Did errands on my bike!

[TrekTheKaty]

OK, for some of you this may sound silly. But I had to drop the car off at the dealer for an airbag recall. DH politely informed me a new dealer had opened close by and I could just throw the bike on the rack and ride back home. I did! The guys at the dealer didn't understand why I didn't want to borrow a car. I was quizzed on how far away I lived and my bike before I rolled out of the parking lot. It was mostly downhill on the way home and a freak rain shower threatened the ride back. I ended up having to return again this week because they had to order a part. It was only supposed to take a few hours, so again I said I was heading to the coffee shop and I would be back. They stood quizzically at the door as I rolled away a second time. "We have a waiting room. Do you need to borrow a car?"

What a sense of accomplishment. And the leisurely pace compared to my normal workouts left me with bugs in my teeth. (Yes, I forgot to wipe off the bugs and fix my helmet hair when I went back, but I long ago quit caring about such trivial things.)

Get out there and do errands on your bike! I feel a sudden urge to go to the post office.

[Trek-chick]

Awesome...It is a good feeling. I love doing errands on my bike. I plan to do my grocery shopping by bike too. I figure, I'll just get two days worth of food at a time. It's only me and DH so we don't need too much.

Funny how people think you are almost "alien-like" if you choose not to use a car.

[bouncybouncy]

I did the exact same thing...except for a tail-light issue...and got the same reaction! They could not figure out WHY on earth I would want to ride the 2 miles to work when they could shuttle me there at no cost :confused:

Poor fellows...they were all equally impressed when I showed up quickly after they called to tell me the car was done (little did they know it was all down a steep low-traffic hill to get there!)

[Tri Girl]

Yay for you!!!! That's not silly at all- it's empowering!!!

Sometimes I feel a little smug when people are so incredulous at such a simple thing (to us, anyway), such as getting on a bike and riding home or doing errands.
I had to drop the car off to get new tires over Christmas break, and I said I was going to walk home and to call me when it was done. I only live 2 miles away, but they were flabbergasted that I was going to "walk the whole way home." Ummm... OK.

IMO it's kinda sad to me how the car has become SO thoroughly engrained in our lives (like a limb) that we think we can't survive without it, or don't see other options to a car when left without one. Sad we don't see other ways.

So congrats to you for finding that alternate form of transportation, and not having to wait around the smelly shop for hours on end waiting for your car. There's no need for a waiting room when you have two wheels! ;)

[TrekTheKaty]

I must admit--it was less than 1 mile to two different coffee shops and 2 miles to the house. I considered walking, but it was humid that day :D I'd forgotten the art of coasting.

[spokewench]

I live in enough of a bikey town that the Subaru Dealer has bikes hanging on the wall to borrow if you want to take them when leaving your car.

I think that is cool

[TrekTheKaty]

That is cool :D

[emily_in_nc]

Good for you! We ride to do errands all the time. Every Saturday morning is the farmer's market and food co-op, sometimes Trader Joe's and/or the post office too. Recently I had to get my car inspected and had to leave it for an hour, so I just took my bike in the car and did a fun little bike ride while the car was being inspected (it was close to where I live, so I was familiar with the roads). Better than sitting and waiting in a grungy little gas station "reception" area!

My best "errand" ride ever was years ago. I had had to leave my Subaru Forester at the dealer overnight to have work done. My DH drove separately to take me back home. The next day, instead of doing the double driving thing again, I mapped out a route and rode my bike to go pick up my car. It was around 17 miles one way, as I recall, and towards the end, involved some challenging urban riding on busier roads than I like to ride on, but it went just fine, and I felt so empowered doing it! :p

[eofelis]

Isn't it great!

I'm to the point where it's unusual for me to take the car to do errands!

[bluebug32]

Curious how you guys haul things like groceries? I love the idea of running errands on my bike, but get stumped when I think of things like grocery shopping.

[zoom-zoom]

This Winter I had to have some work done on my car at our favorite shop, about 2 miles away. I already planned to run 3-4 miles, so it was convenient to drop off my car and run home taking an extra long route. The receptionist at the shop (the owner's wife, actually) looked at me like I was nuts, as it was only in the teens and the roads were very snowy, but it was nice. It made me feel a lot less dependent upon my car.

[PinkBike]

I always do grocery shopping on the bike.
A backpack can carry lots of stuff.
I've had 1 gallon of milk + bag o' bagels + head of lettuce + bananas + more in my backpack.
Only had 1 problem -- one nite someone stole DH's seat off his bike while we were in the store for just a coupla minutes. He rode home with no seat (coupla miles)!
And a few times I had to sling a bag over my neck to carry extra stuff that wouldn't fit in the backpack.
And some times I have to stuff a bag up under my jersey (but that's usually a taco bell bag).

