Carrier size limits, length plus girth math, and how to ship a bike, golf clubs, dumbbells and a stroller.
Updated October 10, 2026
Before you start
Carrier size limits, length plus girth math, and how to ship a bike, golf clubs, dumbbells and a stroller.
How to ship a bike safely comes down to box size and carrier limits. UPS and FedEx Ground handle most boxed bikes, while USPS stops well short of the required dimensions.
Limits below come from each carrier's own pages, checked 7 October 2026. Measure the packed box first, then pick the carrier, so you book once.
Kit for this
The products this guide uses, with typical US prices.
Double-wall boxes, 18 × 12 × 8 in, 15 pack
Double-wall cardboard resists crushing better than single-wall, so your boxed sneakers arrive intact.
Typical price$45 to $70
See on Amazon
Bubble wrap, 12 in x 175 ft
A long perforated roll costs several times less per foot than the small packs sold at the post office or a drugstore.
Typical price$15 to $30
See on Amazon110 lb shipping scale with fold-up display
A wrong weight gets you an adjustment charge from the carrier or postage you overpaid. This platform scale takes up to 110 lb, and its backlit display folds up 90 degrees, so you can still read it when a box hangs over the top.
Typical price$18 to $30
See on Amazon
ShipStation
Suits you when you ship dozens of packages a day from eBay, Etsy and your own store and want one queue for every order. It connects to USPS, UPS and FedEx, so you compare rates and print labels in one place.
Typical priceCheck current pricing
Visit siteThe guide
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Length plus girth
US carriers cap a package by length plus girth: the longest side, plus twice the sum of the other two. A bike box of 55 × 31 × 8 in scores 55 + 2 x (31 + 8) = 133 in.
Work that number out before you compare prices, because it rules out more services than weight does.
Carrier limits for long packages
USPS Ground Advantage takes up to 70 lb and 130 in length plus girth; Priority Mail stops at 70 lb and 108 in. UPS Ground and FedEx Ground take up to 150 lb, 108 in long and 165 in length plus girth.
USPS packages over 108 in combined pay an oversized rate, and UPS and FedEx add surcharges for large or heavy boxes. A boxed bike usually goes UPS or FedEx; dumbbells and a folded stroller often fit USPS.
Packing a bike
Ask a local bike shop for a spare bike box: new bikes arrive in them. Take off the pedals, turn the handlebars sideways, drop the seat and remove the front wheel.
Zip-tie the wheel to the frame with cardboard between them, wrap the derailleur and disc rotors in bubble wrap, and put the pedals and tools in a bag taped inside. Shake the box: if anything rattles, pad it.
Kit for this step
Golf clubs and gym gear
Golf clubs go in a long box or a hard travel case. Wrap each head, tape the shafts together in a bundle and fill gaps so the heads cannot knock. Ship a single club or a wedge set in a tube instead.
Dumbbells and kettlebells are small but heavy. Double-wall boxes, a layer of cardboard on the bottom and plenty of tape keep a 40 lb box from splitting. Split a pair into two packages if one box goes over a limit.
Kit for this step
Strollers
Fold the frame, remove the wheels if they come off, and bag the canopy and fabric so they stay clean. Wrap the wheels and the folding joints, since they take the knocks.
Weigh it packed: a travel system with a bassinet can pass 40 lb once boxed. Check the CPSC recall list for the model before you list it.
Items carriers refuse
USPS caps a spare lithium battery at 100 Wh and ground shipping only, so most e-bike batteries can't go by mail. CO2 inflator cartridges are compressed gas: take them out of a bike sale package.
Check each carrier's hazardous materials rules before you book. A refused package comes back to you and the postage is gone.
Offer local pickup for heavy items
eBay lets you offer local pickup, and Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp are built for it. A $60 shipping charge on a $150 bike puts most buyers off, and a local buyer with a car pays nothing for shipping.
For a crib or an elliptical, ask the buyer to bring a helper and wait in the driveway with it, so nobody walks through your home.
If you ship, put the packed size and weight in the listing so the shipping you charge matches the label you buy.
Checklist
Run through it before each one goes out.
- 1Pack first, then measure and weigh
- 2Work out length plus girth
- 3Pick a carrier whose limit covers both
- 4Remove CO2 cartridges and loose batteries
- 5Schedule a pickup for anything over 50 lb
- 6Offer local pickup on the listing as well
Setups
Complete kits for one kind of seller, costed and laid out.
Questions
Straight answers to what sellers ask about this.
What is the cheapest way to ship a bike?
Compare UPS and FedEx Ground rates for your packed box on a label site. Most boxed bikes go over the USPS size limits.
Can I send golf clubs with USPS?
If the packed box stays within 70 lb and 130 in length plus girth for Ground Advantage. A full set in a long box often fits better with UPS or FedEx.
How do I work out length plus girth?
Longest side plus twice the other two sides added together. A 48 × 16 × 12 in box is 48 + 56 = 104 in.
Can I ship an e-bike?
Not by USPS with its battery. Check UPS and FedEx hazardous materials rules, or sell it for local pickup.
Where do I get a box for a bike?
Ask a bike shop for one of the boxes new bikes arrive in. Many shops give them away.
How heavy can a package be?
USPS takes up to 70 lb, and UPS and FedEx Ground up to 150 lb per package. Over 50 lb, schedule a pickup.