How to ship a bike in Canada

Box a bike, choose a box size that keeps the bill down, and see which carriers take each size. With the rules for e-bike batteries.

Updated October 11, 2026

Short answer. Take off the wheels, pedals and handlebars, and use the smallest bike box that fits. The box sets the bill: a 43 × 24 × 10 in box bills at about 74 lb at most ground services, and a 45 × 30 × 12 in box at about 117 lb, too big for Canada Post.

Packing a bike

Bikeflights, which ships bikes for a living, suggests measuring the bike as you’ll pack it. The usual ways to make it smaller are taking off one or both wheels, lowering or removing the seat and seatpost, and taking off the handlebars.

Remove the pedals and the wheels, and take the handlebars off the stem.
Wrap the frame tubes and fork in foam or pipe insulation, and fit a spacer in the fork and rear dropouts so they can’t be crushed.
Tie the handlebars and wheels to the frame so nothing rubs against paint.
Put pedals, skewers and tools in a bag and tape it inside the box.
Fill the gaps, close the box, and tape every seam.

Bike shops receive new bikes in boxes and often have spares, or you can buy a purpose-made bike box. Either way, measure the box before you book.

Box sizes and what they bill at

A bike is light for its size, so the box decides the bill. Here are Bikeflights’ four bike boxes, billed at the 139 divisor most ground services use:

Box	Size (in)	Length + girth	Billed at	Carriers that take it
Small	43 × 24 × 10	111 in	about 74 lb	Every carrier with published limits
Medium	45 × 30 × 12	129 in	about 117 lb	All but Canada Post
Large	64 × 32 × 14	156 in	about 206 lb	UPS, FedEx Ground and Purolator Ground
Extra large	56 × 32 × 21	162 in	about 271 lb	UPS, FedEx Ground and Purolator Ground

Box sizes from Bikeflights. Billed weight at the 139 divisor, for a packed bike lighter than that. Length plus girth is the longest side plus twice each of the other two.

The small and medium boxes at every carrier, with a packed bike of 30 and 35 lb:

Carrier	Billed as	Fits
Canada PostRegular Parcel	62.2 lbSize sets it (÷ 166)	Fits
Canada PostOther services	74.2 lbSize sets it (÷ 139)	Fits
UniUni	Limits and divisor not published. A quote asks UniUni directly.
PurolatorGround	74.2 lbSize sets it (÷ 139)	Fits
PurolatorExpress	89.7 lbSize sets it (÷ 115)	Fits
UPSStandard	74.2 lbSize sets it (÷ 139)	Fits
UPSExpress	89.7 lbSize sets it (÷ 115)	Fits
FedExGround	74.2 lbSize sets it (÷ 139)	Fits
FedExExpress	74.2 lbSize sets it (÷ 139)	Fits

A bike in a small bike box, 43 × 24 × 10 in, 30 lb. Longest side 43 in, length plus girth 111 in. From each carrier's published limits and divisors; carriers round sides and weight up before billing.

Carrier	Billed as	Fits
Canada PostRegular Parcel	97.6 lbSize sets it (÷ 166)	Length + girth over 118 in
Canada PostOther services	116.5 lbSize sets it (÷ 139)	Length + girth over 118 in
UniUni	Limits and divisor not published. A quote asks UniUni directly.
PurolatorGround	116.5 lbSize sets it (÷ 139)	Fits
PurolatorExpress	140.9 lbSize sets it (÷ 115)	Fits
UPSStandard	116.5 lbSize sets it (÷ 139)	Fits
UPSExpress	140.9 lbSize sets it (÷ 115)	Fits
FedExGround	116.5 lbSize sets it (÷ 139)	Fits
FedExExpress	116.5 lbSize sets it (÷ 139)	Fits

A bike in a medium bike box, 45 × 30 × 12 in, 35 lb. Longest side 45 in, length plus girth 129 in. From each carrier's published limits and divisors; carriers round sides and weight up before billing.

Both boxes are over 105 in length plus girth, where UPS and FedEx add an extra handling charge, and over 1 m long, where Canada Post adds one. The small box is the only one Canada Post takes.

Past 130 in length plus girth

The large and extra large boxes cross 130 in. Above that line, UPS, FedEx and Purolator class a parcel as large or oversize and bill it at 90 lb or more. FedEx 2Day and Standard Overnight stop at 130 in, and Purolator Express by air at 144 in, so neither takes these boxes. They already bill at more than 200 lb on size alone, so save them for a bike that can’t fit the medium box.

A bike shop box varies by maker, so measure the one you have. One inch on any side can move a box over the 105 in or 130 in line.

Covering a valuable bike

Carriers pay for loss or damage only up to their own liability, and what’s included is limited. With ProtonShip, a claim is paid up to the carrier’s liability and any extra coverage you bought, so check the coverage before you ship an expensive bike. How coverage and claims work

Photograph the bike before you take it apart and the box once it’s sealed. If it arrives damaged, keep the box and all the packing until the claim is settled; carriers ask to see them.

E-bikes

An e-bike’s battery is a large lithium battery, which counts as dangerous goods in transport. ProtonShip labels can’t carry loose lithium batteries or dangerous goods that need a declaration, and Canada Post refuses battery-powered bicycles outright. Ship an e-bike through a carrier’s own dangerous goods service or a specialist bike shipper. Shipping lithium batteries in Canada

Price your bike box at every carrier

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Sources, checked October 11, 2026

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