Boxed or not?

To box or not to box, that is the question.

We always recommend sending bicycles boxed, for two reasons: (A) because of the reduced dimensions it is much cheaper to send a boxed bicycle than a fully assembled one; and (B) because of the obvious safety and care for your bicycle — proper prior packaging prevents possible niggles while in transit. But in extreme cases we can make an exception and if you decide to send your bike unboxed then you agree to the below.

Inadequate packing indemnity

We (BC and services providers) will not, under any circumstances, be held liable for any damages that may occur to goods, any parcel or valuable item arising from the inadequate packaging thereof. It is the responsibility of the sender to adequately package goods to be able to endure the rigorous conditions and dangers of road, rail, sea and/ or air freight carriage, as the case may be.

I, the sender, hereby acknowledge and confirm that I was made aware by BC that due to the value, nature and fragility of my goods it should be  packaged adequately to withstand the rigors and dangers of road, rail, sea and/ or air freight carriage, as the case may be.

Accordingly, I herewith indemnify BC and its service providers from any liability whatsoever in respect of damages, direct or consequential, to my goods/valuable item, while in the custody, care and possession of BC et all, arising from the inadequate packaging of my goods/ item/ valuable item.

In fact, we have now written this into our standard T&C and as such you agree to same when booking with us. Which is quite logical.

And what about the cost?

Expect to pay 2-3-4 times as much! Here is an example:

Let’s start with the smaller option. This week we sent a tandem MTB that was boxed (wheels and pedals and fork and rear derailleur removed) and fitted into a 160*30*80cm large double walled cardboard bicycle box. So no more than a regular boxed bike.

And now for the worst case. What happens when you send the bike as is? A Schwinn Tandem Cruiser at 2.54m long and 60cm wide and 1.2m tall comes in at almost 4x the cost price of the example above.

Granted, this is an extreme example to show how big a difference boxing makes to the total volumetric weight, but nonetheless you can expect to pay double or more.

The choice is yours

I will always send my bicycle boxed, but we are accommodating and listen to our customers and understand that there are scenarios when boxing is either not possible or preferable.

BONUS: Top tips for wrapping your bicycle yourself. If you do decide to send your bike unboxed, please take care and use loads of bubble wrap to package your bicycle as secure as possible. More is better. especially around the derailleurs and everywhere along the paintwork, frame, shifters, handlebar and saddle.

We collect Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere 🙂