Errand bike thread....

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I feel left out!- I work at home so I have no commute to talk about! :o

But I love using my bike for practical trips, and am fixing up my second bike as a grocery/errand bike, should get it finished setting up this weekend.

Since errand and shopping bikes don't seem to fit in any other forum here...would it be ok for me to keep a "working bike" errand/grocery trips thread going in the commuter bike section here? I'm happy to delete this though if anyone thinks it should go somewhere else....

[malkin]

I'm all for it!

[pardes]

I LOVE the idea!

Saturday night I had the bike so loaded down with groceries that I could barely pedal over 3 miles an hour! I've never loaded it that heavy before and never will again!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Did you have to go up any hills with it loaded like that, or was the 3mph on level ground? :eek:

[pardes]

Believe it or not that was on LEVEL ground. I computed it out later and I had well over 75 pounds of stuff stuffed in the panniers and an additional bag all on the back rack. The Trek complained bitterly. We creaked slowly to the bus stop and then I had to hitch the bags onto the bus with me and then back off the bus and back onto the bike in the dark. Never again. I am promising the Trek that I will shop more often OR use the workhorse winter bike next time.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Now that is just sick. :eek:

If you had my hill on the way home though you'd never get away with that load.

I always wonder why couldn't I live at the BOTTOM of the hill. My steep little last hill is always the last thing on my bike rides, taunting me at the end when I'm tired. When I walk to town and have a big breakfast, I have to haul my belly full of French toast up that hill. Now that I'm going to try to buy groceries with my bike, it'll taunt me again....like why couldn't I go up the hill on the way TO the store, with my empty panniers?....and then zoom down the hill home with my goods loaded up?

Well it'll build more leg muscles, I guess.

[Geonz]

Get the work horse out :-)

[Biciclista]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2008/11/12/2008383690.jpg



i like being on a hill!

[Blue_Wildflower]

I have my first "errand" run tomorrow. I am riding to our local farmer's market tomorrow morning. Should be about a 7 - 8 mile ride. Do a little shopping. Have breakfast, then bike back home.

I am looking forward to testing out my bike basket (its a Trek basket that slides onto the bike rack). I do not plan on getting a lot, just a "whole foods bag" full of produce.

[pardes]

I do not plan on getting a lot, just a "whole foods bag" full of produce.

Yeah, yeah, I remember saying that too and then 75 lbs later....

I must say that the two yams that I bought were just delightful and worth the trudge/drudge home. I popped one into the microwave for 6 minutes (it was very fat) then slathered it with butter, added lima beans on the side and it was a grand dinner.

Let me know what you draggged home in your basket!

[Blue_Wildflower]

Yeah, yeah, I remember saying that too and then 75 lbs later....

I must say that the two yams that I bought were just delightful and worth the trudge/drudge home. I popped one into the microwave for 6 minutes (it was very fat) then slathered it with butter, added lima beans on the side and it was a grand dinner.

Let me know what you draggged home in your basket!

LOL. I will let you know.

I will have to limit my load to my basket. My bf has a road (a.k.a his mistress) and mountain bike. Pigs will fly before he puts a rack, basket or panniers on either bike. He has offered to ride my girl bike if I buy too much. lol.

I am looking forward to buying some sweet potatoes and apples. I love our local farmer's market.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Blue, I too look forward to your first farmer's market trip report. I know just how excited you are...I am going through the same thing now myself! :p

Though I have done plenty of errands to town by foot and by bike over the past several years (we live 1/2 mile from town, 1 mile from supermarket), I am now making a very determined effort to do even more errands and shopping by bike and leaving the car at home even more often than before.
I work at home so it's not like I can pick up stuff on the way home from work in my car. If I need to buy something or do PO or bank, I'm leaving from home to do it as a dedicated trip.

Today I thoroughly enjoyed doing a whole slew of little errands on my bike all around town at midday....I mailed a package at the PostOffice, went to pay my dentist, did bank deposit, hardware store purchase, and stopped for a grilled cheese sandwich as my reward. All on an otherwise uninspiring dark cloudy day.
Now I know why my husband is forever hopping on his bike to "take a quick spin to the bank/PO/etc"....doing errands by bike is addictive! :cool:

[malkin]

My best, most fun bike errand ever was after work a few weeks ago, Brewer rode up to meet me, and we rode together down to the 'out-of-network' hospital to pick up my old mammogram film. I tucked it in my messenger bag and we rode home.

