FAQs
When may I purchase my shipping labels online? SendMyBike.com will sell labels online from May 14th through July 8th or so for inbound shipping (shipping your bike to RAGBRAI). For outbound shipping however, you may continue to purchase outbound shipping prior to and during RAGBRAI. (Internet can be sketchy and time consuming. Please make every effort to purchase labels BEFORE Ragbrai.)
How do I ship my bike to RAGBRAI with SendMyBike.com? Click on "Start Shipping Now," enter your information, and within a few clicks you'll have your price. You can pay by credit card. You will receive your inbound shipping label (to Iowa) by EMAIL in early July. Then, on or before July 13th, print and affix the labels to your bike container and ship your bike to us. (Details of a for pickup or drop locations will follow later)
How do I ship my bike home at the end of RAGBRAI? There are two options for shipping your bike home from RAGBRAI, explained here. In both cases, if you have ordered a return shipping label from SendMyBike.com, it will NOT be mailed to you. It will be available for you to claim in the end town on the last day of RAGBRAI, Saturday, July 31st, at either our convenient location in Clinton, Iowa at the Pork Belly Ventures campsite (All bikes will be at Clinton Park on July 31st. Both PBV riders and non-riders using SMB will claim ship their Bikes at Clinton Park). If you have asked SendMyBike.com to store a box or case, it will be unloaded and ready to claim. Extra cardboard bike boxes will also be available for your use for no additional charge.
The first option for shipping your bike home is to box it yourself in the end town, affix your shipping labels, and hand the package over to our crew to load onto a trailer immediately for shipment home. This option requires no additional payment and is a great option for those who are accustomed to working on their own bikes.
The second option will allow you to turn your bike, your shipping container and your return label over to us (for riders not with Pork Belly Ventures, Harpers Bike shop will box your bike), where our mechanics will package your bike for shipping. This option costs and additional $55 if you want your package to begin shipping by the Friday AFTER RAGBRAI. (For $65, you can have the shipping begin by Tuesday AFTER RAGBRAI.).
For a small number of people who need their bike boxed on location so they can fly it home, the cost will be $65.
How do I ship luggage to and from RAGBRAI with SendMyBike.com? Click on "How To Ship A Duffel" for information.
What are my Options for shipping my Bike using SendMYBike.com?
- 1) Bike Flights Box-This option is for an ordinary road, touring, hybrid, gravel or mountain bike. As part of your shipping order you will receive a Bike Box shipped to your home address prior to needing it for shipping. The box is Bike Box Large from Bike Flights This Bike Box allows you to box your bike without removing the rear wheel. All packing necessary to protect your bike is included. Here is video on how to box your bike using the BBL. How to box your bike with a BBL using this option can eliminate the need to have a mechanic box, assemble, rebox, and then reassemble. At $50 to $60 for each of these 4 services you can save over $200. The box is a retail value of $150. But using our service will increase your shipping rate by only $95, a $65 saving off retail. The box can be used for shipping your bike multiple times. (Be sure to write your name clearly on the box with a big black magic marker!) In early July we will EMAIL you your shipping label and instructions. This option includes residential pickup and delivery and also includes a base minimum of $1000 insurance on your bike. Additionally, it gives superior priority in the UPS system and improved tracking of your bike during shipment.
- 2) Bike Box or Case-This option is also for an ordinary, road, touring, hybrid, gravel or mountain bike. Using this option you can use your own box or hard case to ship your bike to us. In early July we will EMAIL you your shipping label and instructions. This option includes residential pickup and delivery and also includes a base minimum of $1000 insurance on your bike. Additionally, it gives superior priority in the UPS system and improved tracking of your bike during shipment. NOTE: if you use your own case your bike cannot exceed a total measurement of 165 inches. Which is found by using this formula length plus 2xheight plus 2xwidth where Length is always the longest side of box or case; Height is the second longest, and Width is the dimension that’s left over. Always round up any Length, Width or Height measurement to the next unit. For example, a measurement of 12.25 inches must be entered as 13 inches. For questions on this process please call pete at 402-681-2613
- 3)Air Caddy-This option allows you to use your Air Caddy (a special triangular shaped box for shipping bicycles.) In early July we will EMAIL you your shipping label and instructions. This option includes residential pickup and delivery and also includes a base minimum of $1000 insurance on your bike. Additionally, it gives superior priority in the UPS system and improved tracking of your bike during shipment.
- 4)Tandem-This option allows you to ship a tandem to us using your own container as long as the total dimensions do not exceed 165 inches found by using this formula length plus 2xheight plus 2xwidth where Length is always the longest side of box or case; Height is the second longest, and Width is the dimension that’s left over. Always round up any Length, Width or Height measurement to the next unit. For example, a measurement of 12.25 inches must be entered as 13 inches. For questions on this process please call pete at 402-681-2613.
