pakole

All of my day to day activities can be done with my bike, but every now and then, like once every three months or less, I will need a truck or something to move a piece of furniture or something big. I do not owe a car or truck because its just not particular for me to own when I would ride my bike almost all of the time. Anyway, should I rent or should I get involved in a car sharing program? Thanks for your help.

pedex

rent or call a courier service, or even better yet, pay a friend with a truck to do it

pakole

Courier service? I never thought about that. Are they expensive? I mean I can rent a car for $36 or have Ikea move something for me, but its $100. I do not want do something beyond $50. Is that unreasonable?

pedex

depends on the service, here locally for same day service its about $12-$15(anywhere in town) plus around 6 cents a pound over 100lbs, Ive worked for a few courier services, now I own one

tyCycler

Home depot rents trucks. We used one to bring home a larger costco bed purchase.

bmclaughlin807

I used to use a small private moving company in Virginia... Got their number from a furniture place when I bought a bed there. They charged $30 to pick up and deliver large items. (Like a queen size frame, mattress and box spring)

bhchdh 

https://www.bikesatwork.com/hauling-cargo-by-bike/

tfahrner

The thing about those great trailers is that unless your livelihood involves moving such bigness regularly, it's hard to justify buying one of the bigger ones for the number of times per decade that they're perfect.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition bought one. It was a free loaner to members. That was genius. I moved house with it once, for the stuff that outclassed my Xtracycle.

I'm planning to build a car-sized flatbed bike trailer out of bamboo poles (https://www.carryfreedom.com/bamboo.html) and parking it out front with planters on it to reclaim for humane use the little bit of street we have some property rights over. And loaning it to any biker who needs it.

r8ingbull

You could shop local. Most local merchants are able to make deliveries.

krazygluon

+1 for the home depot rent-a-truck (25 an hour if i'm not mistaken)
+5 for local shopping.

jamesdenver

What i do:

Rent a car/truck
Cab -- if heavy but not to large or cumbersome to manage (can ask for a van cab too)
Borrow a friends truck (repay with gas, lunch, etc)
Rent Home Depot truck (but this is usually same price as renting for day, so if I rent for day I'll incorporate other big errands)

Order online. Obviously weight is an issue, but I order tons of things online. Certain BIG things that are light are pretty cheap for shipping. A crate of stone tiles is another story, but that's something you could just call a cab for.

bdinger

You hit on something very valid here. I wonder if bikers who do still own large vehicles (like me, I own (not pay a payment for) it, so selling is kind of a lose-lose) in areas could somehow advertise that they are available to help other bikers in these situations? I mean, I know that I would be happy to move something across town for another biker who does not own a vehicle, and needs to move something too big for a cab/bus trip.

Maybe start a sticky thread with locations of people like I or something?

lima_bean

If its just a short distance:
I helped a friend move everything in his house, couches, tables, chairs, Tv, beds, etc completely on bikes. Its not that hard. Now If i need to buy a big piece of furniture I just borrow his bike trailor and haul it myself. So you might want to invest in a bike trailer or maybe you can rent them. I know some bicycle clubs loan them out too.

Otherwise I bought a couch one time on craigslist, and then posted an ad on craigslist looking for help picking it up. Paid some guy 50 bucks to drive an hour out to the suburb, load my coach, drive an hour back, and carry it into my house. wutta deal.

pakole

Hey, I like that idea with the craigslist help. I get alot of my stuff through craigslist, so it only makes sense that I get help that way as well. I would like to use a trailer, but I do not have the finances to purchase a good quailty trailer, and I do not know of a bike club around me, but that is due to ignorance not due to the fact that there are no bike clubs up here in Seattle. I just moved, so I am not familiar with the bike clubs up here in Washington. Thanks for everyone's input.