Moving house didn’t allow much time for photographs so this small selection will have to be representative of the two weeks we spent shuffling things about. We did use a car and a van a couple of times as well: bed sofas don’t fit on Xtracycles (watch someone prove me wrong now) but much of the move was made with people power.
We’ve been looking for extra chairs for when we have guests, and we found this one on a pile to be thrown out. I rescued it literally with a few seconds to go before the refuse truck ate it. A bit of work with some wood glue and it’ll be a useful chair.
The handcart we used for bulky stuff couldn’t take the pressure, and the handle broke off in the old apartment, so we had to Xtracycle it over to the new one. (Well, we didn’t have to, but it was a fun challenge) We’re now debating if we should just fix it, or use the wheels to make a utility trailer.
All of the moving boxes were second-hand, and the ones that fell to bits needed recycling. It took a bit of creative thinking, and stomping, but they all fitted on the Xtracycle, and we made the four km to the recycling point with no incident, although a lot of curious stares from passing cars.
Now we’ve landed, and it’s time to give the poor abused xtracycle some maintenence: the brake blocks were worn to metal by the end of the week, I’ve got through another chain and cassette, and the tyres are developing cracks like the Sahara. Time to order the Schwalbe Marathon tyres I’ve been promising myself.
I’m blogging about bike parts. I need to get out more.
5 comments
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July 10, 2009 at 7:15 pm
David Hembrow
If you _really_ don’t want flats, make sure you get the Marathon _plus_. The normal Marathon isn’t quite so flat proof. You linked to the plus variety, so you probably know this anyway.
You think you’ve got it bad ? I’m replying to someone who’s blogging about bike parts 🙂
July 11, 2009 at 9:19 pm
John . Dublin Ireland
I like your Style moving House by Bicycle. I am very Hard on Kitchen Chairs and they keep Breaking so I kept Watch for People throwing out Stuff in Skips.
On three Occasions I was able to pick up abandoned Chairs. I found two in my Local Park and on the other Occasions in Skips outside Houses.
I have a Complete set of Four for the Kitchen in Brown Wood and one other in Green for one of the Bedrooms. It is amazing what People throw away.
I have Schwalbe marathons on my Work Cycles Crossframe and no trouble with Punctures since I got the Bike in Sept 2007.
July 12, 2009 at 3:44 pm
john
that’s a great move! I am sure though I saw pictures from Portland bike moves that they moved couches and mattresses and so forth, they had rather large trailers or even shared the load between 2 bikes (that would be a trick!!)
July 15, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Andy in Germany
Thanks all… I’ve ordered the Marathon plus variety. I’ll report on how I find them…
Any pictures of large loads on bikes?
July 29, 2009 at 8:03 am
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