It was a pretty lame excuse for an afternoon ride together, but it seemed so PURPOSEFUL.

[Zen]

Every time I read this thread title I see "Errant Bike Thread" :p

[salsabike]

That is EXACTLY what I think every time I see this thread title. Then I go off into a little thought haze on what might make a bike "errant"...I usually have to shake my head to snap out of it.

[SouthernBelle]

errant bike: Has driven off the straight & narrow path onto side roads. Probably the ones with gin mills, saloons and houses of ill repute.

[xeney]

I use my two single speed mixtes as errand bikes. The Puch (lighter weight, no rack or baskets, bullhorns) is more fun to ride so I use it when I don't need to carry very much, or when I'm just going out to work at a coffee house or something. It is so much fun to ride that my husband uses it as his main errand bike these days, too, even though it's a bit too small for him and is a women's bike to boot.

The Nishiki is also fun to ride but the weight, the balance (it is back-heavy because of the rack and baskets), and the brake set up with the Albatross bars mean that I tend to want to ride it a bit more slowly. I just finally got the baskets back on it after having them off for more than a year so I am looking forward to running more errands now. (We took off the baskets to reduce the weight, because during pregnancy the Nishiki was the only bike I felt comfortable riding.)

I am looking at a front-mounted baby seat for the Nishiki, probably a Bobike Mini. Right now bike errands only happen when someone else is watching Penelope, because there is no good way to lock up the trailer.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

errant bike: Has driven off the straight & narrow path onto side roads. Probably the ones with gin mills, saloons and houses of ill repute.

Well, those side trips could be considered 'errant errands'.... :D

[Crankin]

Lisa, when I told Steve you were outfitting your other bike to go grocery shopping, he said, "Doesn't she live on a big hill?"
I like this thread, too. I am not commuting now, either, but I still do some errands by bike. But, I just can't get into full grocery shopping by bike, because of my hill. I too, often ask why did we move here?
Right now I have one nice pannier on my Jamis Coda. It feels really heavy when I have it loaded, although with the mountain gearing, I do get up the hill and my driveway, very slowly when I have a lot of stuff.
My best story is when I converted my old Voodoo hard tail into a commuter last year. I decided to ride to the library (I go to the library in the next town, for a few reasons, but it's about the same distance as the Concord library). I had 3 books to return and two were heavy, 400 page books. I was amazed at how slow I had to go up the hill to the library; I walked in totally drenched with sweat. Then, on the way back, I have to make a right onto a busy road and immediately get in the lane to make a left and go straight up a hill. Now, I did this route on my old commute, but on my road bike. Well, I had new, lighter books in my pannier, but I felt so awkward, I had a hard time getting into the lane. There was a lot of traffic. I almost fell over and managed to get unclipped right before I stopped, pulled over in the shoulder lane. Then I waited until someone stopped and let me run my bike across the street.
The Jamis doesn't feel quite as awkward, but riding with a load feels really different. I go to this same library at least once a week to sit in the carrells and work on my papers, but I have hesitated to do this ride with my laptop in my pannier.
My favorite errand rides are to West Concord, to go to the natural foods food store, the bakery, the acupuncturist, etc. It's really only 2.5 miles, but because of the highway, I have to make it into a 6 mile ride. By the time I get home, those 12 miles feel like 20 after lugging stuff up the hill.

[shootingstar]

Since I'm hardly doing any bike to work commuting at all these days, I continue to rely on my weekend fitness rides with errands..usually towards the end of the ride.

After not riding for last 6 days, did only 38 kms. today with 2 longish hills..which later included some food shopping, then along the way home, cycled to train station to pick up tickets for our Christmas snowshoeing vacation getaway and then cycled, stopped over for more groceries and shrimp dim sum takeout.

2 hrs. later...took the bike out to drop it at LBS down the street to have brake pads replaced for front and back. Then walked over to vote for municipal elections during LBS install waiting time. Last few wks. was gettin' scary just braking properly going downhill towards busy intersections..

Got a new "cheap" saddle at a discount to replace my damaged one with chunks that got knocked out when it fell from car rack onto a major highway. We know the LBS owner who was in same car when bike fell off rack...he's a business partner with my sweetie.

