apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Very cool idea! I don't think I'd be in good enough shape to do that though!

This is such a great idea! I'm not sure if I even remember how to ride a bike, but I sure will remember this the next time I'm moving!

Okay, they're my new urban idols. Wow.

I think this might be kind of fun, if it was well planned out (and you live in a very flat area! It would suck in, say, San Francisco). It would certainly encourage you to pare down before the move.

I'm very impressed.

that is pretty damn sweet!

Am I the only one who thinks this is really silly?

If you have that little stuff, rent a van and make one trip.

They must be good planners to pull that off in under 4 hours! (and good editors as well). Wow.

This is really awesome but I hope that people who aren't as experienced in a bike lifestyle don't try it. It could be dangerous.

I want to see them try to move a piano this way. :)

Oh JP... full of awesome awesome people.

If I had a bike I would definitely attempt this! My attemps at moving have included carts.

inkstainedwriter

you're not the only one who thinks it's silly. perhaps they wanted to save money or do an eco-friendly move. since they did it, well, more power to them.

Who does this kind of stuff?

These people.

I want to be friends with these people. Does anyone know if they are auditioning for new friends?

It was only half a mile? Good grief! Rent the truck, make one trip, and be done with it! It wears me out just to look at these photos. And I can't even begin to grasp how this made moving a more enjoyable experience, which is what the writer seems to imply was the case. I'm with inkstainedwriter on this one.

It's like a performance art piece -- which is cool. And I'm glad someone filmed it. Maybe they'll start a low-weight/low-impact/fully portable livestyle movement -- or already have.

But this is not a "ponderable possibility" for any move I will undertake!

Sure, the idea to move via bike might be "silly", or not as efficient as renting a truck and making one trip, but what I love is how they helped create a sense of community, made some friends along the way and inspired others to think about car-less travel, regardless of the difficulty of the task at hand. Oh yeah, AND they probably got some great exercise too!

Take note of what JFK said in his speech at Rice University on going to the moon: "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."

Who doesn't love a good challenge these days anyway? I think it's pretty awesome that they did this.

Okay, it seems silly, but they're making a point. It's the same as people driving a Toyota Prius instead of the Honda Civic Hybrid. It's more visible. Your point is more obvious to more people. In that sense, I understand completely.

If these people were holding auditions for new friends- count me out! They would probably expect me to help them with their next move... and that is more than I'm willing to give.

Rock on! Silly? Maybe to some. At least it's beneficial to the health and well-being of the environment (and the movers). I can think of a lot of silly things that don't have that going for them.

perhaps they don't have driving licenses, or parking in the neighborhood is less than ideal...or maybe they just wanted to move by bike. why does it matter to anyone but them?

good on them for something different.

In China you see all kinds of things on the backs of bikes. The Chinese would be completely unfazed by this. If they need new friends they should look in Beijing.

I love the thought. Oh JP is right. Awesome people can be found there! If only a bike move weren't so damn difficult from Boston to Brooklyn or I'd hire them.

Emily

Don't get me wrong- I think that riding a bike is a great alternative to driving... in MOST cases. This is one scenario that I find it ridiculous.

Its nice that people helped them when they were struggling on an incline- but really, if its not even feasible to move without the help of three pedestrians, than its probably not a good idea to be on the road!

Navigating the narrow, impatient streets of JP with such heavy loads is an undertaking of heroic proportions. Congratulations!

Hopefully, the move to the new location isn't too far. You'd have to be in super shape with iron thighs to pedal heavy bundles by bicycle! That's real dedication to going 'green'.

When I moved from JP, I hired movers for the first time. It was wonderful.

I live here in Amsterdam, I see this everyweek, it's not unusual at all. You can even rent a bike from many places which has a large wooden tray (4x4 ft) attached to the front. Many times I have seen a mountain of household stuff (boxes, lamps etc) wobbling its way towards me on the street. I suppose the distances here are quite short and of course it's flaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!

Only in America is moving by bike such a "ridiculous" thought.

Well done, bet your glad you don't have a piano.

Anyone questioning "why move a half a mile away?" Bike or no bike...what's the point? Job relocation? :)

one word ---> insanity

better to have a ridiculous thought than to make a blanket ignorant statement.

I witnessed this move--I have a plot in the community garden across the street from their previous residence and happened to be there at the time. We were all marveling--including my biker friends who get themselves and their 3 toddler kids around entirely by bike.

They are making a statement about their commitment to using bicycles for transport. They wouldn't rent a truck for that reason. You can think it's silly or admire them for it, either way, it's a decided choice.

And Jamaica Plain has quite a few hilly bits.

For those who say it could only be done in a flat locale, there is a group of Portland-ites who have been regularly moving people via bicycle for years. Everything gets moved by bike, even a piano. You just need the right trailer and gearing.

Not silly. Not at all.
Silly: 1. Exhibiting a lack of wisdom or good sense; foolish.
These people had the wisdom to save the planet some harmful emissions. We all need to think of ways to do this.
2. Lacking seriousness or responsibility; frivolous:
I think these people demonstrate that they are quite serious about fighting global warming, and that they take responsibility for every action they commit that might affect the alarming changes in our shared environment.
3. Semiconscious; dazed: knocked silly by the impact.
Quite conscious. Fully conscious that there is no magic bullet to fix our shared problem, and that each one must change his/her own actions for any cumulative change to occur.

[Middle English seli, silli, blessed, innocent, hapless, from Old English gesælig, blessed.]
I think they blessed the planet by doing this.

it really is getting on my nerves how people comment without really reading the post (because it says how far the move is, for example).

and - "why move half a mile"? there can be a lot of valid reasons, so if anything is silly, then it is that comment …

and the move by bike is brilliant! well done! i am not fond of moving house at all, but i am sure this way - when it is doable, distance- and street condition wise - is better than many others. for a lot of the good reason given, the planet not being the least important …

i helped with a friend's move a few years ago, which was about half that distance and done by cart - unexpectedly, ctually, as the person with the van had an accident. it was hilarious :-D

wow! kudos to them!

a lot of people move less than half a mile; leases that can't be renewed, shacking up with partners, splitting up with people, baby on the way, hating the roommate - all of this, because they love the neighborhood.

hmm interesting idea, and one that has apparently generated a good bit of discussion, so mission accomplished.
i can appreciate the thought, but its a bit impractical, and potentially fraught with mishap. even avid helpers and friends are never as careful with your gear as you would be. aaaaannnnddd, as someone who has biked thru europe using a bob yak, all it would take (even on two wheeled trailers) would be too tight a turn and everything goes all road rashy. and nobody wants that kind of patina on their gear.

all that said, does anyone know the maker of those long trailers?

We're in the middle of a 1 mile move so that we can have a backyard for our new dog. Our leases overlap by a week so we've been moving a lot of our stuff by bike trailer and it's been great. We will have a friend with a pick-up come move our bed and chest freezer, but everything else will already be in the new place. Needless to say I love the idea!

clever idea and all, but i'm very much surprised that no one ran you over or at least attempted to. if you've driven in boston, you know what i mean :)

Wow that is impressive. I thought for sure that the rest of the post would say all large items were moved by motor vehicle but only the mattress! Very cool.

nrKist is right: there are regular bike moves in Portland--including some in winter.