Simply the best boxed bicycle transport guide in the country
Why the need for this guide? While we are in the Kruger National Park for some well-deserved family time off and need to outsource a few duties, this is the go-to guide for boxed bicycle transport provided by bicycle couriers. To allow our great service to continue. While the kids are screaming “Look at my hooves”, and “Zebra in America!”, and “Get inside the animals…” Don’t worry, we’ll be watching. Without further ado, here is all that you need to know about boxed bicycle transport in South Africa.
How to box the bicycle
Yes, the bike must be boxed. For two simple reasons: (A) for safety and easy handling while in transport. And (B) to reduce costs, because a boxed bicycle takes up much less space than a fully assembled one. Case in point, sending a single fully assembled bicycle might cost 2.5x as much as sending a boxed bicycle, based on volumetric weight. Further reading on how to box a bicycle:
- Is your bike already boxed, or do you need help packing?
- MUST I box my bicycle or can I just bubble wrap it?
- HOW-TO: Box your Bicycle for transport
- A step-by-step guide to Boxing a Bicycle for shipping or travel
- SOLVED: How to assemble a boxed bicycle
GOOD NEWS: you don’t have to box the bike yourself
Sure, you can grab a standard cardboard bikebox from a local bikeshop and DIY. Or you can pack the bike into your very own THULE or similar bikebox or bikebag. Or you can do what most of our customers prefer: just drop off the bike at a local bike shop. For them to box it for you. And them we collect directly from the bike shop when ready. Most shops charge in the region of R299-350 for this service. Which is actually great value, considering that you can buy a cardboard box from Boxman for almost R200, but then you have to pack it yourself. So we prefer the bike shop route. And also because they are open typically during office hours from 8am-5pm. so there is always someone ready for our collection.
TIME: We collect every weekday
Yes, we make use of an extensive network and collect every day from all the major towns and cities in the country. Same day collections must please be booked early, as, for example, the driver from George who collects from Mosselbay leaves the area around midday so you cannot book a Mosselbaai collection at 2pm and stil expect a same day pickup. And after the collection has been booked online and the PDF waybill sent off then we monitor those beautiful green tick boxes light up as the collections happen. Delivery takes around 3-5 workdays, depending on where it goes to, and trucks do run over the weekends, even though we only collect on weekdays. Which is perfect, even for events like the IRONMAN® etc, as the hotels will keep bikes for guests before they arrive and after they leave.
PRICE: What does it cost to send a boxed bike in SA?
Simple pricing. We only have 3 options.
- R699 to/from a bike shop: we can either collect from a bike shop or deliver to a bike shop. It doesn’t have to be a bike shop on both ends, unless you prefer it that way. Most people typically have the bike boxed and collected at a shop and then delivered to the home or office or hotel on the receiving end.
- R749 door to door: this is perfect for those who have their own bike bags or boxes and pack the bikes themselves. Then we don’t have to go through a bike shop at all. Just collect door to door. And the same for delivery. Please note these are for main centers, not rural or remote areas like below.
- R999 for remote areas: the shop and door to door options above are for main centers. Ie the biggest towns and cities in the country. Specifically, between Cape Town, Paarl, Stellenbosch, Somerset West, George, PE, East London, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Nelspruit, Polokwane and Bloemfontein. Anywhere else is a remote area. Hence the 999 rate.
As easy as it gets
Now where can we send your boxed bicycle today?
