shipping costs

[skyrider]

For shipping complete bikes who do you generally use? I just got a quote from ups and about fell over. fedex was only a few dollars cheaper b ut i'm not sure they got the box size right. I bought a bike off of ebay about 2 years ago and it was only about $65.00. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks Don

 

[Boardtrack fan]

Prices seem to be all over the map. I have paid between $65 and $100 Florida to Detroit and California to Detroit. My biggest beef is that they are so rough with the packages. I have had some pretty rare stuff ruined by the US postal service and UPS. Making a claim is with the USPS is time consuming and left me very angry. The only thing I can suggest is make sure the bike is packaged extremely well and shop around for the best price. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Rat Rod]

FedEx always seems to come out cheaper than UPS when I get quotes.

I've used FedEx dozens of times and have never had any issues.

 

[jre0123]

I've had good luck with Fedex and Grayhound.

 

[thatismytruck]

What helped me was multiple smaller boxes. I took the bike plumb near completely apart. one big box was to be about $120 from CT to TX. 3 boxes was about $65.

 

[Unchained]

It seems to depend on where in the country you ship to. I shipped a heavy old cruiser (package weighed in at 85 pounds :shock to Pennsylvania from Massachusetts for $65, and I shipped another cruiser weighing at 70lbs to Oregon for $130. Ups has been pretty good for me, though they have bent a fender on a bike I shipped, which was completely unnecessary. I wrote "DO NOT LAY FLAT" all over the box to drive a point home, and they go and stand the 85lb package ON END on the buyer's porch! :shock: I never would have guessed- the delivery man must have had to work at it to get it that way, all the weight was at the bottom. They bent the front fender up pretty good, which was pretty well prtotected. Prices seem to be pretty random. USPS has offered me to ship complete bikes for $200+.

 

[brentville]

The best thing I've ever done when shipping a bike is to stop at the LBS and get a couple of their bike boxes that they received bikes in. Standard size, easy to use and easier to calculate shipping. I've done pretty good with UPS, but Fed Ex usually comes in about $5 cheaper. Anywhere from $50-$60 usually. What frustrates me is that UPS wanted $45 to ship a 3 speed wheelset. This was obviously a much smaller and lighter package but it stil cost as much as shipping an entire bike.

 

[Uncle Stretch]

Ok folks here is the secret , I wouldnt do this for just anybody , Since we are all members of the same club .....then here goes. Dont ship . Buy local and flip on craigslist. Much less hassel ...no damaged parts. Minus the ebay fees and shipping you can buy them local and spend a little more and still come out cheaper. The big plus is you get to look them over really good before you buy. Ok Ok so I even slip sometime. :roll: every city has bunches of bike clubs that have bunches of members wanting something else and will sell thier bikes pretty reasonable. just gotta look a little.

 

[brentville]

Yeah but what about us sellers, Stretch? I have always maintained that there are folks out there willing to spend a lot for these old bikes in original condition or restored and folks willing to pay fair value for projects. But there aren't a lot of them. I don't think you can reach those folks through craigslist very consistently. If you want to sell a Monach wingbar in original condition you're going to have to go here, the cabe or ebay. That means shipping it.

I love buying bikes on craigslist for all the reasons you've listed but I'm too keen on selling them on CL.

 

[Rustinkerer]

How much did they go up with the high gas prices last summer? The last bike I shipped was a year or two ago, back then I used FedEx, and it was under $30 this side of the rockies. UPS always rounded up the box measurements so they could call it oversize 3, which is like an extra $60. The 1st one I shipped in 06, UPS wanted $118, FedEx shipped it for $22! ~Adam

 

[skoda]

Keep the height of the box under 27 inches (like nothing bulges anywhere close to 27 inches) and the cost stays way down. I just shipped a Suburban and price went from 30 inches at $135 to 27 inches at $35. This was comparing FedEx (cheapest) to UPS (about the same price) and USPS that was through the roof at around $150.

 

[Rustinkerer]

just shipped a Suburban and price went from 30 inches at $135 to 27 inches at $35.

That's what I thought. Or it was the total L+W+H had to be under 88", which standard bike boxes are.. ~Adam