[Bike Writer]

I love to run errands by bike since I got one last year, but it's a no-brainer because the bank, library and small grocery store are within 2 blocks, it almost a 1/2 mile to the post office and work is just a mile away. I live in the downtown of a small town. We also have a lake in our downtown and many friends are within a few blocks to a mile. Small towns can be neat.

[Velocivixen]

You have just encouraged me to do my errands today by bike. Who knows? Maybe you've inspired a bunch of folks to peddle instead of putting their foot on the gas pedal!

[redrhodie]

Curious how you guys haul things like groceries? I love the idea of running errands on my bike, but get stumped when I think of things like grocery shopping.

I have a rear rack and panniers. The rack is permanent, and the panniers are easy to take on and off. I bring my panniers into the store with me, so I don't use any plastic bags at all. Best of all, it's fun!

[skhill]

Thanks for the reminder of the thrill it is to do errand-y things by bike for the first time! It's become kinda old-hat for me, and it's easy to forget how fun and empowering it is to leave the car behind....

My favorite annual errand to do by bike: renewing my car's registration, down at the county clerks office. There's no way I'll ever drive there again-- the free parking is in a garage that looks like it's about to fall down, and it's less than 2 miles from my home. Showing up for jury duty in December by bike was awesome too, and brought on a lot of interesting reactions.

I find that grocery shopping on the bike can help cut down on impulse buys. Even with both panniers and bungees for attaching stuff to the rack, there's still limited space.

[emily_in_nc]

Curious how you guys haul things like groceries? I love the idea of running errands on my bike, but get stumped when I think of things like grocery shopping.

Rack and Arkel panniers. We initially bought them for touring but use them for grocerying now! You can also buy (for a lot less $$) metal folding baskets that fit on your rear rack, one on each side. Put a grocery bag inside each one!

Here are a couple of photos. One shows my DH's bike (I'm behind it) when we got home from a grocery store run. The other shows DH getting ready to take packages to the post office.

http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/zz82/emilys7atgmaildotcom/Cycling/fm37.jpg

http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/zz82/emilys7atgmaildotcom/Cycling/postoffice2-1.jpg

[eofelis]

I have a rear rack and panniers. The rack is permanent, and the panniers are easy to take on and off. I bring my panniers into the store with me, so I don't use any plastic bags at all. Best of all, it's fun!

Same here. :) I usually have a front rack on my commuter bike. I don't at the moment as I'm playing musical forks with another bike for a while for a while.

I've grocery shopped with a bike for quite a few years. If I know I'll get a buncha stuff I'll take the front panniers too. I've never managed to buy more than I can fit into all my panniers! I've had bystanders watch with amazement as all those groceries disappeared into my panniers. I also keep a bungy-net with my bike for strapping large bulky things on top of rear the rack.

It's amazing how much stuff you can carry on a bike.

[alice]

For grocery shopping I take both panniers, and a backpack, and a cargo net to strap stuff on top of the rack. I buy a lot of groceries.

But it's fun!

Also, unlike most of you dedicated people, running errands is pretty much all I do on my bike. I can't motivate myself to get out there unless I'm going somewhere. Which is not to say I don't sometimes make up places I "need" to go, but I always have a purposeful destination when I'm on the bike.

[hebe]

Well done! It really is empowering, good for you, and saves a bundle of gas as short car journeys are the least economical. I drove into town one morning last week as I just had too much to do to get everything done and ride in the time I had, and it felt really strange as the last three weeks I've cycled in.

Depending on how much I have to carry, I use either a clip on basket, panniers on the rear rack, or a trailer. I also have a cargo net that can stretch either over a full basket or over the rack for boxes. A lot of errands don't need a lot of storage space though - dentist, bank, optician, post office... it's quite surprising how rarely need more space than the basket. I do get my big grocery shop delivered.

[Grog]

Good for you! I hope it's the first of many opportunities to use your bike for practical stuff. .... or perhaps you'll get a second bike for running errands? :D

[shootingstar]

Isn't it great!

I'm to the point where it's unusual for me to take the car to do errands!

Except for 1 bike (which is used bike) I've always had a bike (I have 4 bikes) where each bike had a rear carrier and always threw on the pannier(s).

I don't have a car. If it's not snowing much or not a ton of rain, I go grocery shopping by cycling there.


