Shopping on a bike

[Drago]

I don't use it for the weekly shop. However, during the week ill pop out on the bike if we need any items of shopping. A quick loaf of break ormpint of milk i'll walk the 300 yeard to the village shop, but anything else means the next village or into town, and the bike does admirably for that. As its just top up stuff ill try and use my Evoc hip pack if I can, or a rucksack if I can't.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Oct 2019-Feb 2020 I was working near Antwerp and staying in the city. Those Bakefits where everywhere, kids in them, shopping from Albert Hein. A novelty to begin with but then just the norm. I thought they where great along with the scoot rental mopeds. Some fool hired one and crashed it whilst drunk on way back to hotel so the company banned us using them or cycles throughout the job and demanded we use hire cars only. One idiot is all it takes ! Great bike Andy

Funny that, they banned bikes but not drinking.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I don't find moving unwieldy loads around by bike very enjoyable. It's not the bike weight that bothers me as a steel fan, otherwise I'd be a Carbon weight weenie. It's the effect on the handling of having a load that makes the bike want to fall over or roll and twist around between your legs when stationary.

The long wheelbase of the Xtracycle makes a surprising difference, and of course the Bakfiets suspends the load between the wheels making it astonishingly stable for a two wheeled vehicle: it's as hard to tip as a gyroscope when in motion.

 

[annedonnelly]

All the time for grocery shopping. Occasionally use the car if I need something big, e.g from garden centre or Ikea, but always try to combine journeys so I don't just go to a single shop.

Car has been out of the garage three times since September - and one of those was to go for service & MOT.

 

[fossyant]

Never. I'm afraid the bikes are too nice to leave outside a supermarket even with a NY Fagh.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Problem:

Never. I'm afraid the bikes are too nice to leave outside a supermarket even with a NY Fagh.

Solution: N+1. Get another bike for shopping.

 

[figbat]

Occasionally use the car if I need something big, e.g from garden centre or Ikea...

We have a garden centre in walking distance and found ourselves using the car for larger items, until...

Again, bought to avoid short journey car use. Mrs figbat has been known to walk to the garden centre and, once inside, forget she had walked there, meaning either a heavy carry home or a rescue call.

 

[figbat]

By the way, this has also been eyed-up for potential bike trailer use, much to Mrs f’s resistance.

 

[Tripster]

Funny that, they banned bikes but not drinking.

Not sure you could tell 60 or so contractors they cannot have a drink on their day off/personal time but you can stop the hire of vehicles due to them already each having the use of a hire vehicle, road traffic accidents are biggest cause of death in the company and no worky no pay ....

 

[Andy in Germany]

Not sure you could tell 60 or so contractors they cannot have a drink on their day off/personal time but you can stop the hire of vehicles due to them already each having the use of a hire vehicle, road traffic accidents are biggest cause of death in the company and no worky no pay ....

Oh sure, I see the difficulty. Just seemed sadly typical that the focus was on the form of transport rather than the problem in that case which was illegally driving under the influence.

 

[Andy in Germany]

We have a garden centre in walking distance and found ourselves using the car for larger items, until...
View attachment 574950
Again, bought to avoid short journey car use. Mrs figbat has been known to walk to the garden centre and, once inside, forget she had walked there, meaning either a heavy carry home or a rescue call.

I have a photo somewhere of us collecting a Christmas tree with the Xtracycle. It's a bit old now because in recent years we've used a home made recycled cardboard one.

 

[Tripster]

Oh sure, I see the difficulty. Just seemed sadly typical that the focus was on the form of transport rather than the problem in that case which was illegally driving under the influence.

Yep, agree. The drinking was never mentioned just the chaos it caused.

 

[numbnuts]

Short runs are the worst way to use an engine. They don’t warm up enough to work properly meaning increased wear, increased fuel consumption and reduced oil life. This is why I use the bike rather than a car.

Short runs - mine are 15 miles

 

[Drago]

We have a garden centre in walking distance and found ourselves using the car for larger items, until...
View attachment 574950
Again, bought to avoid short journey car use. Mrs figbat has been known to walk to the garden centre and, once inside, forget she had walked there, meaning either a heavy carry home or a rescue call.

Mrs Figbat appears to really like salad.

 

[figbat]

Short runs - mine are 15 miles

Fair enough - dependent on ambient conditions, engine type and mode of use that ought to be enough.