International bike shipping

How to place an order for bike shipping?

You do not have to do anything else than just following the above-mentioned steps and packing your bike properly.

After carefully packing your bike and booking the service, your job is done as Global Shipping & Freight USA takes care of all further steps. We will arrange the transportation with a cheap but reliable courier company and represent you throughout the whole bike shipping process. Your bike will be collected from your doorstep and safely delivered to the chosen destination quickly and reliably.

If you would like to know even more about how to ship a bike and what your options for additional insurance are, do not hesitate to contact our friendly customer support team. They will happily provide all the answers you need and make sure that the booking process is as smooth as it can be.

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How to ship a bike

Buying a new or even a used bike can be quite an expense these days. If you own a shiny new road racer or a proper downhill machine and need to ship it somewhere, you will, therefore, want to make sure that your bike is transported and delivered to you as safely as possible. As Global Shipping & Freight USA only works with the most trusted courier companies on the international market, you can rest assured that with our help, your bike will always be in good hands.

If you are not sure how to properly ship a bike, we have collected some tips to help you get started:

• When deciding on the right shipping service, you have to take into account the dimensions of your shipment. Whether you disassemble a bike before packaging or not, you always need to measure the final dimensions of the parcel to see what type of shipping service is suitable for your bike. Our shipment calculator below will help you do just that. If your package happens to be too big for standard shipping, this is absolutely no problem. Just contact us and we will prepare an individual offer for you
• If the pick-up country of your choice is either Poland, Sweden or Spain, you will need to print and put labels on the package yourself. In all other cases, this is a task for the courier service provider.
• In case you are about to leave your chosen pick-up address for any reason, we strongly recommend that you select a collection date that is 2 days prior to your departure to avoid any problems. Alternatively, another person can hand over the bike to the courier driver on your behalf.

If you have decided to ship your mountain bike, semi-racer bike or road bike and now want to ensure that it arrives to its intended destination safely, proper bike packaging is crucial.

The main materials you will need are the following:

1. Plastic pouches – they will be needed for storing delicate or small objects such as pedals or similar. You can get them in any stationery or hardware store or at the supermarket.
2. Cloths or rags – needed for cleaning grease or dirt from the bike before you pack it. You can simply use old towels that you have at home. You may also want to buy a degreaser to help you clean the chain, the derailleur and the cassette.
3. Cardboard boxes – for packing smaller bike components as well as its wheels and frame. You can buy them at any stationery or hardware store. Alternatively, you can also get used ones at supermarkets for free. However you decide, make sure the boxes are sturdy enough to support the total weight of the bike.
4. Foam sheeting – for internal cushioning of the cardboard box. You can buy it in hardware stores.
5. Bubble wrap – for securing and protecting individual parts of your bike before packing. Buy it in any stationery or hardware stores.
6. Packing peanuts – for internal cushioning of the cardboard boxes. You can get them in hardware stores.
7. Thin rope – for securing the wheels.
8. Adhesive tape – for sealing the box at the very end.

If you want to disassemble your bike before packing it, you will also need a set of Allen keys or at least a multitool. Make sure you always have the right tools for the job. If you are not exactly sure how to remove pedals, handlebars or other components from the bike, head online or ask a friend to help you.

Bike shipping can be very easy if you just follow these simple steps:

1. Start by disassembling the parts of your bike. If you cannot find a box that would be big enough to hold your bike entirely, you will have to dismantle it, which is also recommended by courier services. First, take apart the wheels and handlebars and remove the pedals as well as the saddle. If the saddle cannot be removed, it should be lowered instead. Then dismantle the other parts that can be taken apart so you decrease your shipment's dimensions.

   Even if dismantling all the bike parts is more time consuming, it is always a better option both moneywise (as the final price depends on the volume of the package) and in terms of security (the chances of damage during transit are lower).

2. Clean the bike. Before you pack the removed parts, wipe away the dirt and clean the oily bits with a degreaser.
3. Pack everything. Start by wrapping each individual item in bubble wrap and securing it with tape to protect it. Bigger parts should then be packed away into separate small cardboard boxes. The bolts should be put into plastic poaches so they do not get lost during transit.
4. Secure the contents. Wrap the frame and other parts that you have not yet packed into smaller cardboard boxes. Then put everything into a bigger cardboard box that you have previously lined with cushioning materials. Use string to tie the items together and secure them from moving around. Cushioning materials will prevent the items from moving inside the box during transit.
5. Seal the box. Close the cardboard box and tape it. Use enough tape and seal all sides. Apply at least three strips of tape evenly and cover all flaps and seams on the top and the bottom. Use strapping for heavier boxes.
6. Mark the box with labels or warnings. You can also put warnings such as "Fragile" or "Handle with care" on the box. However, please note that if you book standard shipping services, the courier is not obliged to take these signs into consideration and handle your parcel with extra care. Such warnings should never substitute appropriate packaging.

Some of the reasons why our customers booked bike shipping services were the following:

• Sending a bike to the repair shop. Bikes are getting more and more delicate and therefore require extra care. Some of our customers have shipped their special bike from abroad and therefore had to send it back for repairs, especially when no specialized mechanic was present in their home country. Bike shipping through Global Shipping & Freight USA turned out to be the best solution for this problem.
• Moving abroad. When moving abroad, some people just do not want to part from their bikes. Many of our clients are the same and they wanted to take their bikes with them as well. If moving is not done by car, train or other means of transport that would permit taking a bike along, the only option left is simply shipping it. The courier companies Global Shipping & Freight USA works with are the most reliable solution in such cases.
• Buying a bike. Our clients have either traveled and fell in love with a bike they saw in a local shop or bought one online. Some of the sellers do not offer shipping services and the customers, therefore, needed to organize it on their own. Global Shipping & Freight USA has already proven to be of great help in this case as well.
• Selling a bike. Some people also decided to sell their bike online and could not meet with the buyer in person. In such cases, bike shipping needed to be organized and the courier companies Global Shipping & Freight USA works with executed this job very well.
• Competitions. Many a professional cyclist is also a Global Shipping & Freight USA's customer. As these athletes cannot always simply take their bikes with them when traveling abroad, bike shipping is needed in many cases.
• Going on holidays. People going on active holidays often decide to take their bikes with them. Renting a bike for two or three weeks is often much more expensive than shipping it to the holiday destination and using equipment one is familiar with.

In case there is anything else you would like to know about how to ship or pack a bike, you can always turn to our friendly customer support team. Global Shipping & Freight USA's logistics specialists will answer all the questions you might have about bike shipping or shipping services in general.

Take into consideration these guidelines when shipping a bike. Nevertheless, please consider that following them does not guarantee that the courier company will transport your package without restriction. In case you decide to ship a bike, Global Shipping & Freight USA will not be held responsible for any damages caused by the transportation of your shipment.