Frankly, cycling to grocery shop is...semi-survival for me. The other alternative is public transit which I will use in snowy winters.

Grocery shopping is usually more enjoyable. Sure the loads maybe heavy, but it isn't for long usually and a good fitness ride if it is.

[Melalvai]

I have a trailer with an enormous plastic bin on it that I use for groceries. It's a flatbed trailer which I made using the wheels, axle & hitch off of a kiddie trailer that had broken. I just attached all those things to a piece of plywood, and added hooks so I can strap down the plastic box.

[Susan]

I just use my rear rack and a basket on this rack. For groceries I take a big bag with me and put it in the basket afterwards, and use some bungee straps to be sure everything stays in place.
If I have _really_ big or heavy things to carry like potting soil, beer crates or furniture, I use a small trailer.

[Jo-n-NY]

I also just began running errands by bike. Our lease was up on our mini van and with the nicer weather I felt it was not necessary to replace it just yet. Having one vehicle is working out just fine, husband drives me to the train station in the morning, we lock up my bike to a light post in town for me to be ready to ride home. Hubby prefers to take me in the morning. If I need anything at the store it is by bike. I take the car on Sundays to do the bulk of my shopping. I am really liking this. Today is fog an mist as is expected for the week so my few miles riding home should be interesting. I put a plastic bag over my seat so it is dry when I am riding home and I am wearing a rain jacket.

I have a train friend that would be happy to drive me even part way home, but I really rather ride as I want to hold off on getting another car until the fall if possible because I am just not feeling that inconvenienced by us having one car.

[emily_in_nc]

I also just began running errands by bike. Our lease was up on our mini van and with the nicer weather I felt it was not necessary to replace it just yet. Having one vehicle is working out just fine, husband drives me to the train station in the morning, we lock up my bike to a light post in town for me to be ready to ride home. Hubby prefers to take me in the morning. If I need anything at the store it is by bike. I take the car on Sundays to do the bulk of my shopping. I am really liking this. Today is fog an mist as is expected for the week so my few miles riding home should be interesting. I put a plastic bag over my seat so it is dry when I am riding home and I am wearing a rain jacket.

I have a train friend that would be happy to drive me even part way home, but I really rather ride as I want to hold off on getting another car until the fall if possible because I am just not feeling that inconvenienced by us having one car.

Congratulations, JoAnn, that is very cool! My only worry would be about my bike being stolen being locked up that way -- I very rarely let mine out of my sight. But very good for you for doing the one-car thing. We've found that as long as we're flexible and open-minded, it works great for us. Helps that DH is retired (and an avid cyclist) and that I have access to a bus line to get to work, not every day but at least 2-3 times per week. And work at home one day a week. Our gas budget has gone way, way down, even with the increase in prices at the pump.

[TrekTheKaty]

"If I have _really_ big or heavy things to carry like potting soil, beer crates or furniture, I use a small trailer."

Potting soil or furniture? You rock!

[Velocivixen]

This post inspired me to do light grocery shopping by bike - first time in literally 25 years! Rode 3.5 miles to store, bought groceries & they all fit in my pannier. Bike was still there when I got out (used 2 locks, but Portland Metro is replete with bike thieves), and got home. Whoo hoo. It wasn't bad. ;)

[emily_in_nc]

This post inspired me to do light grocery shopping by bike - first time in literally 25 years! Rode 3.5 miles to store, bought groceries & they all fit in my pannier. Bike was still there when I got out (used 2 locks, but Portland Metro is replete with bike thieves), and got home. Whoo hoo. It wasn't bad. ;)

Good for you! Thumbs up!!! :D

[Jo-n-NY]

Congratulations, JoAnn, that is very cool! My only worry would be about my bike being stolen being locked up that way -- I very rarely let mine out of my sight. But very good for you for doing the one-car thing. We've found that as long as we're flexible and open-minded, it works great for us. Helps that DH is retired (and an avid cyclist) and that I have access to a bus line to get to work, not every day but at least 2-3 times per week. And work at home one day a week. Our gas budget has gone way, way down, even with the increase in prices at the pump.

Thanks Emily. I have been wanting to do this for the longest time. I chose to lock it on the street lamp post as it is on a town street in front of stores. We felt it was safer there than under the train tressle where there are bike racks but also where kids hang out with there skateboards. My mtn bike is not worth more than a few hundred and should anything happen it would be a loss but not as big of a loss than my road bike. That will also mark the end of my commuting. So hopefully this will work into the fall season.

