Freight per bike is the number that decides whether a bike brand works. It is also the number most new importers never calculate until the first quotation arrives. This page does the arithmetic on container loading.
The arithmetic
A cartoned complete bike measures roughly 135 × 22 × 75 cm — about 0.223 m³. A 40ft high-cube holds about 65 m³ of usable space after pallets, dunnage and the fact that cartons do not tessellate perfectly:
| Configuration | Volume per unit | Units per 40HQ | Freight per unit* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete bike, cartoned | 0.223 m³ | 280–300 | $8–15 |
| Complete bike, KD (knocked down) | ≈0.11 m³ | 550–600 | $4–8 |
| Frameset only | ≈0.07 m³ | 850–900 | $3–5 |
| Components, mixed cartons | varies | — | by CBM |
*At $2,300–$4,500 per 40HQ to North Europe (2026 spot and contract benchmarks), before terminal handling, documentation and destination charges.
Why KD changes the business case
Knocking a bike down — removing the front wheel, bars, pedals and saddle, and repacking into a flatter carton — roughly halves the volume. On a $1,599 bike, that is $7 of freight turned into $4, which looks trivial until you multiply it:
| Order | Assembled | KD | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 container of 280 bikes | $3,900 | $2,000 | $1,900 |
| Per bike across 1,000 units | $14 | $7 | $7 |
| Effect on a $1,599 retail price | 0.9% | 0.4% | 0.5 pts of margin |
Half a point of margin is not nothing at scale — but it is not the reason to ship KD. The real reason is that KD lets you fit two models in one container and reach a mixed order without paying LCL rates.
Air freight: when it is rational
A cartoned bike is charged on volumetric weight, roughly 40 kg at the 1:6000 convention. At $4.50–$7.00/kg for 100–300 kg shipments, that is $180–280 per bike.
Charges people forget
Meihanda Container Loading Guide, October 2026. Carton dimensions are typical for a cartoned 700C complete bike; loading figures assume 65 m³ of usable volume in a 40ft high-cube. Freight benchmarks are 2026 China–Europe container rates. Reuse with attribution and a link to meihanda.com/container-loading-guide.
A worked example: 1,000 bikes to Hamburg
| Cartoned complete | KD | Air | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume per bike | 0.223 m³ | 0.11 m³ | — |
| Total volume | 223 m³ | 110 m³ | — |
| 40ft high-cubes needed | 4 | 2 | — |
| Freight at $3,500/container | $14,000 | $7,000 | — |
| Chargeable weight | — | — | 40,000 kg |
| Freight at $5/kg | — | — | $200,000 |
| Per bike | $14 | $7 | $200 |
Mixed loads: what you gain and what it costs
Three models, four sizes and two colours in one container is normal for a first order, and it is the right way to test a market. The trade-offs are real but manageable:
| Single model | Mixed container | |
|---|---|---|
| Factory efficiency | Highest — one setup, one paint run | Lower — changeovers between models and colours |
| Minimum quantity per SKU | Full container | As low as 30–50 units per variant |
| Freight per unit | Lowest | Slightly higher — cartons do not nest perfectly |
| Market learning | One bet | Several bets, one shipment |
For a first order, mix. The extra freight is a few dollars a bike; the information you get back is worth far more.
Three mistakes in the freight calculation
Related data
- China Bicycle Cost Index — Where 75% of the bill of materials sits
- Landing cost calculator — Run the numbers on your own shipment
- MOQ & lead time — The real timeline, stage by stage
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