Bikeflights Bike Box Review: The Best Way to Ship a Very Rare Vintage MTB

After John helped facilitate the sale of a very rare early 1980s LandShark MTB, to ensure it arrived safely to its new owner, he hit up Bikeflights to try out their new size large Bike Box Large. This proved to be the most secure and easiest way to ship a bike…

Bikeflights Bike Box Quick Hits

Four sizes: Small through X-Large
Bike Box Large, reviewed here, has new features as outlined here
Future size Bike Box updates on the way
$79.95 through $109.95 retail
Weight of box ranges from 17 lbs with a maximum of 45 lbs packed for size small and 23 lbs with a maximum of 75 lbs packed for x-large
ISTA 6A standard tested for secure shipping
Made in Oregon
Sustainable: Each Bikeflights Bike Box is reusable
Shipping cost to you is not included, nor is shipping the box with a bike inside
Subsequent shipments with your bike packed in a Bikeflights Bike Box are not included, but can be purchased here.

Box sizes and hardware included

You might have encountered Bikeflights’ bike boxes in the past. I’ve had several of them arrive with review bikes, and they always make packing a bike easy. Well, the new Bikeflights Bike Box ups the ante with an even simpler design that literally takes under ten minutes to assemble. The Bike Box Large, or BBL, arrives in a flat-pack box with simple instructions printed inside.

The Bike Boxes come in sizes small through x-large, sized specifically for everything from a kids’ bike to a full-suspension enduro bike. BBL boxes have been updated with new features, as outlined here; the other sizes still use the old Bike Box format for now. The prices range from $79.95 to $109.95. Once you remove the cardboard parts, it’s rather intuitive to assemble. A series of folding, interlocking cardboard pieces easily lock in place.

*The BikeFlights BBXL is optimized for shipping gravel, aero road, and triathlon bikes without removing your integrated bars and stems.

Safe and Secure

To achieve ISTA 6A classification, the Bikeflights BBL had to withstand multiple drops of 18 inches and 36 inches, a horizontal compression force of up to 229 pounds, a vertical compression force of up to 1,732 pounds, and sustained vibration while loaded up to 300 pounds.

Inside the box, there are a number of cardboard accessories to load and secure your bike, including wheel covers and a fork holster that comes with various plastic hardware pieces to lock your thru-axle-equipped bike into place.

Shipping a Rare Bicycle: 1982 Land Shark Dirt Shark

A local here in Santa Fe was unloading this rare early 1980s Land Shark Dirt Shark and a friend in Utah wanted it. Not wanting to play around, I sized the BBL and had one sent in from Bikeflights.

Once the bike was in my possession, I removed the pedals, seat post, and front wheel and loaded it into the box. Instead of removing the bars, I turned them at 90º, and the entire bike loaded in easily. For this particular bike, I didn’t need to use any padding, as the cardboard dividers ensured there was no frame contact but you might want to add a layer of protection for piece of mind. The lid closes using rotating plastic locking hardware, and the final assembly is secure and stable.

Shipping the Bikeflights Bike Box

From there, I weighed the entire box and entered the appropriate shipping information at Bikeflights.com. Once the box is labeled, you can either schedule a pickup from the carrier or take it yourself. I love taking bike boxes on my Omnium Mini Max cargo bike, so I loaded it up and rolled it down to my local carrier. The BBL arrived at its destination completely unscathed, and the bike inside was safe and sound. Once the bike was unloaded, the new owner could break down the box and store it for another day.

While the Bike Box is more expensive than a (usually) free bike box from a bike shop, it is more secure and has been designed to offer very stable shipping. My only critiques are the box cost and the unloaded box’s weight. So you’ve got to be mindful of the size you order. Don’t just order the X-Large as it’s very large; take the time to measure your bike to find the appropriate size.

If you get stumped upon unpacking the box, Bikeflights has an informative video outlining a step-by-step procedure for assembling the Bike Boxes.

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