Utility cycling - who'd have thunk it.

[Pale Rider]

I'm one of the many cyclists who ride mostly for pleasure.

Fearing a traffic jam of black bargain punters, I decided to cycle to Sainsbury's today.

I was pleased to see five other bikes in the rack, I was expecting to see one or none.

It's still a ridiculously tiny proportion of shoppers at the store, given that the car park was full, with more cars waiting.

I did feel rather smug weaving around the frustrated drivers.

I was also conscious of being stared at by one or two of them.

It would be nice to think they were thinking: "If that podgy middle-aged bloke can ride a bike to do the shopping, so can I."

But I doubt they were thinking that, so utility cycling in this country will remain a tiny part of what is itself a minority activity.

 

[Kiwiavenger]

I walk to the local shop and cycle to work then to run errands all lycra clad.

The nearest supermarket is 8 miles away so not really feasible to cycle to for the weekly shop lol.

 

[numbnuts]

I do one big shop per month by car all the other times I go by bike or now by trike now it is only a 5.5 mile ride so why not.
I tried to do the monthly shop once by bike and trailer, it was hard work on the hill going home, when I got home I weighted it 81 lbs no wonder it was hard work

 

[Ganymede]

I see a few fellow cyclists at the Co-op. I think I'm the only cyclist to use the farm shop on a bike though - it's off a rather fast A-road which is a bit of an antidote. I don't mind it, though I have sometimes jumped onto the verge if a big lorry or the bus is following me up the hill. I like buses and the lorry drivers are always appreciative. I fill up a big basket or box of veg and sometimes have a rucksack full of tatties too.

It really is very satisfying - I actually prefer utility cycling to leisure cycling. Getting where you need to go, under you own steam, no parking charges and no petrol!

 

[Pale Rider]

It really is very satisfying - I actually prefer utility cycling to leisure cycling. Getting where you need to go, under you own steam, no parking charges and no petrol!

Absolutely.

Your trundle to the farm shop sounds like fun, certainly more so than going there in the car.

Limited carrying capacity can be a benefit to someone like me who lacks will power to avoid buying the wrong things.

Had I been in the car today, I would have bought a couple of bottles of pop.

OK, it would have been diet, but I'm not sure the sugar substitute chemicals are very good for you.

Instead, I thought: "Plenty of water from my kitchen tap to drink, and it doesn't have to be lugged home."

 

[Ganymede]

Absolutely.

Your trundle to the farm shop sounds like fun, certainly more so than going there in the car.

Limited carrying capacity can be a benefit to someone like me who lacks will power to avoid buying the wrong things.

Had I been in the car today, I would have bought a couple of bottles of pop.

OK, it would have been diet, but I'm not sure the sugar substitute chemicals are very good for you.

Instead, I thought: "Plenty of water from my kitchen tap to drink, and it doesn't have to be lugged home."

Beautiful reasoning. I never buy pop! (Although the farm does do wonderful pressed apple juice in all different varieties so I must confess that goes in the boot when I'm passing in the car.)

 

[steveindenmark]

The problem with this theory is that all the drivers were wondering how you was going to get that 60" flat screen on your bike.

 

[EltonFrog]

The fragrant MrsP and I do most of our shopping on our bikes, we fill up two pannier bags each on some trips. That is nothing compared to the lady I met today, she had one of those foreign bike where you sit your kids at the front and she sits and steers behind them. She told me she takes her three kids to school everyday day on it. 2.5 miles each way. Fair play to her!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Uhmm, dunno @Pale Rider.
Here it seems to be mostly utility cycling. Actually, until a couple of years ago there was hardly any cyclists to be seen, apart from the west enders - student land.
I noticed recently the rise of the mamil, but also the rise of Pats 5mph food shopping bound.

 

[Ganymede]

the rise of Pats 5mph food shopping bound.

That's a lovely image! Hordes of Pats 5mph sweeping majestically towards the horizon!

 

[andyfraser]

Until I moved, I thought about cycling to the big Asda to do the shopping. It turned out it was only a 10 minute walk, I could carry more by hand and it was quicker to walk. I know, weird! Now I have to cycle to the shops if I want to go to one of the bigger ones.

 

[ufkacbln]

This is why cargo bikes are making such an impact on the market

I can carry a trolley full on the Delibike, and have not yet met a limit for the Christiania

 

[Gravity Aided]

I do a good bit of shopping at the one supermarket in town that is not surrounded by 4 lane roads and inaccessible (by Bicycle) areas. This supermarket, while bounded on the South and West by large roads, is bounded on the East by the cycling trail, with an access trail to the shopping center and theater. The shopping center has a supermarket, a dollar store, a pizza place and Mexican/Central American food chain, as well as burgers (Wendy's) and the ubiquitous Subway. If I want to go farther afield, I can get to another such situation in another part of town, following trails and low traffic roads over a greater distance and hillier terrain. But it would be quite a feat for me to get to Aldi, Meijer, or Hy-Vee, so use the car to go there. Busses also have bicycle racks as well, so if the car is getting fixed, or Mrs. GA needs the car, I use that.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

No matter how slowly I ride I find it impossible to cycle anything more than a few hundred metres without working up a sweat. Even if I manage to arrive outside the shops comfortably unsweaty as soon as I step inside my shirt is sticking to my back and I can feel the beads on my forehead. So this rules out most utility cycling for me, I stick to walking/the bus, or the car if out of town.

 

[steveindenmark]

Carl,

You mean these foreign bikes.

Popular in Denmark for the school run and for cargo carrying. You can now get them with electric , in fact the black one is electric. They are quite odd to ride until you get used to them. My sister in law has one and the kids often have me taking them on rides in the village.