Enter the length, width and height of your packed box or case. Accurate dimensions are required to avoid carrier adjustments and penalty fees.
Boxes and cases naturally bulge when packed, so it’s important to measure the outermost points of your box or case after packing and to include all bulges, bowing, crushed corners, tape seams, uneven flaps, straps, handles and wheels.
Simply measuring along the flat sides or edges between corners of your box or case doesn’t account for the bulges that naturally occur after packing.
Think about bike tires: a gravel tire labeled 40 mm or a mountain bike tire labeled 2.5 inches will measure differently depending on the rim it’s mounted on. In the same way, you won’t know the true dimensions of your box or case until after it’s packed.
Finally, always round up length, width and height to the next inch just like the carriers do.
How to measure
Step 1: Measure the three sides
Use a tape measure to measure the length, width and height of your packed box or case.
Length is the longest side of your box or case
Width is the second-longest side
Height is the remaining dimension
Write down each measurement.
Be sure to measure at the longest, widest and tallest points of your packed box or case, including any bulges, bowing, crushed corners, tape seams, uneven flaps, straps, handles and wheels.
Step 2: Check for bulging
Packages often bulge once packed.
To check for bulging:
Gently lay your package on its side, the same way it moves along carrier belts during transit.
Look at each corner. If you see a gap between the corner of the box or case and the floor, that indicates bulging.
Measure the largest gap from the floor to the corner.
To account for bulging on both sides, double the largest gap measurement and add it to your original height (shortest side) measurement.
This gives you a more accurate height measurement for your package.
Repeat this process to check for bulging in the other two dimensions (length and width).
Step 3: Round up
Always round up any fractional measurement to the next nearest inch.
For example:
12.25 inches → enter 13 inches
47.125 inches → enter 48 inches
Watch the video below for a visual demonstration.
Why accurate dimensions matter
Accurate dimensions are required for every Bikeflights shipment. Carriers use automated laser systems to scan and measure packages multiple times during transit. If scanned dimensions don’t match what you entered when booking, you’ll receive a carrier adjustment charge or credit to account for the difference.
Pre-loaded dimensions
We’ve pre-loaded the dimensions of Bikeflights Bike Boxes and many popular shipping cases. If you’re using one of these, you can select its dimensions from the dropdown when booking.
However, you should always confirm the dimensions of your specific case after you’ve packed it, including any bulges. If your measured dimensions differ from the pre-loaded dimensions, manually enter the dimensions you measured when booking.
