Grocery Getter Contest

Here's some pics of cute bikes to look at:

http://fixedgeargallery.com/contest/...ter/index2.htm

General Rules.....

1.Grocery Getter..... your interpretation.
2. No price limit.
3. Must be able to transfer safely the following:

10# bag of dog food
5# bag of kitty liter,
1 gal milk and a pint of half and half
5# bag flour
Pkg of 8 rolls of tp,
1 loaf of bread 1# of spaghetti or other pasta
2 six-packs of beer
a 12oz bottle of maple syrup,
six cans of tuna, and 1 box of Tuna Helper
any reasonable substitutions of these items may be made.

In article ,
Ablang writes:
Here's some pics of cute bikes to look at:

http://fixedgeargallery.com/contest/...ter/index2.htm

General Rules.....

1.Grocery Getter..... your interpretation.
2. No price limit.
3. Must be able to transfer safely the following:

10# bag of dog food
5# bag of kitty liter,
1 gal milk and a pint of half and half
5# bag flour
Pkg of 8 rolls of tp,
1 loaf of bread 1# of spaghetti or other pasta
2 six-packs of beer
a 12oz bottle of maple syrup,
six cans of tuna, and 1 box of Tuna Helper
any reasonable substitutions of these items may be made.

Heh :-)

This is a trivial, workaday jaunt down the street upon
which I live (Main St, Vancouver, BC.)

Stops at Nester's Supermarket, the liquor store, and
Tysol's Pet Supplies @ Main & 13th Ave. With a DQ across
the street, Windjammer's (lovey fish 'n chips,) Great Han
Mongolian BBQ, Belagio's Gelato, and the Our Community Bikes!
bike shop, the Bean Around the World coffee shop, various
garden plant shops and various rag-&-bone shops handily nearby.

My Leggero Max[tm] trailer can make mincemeat outa this
challenge, and I could simultaneously take my laundry
to the local laundromat while meeting it.

Hauling a piano, or an oak sideboard or a cast iron
wood burning heater or a drill press by bike would be
interesting. In fact, durn difficult in somewhere
like Firestone, Col.

Thank Goodness I live in Bike Paradise. ;-) ;-)

Life is good, and so chock full of blessings that we
don't even get to recognize or appreciate all of 'em.

But y'know what? The one-trip grocery-getting thing
is so centred around the CarCulture paradigm. Buy a
bunch of stuff and kill it in the freezer for a couple
of months. Then go to the freezer for mummified food,
instead of to the shops for the real thing.

There's nothing wrong with making more than one shopping
trip/day to get good, fresh, well-selected ingroodients.
If you can, and have the energy & comfort to do so after
a hard day's work.

Sometimes it's not about how much you can carry at once,
but how much better stuff you can get with a li'l extra
effort, and more excuses to ride around town some more.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

Tom Keats wrote:

But y'know what? The one-trip grocery-getting thing
is so centred around the CarCulture paradigm. Buy a
bunch of stuff and kill it in the freezer for a couple
of months. Then go to the freezer for mummified food,
instead of to the shops for the real thing.

There's nothing wrong with making more than one shopping
trip/day to get good, fresh, well-selected ingroodients.
If you can, and have the energy & comfort to do so after
a hard day's work.

Sometimes it's not about how much you can carry at once,
but how much better stuff you can get with a li'l extra
effort, and more excuses to ride around town some more.

Buying 25 one-pound bags of rice is idiotic compared to buying one 25-
pound bag. Cat litter, beer, mineral water, toilet paper, and
watermelons are all things that can and should be brought home in
large increments.

So once you've got a watermelon in one pannier and a 12-pack in the
other on a cargo-impaired bike, where you gonna put the rest of the
things you need to live on for the next couple of days? Hanging them
from the handlebars is for ill-prepared goobers (however much I may
have done so myself).

Trailers are one solution. Bikes that haul are a substantially more
satisfactory one in several regards.

Chalo

In article ,
Chalo writes:
Tom Keats wrote:

But y'know what? The one-trip grocery-getting thing
is so centred around the CarCulture paradigm. Buy a
bunch of stuff and kill it in the freezer for a couple
of months. Then go to the freezer for mummified food,
instead of to the shops for the real thing.

There's nothing wrong with making more than one shopping
trip/day to get good, fresh, well-selected ingroodients.
If you can, and have the energy & comfort to do so after
a hard day's work.

Sometimes it's not about how much you can carry at once,
but how much better stuff you can get with a li'l extra
effort, and more excuses to ride around town some more.

Buying 25 one-pound bags of rice is idiotic compared to buying one 25-
pound bag. Cat litter, beer, mineral water, toilet paper, and
watermelons are all things that can and should be brought home in
large increments.

So once you've got a watermelon in one pannier and a 12-pack in the
other on a cargo-impaired bike, where you gonna put the rest of the
things you need to live on for the next couple of days? Hanging them
from the handlebars is for ill-prepared goobers (however much I may
have done so myself).

Trailers are one solution. Bikes that haul are a substantially more
satisfactory one in several regards.

Chalo

The only use I can think of for a 25 lb bag of rice is
as part of a goodly batch of homemade vodka.

I guess I'm fortunate in that the street near which
I live is like a distributed supermarket, well arrayed
with various specialty shops, as well as being in a
quite bike-friendly part of town. But then I did
choose to live where I do because the area is so
conducive to a riding lifestyle. I think I made
the right choice (for once.)

As for bikes that haul, I am intrigued by the Yuba Mundo.
I like that it is purpose-built for cargo, and its
cargo carrying features are integral to the bike rather
than being attached afterthoughts and modifications.

