I went grocery shopping!

[madscot13]

I went grocery shopping today with my bike but some friends found me! we made some plans for the evening and they offered to drop my groceries off at my house and take me to the meet up place. Instantly the items in my cart doubled!

[TahoeDirtGirl]

I am going through an almost obsession with riding my bike everywhere! I thought you guys who grocery shop would enjoy this....I figured out a route where I hit 2 'honor system' farm stands and one Saturday farmers market. Total round trip is 35 miles on back country New England roads. I like doing this ride on Sat. morning as the market starts 8 a.m. LOVE IT!

I'm having problems with packing though. I bought a milk crate for the interim, I didn't like the Basil panniers and saw the slick wire pannier baskets on here and I think I will get them. The milk crate seems a bit...well...unstable! I would like to just have something open I can toss my backpack and other stuff into when I ride to work and then use it on the weekends. Sigh...I just can't make up my mind...

But last wknd I didn't have the milk crate so I just strapped a cardboard box to the back. I loved it because everyone at the farmers market had something to say about the box and was instructing me on how I should get panniers or had some story about carrying food on a bike! But alas...I was the only one with a bike there...

I think biking really makes you look at what is going on around you...if I didn't start riding the roads, I would never have found these farm stands because they are on back roads I wouldn't be taking...

The trailer looks like a good idea--if you took them into the store that would be a good deal. We have Stop and Shop here in Mass...do you have them where you are ? You can scan your groceries and bag them, then pay at the end. If you did, you could pack your trailer and would not have to unload it to pay again. That would be ideal!!!

[Kano]

My daughter thinks I need to buy bread -- baguettes -- when I'm riding my "grocery bike," whether I need/want any or not, because it will be great to have it sticking out the top of the pannier. I suppose that means I should be buying carrots with the greens still on too!

The kids are amused by this new "notion" of mine, and were amusingly upset the other day that we weren't going to have a car for one day because she was borrowing one and the other was in the shop for service. They couldn't figure out how we could POSSIBLY get around without the cars!

Karen in Boise

[Melalvai]

My daughter thinks I need to buy bread -- baguettes -- when I'm riding my "grocery bike," whether I need/want any or not, because it will be great to have it sticking out the top of the pannier. I suppose that means I should be buying carrots with the greens still on too!

That is a great visual. Now I want to go load up on carrots & a long baguette just to get a good picture.

[cyclingmama]

That is a great visual. Now I want to go load up on carrots & a long baguette just to get a good picture.

Of course, to complete the visual, you would need to be on a cruiser with a wicker basket.

I'm thinking about grocery shopping but not sure where to start. I shop for a family of 4, but the trip to the grocery store is about 6 miles with a big hill in each direction (so a big climb then a big descent both ways). Not sure how I'd fare on the hills pulling a trailer. I'm thinking of getting grocery panniers and splitting up trips, and then perhaps moving up to a trailer later if it works out.

For those of you that have grocery panniers, what kind do you have and how much do they hold?

[hawkeyerider]

For those of you that have grocery panniers, what kind do you have and how much do they hold?

I have grocery panniers and was told that they hold 50 lbs. (or maybe that was the rack that held 50 lbs; either way, I'm not going over 50). I'm not going on big grocery runs anymore and am instead going more frequently and getting few things but still, you can get quite a bit with 50 lbs. I love taking my bike to the grocery store (and Target too!). Here is a link to the bag I have. This says $60 but I think I got mine (I have two) for $40.

http://penncycle.com/itemdetails.cfm?id=6391

[madscot13]

I've got the REI novara panniers. probably not the best but with $40 I spent and the REI guarantee I am satisfied. I'm on my second pair. I do tend to try and mash everything in there so that probably puts more wear and tear on them. You can put paper bags in there and have some room on the side for my lock or something else (cereal anyone?)

as a bonus, I'm not worried about leaving them on the bike: not too expensive and not a lot of bling factor. I do get an occasional "goodie" from time to time.

[Melalvai]

I am going through an almost obsession with riding my bike everywhere!

That sounds familiar...

I'm having problems with packing though.

I'd say the key is probably variety. You have a trailer for groceries, big panniers and little panniers and a rack trunk, sometimes you just need bungies say if you're getting a case of water or something. I don't think one thing fits all needs for a single person who is dedicated to cycling for transportation.

The trailer looks like a good idea--if you took them into the store that would be a good deal. We have Stop and Shop here in Mass...do you have them where you are ? You can scan your groceries and bag them, then pay at the end. If you did, you could pack your trailer and would not have to unload it to pay again. That would be ideal!!!

I don't know of any trailers that would be easy to just bring into the store. The trailers tend to be low to the ground. I guess there are some that can convert between trailers and strollers, I suppose that would work pretty well for what you describe. Mine is a flatbed trailer with a big plastic tub on it. I load it up just like I would load the groceries into my car.