Doing errands bike is usually great especially when all interwoven with work commuting and fitness. In other years biking from work, I did do errands more often since total work commute distance, at that time were shorter distances.

But for all I need to do via bike plus cycling for fitness we're lucky to live in an area to do all this without much planning and stress with many choice bike routes.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

It's funny how to people all over the world, carrying all kinds of stuff on their bikes is no big deal at all- second nature.
I on the other hand am such a longtime namby-pamby that I need to go through all these special arrangements, equipment, and elaborate planning just to carry something more than an extra vest, flat kit, and water on my bike. :rolleyes:

But I look at it in terms of the alternative- driving all these short distances over and over on my flabby butt in a car year after year. I get inspired too by secret visions of monstrous power quads! (OK I know this is part self delusion but at least I am trying!)
On the bright side- I feel I have achieved a goodly measure of success already, in that I now do 75% of all my errands into town by either bike or on foot. Last year it was about 60%...and four years ago I always took the car for all these trips. I am shooting for 90% for my new year's resolution. :D

[shootingstar]

On the bright side- I feel I have achieved a goodly measure of success already, in that I now do 75% of all my errands into town by either bike or on foot. Last year it was about 60%...and four years ago I always took the car for all these trips. I am shooting for 90% for my new year's resolution. :D

I'm sure you'll get to your goal easily barring any major snowstorm in your area. You probably would snowshoe..instead. ;)

I find if I am not hiking out in the forest somewhere, if I have to walk beyond3-4 kms. I get impatient...and think: how slow! I could get there easily by bike.

I don't have my driver's license..so I predict in my old age...if I get to a point I can't bike much, then I will wheel my groceries by walking my bike alongside instead of a buggy. It will be a wonderful illusion :D

In fact, I just heard from my partner here, that he knew of a guy whose 92 yr. mother in Demark, does this: she walks alongside her bike with panniers and basket full of groceries.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I posted some photos of my new rack and panniers all set up now and ready to go shopping with! :D
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?p=381137#post381137

Now that the 'project' is done, I'll start posting my more noteworthy bike errands on this thread instead. I'm excited and happy! :p

[pardes]

Oh but it's lovely and think of the fun you'll have. I can how those brifters are a GREAT addition. I wish there was something as secure-feeling for the upright bar brakes.

So post your first itinerary of a shopping/errand spree.

[xeney]

I guess this is somewhere between an errand and a commute: my husband and I both work at home, but it is hard to get anything done with the baby in the house even though there are two of us and we can trade off. So I am working in coffee houses every other day, with my laptop.

The downside to this is that instead of simply choosing my coffee house by the quality of the coffee and the strength of the free wireless, I have to also consider the quality of the bike rack! There are two great places in my neighborhood with wireless, but man, both of them have crappy bike racks. I don't want to wind up at Starbucks (not local, coffee not as good, have to pay for the wireless) but their bike rack is a lot sturdier.

I will probably say something to the management. In the meantime, I chose the one that gets the most bike traffic, on the theory that there are nicer bikes than mine to steal.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Wow Xeney, that's an interesting situation you are in!
I see you are in an urban area with probably plenty of bike stealing to worry about going on.
What kind of lock(s) do you put on your bike? I would think that even a fairly crummy bike rack would be ok if a thief couldn't hack through your lock and would have to take the whole bike rack along with your bike. What is that arrangement for you?

My husband and I work at home too. Our children are grown and have flown the coop, though. :)
Where I live (rural, small town) bikes don't get stolen too often, but it does happen sometimes, and according to our local police, cable locks are occasionally cut with bolt cutters. So I wound up getting a very heavy duty U-lock and heavy cable combo. I just don't want to lose my bike to some slimy thief.

In my area, there are NO bike racks (well except one at the school and one at the library, that's it. No racks at all on Main Street or at the supermarket, bank, PO, cafe, drugstore.... So I have had to get a bit creative about locking my bike to sign poles, railings, benches, trees, stair banisters, etc.
It's funny really, because now wherever I go I find my eye automatically scanning the surroundings for suitable "bike anchors"....even when I'm not on my bike! :D

So I guess my question to you is- can you lock your bike to perhaps a parking sign or bench or tree instead...and do you have reliable locks?
What makes some of those racks you describe unsuitable?

