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Re ~Cycle
60 High St, West Mersea, Essex, CO5 8JE, UK Tel 01206 382207 Fax 5729 info@re-cycle.org www.re-cycle.orgPACKING A CONTAINER – should get in a 40' “High Cube” container you should get 450 bikes plus parts.* In a standard 40' you should fit 375 + parts
(# Depends on type of bikes)
Confirm 2 days before that the container will be turning up
Fax a map of how to get to your placeAgree on 6 free hours loading rather than the standard 4, as charity and loading by hand.
Have a mobile phone on site if the driver is late / lostPallets for steps to get up to the container, say x 15
Stuff to fill gaps – PARTS - dry ice bags from hospitals / unis are very strong (won’t rip with cogs etc.) and thrown away regularly.
Safety – Mention at Briefing - First Aid Kit - Insurance for liability
Briefing at startPorridge pot – common syndrome where the stacker calls for wheels and end up with the container blocked up with 50 of them, when 10 were needed.
Standing around - excess people can be put to work compacting / cannibalising, as otherwise other people stop to talk to them…
ROLES
COMMUNICATION + TEAMWORK ARE THE KEYSREMEMBER - It is NOT worth messing up your back.
If it doesn’t want to come undone easily – LEAVE IT – there’s plenty more….JOB ROTATION ==>
- training for the next time
- avoid injury due to over exertion
- keeps it interesting
SUGGESTIONS + COMMENTS PLEASE
3 + PACKERS – Works on the bike “face”
Air costs us money and Africans bikes
SAFETY FIRST - DON’T mess up your back
YOU MUST ROTATE THIS JOB
let strong people do 2nd layer
375 bikes in normal container (chalk out container 1st) with 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4-way marks on walls
keep bikes UPRIGHT
FLAT BIKES (no pedal on one side) against walls
STACKING
NB – Keep bikes upright, to
Avoid bikes ending up horizontal
Facilitate interlacing of next row
Heavy bikes on bottom
Handlebars east, west, east, west…
layer 3 = FLAT + LIGHT BIKES on side, alternate seat direction as well as handlebars
Kiddie’s bikes on top next, then wheels then tyres
For next row of bikes, interlace wheels (all 3 layers, though gets harder on top layers) with the previous row of bikes2 + FEEDERS - Supplies bikes and parts to Stackers
keep corridor to the bike “face” clear
pass bike up front wheel first, pass next bike back wheel first, to save Stacker rotating them
keep couple of flat bikes handy
Put boxes and bags of parts under pedals of bottom layer and on top of wheels
Counts bikes in, notepad and pencil by doorSTOCKER - Bikes + parts from store - pass to Feeder
Piles of different items outside the container
KEEP PATHS CLEAR
Keep stock-piles by mouth of container:
“flat” + “very flat” bikes
“normal” bikes
kiddie bikes
folded folders
wheels + tyresSORTER
Racks off RM bikes
Make “Flat Bikes” = no pedal on one side
Make “Very Flat Bikes” = both pedals off
REMEMBER - It is NOT worth messing up your back.
If it doesn’t want to come undone easily – LEAVE IT – there’s plenty more….OVERSEER -
What goes into container
Ensure job rotation
Ensure breaks + drink + food
Filling in shipping documents
Timing – at least 4 free hours, £16 per hour after
Ensure no one is having fun!This could use a heading, ‘loading tips’?
Good bikes and tools in 1st (tools may need to go in ½?way if needed quickly at the other end) so less likely to get stolen, a few rusty bikes in last so if anyone opens the container, they think it’s a bunch of junk.Daylight hours / lighting – allow 6 hours, container often late, may need lighting (car / generator / extension lead)
Food – plenty of water + basic main meal + fruit + sticky buns for in the mean time.
Compacting – various degrees, bikes for the sides at least – turn (lower) handlebars + remove pedals + lower saddles NB – some bikes are seized up, if something won’t budge, don’t waste time and/or injure yourself, leave it.
“preparation tips?
Sort bikes according to height and typeTake off all (one or both of the) pedals, tie to top tube with twine or zip ties
Loosen headsets, turn handlebars parallel to frame
Turn 10-speed bike handle bars up so that they sport a lower profile
Slam all of the seats down.
More loading tips? Pack alternately, back wheel first, front wheel first, back wheel, etc. in vertical rows. you should get about 15-18 bikes per row, depending on type.
Dump parts, tubes, wheels, etc. between bikes as they fit.
Place one 4X8 sheet of plywood over row when it is complete, then start with second tier. (scrap wood and layers of cardboard also work, albeit not as well)
After second tier is in place, then place tyres and more parts and accessories, and kids bikes in the 'attic space' above the second tier.
