commuter challenge

[CorsairMac]

That's great...can we join or is just local?

I ride my bike to and from work, which is 14 miles away, and to the local grocery store., which is only three blocks away. It keeps me from buying too much stuff, because only so much will fit in my panniers!

I also ride to my pilates class two miles away. I would like to ride to my mandolin lesson, which is five miles away, but I haven't been able to find a case that I can carry on my bike, either as a backpack or a messenger bag. They make gig bags, but I want a lightweight hard case with padded shoulder straps and a waist strap. Might have to break out the old sewing machine and make a holder for my hard case.

My family is a one car family, and my husband is a musician and needs the car to get to gigs. He's also a translator, so he doesn't need the car for that, but he does play music 3-4 times per week. Many times I just don't have a car available to me, so I ride my bike. We could get a second car, but why would I want to?

would a case for tennis rackets work??.....don't know if they're hard shell but I know they make backpack style packs for holding tennis rackets which should give you the waist strap.

and Mom: what a neat idea. I'm one of those people once I"m home I stay home so I've started running a lot of my errands on my way home from work - on the bike. So did you take your bike into the hair dressers? I don't leave my bike outside and I have yet to have anyone tell me I can't take my bike inside somewhere.

[tulip]

gig bags look like tennis racket bags. They are padded and light weight, but I'm just worried about damaging my mandolin if I should fall. It's a nice instrument.

There are possibilities. I took up the mandolin in part because it's portable. My cello that I played for 20 years, however, is not!

Maybe it's time for an xtracycle!

[DeniseGoldberg]

gig bags look like tennis racket bags. They are padded and light weight, but I'm just worried about damaging my mandolin if I should fall. It's a nice instrument.

I believe Leila Barker took a violin with her on her cross-country trek last year, so it's definitely possible. She was riding a Bike Friday New World Tourist, so it's entirely possible she stashed her violin in her trailer.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journal/amphibious2005

--- Denise

[Geonz]

Welp, the Ditty Bops are doing their musical tour by bicycle: http://www.thedittybops.com/


And, of course, Xtracycles are *made* for big gear. However, be mindful not to let the sucker tip and dip your valuable stuff into rain-swollen rivers in gutters (but the 'puter is still working, yppee...) This is not me, it's from the "Team Free Radical" site from xtracycle:

[bike4ever]

I walked into the hair stylists all sweaty and red faced. I politely asked if they would cut my hair so sweaty. They said no problem. I then saw a blank wall and asked if I could put my bike against the wall out of the way of any customers. They were very polite about it and agreed. I was tulquite happy with that answer since I was on my Lemond Buenos Aires instead of my green Frankenstein bike!!

tulip - I'll have to check with the judges of the contest about others outside the shop joining. I'll post tomorrow.

[tulip]

tulip - I'll have to check with the judges of the contest about others outside the shop joining. I'll post tomorrow.

No problem, I just wasn't sure if your post was an invitation or simply telling us about a program in your town. It would be great to start one locally here, too. I'll look into it.

Thanks