How to take a bike through a doorway

posted on March 4th, 2010 in Cycling, Cycling Tips by Stephen

I see it all the time at many different places – many people are challenged by how to get a bike through a door-way and/or up an elevator. I used to see how awkwardly people would wheel their bikes in and out of the bike shop. Then I saw it at the races that we would go to – in and out of hotels, up and down elevators. The first thing many people think of just after a crash is how is their bike, so why would you want to have it get scraped just going through a hydraulic door? Do you push the bike through, then push the door a 2nd time? There is a better way, and I will show you how to do it with just 1 hand.

The surprising thing is just how easy it actually is to get you and your bike through a doorway – even a hydraulic door. I used to have the same difficulty of wheeling a bike in and out of hotel doorways with bags or luggage – when it finally clicked was when I had to get me, a duffel bag, & my bike through a door and into an elevator, allowing room for other team mates and guests as well.

What I have found has got to be the easiest way to get through a doorway with 1 hand. Just stand on the left side of the bicycle (which is the non-drive train side) and grab the bicycle by the stem with the right hand. Now raise up the front wheel so that the bicycle is vertically up and down. It may take you a couple times to get used to balancing the bike and keeping it upright, but it gets easy. Now that you have control with just the right hand, you will be able to walk up to the door and get the front wheel against the left hand side of the door, now give the door a gentle, but firm push. Now that the door has swung open, get you and the bike quickly through before it closes, which should be much easier because the bike is going through the door as you are – upright.

Here is a quick video which shows you how I do it. As always, Apollo is right on my heels when a bike is involved!