...a safe way to turn a bike over

[backnotes]

I'm doing a risk assessment for an activity that involves volunteers turning bikes upside down to read the frame numbers that are sometimes (but not always) on the bottom bracket shell.

What I need is a resource that shows people how to invert a bike safely without risk to their back. I can find lots of general "manual handling" advice about lifting sacks and boxes of printer paper, but very little that relates to bicycles.

One approach is to first lay the bike on its side, as shown in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6EZ_91T40s&t=134s

The other is to reach over the bike, and grasp the fork and seat stay in a way that is hard to describe.

I am after a description or video that could be given to volunteers to show them how to do this safely. I've been turning my own bikes upside down for years in a way that may or may not be safe for my back, but have never thought about how to explain the best way to do this to someone else.

Thanks for any pointers.

[a.twiddler]

Not the complete answer but... most people have a mobile phone with a camera. You can get that under the frame or into places where you can't get your head to see things. The safest way to turn a frame over could be, not to turn it over!

I expect we've all spent years flipping bikes over without serious thought, let alone breaking it down into step be step segments. A bike is potentially an unwieldy thing, with moving parts that can change the centre of gravity and cause falls while lifting it or bring the unwary into contact with pointy, oily parts.

Someone will surely be along soon with some advice which is relevant to your Health and Safety at Work, Manual Handling et al requirements.

[Mick F]

Turning a bike upside down so it's stable, is a different issue to turning a bike upside down.

I have two bikes in regular use.
One is completely stable upside down, the other is NOT at all due to the geometry of the 'bars and the seat.

As for weight of the bike and the person's physicality, that is a completely different subject ............ and perhaps that's what you are alluding to with your thread.

One of my bikes is light and easy to turn over but completely unstable upside down.
The other is heavy and I can't lift it at all, but I can lie it down and "roll it over" as per the video ................... and then stand it up.

[Jdsk]

Not the complete answer but... most people have a mobile phone with a camera. You can get that under the frame or into places where you can't get your head to see things. The safest way to turn a frame over could be, not to turn it over!
...

Excellent advice.

And failing that how about putting the bike in a stand which can be elevated?

Jonathan

[rareposter]

I'm doing a risk assessment for an activity that involves volunteers turning bikes upside down to read the frame numbers that are sometimes (but not always) on the bottom bracket shell.

I'd echo what MickF said - it's a minefield of possible breakages or instability if the bars have lights, computer, bell etc mounted on them.

My road bike will sit upside down for ever if required.
My MTB - because of the design of the bars - will not. It's easy to turn it over and it may balance for a few seconds but then it'll fall over!
And my e-cargo bike is far too unwieldy to invert it without a LOT of space plus you need to be careful with the rear cargo rack.

The risk assessment needs to cover that possibility and/or something along the lines of "examine the bars for any objects / brackets etc mounted to them"

[Mick F]

Yep.


Turning a bike over is a completely different thing to turning a bike over and be able to do it ........... and have the bike upside down and stable as well.

[rjb]

I have to turn my electrified tandem upside down on a monthly basis to carry out essential maintenance. I zip the panniers and rack bag up to prevent my emergency toolpouch escaping. Even with the additional weight of the battery it's not difficult. I lean over grasp the 2 seat tubes, bend my knees to keep my back as straight as possible then straighten my legs lifting the Tandem off the ground then just use my arms to flip it over and by bending my knees again I can put it back down resting on the front bars and stokers saddle. Total weight probably less than a 25kg bags of spuds.
And I'm in my 70's.

The mantra drummed into me during my apprenticeship has kept me away from major back issues. I can still here the lifting and handling instructors shouting to us.

"Bend your knees not your back boy"

[531colin]

TO INVERT

1. Stand on the side of the bike where the chain is
2. Lean saddle against left leg/hip
3. Bend over bike, grasp fork and seatstay about mid-point.
4. Turn bike over towards you

TO RIGHT

1. Stand on the side of the bike where the chain isn't
2. Grasp fork and seatstay nearest you about mid-point
3. Turn bike over away from you

I'm afraid I don't understand the difficulty.

[mattsccm]

As Colin or stand behind it, grasp bars with rear brake on and pull towards you. Don't rest it on the bars and seat. Better to lie it on its side or will that mean risking a back injury bending over? If the OP is so worried about harm they are surely going to be worried about damaging safety features like brakes. You could crack a master cylinder cap.
We have reputation here of being polite rather than honest but am I the only one who actually found this either some what amusing or rather annoying in a nanny state sort of way? Do people really need a video for such things?