[xeney]

I use a Kryptonite combination U-lock. It's pretty good. My favorite coffee house, however, has an "arty" rack that is very pretty, but made of that thin rusty-looking metal ... I think you could cut through it with actual scissors, and certainly you could just throw the whole rack in the back of a truck. There are street posts (no parking signs) but they are usually already occupied by other bikes, and I don't want to carry a cable big enough to go around a tree. I'm not too worried about theft at that spot, really, but the rack is so flimsy that my pink mixte (which does not balance well due to the rear baskets) probably wouldn't even stand up without falling over. It's just a horrible rack to use at all, never mind the flimsy factor!

The coffee house where I am working today is probably fine. Lots of bikes, lots of sidewalk food traffic. The racks are very old fashioned and flimsy, but really their biggest problem is that they are usually fully occupied so there is not much room.

The city recently removed most of the parking meters here and replaced them with two-bike bike racks, but they are only on the busier streets (side streets didn't have parking meters to begin with). That is what makes the Starbucks, etc., better for bike parking.

Aren't they cute, though? (http://www.recumbentblog.com/2008/04/11/recycled-parking-meters/)

[Blue_Wildflower]

Blue, I too look forward to your first farmer's market trip report. I know just how excited you are...I am going through the same thing now myself! :p




Well, I did not make it to the Farmer's Market. Had my first fall on Saturday. Twisted my left ankle, which is still a little sore. It rained heavy in Northern VA last Friday night and early Saturday morning. I put too much pressure on my front brake while going down a hill. My back wheel slipped out and I did a lovely fish tail down a paved trail. While sliding, trying to break my fall, screaming and praying, my ankle got twisted in my bike frame. I walked the bike down a hill, rode to a spot where I can sit and my boyfriend rode to get his car and pick up the bike and me.

I have to run some errands this weekend to get ready for my Turkey Day tour, so this weekend I should have a better update.

[PscyclePath]

errant bike: Has driven off the straight & narrow path onto side roads. Probably the ones with gin mills, saloons and houses of ill repute.

That sounds exactly like my old Fisher MTB... It isn't silver & green, is it?

Hopefully the #$%@&*! who nicked it last year found a good and loving home for it.

Sadly the Caliber that replaced it and its new cousin the Cross-Check have developed the same bad habits of wandering off onto the long ways around and other paths less traveled...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I did it!!!! :D :D

I did my first supermarket trip with my Rambouillet "grocery bike" today, and I lived to tell the tale. :p

It's only about a mile and a half from my house to the supermarket (3 miles round trip), but as I noted before, there is a pretty steep 1/4 mile hill to go up right just before I get back home.
Today was very COLD and WINDY. I dressed pretty warm (need more glovage next time)....balaclava and everything. It was 28F degrees out, but the wind chill factor was 17F.
I made my little list, determined to not overdo it the first time out. I was a little afraid of the whole attempt, it was a whole new thing for me, not like just stopping at the bank.

I found a really excellent railing near the superm. doors where I was able to lock my bike up visibly and safely and not in the way of anything at all. My new super heavy U-lock and heavy cable were just right for the location (and the U-lock reached around my frame and the railing with only 1/2" to spare!), and I was able to feel very safe about leaving my bike out where I couldn't see it for 30 minutes. That felt good.

So I got the things on my list, and it didn't look like too much at all, so I added a few other small things. The stuff wound up filling my two grocery bags about 2/3 full each. When I lifted the bags they suddenly seemed awfully heavy though, and I wondered if I had goofed bigtime. :(
I pressed on bravely, and got them outside and into my two panniers without incident. Taking off my lock and loading the panniers, I saw how much the bike wanted tip to one side or the other now with the load in back, sort of like a motorcycle. :eek:

I headed home, careful to not turn sharply and staying aware of the potential tippiness that wasn't there before. My hands were cold. I noticed I needed to stay in one gear lower than my usual while riding on the flat parts of my route.
I approached my big hill and downshifted almost all the way, ahead of time. I was nervous- what if I just tip over or can't pedal up it?
Well I made it up. It was not easy- my heart was pounding and I was trying to just spin slowly up while maintaining a zen-like frame of mind. But I got to the top ok and knew I was home free. YAY!!! :p I could do it and not die.

