Shipping a bicycle - best way? how much might it cost? is it worth it?

Parent Cafe
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<p>Cardinal Fang–That’s what it cost my daughter. She took it by a bike shop, which did minimal disassembly (handlebars, pedals) and put the bike in a used box–and she reassembled it herself. I should have been more clear. </p>

<p>The problem of shipping a bike is why my new bike has the S&S couplers. It comes apart with a simple tool and then fits in a standard suitcase (26x26x12). Of course, that only works for “good” bikes.</p>

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<p>Southwest airlines charges $75. Not sure if you have to fly along or not.</p>

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<p>Consider purchasing a used bike locally. DS bought a decent used mountain bike for $200 on Craigslist. I’m sure you could even better deals via college websites if the semester is about to end. </p>

<p>Also check for campus rental options. Here is a deal at CU that rocks - <a href=“http://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/bike/semester-rentals”>http://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/bike/semester-rentals&lt;/a&gt; … The Semester Bike Rental Program charges a $30 rental fee (non-refundable) and a $100 deposit (refundable). If you return the bike in the same condition we gave it to you, then you receive your deposit in full! You may renew your rental for a second semester at a cost of only $10.</p>

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<p>If you just do handlebars and pedals, what carrier will ship that box for $50? When I ride Amtrak, I take off the pedals, turn the handlebars and put my bike in the Amtrak box. But I’ve never heard of a shipper that will ship a box that big for that cheap.</p>

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<p>Handlebars, pedals, and one wheel : <a href=“http://www.bikeflights.com”>http://www.bikeflights.com</a></p>

<p>I read about shipping on southwest for $75 but couldn’t ever get a box size as small as they demand.</p>

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<p>CF: obviously shipping rates depend on how far and how fast you ship. She used UPS. I don’t remember the details, but I do remember she considered $50 outrageous ;-)</p>

<p>I believe that everyone on this thread is in agreement that shipping a bicycle is probably only worthwhile if the bicycle is of high quality and will be ridden a lot.</p>

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<p>Update: This simplest solution of all! I guess people often just leave their bikes locked on campus over the summer to avoid the hassle of moving them home, so she had an offer to babysit a friend’s bike for the summer. Perfect! B-) </p>