Bike Shifting in Meenakshi Layout

The Meenakshi Layout packers page is about people who want to watch every item packed, and where to stand while it happens. For a bike, watching is easier, because the whole job happens in one place in a few minutes. But it still helps to know what you're looking at.

Where to stand. Stand to one side of the carrier's ramp, a couple of metres back, where you can see the bike and the deck without being in the path of the people wheeling it. Don't stand behind the bike on the ramp or between the bike and the carrier wall. If the bike slips, that's where it goes.

What to watch, in order.

The walk round. Before anything else, the crew's lead should go round the bike beside you, noting its condition. This is the moment to point out every existing scratch, dent or crack, and to check that the note says what you see.

The ramp. The bike should go up the ramp in a straight line, with one person steering and another controlling the brake or pushing. Nobody should be lifting it by the panels or mirrors.

The position. On the deck, the bike stands upright on its own spot, with space around it. Its front wheel may sit in a chock or against a block.

The straps. Look at where each strap goes. The right places are strong points of the frame, the fork lowers, the handlebar clamps on some motorcycles or the rear frame. Nothing should run over the fuel tank, the saddle or any plastic bodywork. Hooks should have soft loops under them.

The padding. Handlebar ends, mirrors, footrests and levers should be padded where they could touch anything.

The final check. A good crew pushes the bike gently side to side after strapping, to make sure it doesn't move. Watch for that.

When to speak up. If a strap crosses a panel, a hook touches paint, or someone lifts the bike by its mirror, say so, politely and straight away. It's much easier to fix before the carrier leaves than to discuss after delivery.

Watch the paperwork too. Before the crew leave, check the condition note lists what you saw on the walk round, that the delivery address is right, and that you have your copy.

When not to. Once the straps are on and the check is done, let the crew finish. Asking for the bike to be re-strapped several times usually makes it worse, not better.

Owners watching is nothing new for the crew who come to Meenakshi Layout, and they'll explain each step if you ask. A single written figure follows the survey, and once loaded the bike is ours to look after.

The Meenakshi Layout packers page describes watching the household being packed; here the same habit is turned on the bike.

At delivery, the same applies in reverse, and matters just as much. Watch the straps come off and the bike come down the ramp, then walk round it with the condition note before signing.

Take your own photographs as you watch: one of the bike from each side before loading, one of the strapped bike on the deck, and one of the carrier's number plate. They take a minute and settle most questions later.

And keep the conversation friendly. Crews work better, and more carefully, with an owner who asks questions calmly than with one who hovers in silence or criticises every move.

If you can't be there, ask a family member who knows the bike to watch instead, and give them this list.

On an electric scooter, watch that straps stay clear of the battery cover and the charging port, and that nobody lifts it by the panels. Ask the crew lead to show you the strap points. Say which model when you book.