For the next row, starting from the bottom obviously, slot 'weave' the (wheels) tires from the new row between into the (wheels) tires from the previous row. it is extremely important to keep the rows perpendicular to the floor, otherwise the bikes will lean, making this slotting 'weaving' difficult.
Repeat.
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2001 09:10:25 -0700 From: David Schweidenback pdls4prgrss@worldnet.att.net Subject: loading Dear Merlin, Gustav asked me to write to you about loading techniques. Most of what we do we do for safety reasons, some of it is for quantity reasons.* Every extra bike lowers the "per unit" cost so filling that baby is important. Lets call the trailer door south, end where the lorry attaches north and the sides east and west just for convenience sake. In the north end start with 5 bikes facing east and west.* Have all the bikes tiers against one wall, I usually use the east wall because my trailers lean that way a little.* (you can NEVER beat a lean, you need to use it) Alternate each bike, one heading east, one west, one east....* that will leave you with a 1 meter X 1 meter dead space on the west wall.* Put any big boxes there. Then start a row of bikes facing north and south, again alternating, one facing north, one south, one north one south, all the way across the trailer.* If there is any leaning of the bikes that means you missed a bike, plus leaning causes rim damage.* Once you complete row one, throw a piece of plywood across the top of the bikes, & start tier two on top, one facing north, one south, one north, one south..... Since you made a "bump" of five bikes facing east and west in row 1, tier 1, there is enough room to stand on top of row 1, tier one even after you have loaded tier 2, row 1.** Throw cardboard over tier two. Row 1, Tier 3 can be a row of 20" bikes fully processed standing up (if you have enough).* Usually there isn't enough so....* When tier two is 1/2 done, lay adult bikes flat over tier two heading north south.* You can stand there beside it so it'll not be too difficult.* A tier three of adult bikes laying flat must be alternated not only north south but also seat toward you, seat away from you.* Once you get one side of tier three jammed to the ceiling, finish tier two.* The remaining hole in tier three will now take 10 kids bikes easily and that'll make you %wise about right. Drop down to Row 2, tier one and repeat.* It is critical that you jam the wheels of row 2 between EVERY wheel in row 1.* what little damage you do is nothing compared to what damage will happen during transit if there is open space.* Movement in transit destroys the bikes.* Think of the wheels as isosceles triangles with the axle being the base of the triangle and the tire being the farthest point.* By meshing the wheels from row one, tier one and row 2, tier one, the triangle oppose each other and fill the voids.* You can actually straighten row 1, tier 1 a little when you fill up those triangle with row 2, tier one. Don't stop there, mesh row two, tier 2 with row 1, tier two, and likewise row 2, tier 3 laying flat with row 1, tier 3 laying flat.* If you mesh the kids bikes filling the end of tier three rows one and two, for every three rows you get an extra row of kids bikes on row three. Top load all extra wheels and light stuff on top of three, bottom load all heavy stuff on top of the wheels of tier one, between rows one and two, or two and three.....* between the rows, on top of the wheels you'll have a 1/2 meter wide trough east to west as the seats and handlebars are higher than the wheels. Does any of that make sense???? lastly, save 20 kids bikes for the final tier on the final row.* You need to fill that container right to the door at the TOP.* When the door opens there should be no air space visible.* You must finish it off with kids bikes because you'll not get adult bikes to jam in that top space easily. Dave SchweidenbackFrom WorkingBikes in Chicago:
We don't have to take the front wheel off the second level of bikes.*
We only did this to lower the first level so tall people could walk around on the plywood and to rest the plywood on the saddles instead of the handlebars.
Let's do 9 rows of 18+ upright bikes on the first level with front wheels removed and tagged. The bikes along the side have their pedal removed.
followed by a floor of plywood
8 rows of 18 upright bikes per row the second level.
These bikes can have their front wheels on.the third level consists of as many kids bikes as possible laying horizontal with wheels on and handlebars turned.
this will allow us to get about 450 bikes in the container with less work
Here are some others tips:
- For stability during shipping and eventual ease of unpacking, have 2 or 3 levels in the back and fewer in the front (if it's not a full container), angling it down as you pack.
- Also, try to have the second and third levels of bikes angled so that they are NOT parallel with the floor. Instead have the back lower than the front so they are less likely to roll forward during shipment.