I like the notion of "pickup truck" versions of bicycles,
and the notion of putting bikes to work, to transport
goods as well as the rider her/himself.

Bakfiets are becoming an increasing presence on
Vancouver streets. Our terrain does demand multiple
gears, though.

Hanging grocery bags from the handlebar is so gauche.
Fabrizio would vehemently disapprove.
Some folks opt for the backpack method of carrying stuff.
It's quick, cheap & easy, and the first thing that comes
to mind when a rider who doesn't ordinarily carry cargo
suddenly has to. I've done so in the past, myself. I've
subsequently found how making the bike (or trailer) instead
of the rider wear the cargo is so freeing.

I confess I am enamoured with my Leggero Max[tm]
cargo trailer. That's what I use whenever I need
a dozen watermelons, or a dozen turkeys or a couple
of halibuts. It comes in handy for trips to the
laundromat, too.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On 16 Aug, 14:49, (Tom Keats) wrote:
In article ,
* * * * Chalo writes:



Tom Keats wrote:

But y'know what? *The one-trip grocery-getting thing
is so centred around the CarCulture paradigm. *Buy a
bunch of stuff and kill it in the freezer for a couple
of months. *Then go to the freezer for mummified food,
instead of to the shops for the real thing.

There's nothing wrong with making more than one shopping
trip/day to get good, fresh, well-selected ingroodients.
If you can, and have the energy & comfort to do so after
a hard day's work.

Sometimes it's not about how much you can carry at once,
but how much better stuff you can get with a li'l extra
effort, and more excuses to ride around town some more.

Buying 25 one-pound bags of rice is idiotic compared to buying one 25-
pound bag. *Cat litter, beer, mineral water, toilet paper, and
watermelons are all things that can and should be brought home in
large increments.

So once you've got a watermelon in one pannier and a 12-pack in the
other on a cargo-impaired bike, where you gonna put the rest of the
things you need to live on for the next couple of days? *Hanging them
from the handlebars is for ill-prepared goobers (however much I may
have done so myself).

Trailers are one solution. *Bikes that haul are a substantially more
satisfactory one in several regards.

Chalo

The only use I can think of *for a 25 lb bag of rice is
as part of a goodly batch of homemade vodka.

I guess I'm fortunate in that the street near which
I live is like a distributed supermarket, well arrayed
with various specialty shops, as well as being in a
quite bike-friendly part of town. *But then I did
choose to live where I do because the area is so
conducive to a riding lifestyle. *I think I made
the right choice (for once.)

As for bikes that haul, I am intrigued by the Yuba Mundo.
I like that it is purpose-built for cargo, and its
cargo carrying features are integral to the bike rather
than being attached afterthoughts and modifications.

I like the notion of "pickup truck" versions of bicycles,
and the notion of putting bikes to work, to transport
goods as well as the rider her/himself.

Bakfiets are becoming an increasing presence on
Vancouver streets. *Our terrain does demand multiple
gears, though.

Hanging grocery bags from the handlebar is so gauche.
Fabrizio would vehemently disapprove.
Some folks opt for the backpack method of carrying stuff.
It's quick, cheap & easy, and the first thing that comes
to mind when a rider who doesn't ordinarily carry cargo
suddenly has to. *I've done so in the past, myself. *I've
subsequently found how making the bike (or trailer) instead
of the rider wear the cargo is so freeing.

I confess I am enamoured with my Leggero Max[tm]
cargo trailer. *That's what I use whenever I need
a dozen watermelons, or a dozen turkeys or a couple
of halibuts. It comes in handy for trips to the
laundromat, too.


There are wire baskets that have simple hooks so that they hang from
your handlebars, no permanent clip installation required.

On Aug 16, 2:27*am, Chalo wrote:
.

Buying 25 one-pound bags of rice is idiotic compared to buying one 25-
pound bag. *Cat litter, beer, mineral water, toilet paper, and
watermelons are all things that can and should be brought home in
large increments.

So once you've got a watermelon in one pannier and a 12-pack in the
other on a cargo-impaired bike, where you gonna put the rest of the
things you need to live on for the next couple of days? *

I sympathize with that attitude only when my life's more hectic than I
prefer. And even then, I think the preferred solution is to reduce
hectic-ness, rather than increase bike capacity.

I'm going through a nice period now, with a reasonable amount (i.e.
lots) of relaxation time. And I'm actually looking for reasons to
ride my bike for utility. I enjoy riding for groceries every day or
two; and for that, my standard utility/commuter bike works fine.
That's an old Raleigh with drop bars, big handlebar bag, and folding
grocery panniers on the rear rack.

There's something to be said for doing this more often. You get more
social contact with other people, you show more people it's a viable
choice, you get more exercise and riding time.

I'm also enjoying going to different-than-usual grocery stores because
I prefer their prices, or their vibe, or because they're along
prettier roads for riding.

There's more to life than increasing it's speed... or your bike's
cargo capacity, even though that's an interesting technical exercise.

- Frank Krygowski

In article ,
Frank Krygowski writes:

There's something to be said for doing this more often. You get more
social contact with other people, you show more people it's a viable
choice, you get more exercise and riding time.

Frank, you just made my day! :-)

I'm also enjoying going to different-than-usual grocery stores because
I prefer their prices, or their vibe, or because they're along
prettier roads for riding.
There's more to life than increasing it's speed... or your bike's
cargo capacity, even though that's an interesting technical exercise.

Shopping is drudgery until you do it by bike.


cheers,
Tom


--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca