grocery bikes

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

The test ride of the new brifters went well, but my DH will have to tweak the derailleurs- the lowest back gear keeps jumping out to the two next higher gears when I'm crankin' up the steep hill....not pleasant! DH knows what to do though- he keeps my other bike working great. My gear spread is reallly wide and they have to be tuned to a hair trigger point for the complete spread to work right.

So now I need to have DH put on the rack AND tune the derailleur.

But other than that, I had a great little errand run to Ralph's, the PO, the bank, the dentist, and the hardware store.
I LOVED being able to really grab onto those brakes on the big downhill.

[dex]

I LOVED being able to really grab onto those brakes on the big downhill.

Isn't that awesome? I never get over it. Actually, the very first time I felt that security when I switched to short-reach brifters, I got so excited I wanted to find more BIG, STEEP hills to ride down...just because I finally knew I'd be able to stop myself if needed. Heh.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I have to do more test riding of the GroceryRambouillet tomorrow.
DH tweaked the derailleurs to correct it's jumping abruptly out of the lowest gear several times yesterday going up the hill without its rack and panniers on yet. The lbs guy, who mostly did a fine job, had the new cables a bit too tight for one thing...he was trying to pre-compensate for new cable stretch, as he informed me when we picked up the bike.
DH put on the new rack today and we put the panniers on. Rack and panniers went on without a glitch. Rainy and windy all day and it was almost dark by the time we finished.

So, with my old large canvas saddlebag of 'essential road riding stuff' completely removed (don't need maps or first aid stuff, and my grocery bike flatfixing/tube/pump kit will be a cell phone ), along with removing one of the 2 bottle cages....(on this errand bike I will never likely be farther from home than maybe 3 miles...certainly walkable if I have bike trouble)...

and then adding the new rack, two empty panniers, the new uber heavy U-lock/cable combo, and putting my old ching-ching bell back on....

It now weighs 6 pounds more than when it was setup only for road riding with the large saddlebag (29 lbs then), and it weighs ten pounds more than my steel Luna road bike currently does when it's loaded for a ride.
The whole shebang weighs 35 pounds with empty panniers. That doesn't sound like a huge amount, but when I go to pick it up, it feels like a TON in the back!

Oh well, I refuse to be intimidated just yet. Tomorrow i will take it gingerly down into town (no shopping yet) and ride it around the empty school parking lots and up and down a few gentle hills around town to test how she flies. There may be gear jumping issues still, or the steering may act and feel very different with the new weight in the back, or some other unforeseen issue I need to know about. If all goes well, I'll then head home again and the last test will be the steep 1/4 mile hill up to the house with nothing in the panniers. Wish me luck getting up the hill!
DH, ever practical, reminds me that if I had to I could probably walk the bike full of groceries up our hill at the end. He's right of course. And that wouldn't be the end of the world, either. It's all saving gas and helping the planet and building up my body strength.

I might have to make some changes tomorrow, so not worth a photo just yet I think.

[Biciclista]

well, okay, we'll wait for the pictures. 35 lbs does sound like a lot to me. but if it gets the job done..

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Did my first test ride this morning, with empty panniers....

Steers great, gears shifting s-m-o-o-t-h-l-y (thanks to wonderful DH), and
I made it up my hill with it being 10 more pounds than my other bike... with no big problem!!! YAY!! It only actually felt like maybe it was an extra 5 pounds or so. (but it wasn't, I weighed it on the scale)

Will try to tape up my handlebars today so I can take a decent photo of it.

Now I can start testing my limits by buying small amounts of food and other junk I frequently buy in town. Now I can go mail cumbersome packages at the post office and not have to give up when they don't fit in my backpack!

WHEEEEE!!!!! I'm tickled pink!


(and 'monster quads' here i come!)

[7rider]

35 lbs does sound like a lot to me. but if it gets the job done..

Just think of how STRONG you'll get, BSG!

Lookin' forward to the pix.

[SouthernBelle]

I think you should test out the cumbersome package part by mailing me something.

Just a thought....

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I think you should test out the cumbersome package part by mailing me something.

Just a thought....

Actually, I am going to bike to the PO to mail my first cumbersome package out tomorrow- coincidentally to another TE member!
But sorry, I don't have any cumbersome packages lined up for you yet...