Carrying Stuff

ONE OF THE BIGGEST obstacles to overcome in transitioning from a typical recreational rider to a "serious" rider for transportation purposes is carrying "stuff". When you go out on a little weekend morning jaunt on the road bike, you really don't need more than a small under-the-saddle repair kit bag and some energy bars stuffed in your jersey pockets. But what do you do when you want to stop by the store on the way home and pick up a few groceries? When you start thinking about carrying things with your bike, "I can't" quickly comes to mind.

Well, there are options, many options. Here is where you make the leap of faith from weekend recreation rider to hard-core "get stuff done" rider.

One of the easiest, quickest, and cheapest options is to use a backpack. Most people already have one, even if it is nothing more than a cheap school or day pack. Throw it on and you can now make that stop by the grocery store for a few items. You can actually stop by the library and check out a few books. Ooo, you can even commute to work! Messenger bags are also common with hard-core cyclist. After all, messenger bags were invented by and for bike messengers.

The next option gets the burden off your body and puts it on the bike. A good start here is with an inexpensive rear rack for your bike. With a rack, you can strap on items with bungy cords, strap on an old milk crate, or buy bags made specifically to mount on the racks. These types of bags can be trunks or panniers. Trunks mount on top of the rack, panniers "hang" on the sides of the rack with hooks. These can let you you carry a change of clothes and lunch with you to work, or carry a few small items when you are out and about. Many touring cyclists go with some variation of panniers and trunks. One advantage of these over a backpack or messenger bag is that it gets the load off you back. You will be less sweaty, and some people just don't like the feel of the weight on their backs.

Another cheap option is a basket, usually mounted on the front. Baskets are good when you make a lot of short trips. You can just throw your items or bag into the basket and take off. Perfect for small grocery runs.

Now, these options are great for carrying small to moderate loads. But, what do you do when you need to carry a lot of stuff? This is when you leave the bike at home and fire up the SUV, right? Wrong! You don't need to if you have the right equipment.
In carrying larger loads, there are two main options. One invlolves a longer bike, and the other involves pulling the load.
Longer bikes are just that, taking a typical bike and extending the back end to accomodate more bags or racks to carry stuff. One of the pioneers with this is the Xtracycle. This comapany produces an aftermarket frame extension for your bike. It works on most mountain and road type bikes. It bolts on in place of your rear wheel, and your rear wheel in turn bolts to the rear of the extension. The kit comes with cables and a chain to extend your existing chain and cables so that everything still works as normal. In addition to the aftermarket add on, a few companies are now making a complete frame that essentially incorporate the Xtracycle design into the frame. They are commonly referred to as "longtail" bikes. With a setup like this, you can carry 4 (or more) full bags of groceries, large bags of pet food, lumber, another bike (yes, it can be done), or even a couple of passengers. This is a great setup for people who seem to always find themselves needing to carry a bunch of stuff. It's like a trailer that's always there.

Speaking of trailers, this is the next option for carry plenty of cargo. You have probably already seen the kid trailers, the ones that carry one or 2 kids. In addition to carrying kids, many of these trailers can also do double-duty to transport a fair amount of cargo. If the kids have outgrown the trailer, it may be able to be modified to carry more stuff. With some models, the seating area and cover can be removed and replaced with a flatbed, usually a piece of plywood, and then the cargo can be strapped on or a utility box or tote can be mounted to it. An advantage of using a tote is that your cargo can be placed inside it and kept out of sight and dry. There is even a company that makes a trailer designed around these types of containers. BicycleR evolution makes a couple of different models; The Shopper and the Heavy Duty Trailer. These are Rubber Maid totes on wheels. Here are a couple more sites that discuss the BicycleR evolution trailers - Jym's Trailer page and eBent Recumbent Cycling.

Going beyond modifying an existing kid's trailer, you can build your own from scratch. There are many designs out there, ranging from fairly easy bolt-together wood or metal to elaborate welded designs. Here are a couple of interesting designs that don't look too complicated to make. These are made from electrical conduit and require no welding. Small trailer and Big trailer.
Whatever you do, don't let the obstacle of carrying stuff get in your way of cycling. Use some creative imagination, and don't be afraid to sweat a little!

Why Ride a Bike?

Traffic congestion, pollution, morbid obesity rates, lack of parking and outrageous parking fees, skyrocketing fuel costs, never-ending automobile maintenance...these are just a few reasons why riding your bike for transportation is a healthy, realistic option for many people. Oh, and cycling is fun too!

Most trips are under a few miles, and many trips can be done by bike instead of a car. Why crank up the internal combustion engine to move a 3,000 hunk of steel just to transport you and maybe a loaf of bread and quart of milk a mile down the road for a quick grocery run? Why not jump on the most efficient mode of transportation ever invented and get a little exercise along the way? It's easy and fun. Did we mention that riding a bike is fun?

Here we will explore many different ideas related to biking, including:

• Commuting Tips
• Creative Bike Lighting
• Trailer Building and options
• Bicycle mods, ala Xtracycle, etc.
• Other options to carry stuff
• Stories of cycling and transportation, inspiration, health, and fun
• Whatever else we feel like