Same bike, same box, same carrier network either way. What changes is who is quoting the price.
Two ways to get a bike from A to B
A dedicated bike shipping broker
BikeFlights and ShipBikes both sit between you and the carrier. Enter the box size and the route, and the service returns its own price, generates the label, and in BikeFlights' case can arrange a pickup. The parcel moves under the broker's account, not yours.
Box it and buy the label yourself
The same bike, in the same size box, moving on the same UPS or FedEx network, priced directly instead of through a broker. That is what a shipping calculator returns, and what SMKlog's own bike box guides below walk through step by step.
What BikeFlights and ShipBikes each state on their own site
Both are independent bicycle shipping brokers with no connection to SMKlog. Here is what each company's own homepage said, read on 2026-08-18.
| Feature | BikeFlights | ShipBikes |
|---|---|---|
| Box or case | Sold in its own shop | Sells several proprietary models, including AirCaddy and XBike Shipper |
| Pickup or drop-off | Either, chosen at booking | Drop-off only — the site links out to UPS drop-off locations |
| Carrier named on-site | Not specified | UPS Ground, with air service options for faster delivery |
| Pricing shown | Calculated per shipment after dimensions are entered; no flat rate posted | Same — a quote form, not a posted rate |
| Protection wording used | "Premium Protection with our Best Way Guarantee," described as monitoring the bike "from pickup to delivery" | A claims page is linked; no coverage terms shown on the homepage itself |
Both companies negotiate their own rates and set their own terms, and a homepage can change without notice. Book on the current page, not on what is summarized here.
Pricing a service against boxing it yourself
Neither company shows a rate until a box and a route are entered, which makes a fair comparison a matter of running the same shipment through both paths. Measure the packed box, then price it twice: once through the broker's own quote form, and once through a parcel calculator pricing the label directly. The guides below carry real, dated quotes for boxed bikes if a number to start from is useful before the box is measured.
Standard bike box
Front wheel, pedals and bars off — the same teardown level a shop uses for a new bike. Dimensions, a live carrier quote and why USPS is usually absent.
Fully assembled
Skip the teardown and the box grows with it. What a bike that is not disassembled costs to send.
Price your own bike box Which carrier limits a bike box meets
Where these facts come from
- BikeFlights, bikeflights.com — the booking steps, the pickup-or-drop-off choice, the boxes and cases sold in its shop, and the "Best Way Guarantee" and "Premium Protection" wording. Read 2026-08-18.
- ShipBikes, shipbikes.com — the box models sold, the UPS Ground statement, the drop-off locations, and the claims page reference. Read 2026-08-18.
Both companies set their own prices and terms, and either page can change without notice. Treat the features above as what each site stated on the date shown, and confirm on the live page before booking.
Common questions
What is a bicycle shipping service?
A company that boxes or ships a bike door to door on your behalf — BikeFlights and ShipBikes are the two most searched. You send the bike, they handle the box, the label and often the pickup, for a per-shipment price quoted at booking.
Do these services provide the box?
Both sell one. BikeFlights lists shipping boxes and cases in its own shop, and ShipBikes manufactures several proprietary models — AirCaddy, XBike Shipper and others — sold from its site. Neither page states outright that a box you already own is accepted, so ask before you build one from scratch.
Will the bike get picked up from my house?
Only on BikeFlights, which offers a pickup or a carrier drop-off at booking. ShipBikes' own site points to UPS drop-off locations and does not advertise a pickup option, so plan to deliver the box yourself.
Which carrier actually moves the box?
ShipBikes states plainly that it ships by UPS Ground, with air options for faster delivery. BikeFlights does not name a carrier on its own site; it books the move on your behalf rather than handing you a carrier choice.
Is a dedicated service cheaper than boxing it yourself?
Neither publishes a flat rate — both quote per shipment from the box size and the route, the same two inputs a parcel calculator uses. The only way to compare is side by side: box the bike, run its size and both ZIPs through a shipping calculator, and weigh that number against the service's own quote for the same box.