Errand bike thread....

[PscyclePath]

errant bike: Has driven off the straight & narrow path onto side roads. Probably the ones with gin mills, saloons and houses of ill repute.

That sounds exactly like my old Fisher MTB... It isn't silver & green, is it?

Hopefully the #$%@&*! who nicked it last year found a good and loving home for it.

Sadly the Caliber that replaced it and its new cousin the Cross-Check have developed the same bad habits of wandering off onto the long ways around and other paths less traveled...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I did it!!!!

I did my first supermarket trip with my Rambouillet "grocery bike" today, and I lived to tell the tale.

It's only about a mile and a half from my house to the supermarket (3 miles round trip), but as I noted before, there is a pretty steep 1/4 mile hill to go up right just before I get back home.
Today was very COLD and WINDY. I dressed pretty warm (need more glovage next time)....balaclava and everything. It was 28F degrees out, but the wind chill factor was 17F.
I made my little list, determined to not overdo it the first time out. I was a little afraid of the whole attempt, it was a whole new thing for me, not like just stopping at the bank.

I found a really excellent railing near the superm. doors where I was able to lock my bike up visibly and safely and not in the way of anything at all. My new super heavy U-lock and heavy cable were just right for the location (and the U-lock reached around my frame and the railing with only 1/2" to spare!), and I was able to feel very safe about leaving my bike out where I couldn't see it for 30 minutes. That felt good.

So I got the things on my list, and it didn't look like too much at all, so I added a few other small things. The stuff wound up filling my two grocery bags about 2/3 full each. When I lifted the bags they suddenly seemed awfully heavy though, and I wondered if I had goofed bigtime.
I pressed on bravely, and got them outside and into my two panniers without incident. Taking off my lock and loading the panniers, I saw how much the bike wanted tip to one side or the other now with the load in back, sort of like a motorcycle.

I headed home, careful to not turn sharply and staying aware of the potential tippiness that wasn't there before. My hands were cold. I noticed I needed to stay in one gear lower than my usual while riding on the flat parts of my route.
I approached my big hill and downshifted almost all the way, ahead of time. I was nervous- what if I just tip over or can't pedal up it?
Well I made it up. It was not easy- my heart was pounding and I was trying to just spin slowly up while maintaining a zen-like frame of mind. But I got to the top ok and knew I was home free. YAY!!! I could do it and not die.

First thing I did when I got home was brag like crazy to my DH while doing a happy dance, and then I went to weigh the two bags before I unpacked them.
Exactly twenty pounds total of groceries. Plus my now 35 pound bike....
So that means I hauled 55 pounds up my hill (not counting ME) with just my two legs for power. COOL!

I never thought I could do anything this ambitious. And in the below freezing temps and wind, too. Who'dda thunk?- not me!

I'm psyched and I feel like I won a prize.
Next trip I might try to load up a tad less though.

[Tri Girl]

Congrats, Lisa!!!!! Souds like you had quite the adventure! You hauled quite a load up that hill. You're quads of steel are on the way for sure!
I always wind up getting too much stuff. Last weekend I thought I was OK until I tried loading it into the panniers. i had to rig things to the tops & the side. It was a strange sight. I'm hoping my eyes will soon adjust to seeing the exact amount that will fit on my bike.

[oxysback]

I never thought I could do anything this ambitious.[/I] And in the below freezing temps and wind, too. Who'dda thunk?- not me!

I'm psyched and I feel like I won a prize.
Next trip I might try to load up a tad less though.

Congrats, Lisa! Way to go!!

[sfa]

Good for you, Lisa! I'm assuming pictures of the bike with actual grocery-laden panniers are on the way? Or did you forget to take a picture in all your excitement?

I went to REI to buy their grocery panniers for my sister for Christmas, and wouldn't you know they don't have them anymore! Grrrr. So much for THAT brilliant idea!

Sarah

[emily_in_nc]

That's great, Lisa -- but I never doubted you could do it!

The summer before last (this summer we were too busy taking care of our new puppy and my husband's baseball team, and just not riding) we biked to the food co-op a bunch and would come home with our panniers loaded. I carried about 15-25 lbs of groceries, plus the extra weight of two racks and four panniers. Our ride home was 14 miles of mostly uphill (nothing a very steep grade but lots of gradual, long climbs). It was hot and very tiring, but we did it, and we were not particularly well trained as we hadn't been riding much prior to starting up with it. So I knew your short ride, even with the tough hill, would be doable, because you wouldn't be doing the hill after miles and miles of tiring riding -- you were still fresh, you know?

Good on you!

[SouthernBelle]

Good job!

The mental pic of you running to weigh your groceries is so funny.

[Biciclista]

ah, now i feel even more stupid for my miscellaneous trips down our hill to buy groceries in A CAR.

YOU ROCK! nice job, you can throw away your car keys. You beat the hill, the weight and the weather!!!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Good for you, Lisa! I'm assuming pictures of the bike with actual grocery-laden panniers are on the way? Or did you forget to take a picture in all your excitement?

I was too damn COLD to try to take a picture! I will soon- maybe a pretty snowy grocery picture?

I went to REI to buy their grocery panniers for my sister for Christmas, and wouldn't you know they don't have them anymore! Grrrr. So much for THAT brilliant idea!
Sarah

Wow, that's a shame! Maybe if you call them they can tell you if they are restocking them soon?

The mental pic of you running to weigh your groceries is so funny.

I know, I felt pretty silly rushing to get the bathroom scale and then standing on it while holding the bags of groceries, and then without. I was convinced the 2 bags must have weighed 30 lbs....but no, only 20.
Well, they felt heavy.

Thanks for all your supportive comments, guys.

BlueWildflower- I hope you are recovering from your painful fall. Keep us posted.