[Will]

If you don't have mudguards fitted, then this is an easy way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoZezpvn3eg

Will

[wjhall]

Get the owner to take the bicycle by the handlebars or therabouts and rotate it about the back wheel, which should remain on the ground. This will gain the advantage of leverage, whilst bringing the underside into a vertical position in which the serial number can be read.

A useful manouever for some kissing gates, for which it can be done with panniers in place.

Main risk: that the owner will let go and drop it on the inspector.

[DevonDamo]

I've been turning my own bikes upside down for years in a way that may or may not be safe for my back, but have never thought about how to explain the best way to do this to someone else.

Same as me. This is one of those little tasks which we just struggle on with any old how - because the risk seems so trivial. And given the weight of a bike, and the fact that it's reasonably easy to manhandle, it probably is a trivial risk to your back. Certainly not in the league of moving fridges up stairs or stacking sacks of potatoes.

So I'd say giving instruction on safe lifting is the wrong way to skin this cat, because it's likely that people will keep ignoring it. If you want to help people, then have a look to see if there's anything you can provide which they'll use because they perceive it to be better/easier. With a bit of lateral thinking, you could come up with all sorts of things, and the idea of using a mirror or camera, as already mentioned, is a good start. Here's another low-fi example of something else you could try: a length of cord hanging from a rafter, with a means of quickly attaching it to the bike - e.g. under the saddle or at the seat tube/seat stay/top tube junction. The attachment could be done via a strap with velcro or 'side buckles' or a carabiner to hook back up to a loop in the cord. This would allow the bike to be lifted by grabbing the frame near the bottom bracket and at a chainstay, and lifting it up to you whilst the rest of the bike leans away from you. This means you could keep your hands close to your body whilst you're lifting thereby minimising the leverage the bike's weight is exerting on your lower back. Obviously, this would be a terrible way to hold the bike if you actually wanted to work on it, but it would be fine for taking a look for a number on the bottom of the frame, and would avoid the problems mentioned above, e.g. damaging mudguards or brake master cylinders.

In reality, you'll probably still get some people turning the bike over or laying it down on its side, but I'd say this approach is your best chance of influencing how people do it. If it was a workplace, finding little helpers like this would earn you brownie points, because safe lifting instruction should be the last resort when it comes to manual handling risk assessments: avoidance or reduction of lifting should be your first port of call.

[AndyK]

Here's one option: the rolling-backward somersault technique.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoZezpvn3eg
As a bonus, the first half of this technique is also the best way to get a bike safely balanced vertically on the back wheel, controlled by the back brake. This in turn happens to be the best way both to manoeuvre the bike through a narrow space (e.g. past the wheely bins in the side alley) and to get the bike in position ready to hang it from a hook on the wall. So you're really learning three useful techniques for the price of one! The final bit of the somersault isn't as simple as he makes out but it's fine with a little practice. Key to it is holding the brake firmly as you go.

For the OP's purposes maybe the volunteers could work in pairs? One uses this technique to roll the bike back and up to the vertical position, balanced on its back wheel - but no further. They hold it in position while the other volunteer examines the bottom bracket and notes the number, then the bike is lowered gently to the ground again.

Personally I use the technique Mick F describes to flip my bike over from the side because it's quick. The trick is in reaching far enough down that you're below the centre of gravity, so that the bike naturally rotates as soon as you lift it off the ground. It minimises the height you have to lift it to and the time spent lifting. I've taught this technique to basic roadside repair classes and it's fine for most people with reasonably light bikes, but to be avoided for anyone with back problems and/or a hefty e-bike. (There's been a boom in sales of powered-lifting workstands to bike repair shops recently, thanks to all the e-bikes. Better to spend a few grand on a fancy powered stand than have your chief mechanic off work for a few weeks.) The video linked above does a good job of getting round the back issues.

In reality I avoid turning my bike upside down at all if I can help it. It's very rarely necessary. I certainly don't do it for roadside punctures. It either gets propped up against a fence, laid down carefully on its left side or handed to a friend to hold while I work on the wheel.

[tim-b]

Bikes with hydraulic brakes shouldn't be inverted because you risk putting air from the space above the fluid in the reservoir into the brake lines

A side issue is the risk of breaking expensive hydraulic levers

[UpWrong]

Bikes with hydraulic brakes shouldn't be inverted because you risk putting air from the space above the fluid in the reservoir into the brake lines

A side issue is the risk of breaking expensive hydraulic levers

Usually tapping the brake lines gets the bubbles out of them. Tilt the bike fore and aft to help. I have a step through eBike and some maintenance needs it to be inverted.