Part Way & Part Time bike commute !

[carpaltunnel]

Jayjay you started a great thread! I feel so much better about my half-commute now that I know so many people do it. My commute could be 6 miles except for a terrifyikng crossing and 1 mile stretch in the middle of it. So I drive to a parking lot just past it, unload, and bike the rest of the way. It's enough to get me pepped up for the day and I can bike a longer route back to my truck on the way home. About half of it is a city park trail which is lovely. I feel good about getting the exercise and saving gas.
Thanks for starting this thread.

[jayjay]

Thanks Carpaltunnel! Well, the next challenge I have is going to be about panniers. As I mentioned before, I am a housewife right now, and when I'm in town, it's all about errands, involving lots of groceries. The thing is, adapted to the car lifestyle I have learned to overload the cart, overspend, overeat, as well as myriad unfocused impulse shopping trips. If I were to exclude all of that , due to limited room on bicycle, and limited energy... well, just think how much I'd save us ! It's almost too extreme to even imagine. First off, I've worked out the lists before : bike shopping trips most, car shopping trips once every two weeks, or less. In the car I would handle the big stuff, and the frozen stuff. In theory, all else should work on the bike. But sheesh, either I have to pull a trailer (big expense) or I have to make several Part-Way trips to deal with the groceries. Or, get a cow and milk her daily... Seriously, maybe large gallons of milk can be dealt with on bike, or, some way around it. Dried milk? Um... I think not. Cereal and make yogurt is all, and the gallons are the best buy, so heck, this is the biggest challenge right now. I'm thinking trailer, fewer trips by car is the best value for the trip, and , could easily absorb the cost of the trailer in no time. Does anybody use a trailer?

[Blueberry]

I have a trailer, and do use it on occasion. However, I find that for grocery runs, I usually just use panniers. The trailer is a bit cumbersome (and it's by far the best one I found). When we lived in Wilmington, I used it more. Hauling recycling, 8 12 packs of diet soft drinks (no, I don't drink them much anymore) etc. I have hauled a gallon or more of milk home in a pannier. My only problem is in the really hot summer - I haven't found a good way to insulate the stuff that needs to stay cool.

[Melalvai]

either I have to pull a trailer (big expense) or I have to make several Part-Way trips to deal with the groceries. Or, get a cow and milk her daily...

I like the cow idea.
A trailer does not have to be a big expense. Everyone buys trailers to pull their kids in, and then the kids grow up and they don't need the trailer. Keep an eye on craigslist or the classifieds for a used kiddie trailer. It holds groceries as well as children.

I had a kiddie trailer that I picked up for $20. I used it for weekly grocery trips for several months. Then the plastic cracked. I used the hitch and axle and wheels and made a new trailer. I'm not really a handy-man type, but it was so easy. So, even if you find a trailer in poor condition, it is worth picking up, so long as the wheels, axle and hitch are usable.

[mupedalpusher]

I'm the friend Melalvai talked of. I bike part way during the school year simply because of time constraints, not because of choice. I'd really rather bike the whole distance but just don't have the time. By cutting it down to 4 or 5 miles, I can get to work at a more reasonable time (thank goodness for flexible jobs) and I don't have to leave early.

[jayjay]

Thanks everyone! I've thought about this endlessly, and for me, using a buggy or trailer would involve major complications in the shuttle process. I will just have to get a front rack to add to my rear rack, and have front and back sets of panniers. The smallish panniers I use on the back now, could move to the front rack. I need, however, a large rear pannier then.

Next challenge : which panniers? I have seen Jandd and think their mtn panniers are lovely, but they're spendy for sure. Does anybody have a suggestion or opinion about suitable panniers for shopping purposes? Not interested in the floppy 'grocery bag' style, but something that is very durable and not too spendy.

I'll look like a regular touring cyclist ! Panniers all packed and touring my home town...

[Becky]

Next challenge : which panniers? I have seen Jandd and think their mtn panniers are lovely, but they're spendy for sure. Does anybody have a suggestion or opinion about suitable panniers for shopping purposes? Not interested in the floppy 'grocery bag' style, but something that is very durable and not too spendy.

What about Performance panniers? They come in two sizes and are pretty affordable. Hubby and I bought the smaller ones for commuting: http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=2312. We haven't actually used them yet, but my opinions thus far are favorable. They seem well-made, they're always on sale, and Performance has a "no questions asked" returns policy.

Once we start commuting again, I'll post some more detailed opinions of these.