Frequently Asked Questions

Getting your bike to the start line shouldn't be the most stressful part of your trip. We’ve designed our boxes to take the guesswork out of international travel, but we know that packing a prized frame or navigating airline baggage policies can still bring up plenty of questions.

If you can’t find the specific answer you’re looking for here, please get in touch and we'll be happy to help.

Will my bike fit in? What box do I need?

We have all the bases covered – there are four distinct models according to your type of bike and preference for size vs pack time. On each of the product pages there are measurement guides for each box to help you pick a size.

The Tourmalet is our most compact box, starting at just 12 kg. This is the box for you if you're happy (or able) to disassemble your bike's cockpit. Simply remove the wheels, bars, pedals and seat post and you're ready to pack and fly your bike. Can't remove your bars easily? Then you'll need to look at the Ventoux...

The Ventoux was designed for bikes with integrated cockpits, where disassembly isn't possible or desirable. As long as your bars can turn 101 degrees to the right, you can leave them on - just remove your wheels and seat post and you're good to go. The Ventoux starts at just 15 kg, and comes in two different widths to accommodate those with bigger bars or larger shifters/brakes. Can't turn your bars 101 degrees to the right? Then you'll need to look at the Aubisque...

The Aubisque is designed for new-generation aero road bikes like the Colnago Y1RS, Cervelo S5, and Factor One, and TT and tri bikes where cockpits and bars need to remain in place and cannot rotate 101 degrees to the right due to aero geometry and design. With two box width options and four height options, this means your bike can be loaded in and secured with bars pointing forwards. All that needs removing are wheels, seat post and potentially aero extensions depending on size.

For MTBs, the Stelvio is the only choice here, and it's built for the job, from lightweight XC hardtails up to long-travel downhill rigs, in two sizes.

All of our boxes are available in different size options to cater for your bike's geometry.

How long will it take to build my box?

Our lead times are typically 4-6 weeks from placing your order to your order being ready to ship. The reason we ask for a travel date is to ensure we don't take orders that we can't get customers in time to avoid disappointment. We can sometimes flex this and prioritise extremely urgent orders, so please just ask us if this is the case.

How long will it take to arrive?

Typical delivery times following the initial 4-6 build lead time:

  • UK: 48 hours
  • EU: 4-5 days
  • US: 7-10 days
  • ROW: 7-10 days

We only use trusted, high quality shipping partners in FedEx and DHL.

Can I arrange alternative shipping?

Yes! If you'd like to arrange your own courier, please get in touch with us at info@buxumbox.com before you order. You can also have the box shipping to an alternative freight carrier should you wish - just add their address at checkout and let us know. At checkout, you can also select an option to collect the box yourself from our Okehampton workshop.

Will I pay local taxes?

Shipments to a UK address incur VAT at the prevailing rate. That's included in the price UK customers see on site. For shipments outside the UK, UK VAT is not charged. However, local taxes will apply - these will be levied via a payment link from the courier, generally at the point we book shipping for the order, which you can then pay. We cannot include these local taxes in our pricing, as they're levied by respective governments and beyond our control.

Why use aluminium?

It’s a wonderful sustainable material – extremely strong in the grades we use (mainly 6061, as used on high-end frames and in aerospace applications), light weight (panels are just 0.5mm thick), versatile (we use it as sheet, extrusions, turnings and stampings) corrosion resistant and eminently recyclable. And oh, it looks good too! Plus, we an offer an amazing range of powder coat colours too.

Will it dent or scratch?

Yes it will, but only in a good way. And that’s also what makes aluminium such a great material – each cycling journey will add a patina of use and earn the odd distinctive scar but without impacting strength or structure. We like to think we look better with age.

Of course, no material is indestructible and there is always a balance to be struck between strength and weight. If a panel is breached due to, for instance, wilful neglect on the part of a baggage handler then it would not spell the end for your box – panel repair/replacement is straightforward and supported by the factory.

Our experience is that a Buxumbox can take far more abuse than moulded plastic or semi-rigid boxes (and is repairable too!)

What's with the fixed mounting of front fork and rear dropout?

We want our boxes to be as flexible as possible in terms of the range of bikes they will accommodate – part of that means picking mounting points that are common to all, i.e. the front and rear dropouts. This enables the bike to be mounted firmly and securely in a manner that is as familiar as inserting and removing the bike’s wheel.

We cater for the full range of axle sizes in both Quick Release and Thru Axle standards.

I hate packing - please tell me that packing your boxes is painless?

It’s painless. In fact, making these boxes simple to use, highly versatile and quick to pack is a design fundamental. You don’t need a degree in applied mental gymnastics here – we’re all about these boxes being intuitive to use. The Tourmalet and Stelvio take less than ten minutes to pack or unpack and the Ventoux and Aubisque under five minutes, with the absolute minimum of disassembly required.

Will airlines charge for a bike box?

Probably yes – though policies do vary by airline. And other brands of bike boxes or bags aren't exempt either. The good news is that there is a trend by airlines to offer transparent pricing polices for items of Sporting Goods rather than simply applying excess baggage rules.

You can normally find policies and rates by searching for "Sporting Goods" or "Bicycles" on your airline’s website.

Can you help if my box is lost?

Yes! Each Buxumbox carries a plate with a unique serial number and our contact details. We know who owns each box – keep your details current with us and we will be able to reunite you when a loss is reported.  Please contact us on info@buxumbox.com.

Can you produce custom boxes?

Yes – within certain physical limits and the limits of physics! As well as producing custom sizes and hardware features for large or unusual bikes (even tandems), we can provide custom decals and logos – for an individual individual or a club/team.

The most popular customisation feature is to have the box powder-coated in a colour of the customer’s choice – examples of recent production can be found on our blog page and Facebook.

Please contact us on info@buxumbox.com with your specific requirements.

Can you supply my team or club?

Absolutely. We're happy to produce batches of orders in custom colours, with custom screenprints, or decals. For orders like this, we're also happy to discuss volume orders. Please get in touch with us to enquire.

Do you have any distributors?

No. We sell directly from our website and ship globally. If you see someone else claiming to re-sell Buxumbox bike boxes, or something that looks like one of our boxes, it's likely either a fake, a scam, or an imitation product. If in doubt, please get in touch with us.

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Lifetime Warranty

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UK Made

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Ships Worldwide

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14 Day Returns