First thing I did when I got home was brag like crazy to my DH while doing a happy dance, and then I went to weigh the two bags before I unpacked them.
Exactly twenty pounds total of groceries. Plus my now 35 pound bike....
So that means I hauled 55 pounds up my hill (not counting ME) with just my two legs for power. COOL!

I never thought I could do anything this ambitious. And in the below freezing temps and wind, too. Who'dda thunk?- not me!

I'm psyched and I feel like I won a prize.
Next trip I might try to load up a tad less though.

[Tri Girl]

Congrats, Lisa!!!!!:D Souds like you had quite the adventure! You hauled quite a load up that hill. You're quads of steel are on the way for sure!
I always wind up getting too much stuff. Last weekend I thought I was OK until I tried loading it into the panniers. i had to rig things to the tops & the side. It was a strange sight. I'm hoping my eyes will soon adjust to seeing the exact amount that will fit on my bike. :)

[oxysback]

I never thought I could do anything this ambitious.[/I] And in the below freezing temps and wind, too. Who'dda thunk?- not me!

I'm psyched and I feel like I won a prize.
Next trip I might try to load up a tad less though.

Congrats, Lisa! Way to go!!

[sfa]

Good for you, Lisa! I'm assuming pictures of the bike with actual grocery-laden panniers are on the way? Or did you forget to take a picture in all your excitement?

I went to REI to buy their grocery panniers for my sister for Christmas, and wouldn't you know they don't have them anymore! Grrrr. So much for THAT brilliant idea!

Sarah

[emily_in_nc]

That's great, Lisa -- but I never doubted you could do it!

The summer before last (this summer we were too busy taking care of our new puppy and my husband's baseball team, and just not riding) we biked to the food co-op a bunch and would come home with our panniers loaded. I carried about 15-25 lbs of groceries, plus the extra weight of two racks and four panniers. Our ride home was 14 miles of mostly uphill (nothing a very steep grade but lots of gradual, long climbs). It was hot and very tiring, but we did it, and we were not particularly well trained as we hadn't been riding much prior to starting up with it. So I knew your short ride, even with the tough hill, would be doable, because you wouldn't be doing the hill after miles and miles of tiring riding -- you were still fresh, you know?

Good on you! :D :) :p

[SouthernBelle]

Good job!

The mental pic of you running to weigh your groceries is so funny.

[Biciclista]

ah, now i feel even more stupid for my miscellaneous trips down our hill to buy groceries in A CAR.

YOU ROCK! nice job, you can throw away your car keys. You beat the hill, the weight and the weather!!!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Good for you, Lisa! I'm assuming pictures of the bike with actual grocery-laden panniers are on the way? Or did you forget to take a picture in all your excitement?

I was too damn COLD to try to take a picture! :cool: I will soon- maybe a pretty snowy grocery picture?


I went to REI to buy their grocery panniers for my sister for Christmas, and wouldn't you know they don't have them anymore! Grrrr. So much for THAT brilliant idea!
Sarah

Wow, that's a shame! Maybe if you call them they can tell you if they are restocking them soon?



The mental pic of you running to weigh your groceries is so funny.

I know, I felt pretty silly rushing to get the bathroom scale and then standing on it while holding the bags of groceries, and then without. I was convinced the 2 bags must have weighed 30 lbs....but no, only 20. :rolleyes:
Well, they felt heavy.

Thanks for all your supportive comments, guys. :p

BlueWildflower- I hope you are recovering from your painful fall. :( Keep us posted.

[7rider]

Great going, Lisa.
I always have to remind myself....don't buy TOO much when I'm on the bike (and I don't have grocery panniers). It's always a challenge, too, trying to figure out how to pack bananas and a dozen eggs (the 8-pack fits better ;)) in my Ortliebs without smooshing things!

[pardes]

I know, I felt pretty silly rushing to get the bathroom scale and then standing on it while holding the bags of groceries, and then without. I was convinced the 2 bags must have weighed 30 lbs....but no, only 20. :rolleyes: Well, they felt heavy.

FAR OUT, Lisa! It's a blast, isn't it? I've been grocery shopping by bike for 4 months now and not only do I feel good for the GREEN effect, I'm also eating better food. Everything is judiciously though over before buying and I'm noticing that healthy foods weigh less!

