economical ways to ship commodities from one place to another. While most of our belongings are easy to carry, certain stuff pose problems when we think of carrying them with us on a journey, or when we are planning to shift to a new place. A bicycle is one such thing and it can be really difficult to take your bicycle with you on your study tour or say, to your cousin’s place during your Christmas holidays. In such situations, you would look for the cheapest way to ship your bicycle, isn’t it? Well, the best way to cut on the cost is to pack the bicycle yourself and then look for shipping services at a reasonable price. Read on to know more.
How to Ship Your Bicycle Cheaply
If you wish to know how you can pack your bicycle without spending a huge sum of money, then just have a look at the steps given below. Before that, however, you need to have a few things with you.
Materials Required
- Box for packing bicycle
- Tools like Allen wrench and pedal wrench
- Packing materials such as old newspapers
- Packing tape
- Fork block
- Adhesive tape
Once you have the requisite tools with you, you can pack your favorite bicycle in a jiffy by following the simple instructions given below.
Step 1: Get a Bicycle Box
This is mentioned as the first step because it is important that you follow certain specifications when choosing a box for packing and shipping your bicycle in. Choosing a box randomly won’t help! It is recommended that you get a standard bicycle box from the local bicycle store, and see to it that it is in a good condition. The stores have many such boxes lying around and they won’t hesitate to give you one. However, make sure you visit the store with the dimensions of your bike. This will make it easier for you to pick a box that is closest to your bike in size. You can even borrow some of the packing materials, such as cardboard tubes, from the store. Before leaving the store, don’t forget to get a fork block for securing your bike inside the box.
Step 2: Dismantle the Bike
Now that you have a box with you, the next step would be putting the bicycle inside it. To do so, first you need to clean the bike and then dismantle it to remove the parts, using the Allen wrench and pedal wrench. Dismantling is necessary because if you pack the bicycle as it is, then there is a greater chance of damage during shipment. Once you are done, you’ll have the different parts of the bike, such as the pedals, handlebar, seat post, seat and the front wheel, before you. You may even have to remove both the wheels, depending on the make of the box. Due to the removal of the front wheel, the notches on the front axle might protrude out from the box. To prevent this, secure the fork block to the front axle.
Step 3: Packing the Individual Parts
Use the packing material to pack each part of your bicycle individually, such that no part is in danger of sticking out of the box. Use padding to protect the sensitive parts, such as the brakes, from damage and accidental scratches.
Step 4: Securing the Smaller Parts
Once you have packed the parts with packing materials, fasten the smaller parts to the frame of the bike using adhesive tape. This way, you can prevent them from getting misplaced. Another way to deal with the small parts is to put them in a small box.
Step 5: Putting it in the Box
Needless to say, the next step would be placing the packed bicycle inside the box. After doing so, if you find that the box is a little bigger, then use adhesive tape to fasten the bike securely to the inner walls of the box.
Step 6: Shipping Your Bicycle
Browse the Internet to look for some cheap freight shipping options to ship your bike to your desired location, at a reasonable price. You can even acquire information about the shipping charges of shipping services such as FedEx, UPS, etc. The approximate cost of shipping a bicycle to any region within the U.S. is around $20.
Thus, we see that with a little effort from your side, you can easily ship your bicycle at an affordable price. Now that you know how to ship a bicycle cheaply, hope you won’t have a problem the next time you travel or shift to a new place. Good luck!