Captured 2026-08-18 for the exact cartons and lane below. A different box or route reprices from here.
A full bike box, priced on FedEx and UPS
This carton is close to the ceiling: 54 inches long, 28 wide, 10 tall, at 38 lb once the bike is boxed. FedEx and UPS each returned two tiers, and one more apiece further down the ladder; USPS did not price it at all.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Estimated transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPS | Ground | $126.89 | 5-6 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $130.81 | Ground transit |
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $159.10 | 6-7 business days |
| FedEx | Ground | $208.85 | 6-7 business days |
| UPS | 3 Day Select | $228.19 | 5-6 business days |
FedEx Ground Economy undercut FedEx's own Ground tier on this box, but both FedEx services still landed above UPS Ground. That gap moves around week to week, which is the reason to pull a fresh quote rather than treat any single run as the going rate.
A kids' bike box, same lane
A compact 20-inch kids' bike box shows the same carrier order at a much smaller scale.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Estimated transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPS | Ground | $69.35 | 5-6 business days |
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $81.08 | 6-7 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $92.68 | Ground transit |
| FedEx | Ground | $104.01 | 6-7 business days |
| UPS | 3 Day Select | $119.90 | 5-6 business days |
USPS returned nothing for either box on this run, even the smaller one. That is a fact about this specific capture, not a rule USPS publishes about bikes as a category.
Where FedEx's own oversize line sits
FedEx's customer support page on the Oversize Charge, read 2026-08-18, defines it as a package that “exceeds 96 inches in length or 130 inches in length and girth,” billed at “a 90-lb. minimum billable weight, except for expedited international shipments.” Length and girth is the long side plus twice each of the other two.
| Carton | Length | Length plus girth | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54 × 28 × 10 in (full bike) | 54 in | 130 in | Right at the 130 in line, not over it |
| 44 × 22 × 8 in (kids' bike) | 44 in | 104 in | Well under both thresholds |
Neither box clears 96 inches of length on its own, so length alone never triggers the charge here. The full bike box's 130 inches of length plus girth lands exactly on FedEx's published number, which is written as “exceeds” 130 — a box a half-inch shorter on any one side would sit clearly under the line instead of testing it. This is a comparison against FedEx's own published figure, not a claim that a specific surcharge line appeared on either quote; a rate quote does not itemize which named surcharge applied.
Wheels and bars come off first
Removing the front wheel and turning the handlebars flat is what keeps a full-size bike carton away from that 130-inch line at all. Left assembled, most adult bikes will not fit any standard bike box without doing this.
A snug box, not a bigger one
A carton with room to spare adds inches to every side of the girth calculation for nothing. A box built close to the torn-down bike's actual size is the cheapest box on every carrier, not just the one that avoids a surcharge line.
USPS caps at the same number
USPS Ground Advantage states its own combined length and girth ceiling as 130 inches on usps.com, read 2026-08-18 — the identical figure FedEx uses for its Oversize Charge, though the two carriers are measuring against different products, and one of them pricing a box near that line says nothing about whether the other will.
Where these rules come from
- FedEx, What is an Oversize Charge? — the 96 in length and 130 in length-and-girth thresholds, and the 90 lb minimum billable weight. Read 2026-08-18.
- USPS, Ground Advantage — the 70 lb maximum weight and 130 in combined length and girth ceiling. Read 2026-08-18.
Both carriers revise these pages without notice. Treat the figures above as what each published on the date shown, and re-check before boxing something that sits close to either line.
Common questions
Does FedEx ship bikes?
Yes. A disassembled adult bike in a 54 x 28 x 10 in box quoted $159.10 on FedEx Ground Economy and $208.85 on FedEx Ground, Berkeley Heights, NJ to Denver, CO, captured 2026-08-18. A smaller kids' bike box quoted $81.08 to $104.01 on the same lane.
Is FedEx or UPS cheaper for shipping a bike?
UPS Ground won both boxes in this capture: $126.89 against FedEx Ground Economy's $159.10 for the full bike, and $69.35 against FedEx Ground Economy's $81.08 for the kids' bike. FedEx Ground itself ran above both FedEx Ground Economy and UPS Ground on every box quoted.
Does a bike box trigger FedEx's oversize charge?
It depends on the box. FedEx's own published definition, read 2026-08-18, is a package exceeding 96 inches in length or 130 inches in combined length and girth, billed at a 90 lb minimum weight. The 54 x 28 x 10 in box in this capture works out to exactly 130 inches of length and girth, sitting right on that line rather than clearly over it.
How should I box a bike for FedEx?
Pull the pedals, front wheel and handlebars, drop the seatpost, and use a bike-shop carton sized close to the frame rather than a bigger box with empty space in it. Every inch of length and girth removed moves the box further from FedEx's oversize line and lowers the dimensional weight it bills on.
Will USPS ship a bike box instead of FedEx?
Not on this capture. USPS Ground Advantage caps out at 130 inches of combined length and girth per usps.com, read 2026-08-18, and USPS did not return a rate for either bike box quoted here, even the smaller one at 104 inches. UPS and FedEx were the only carriers that priced these boxes.