Can A Woman Really Pick Up A Big Bike

One of the frequently asked questions I get from both male and female riders is 'can you pick up your bike by yourself?' The answer to that is, with the correct technique even a tiny woman can pick up a huge bike. You just need to know the correct techniques. Let's go through these.

1) Turn Off The Bike

For safety the first thing you should always do is hit the kill switch. It seems like this should be intuitive, but for some reason it is not. With the engine off, you and anyone around you will be safe while getting the bike back up on it's wheels.

2) Take A Breath

The adrenaline will be pumping, especially if you drop your bike in front of a number of other riders. Taking a moment to take a deep breath, shake everything off, will allow you to think clearly and help prevent any mistakes that could cause additional issues or injury.

3) Accept help If Offered

If help is offered, graciously accept it. We women want to be independent and show everyone that we can do things all on our own. The beauty of being the strong women we are and the amazing community of bikers we are a part of is that we don't have to go it alone.

4) Put The Bike Into First Gear

By putting the bike into first gear you are ensuring that once the bike is standing once again it will not roll. This us even more important if the drop happened on an incline.

Note: if the bike is dropped on the right side, also put the jiffy stand (kick stand) down at this point.

5) Lock The Handle Bars

Turn the handlebars towards the ground until the forks lock against the frame. This will provide one of leverage and stability points needed. Example, if the bike is on the right side, turn the handle bars are the way to the right until the forks lock against the frame.

6) Bend The Knees And Hold Onto The Handlebar/Frame

At this point you want to bend the knees deeply to sit in the middle of the seat, place one hand on the lower grip of the handlebars, and place the other hand on part of the frame near the back of the bike (sissy bar, bag guard, or the frame near the back wheel). When choosing where to hold onto the back of the bike, choose a position that will allow you to keep your chest up and the spine straight. As women out power is in our legs and when the spine is straight (in neutral alignment) it can sustain a heavy load safely.

7) Walk Backwards

Now you start taking tiny steps backward. Be sure to keep the knees bent as long as possible to use the power from the lower body. Because of the physics of the bike it will stand up.

Note: if the bike is dropped on the left side, also put the jiffy stand down once the bike in standing up.

8) Allow The Bike To Settle On The Jiffy Stand

All that is needed now is to allow the bike to settle on the jiffy stand and to catch you breath.

Just like many things in life, with the correct plan and technique, anything can be accomplished. I also highly recommend that you get a friend to help you and watch/video you practicing this technique. Practicing in a controlled environment will allow you to be do this when/if it is ever needed when out riding.

If you have any questions, please leave it in the comments below and let's talk about what will help you feel empowered to do this yourself. 

Then get out and ride, have fun, be safe, and catch you in the next post……