I thought I might regret biking in cold weather but it was 26 (19 degrees F chill factor) this morning and I was warm as toast. Amazing, just amazing.

And like you, I haven't taken photos yet of my new Winter bike loaded down since I've been tooooo busy biking to do so.

Congrats and see if what you buy at the grocery doesn't evolve with time too.

[malkin]

Just a tip: If you don't weigh the groceries, they can weigh however much you say.
:)

[SouthernBelle]

Those panniers aren't on the website either. They may be gone. Hopefully they'll get them back soon. You might try calling the 800 number and asking.

[KathiCville]

.... I go to this same library at least once a week to sit in the carrells and work on my papers, but I have hesitated to do this ride with my laptop in my pannier.

Great thread! Like Lisa, I work at home, but (like Crankin) I do go up to the university's main library 2x a week on average. I feel so virtuous (and younger!) when I pull up in front of the library on my old Peugeot and lock it up with the "kids'" bikes! :D The ride is only 2 miles, and if I do after morning traffic has died down, it's a quick and safe trip. Crankin, I tried carrying my laptop in my panniers the first couple of times I rode to the library, but felt too unsteady on the bike and worried the whole time about something happening to it. So I bought a Crumpler backpack with a heavy-duty laptop insert sleeve built in to it. The pack is heavier than I'd like (as is my ancient laptop!) but by carrying the laptop on my back, the weight is distributed evenly. If you haven't already tried a backpack, you might give it a whirl. I stow less-breakable stuff in my panniers, usually just my lunch bag.

The most offbeat errand I've done so far on my bike was dropping a small bag off at the dry cleaners on the way to the library---I got a funny look from the folks at the counter. BUT the guy who was parked next to me when I came out said, "Wow, that's great. I should be doing that!":D

This thread is inspiring me to give (small-scale) grocery shopping-by-bike a try, too! Nearest supermarket is only about 1.5 miles away. I need to check out security first---I know there aren't any bike racks, and I can't picture an obvious place to lock my bike......Thanks for the inspiration!

[Crankin]

Kathi,
My husband bought a very small and compact sling back style backpack for his lap top, on the off occasion he needs to bring it home when he rides to work. Usually, he doesn't need to, but he did use it twice this past summer. Now, he hates riding with packs, so I may feel differently, but he said it was really heavy. And, his laptop is very small. I have an I Book, so it definitely is bigger. I might try it, though. I know I won't put the lap top in my pannier, after my heavy library book experience. I am not as nimble on the Jamis to begin with, as opposed to my road bike, and although I love it, I won't do anything else to upset my already precarious balance!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Gee how much does a laptop weigh? (sounds like the opening line of a joke)
Can you balance the weight in the other pannier, like putting jacket or a brick in it? ;)
Also, if you only have one thing to put in your panniers, put it on the bike side that doesn't have the gears and cassette.

I think my heavy cable/U-lock combination weighs about as much as my husband's laptop!

Yes, I see that my folding Novara grocery panniers are no longer available on REI.com....what a shame! :( Guess I was lucky to get them. But if someone calls REI, maybe we will know if they will be restocked again soon.

[KathiCville]

Don't laugh but I DID try the counterbalance act with the laptop before I caved and bought the backpack. Can't remember what I tried to use to offset the weight of the laptop, but it was something akin to a brick. :) I remember feeling even MORE dangerous on the road with heavy weight added to an already heavy bike! Even now, with the backpack on, I pedal slowly, try to give everyone and everything wide berth, and heave a sigh of relief when I reach my destination. My next laptop will be significantly lighter!

[Biciclista]

i hate it when you finally find a good thing and then they discontinue it.

[7rider]

It might just be sold out for the '08 season.
I bet it comes back - or some slightly modified version of it - for '09. Their stuff definitely has model years and frequently sells out. And once it's gone...it's gone.

[Crankin]

I only have one pannier; I never envisioned doing major grocery shopping, so it's been fine for my short forays to various specialty stores.
But, it's amazing how heavy a few things feel when you are riding up a hill.

