A few weeks ago, I posted a video about a Bike Move in Bozeman. I had found the video when I was watching another video about cargo bikes on YouTube, and I didn’t have any specifics about it. So when a reader asked a few questions in the comments section, I had no useful response. Fortunately, the video’s owner – Sam Haraldson – had seen the post and was able to provide the additional information about the distance of the bike move in the video, etc. I have never personally done a bike move or even participated in one (but if you’re in Tucson and want to do one, I’d certainly help out!), so I jumped on the opportunity to pick Sam’s brain about everything bike move. Sam agreed to help out, and even better, he asked some of his bike moving buddies to chime in, as well. So the following post is a series of responses from some seasoned bike move veterans. I hope you enjoy the responses as much as I did, and can utilize the advice in the future for your very own bike move!
Sam’s Responses
1. How would you define a bike move?To me a “bike move” is defined as transporting one’s belongings from one residence to another under human power. The term bike move can encompass walking, tricycles, and other human powered vehicles as well. I am of the opinion that the last load of stuff can be placed into an automobile as the car ultimately has to be moved from one location to the next and there’s no sense in not putting some items into it.
2. How many bike moves have you participated in? Can you give us some more details about those bike moves?I have participated in roughly a half-dozen bike moves. I have personally moved my stuff from one residence to another three times (’09, ’10, and ’11).
3. How do you generate participants for a bike move?Here in Bozeman we generate hype to solicit help for a bike move through the Internet. We have a strong online community that uses Twitter, a blog, and Facebook. We also use word of mouth for those dinosaurs amongst us. We’ve been featured doing bike moves in both the local newspaper as well as on a local TV station.
4. What type of equipment do you and others use in a bike move?I built a homemade longtail cargo bike from all recycled bicycle parts and scrap metal that I have dubbed the RecycleCycle. I also have deconstructed and retrofitted two kid-hauling trailers with cargo platforms. On these trailers I’ve built interchangeable hitch systems so they will work with lots of bicycles aka those who want to help me move!
5. What’s the largest or most awkward item you have helped move by bike? Are there any other fun facts you’d like to provide?The largest and most awkward item I’ve moved was my bed. The last trip of my virgin bike move was to strap my entire bed atop the bucket of a Madsen cargo hauler and ride it across town. A friend had the foresight to capture it on video. Check it here:
6. What inspired you to participate in bike move and/ or move your own home by bike?The idea to move by bike just came to me at random in ’09 when I was setting out to move to a new apartment. I was boxing my stuff up and decided to load up the kid-hauling trailer I had and ride it to my new place when it occurred to me that maybe I should try bicycling all of my stuff. I moved the entirety of that apartment under my own power but by the next year had acquired a fair bit more stuff so began soliciting the help of friends. It’s really taken off from there!
7. What advice do you have for someone who’d like to try a bike move?Plan, plan, plan! Prepare your stuff in advance and have it all boxed really well. Have plenty of tie-down straps available and line up who has cargo bikes and trailers in advance. Be sure to have lots of beer on hand as well!
8. Is there anything else you’d like to add?Bike moves are admittedly unnecessary as the quantity of fuel wasted in one or two trips in a U-Haul truck is pretty minimal. But I can say with absolute certainty that doing a bike move is one way to actually make moving – something that is decidely un-fun – a complete and total blast!
Ty’s Responses
1. How would you define a bike move?I would define a bike move as one in which you attempt to move all items you currently posses to a different locale via bicycle.
2. How many bike moves have you participated in? Can you give us some more details about those bike moves?I have participated in 2 bike moves. I moved my apartment down to a storage unit and back.
3. How do you generate participants for a bike move?I generate participants by sounding the horn for jackass on social media sites as well as through the Bike Kitchen.
5. What’s the largest or most awkward item you have helped move by bike? Are there any other fun facts you’d like to provide?I think some of the hardest items to move aren’t large, but simply very awkward. Shelves are a great example of this. Only 40 pounds but very long and unwieldy.
6. What inspired you to participate in bike move and/ or move your own home by bike?I move by bike mostly just to feel superior to other human beings. The smug is really the reason.
7. What advice do you have for someone who’d like to try a bike move?I would suggest packing your stuff in tubs before you attempt to move it all. The large rubbermaids work great for this purpose. That way you don’t have all the tough small items that have a tendency to fall out of panniers.
Mike’s Responses
1. How would you define a bike move?Only making one trip with your car.
2. How many bike moves have you participated in? Can you give us some more details about those bike moves?One. I towed that 500lb trailer across town like six times.
3. How do you generate participants for a bike move?Yell real loud.
4. What type of equipment do you and others use in a bike move?Bikes. Geez, who came up with these questions?
5. What’s the largest or most awkward item you have helped move by bike? Are there any other fun facts you’d like to provide?The trailer we put everything else on.
6. What inspired you to participate in bike move and/ or move your own home by bike?My roommate shamed me into it. Plus, I was bored.
7. What advice do you have for someone who’d like to try a bike move?Get a lot of weird friends.
8. Is there anything else you’d like to add?Slayer rules.
Taylor’s Responses
1. How would you define a bike move?I think anytime you move large quantities of a household that counts.
2. How many bike moves have you participated in? Can you give us some more details about those bike moves?Sam you know the details.
3. How do you generate participants for a bike move?Twitter, other word of mouth communications.
4. What type of equipment do you and others use in a bike move?Xtracycle, trailer.
5. What’s the largest or most awkward item you have helped move by bike? Are there any other fun facts you’d like to provide?Metal filing cabinets; maybe the mattress on trailer.
6. What inspired you to participate in bike move and/ or move your own home by bike?Love to demonstrate what is possible with bikes only. Shenanigans.
7. What advice do you have for someone who’d like to try a bike move?Just do it; you will figure it out.
Greg’s Responses
1. How would you define a bike move?A bike move is moving a household or business articles by bike, to the maximum achievable extent, whether or not it’s a practical application of common sense.
2. How many bike moves have you participated in? Can you give us some more details about those bike moves?Three. Beer was eventually involved towards the end.
3. How do you generate participants for a bike move?I do not organize moves.
4. What type of equipment do you and others use in a bike move?Big Dummy Xtracycle, straps, and bungees.
5. What’s the largest or most awkward item you have helped move by bike? Are there any other fun facts you’d like to provide?An 8′ table.
6. What inspired you to participate in bike move and/ or move your own home by bike?Each experience has been positive, therefor I look forward to the next.
7. What advice do you have for someone who’d like to try a bike move?Pack your stuff into tubs. Be organized.
8. Is there anything else you’d like to add?Roll with the flow.
Sam Haraldson is a Minnesota native living in mountainous Bozeman, Montana. He loves bikes and rides them everyday, year ’round. His love of bicycling extends beyond just riding however as he is chairman of the non-profit Bozeman Bike Kitchen and am a member of the Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board. In his spare time that’s not filled with cycling, he is a huge fan of ultralight backpacking and splitboarding.
Editor’s Note: All photos obtained from Sam’s Flickr with permission.