- 5) E-Bike-This option allows you to ship your ebike to us. The pricing is very close to the same as option 1 or 2. But you must be sure to have your bike packaged using a bike shop that has a certified mechanic. To see a list click here. Bike shop locater
- E bikes Type 1 and 3 are accepted. However throttle type E bikes cannot be shipped. To see if your bike can ship, use this link. Ebikes .
- 6) Other bikes-Please call pete to discuss options for shipping any special bike including trikes, recumbents, etc. 402-681-2613.
Will I be able to pay by credit card if I buy outbound shipping during the week of RAGBRAI? As long as you have internet access (which is a questionable when thousands of riders inundate the local cell phone sytem in small overnight ragbrai towns) you can purchase direct from sendmybike.com or you can go to Pork Belly Ventures front desk in each host town. Our advice is to make it simple and purchase outbound shipping prior RAGBRAI.
By when does my bike need to arrive in Iowa? Your bike should be shipped far enough ahead that the bike will arrive on or before Tuesday, July 20th. Please don't take this deadline lightly. (Riders that want their bike pre-assembled need to have their bike arrive by Friday, July 16th.)
How long will it take my bike to reach Iowa by Ground? The good news is that Iowa is in the middle of the country, so even if you're far away, the typical delivery time is three to four days. But don't cut it close. It's better to let go of your bike early and miss a couple days of training than to ship too late and miss a couple days of RAGBRAI. For Ground shippers, we suggest allowing a full seven days for your bike to arrive, which means that you would ship no later than Wednesday, July 14th. (Again, if you bike is to be pre-assembled ship by Monday, July 12th.)
How do I make sure my shipment is on time? Follow the suggested timeline above, use your tracking number to check on your shipment, and watch email for our notices of any shipping delays and for our notice of delivery when the bike has been received.
Are there ways to avoid shipping delays? Remember that most shipping problems occur when a shipping label falls off a package. Make sure your label is securely affixed to your bike box or luggage, and be sure to read our tips page. Track your bicycle and if it is delayed, let us know so we can help. If you have allowed our recommended two- or three-day buffer, there is an excellent chance that your package will still arrive on time. And New for 2021 improve tracking and priority is included in your sendmybike shipping purchase.
What happens to my bike when it reaches Iowa? Your bike will be recieved, assembled if requested, and then held until Thursday morning July 22, when it will be transported to Lemars for the start of Ragbrai.
What happens if I ship by some other means? If you are spending the week of RAGBRAI with Pork Belly Ventures or using our shuttle services before or after RAGBRAI, sendmybike.com is definitely the most convenient and affordable way to ship your bike. And if you are not using the services of Pork Belly Ventures, sendmybike.com is still the most affordable way to ship your bike, equal in convenience to other RAGBRAI bike shippers. When you use SendMyBike.com, you are entitled to your shipping label and much more. We will receive your bike, transport it to the ride start, and make it available for you to claim. Reasonably-priced mechanical assistance will be available if you need it (free for those using Pork Belly Ventures). At the end of RAGBRAI, we will arrange for you to ship your bike directly from our convenient location or the Pork Belly Ventures campsite in the end town. So if you elect to ship your bike without using sendmybike.com, we will gladly provide supplementary services for $75. Contact petephillips@cox.net or 402-681-2613 to arrange using your own shipping while having SMB receive, assemble, transport your box, (or case), take your bike after ragbrai and package it for sending home.
Can I ship an E-bike?-Yes you can ship both Class 1 and Class 3 E-bikes (No throttle style E-bikes) but the bike must be properly packaged by a certified bike ship. Here is a list of shops that are approved to package E-bikes. certified ebike shops Remember that E-bike batteries are treated like hazardous material and they must be packaged using a certified shop. The fine for not using a certified shop is not worth it. Check this list and call Pete if you need help with this. 402-681-2613.
What if my package incurs an oversize charge? If you purchase the preferred option of using a shipped box (Bike Flights BBL container) this will not happen. If you use your own box. Please use the following method to determine sizing in inches: Length, + girth (girth is 2 times heigth plus 2 time width). As long as this number is less than 154, your bike container is fine. Note: If you have a tandem, or standard bike in an Air Caddy box, higher rates will apply. See the drop down menu for these prices. Please write or call Pete at 402-681-2613 or pete@pkbelly.com for rates on bikes other than those types listed in the drop down menus. (Trikes, recumbents, etc.) Or if you have any bike that is packaged in a large box.