Different diameters of multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are manipulated by a cantilever tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) to investigate the motion properties of one-dimensional nanomaterials on a structured surface. To describe the mechanical behaviors of this kind of samples, two mechanical models based on continuum mechanics are proposed. Through foreseeable manipulation procedures, we are able to position the tubes onto pre-etched micro trenches, and then measure their Young's moduli by the three-point bending method. Both string-like and beam-like deformation forms are observed on the tested samples. Additionally, we present a reparable 'collapse' phenomenon of the nanotube bridges. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.