[Fredwina]

geez, I'm thinking about spending my settlement money already:o
http://www.ransbikes.com/ITR71.htm
http://www.ransbikes.com/images/ITR71/TwoBags.jpg

[sgtiger]

Lisa, great job!:cool: Up a hill with snow!:eek: I have to constantly remind myself that it's not a good idea to stock up on sale items when I take my bike. Luckily for me any overage can go into the trailer with DD, but I've learned not to leave the grapes with her.:rolleyes:

Fredwina, that's cute. If only they offered a deck for the rack.... ;)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Lisa, great job!:cool: Up a hill with snow!:eek:

Just to clarify- there was no snow. Just my heavyish load, and the hill, in the cold and wind. That was enough for now! :o

I thought about maybe getting studded tires for the winter, but decided against it unless I get noticeably stronger and the hill seems easier. Studded tires are heavier, and more weight is about the last thing I need right now- my bike alone already weighs 35 lbs and then adding 20 lbs of groceries to that pretty much puts me about at my uphill limit... :cool:
But 20 pounds of groceries is actually quite a bit of food, I discovered. So if I can stick to getting the really heavy large items like detergent and cat sand once a month by car, then I hope to be able to do the regular food runs twice a week by bike.
So I will have to avoid bike errands when there is ice or snow on the roads. We have no snow yet.

Pardes- you were right about how we choose food more carefully when on bike. I found I picked a few things based on how cleverly i could combine them into a couple of meals. Mushrooms, swiss cheese, onion?....could be used both for an omelette and over veggie burgers. Cilantro, red pepper?...went into both my tabouli salad and my black bean soup yesterday. :) Cool.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I figured out a cool way to combine two different activities today.

Usually I either ride into town and do errands on my bike, OR I walk into town (1/2 mile to get there), have breakfast at Ralph's Pretty Good Cafe, do a 4-5 mile fitness walk looping all around the town's streets, then walk back home.

This morning it struck me that I didn't really have to keep the two different things quite so separate. It was an obvious idea really, but when you are used to doing things a certain way oout of habit sometimes obvious things don't occur to you right away. :rolleyes:

So this morning it was pretty cold- about 20F when I started out and 25 when i got home.
I rode my 'Grocer-Ramb' :D down the hill into town and locked it in front of Ralph's and had a nice breakfast and hot latte. Then I took my usual brisk 4 mile walk all around the town streets and around the schools, etc. (I left my helmet at Ralph's and donned a wool hat that I brought along).
When I got back from my walk I went to the health food store across the street and got about one bag of groceries: chocolate bars, tea, calcium & magnesium supplements, 2 bags chips, eggs, coffee filters, granola bars, jam, deodorant. I think the groceries only weighed about 8-10 pounds total. I loaded my bike up and pedaled back home up the hill. The good thing was that after my walk my leg muscles were warmed up so I didn't have to go up the hill 'cold'.
The smaller load of groceries made this trip up the hill a relative piece of cake compared to my first 20 pound haul of a couple days ago. :D

I really like this particular activity/errand combination. I go for a fitness walk at least once a week anyway, so now I can make my walks more practical and combine two 'trips to town' into one. Leaving my bike locked on Main Street is very safe and I almost always start and finish my fitness walks from Main street anyway.

I had good clothes on today and didn't get cold at all.

[xeney]

Good for you, Lisa!

My errands are about to become more limited because my husband got a job (yay!) and is going back to work full time on December 8. He's buying me a baby seat (http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=215755) for the pink mixte so I can run short errands on the bike with my daughter along (our Chariot trailer is tons of fun for longer rides but not really practical for errands), but I won't be heading out to work in coffee houses anymore.

For today, though, I am about to head out to do just that, and I am also taking a load of clothes to the Salvation Army. On my bike. For some reason it never occurred to me to do that even though I collect the clothes in paper grocery bags (perfect for my wire baskets) and the SA is right on my street, about 15 blocks away ... perfect bike errand! Instead I always wait until I have a ton of clothes and it requires a car trip, and in the meantime the old clothes are clutter. Dumb!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Xeney- congrats to your DH on his new job!!! No small feat getting a job these days. :)

Get someone to take picture of you and your daughter strapped up and ready to go on your pink mixte- we want to see!
Anyone who bikes with a small child on their bike has my awe and admiration.