Re~Cycle is committed to equal opportunities - if you have any questions or special needs, please contact Merlin
- training for the next time
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SOME HELPFUL TIPS FOR EFFICIENT LOADING OF BIKES INTO A CONTAINER
NB. Basically the most efficient way to load bikes is keep bikes complete but with
• pedals removed (tie onto frame)
• handlebars turned parallel to frame and tightened up
• remove lights, carriers and kick stands
• load into position alternately facing forwards and backwards. Where possible remove lights, carriers and stands.Each horizontal row of bikes is built 3 vertical rows high.
Bottom Layers should ideally consist entirely of adult men's bikes (that is 26''/28'' wheels with cross bars) alternately forwards and backwards and should be 17 bikes across the width of the container packed tightly and upright* - this is important as subsequent rows depend on this to keep straight and well packed. This bottom row needs to be very tightly packed so that it can be stood on to load the middle and top rows. Put wheels between bikes to help wedge bikes in tightly.
Middle Layers should be made up of womens bikes or suspension mountain bikes (i.e. adult bikes without cross bars as this row won't need to be stood on. Again remember to alternate the direction of the bikes
Top Layers can be made up of a mixture of small frame adult bikes, 24'' wheeled and smaller kids bikes. There should be room to slide very small bikes and wheels on their sides on the top of this row.NB. The best way to build the middle and top rows is a few bikes on each row at a time. Each bike should be wedged down between alternate bikes below and horizontally creating as much space possible.
Start the next bottom row before the middle and top previous rows are complete, packing in more bikes later. As rows are completed bags of spares, tyres, helmets, racks, inner tubes etc. can be packed in to all the gaps - space is very expensive so every possible gap needs to be filled.
NB. Depending where the shipment of bikes are to be sent it may or may not be acceptable to local customs to include spare parts packed into boxes. If in doubt use strong plastic bags tied or taped up.
Keep record of how many bikes in each of the rows as you go along – see Loading List
With careful packing up to 8 rows of bikes from front to back stacked in 3 layers high can be fitted in to a 40’ High Cube container.
The minimum bikes per layer should be
• Bottom layer 17 – say 17 x 8 rows = total 136
• Middle layer 17/18 – say 17 x 8 = total 136
• Top layer 20+ depending on the types/size of bikes – say 20 x 8 = total 160
• Gives 432 which is a very good total.It should always be possible to get 17 bikes per each bottom and middle layer. If you haven’t got minimum 17 bikes per bottom layer take them out and re-stack.
If a particularly large number of spare parts are loaded, particularly wheels and tyres, this total may be reduced. Obviously anything bulky such as 3 wheeled trikes or tandems etc. will also reduce the total number packed. Royal Mail bikes also reduce the number that can be packed because each bike is accompanied with a carrier frame and a plastic insert.
The two most important things that will dictate the number of bikes loaded are
- Making absolutely sure there are 8 rows of bikes
- Maximizing the number of bikes packed on the top layer as you will never get more than 17 adult size bikes on the bottom and middle layer (OK maybe 17 adult and 1 kids bike).
Concentrate your efforts on these two things above all else. If you loose a row and only fit in 7 you will immediately be 54 bikes down.
Good luck – it’s hard work but fantastically rewarding when you close the container doors and see it on it’s way.
- Making absolutely sure there are 8 rows of bikes
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Digger,
Sorry I will not be able to make it but your posts could be a bit clearer like putting the place and time all in one place.
As I get it from your posts it it today Friday 11-5 and tomorrow Saturday 11 - 3
at Abel & Cole, Wimbledon, 16 Waterside Way, London, SW17 0HBAnd you asking people to haelp pack a continer with bikes for the charity Re-cycl Bicycles for Africa.
Is that right
Zeb
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Volunteers urgently needed today till 3:00
The bicycle charity Re-cycle http://www.re-cycle.org/ is loading its 99th container of bicycles for Africa today Saturday 11:00 to 3:00 at the London distribution of Abel & Cole' in Wimbledon, 16 Waterside Way, London, SW17 0HB
The container is being sent to The Village Bicycle Project http://www.re-cycle.org/gallery/africa/ghana_training in Accra, Ghana and will comprise of bicycles collected and stored as part of the Big Wheelie Bike Drop by Abel & Cole http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/the-wheelie-big-bike-drop.
We have a team of volunteers already signed up to help but some have dropped out today so a few more would be really helpful - if you are interested to help please rind Rita on 07783 285 343 or e-mail info(at)re-cycle.org thanks
If you can not do today but are still interested volunteering for Re-cycle from January Re-cycle will be doing regular monthly collection from the same address on the second Saturday of the month at the same address and contact details.
Zebra_Cyclist-
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Help needed Today and Tomorrow RE-CYCLE (Bikes To Africa).
Posted by
@Digger
Hi Digger