Bike movers find ways to haul it all

Pedal power and volunteer cyclists replace moving trucks

By Nevill Eschen

The Portland Tribune, Aug 3, 2006, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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He claims the clusters of cyclists rarely have conflicts with motorists.

“They’re so shocked, they find it so unusual, it makes them more tolerant,” he said.

Scrivner has been with Move by Bike from its start in 2003, when like-minded people began asking if such a project was possible. It’s not so much an organization as it is a phenomenon, “an idea that catches on and takes on a life of its own,” he said.

The first try was Emily Wilson’s move from one Northeast Portland residence to another, with a dozen game bicyclists launching the effort. Wilson said she’s pitched in with other people’s bike moves.

“They’re continually amazing. It’s easier if you have less stuff, but it’s possible to move the majority of your things by bike,” Wilson said.

Groceries easier than sofas

Stultifying late-afternoon heat during a recent blast of hot weather didn’t stop four bicyclists from participating in a four-mile ride through Northeast Portland carting 20 boxes, a potted plant and a wayward watermelon they were determined would be their reward.

“It was heroic,” Rachel Freifelder, the movee, said, noting that all four volunteers were doing their first bike moves on a day that was hotter than 100 degrees.

She hopes the moves allow people to see how much a pedal-powered two-wheeler can do.

“People who think they can’t use their bikes for grocery shopping — this is pushing the limit for really large things.”

A bike move doesn’t necessarily mean a total break from cars. Kempfer said his own move last October entailed a car to take things to the dump and to give a washer and dryer to some friends.

But bike trailers did manage to transport large furniture — a dining-room set, a sofa, a love seat and bookcases — about seven miles, from Northeast 73rd Avenue and Fremont Street to Goose Hollow.

A truck or van can move longer distances faster than a bike, Kempfer admitted. But he figures that in some ways a bike move is faster, because lots of people are doing a little bit.

“It was awesome,” he said. “I was kind of overwhelmed at all the help and how great it turned out.”

nevilleschen@portlandtribune.com

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