Yes, isn't it funny how new ways just don't occur to us when we are used to doing them by a certain familiar means?
I am finding I really need to shake the cobwebs out of my knoggin concerning car vs. bike uses. Most people (including myself these days) don't realize how much a bike can really do if you plan carefully. I am learning about that more each week and having many "AHA!" moments. :cool:

(Of course it goes without saying that some people just plain live too far from everything to make bicycle use very practical. I'm certainly grateful I'm not in that situation.)

[xeney]

Yesterday's errands were almost six miles, which is much further than I usually ride for errands. (I love my neighborhood.) The Salvation Army trip was perfect -- there was a long line of cars but I zoomed to the front to drop off my stuff. I will be doing that from now on.

[Groundhog]

I love the ease of errands by bike. I do commute part-way by bike (to the bus freeway stop) but it's only 2 miles each way so it feels wimpy. In the summer, though, I'll ride 5 to a different bus stop and a hill on the way home.

Anyway, my favorite is to bike to my girlfriend's house for our Saturday morning walk.

Second favorite is to ride to Trader Joe's and back, which follows my bus commute route but is about 4 miles each way. I have the Detours Toucan pannier, which is lovely. And a short favorite is to the local grocery store/hardware store in our neighborhood.

[Torrilin]

So if I can stick to getting the really heavy large items like detergent and cat sand once a month by car, then I hope to be able to do the regular food runs twice a week by bike.

If you're using a liquid detergent, it *might* be worth swapping to a powder one. They work a bit differently, but one small box of powder lasts the two of us most of a year... and is a lot easier to carry on a bike.

I do special runs for bags of rice, 25lbs at a time. One bag just fits inside my backpack, and then I can ride my bike home. It's not very comfortable, but it works well enough for the 1 mile ride home. The same trick might work if you buy cat sand in bags. If you buy it in buckets, it gets harder... for that I'd want a trailer.

I've never used grocery panniers, only regular touring panniers... the lower center of gravity really helps. The more errands you do with weight, the easier it gets. I've practiced with a heavily loaded single pannier, and my bike doesn't handle much differently. Same with just weight in my front basket. Earlier this fall, I finally broke 55 lbs on a grocery run, and was unspeakably proud of myself :D. Most trips these days are around 10-15lbs, because it's more fun to stick with just my basket.

[KathiCville]

Just back from my inaugural grocery run (ride?) by bike! :D The distance to the store is just a little over a mile one way, and part of the route is a dedicated bike lane--perfect! (Except for one little section covered with broken glass.) I went mid-afternoon when traffic is low. I didn't buy a lot---probably 20 lbs total---but I sure could feel it on the way home! Even so, what a grrrrreat feeling! Thanks for the inspiration, ladies!

Yesterday I braved frigid temps in the morning to bike 2 miles to an all-day seminar at the university. The parking lot attendant broke into a smile when he saw me coming. "Now THAT's the way to do it!" he said. "No parking hassles!" ;)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Hey you guys, that's GREAT going!!!

Here is a blog I like that often has entries concerning using our bikes for errands or for hauling stuff around (including kids):
http://carfreedays.com/
It's always got wonderful practical information about 'working bikes'. Some of the past entries are neat to browse through. :)

Kathi- yes when I had 20 lbs of groceries on my 35 lb bike, I sure could feel it handle differently too. I noticed it the most when getting up my steep hill at the end of my grocery run. On the flats the extra weight wasn't as noticable- I was slower though, and the bike wanted to tip over more easily when stopped- something to watch for. :cool:
20 lbs of goods was definitely my limit for now, since it makes for a 55 pound total of food and bike, and my hill is pretty steep. Not going to weigh my own butt, not going to go there.
:D
Since right before Thanksgiving it seems like everything has been conspiring against me to keep me off my bike. It's been VERY cold (like teens and 20's), or else snow/sleet falling, or else high winds like yesterday and today (causing major power outages here), or else I needed large amounts of heavy food, or else I had a work deadline that made the extra time involved undo-able that day, or else.....well you get the picture. I think it's been mostly the unusual cold and sleet though. Decembers are usually in the 30-40's, not the 20's. I am not happy about it.
DH was brave and did an errand by bike today- but he's pretty tough, and fast on his bike. Plus he didn't have to haul anything home. :rolleyes:

Now we need a ton more of cat sand, so I'll have to take the car again and might as well load up on other heavy things while I'm at it.

I love to read about everyone else's biking errands though- keep it coming!