What will our neighbors to the North think of next? Here in the U.S., people have used bicycle trailers to haul all sorts of things. But in Montreal, Canada, cyclist Julien Myette – a former computer engineer turned truck driver and mover – decided to start a moving company using only bicycles to haul household furnishings from one location to another.
Myette combined his moving experience with his ecological values to create an inexpensive solution for “moving objects too large for a car but too few to justify the expensive and polluting use of a truck.” In his mind, bicycles were the natural solution to this problem. His company, Déménagement Myette, was founded in 2008.
Since that time, hundreds of clients have availed themselves of Déménagement Myette’s moving services. According to their website, they are able to offer 6 bike movers for the price of 3 traditional movers. Doubling the number of movers would shorten the amount of time necessary to move belongings in and out of a home.
This arrangement would provide a very economical way for apartment dwellers to move since they would have less furniture than a typical single family home. In fact, in college towns like Boston, a bicycle moving company could make the start of the academic year much easier on everyone by lessening the number of moving trucks blocking the roads as apartments turn over.
Déménagement Myette can move appliances or furniture by strapping them onto 30″ x 64″ aluminum and steel trailers. They purchase the trailers from a U.S. company, Bikes At Work Inc., located in Ames, Iowa. The trailers have a 600 pound capacity. Mountain bikes with hydraulic disc brakes – which allow the bike movers to maintain control of their cargo when traveling downhill – are used to pull the trailers.
Work can continue in the rain through the use of tarps to keep the cargo dry, but the moving service is unavailable in the winter. And, just like their traditional counterparts in the moving business, insurance is offered and standard mover’s pads are used to protect furnishings from damage.
A service of this sort dispels the myth that bicycles are nothing more than recreational vehicles, which pale in comparison to motor vehicles. There certainly are times when a very large vehicle is necessary to transport items. Still, a bicycle moving service stands as proof that bicycles can sometimes perform tasks better than their motorized counterparts.
There are numerous advantages to using bicycles to transport goods. The more compact bikes and trailers take up less room on the road and cause less congestion when parked outside of a residence to move items in and out of the home. This is of particular importance in densely populated urban environments where parking outside of apartment buildings is limited.
Other advantages include conservation of fuel and the absence of emissions gained by using bicycles to do the hauling. The human element shouldn’t be overlooked either. While it’s true that the physical activity involved in carrying furniture and appliances builds strength, it’s equally true that riding a bicycle adds a cardiovascular workout to the weight lifting aspect of the job. This combination leads to healthier, more fit movers who would be in better shape for lifting and carrying large items over a longer period of time.
Maintaining bicycles is also more economical than maintaining a fleet of trucks. And less storage space is required to house bicycle moving equipment. Overall, a bicycle moving service provides a more economical and environmentally friendly approach to moving.
Despite the many advantages of using bicycles for moving, similar services are unlikely to crop up around the U.S. Lack of demand for economical moving services won’t prevent the start of new bicycle moving businesses, but rather the common belief in motor vehicles as superior – and necessary – which dominates our culture.
A shift in attitude about the capabilities of various vehicles would be required for the acceptance of bicycles as serious transportation and utility vehicles. And, demonstrating diverse uses for bicycles, beyond recreation, is a step in the right direction.
This video of Déménagement Myette in action exemplifies how bicycles can play a broader role in American society.