[TrekTheKaty]

You guys are enablers. There's murmur of a new road bike for me in our house. I'll ask the LBS if I can trade in my bike on a carbon fiber frame and a grocery store bike. (i love embarrassing my husband in front of serious cyclists. It's a little hobby of mine).

[Geonz]

It comes down to perceiving obstacles as challenges to be overcome, instead of reasons not to try. http://www.resourceroom.net/pcc/bigloadplusmay29.jpg A grocery run.... can't remember why the aerobed is included...

[luv2climb]

I am "car-lite". That means I only use my truck if I absolutely have to or I want to take my road bike up in the hills to do some climbing. I have three adult trikes that I use for all errands and grocery shopping. Here's one of them, parked appropriately considering the lack of a bike rack:p:

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/hardmf1/my2009TorkerTristarparkedappropriately.jpg

Here's my "Sherman Tank" Gomier 6-speed trike towing my new Worksman Port-O-Trike home from the LBS on a rainy day:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5096/5531583186_ce626ec1f6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5531583186/)
one adult trike towing another one (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5531583186/) by kittyz202 (http://www.flickr.com/people/29998767@N07/), on Flickr

I also put my Trek 7000 hybrid in the back of my truck so I can go riding when I take it to a shop to have any work done.

[Koronin]

I keep wondering if I can even fit a bike rack on the back of my road bike. It's a 47cm men's Trek 2000 series with 650 tires/wheels. I'm just not sure I can squeeze one in. The seat has to be at the lowest possible spot for me also. The adult trike idea is one I did not know existed and I may want to check out in the future. Although grocery shopping or even picking up something I forgot isn't really an extra trip since I'm either working in or driving by a grocery store on a weekly basis for my jobs. But it would be nice to have the option if I would need it.

[TrekTheKaty]

OOOHHHHH! I want a trike really bad! I found on one the internet and DH "forbade" me to buy it. He should know better :D

PS. Love the parking sign in the pic

And towing a trike with a trike--that's hilarious!

[luv2climb]

OOOHHHHH! I want a trike really bad! I found on one the internet and DH "forbade" me to buy it. He should know better :D

PS. Love the parking sign in the pic

And towing a trike with a trike--that's hilarious!
Yeah, especially considering how the trike will pay for itself in gas, maintenance, parking, and insurance costs saved by not driving as much;):)

I got a kick out of that sign too:D Funny how they have a parking space for low-emission vehicles, but no bike rack? BTW, nobody pays attention to that sign anyway. I see regular cars parked there all the time.

The towing was fun until I got home and discovered that I had worn all the paint off the part of the Worksman's front fork where it contacted the basket on the trike I was riding. A visit to the LBS the next day and a quick application of touch-up paint by me fixed that problem. They know I work on my own bikes so they just handed me the paint bottle and let me take it home with me. I did the touch-up job and returned it to them on the red Torker trike so I could let the paint dry on the Worksman.

Forgot to mention that I always bring my reuseable grocery bags when shopping so I don't have to use the plastic bags from the store. Some stores give you a 5 cent credit for every bag you bring that they fill up.

[shootingstar]

Imagine, cycling for groceries..becoming chic. ;)

No, actually I don't think about it as a different/ atypical activity /way of doing things. How can I? I've been cycling for /with groceries for past 18 yrs. on a regular basis. Again to me, it's like brushing my teeth or vacuuming, necessary for me and brainless solution. Every time I choose to live somewhere ...can I bike to the grocery store /walk? Not even taking the transit is any option for me anymore for grocery shopping or going to the bank...that is too inconvenient because I'm subject to someone else's schedule.

Just lock your bike before hopping into the store. So far..have been lucky after all these years.

[Koronin]

I wish the grocery stores here did the 5 cents credit for the resuable bags, but they don't. The closest one that I know of that does is about a 45 minute drive away. I do try to remember the reusable bags. Although it was easier before I moved (a year ago) and I had a place for everything. Hopefully now I'll be able to get everything a place again and it will be easier to remember those.

[TrekTheKaty]

DH just informed me I don't have to trade in my road bike on the new one--I could add a rack with those foldable baskets. I'd planned to do that to my hybrid, but came home to my BIL driving away with it on the back of his camper :confused: And it's a triple--Zoom, Zoom!

That reminds me--I need kleenex and sausage!

My grocery store doesn't give discounts for bringing your own bags--but I had to pay for the bags! However, Whole Foods give me 10 cents or donate to charity. I always donate and the cashiers are very knowledgeable about the current charity--this month is the Wild Bird Sanctuary in South County.