Things We Carry on Our Bikes

By Ron Ferrucci
Cycle Utah May 2008(download)

We are living in an automobile age. Cars have become ubiquitous in our culture. People drive every- where, and for many people, particularly teenagers, cars are tantamount to freedom. Cars are considered a necessity to many people, particularly for, as Cycling Utah’s own Lou Melini noted, transporting anything larger than a cup of coffee. Lou also noted that many people even assume you need a car for that. A discussion with a friend—after ‘delivering a bamboo sapling to her in my —got me to thinking about my own experiences of transporting things by bicycle, particularly the more unwieldy and odd objects (a bamboo sapling is slightly on the delicate side). Through extensive and painstaking research, mainly sitting in front of my computer with a cup of coffee and sending off a few e-mails, I set out to answer the question “what are the things we carry?” Grocery shopping: a slightly mundane activity for which many people drive. Some people often buy enough food in a week to feed that they would drive a tank to go shopping, but for most grocery shopping is easily manageable by bike. Working the bike valet at the Salt Lake City Farmer’s Market, I observed a number of means by which market patrons transported their goods home. These included backpacks as well as baskets, racks, and panniers attached to their bikes. Though these are usually more manageable loads, transportation of larger loads than usual is not impossible. Lou has transported 50 lbs of sugar, in panniers I assume, and Michel Wise, treasurer of the SLC Bike Collective, used his Kogswell Porteur to transport 50 pounds of canned goods. Michael used to bring his Xtracycle (a trailer that extends the bike by replacing the rear wheel) through Costco and just filled it up as he did his shopping.

Bicycle frames and wheels tend to be a bit unwieldy and hard to carry, at least safely, by bike. I have had to do both at different points in time. You get some interesting looks when you are riding with another bicycle strapped to your back. Recently, I carried a set of wheels home strapped to my bag — eliciting laughter from the shop owner and his wife. Others have had the please to partake in transport- ing bicycles by bicycle. Saturday Cycles’ own Stephen Wasmund once carried a bike frame on the rear rack of his bike, and Steve S., who has us both topped, carried a whole bike at once (wheels off). I know a few people that have carried unicycles with them, which is sort of like carrying a spare wheel. What I would like to see is someone carrying a bike while riding a unicycle.

Recently, Zed of SaltCycle.com(munity) had a suggestion for organizing a bike move, as has been done in Portland (http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/bike-move/). Now I have never had to completely move, even in the same town, by bicycle, but if anytime is justified for automotive transport that this would be it, particularly in the case of heavy furniture. Hard, yes; impossible, no. Chelsea once transported a bookcase, Fred ‘walked’ a chair home (I assume he rode the bike while pulling the chair), and Steve S. transported a 21” television home on his bike. In addition, Michael transported a fridge (Xtracycle), two filled water cooler bottles, and water cooler tower.

If you are going to engage in vigorous physical activity, why take it easy on route to the activity. Jen carried a 60-pound internal frame backpack on her way to begin a weeklong backpacking trip, which I am sure was a good warm up for her trip. No soccer mom mini-van for Lou, who carried soccer equipment for practice for 16 kids. I think he needs a ‘soccer dad’ sticker for his bike. CU editor Dave Illtis carried a bowling ball on the back of his bike growing up. From what he said, it acted like a bit of a gyroscope. He has also carried skis and poles for a few blocks to go skiing.

Animal transport can be a tricky situation by bike, though some animals may be easier to transport than others. I often see people transporting their dogs by bike, but I would not want to try to transport a cat by bike. Chelsea has done it, though, and confirmed that it was a nightmare. Krisha recently found an injured Robin, which she transported to the aviary in a box in her bike trailer.

Home improvement and gardening often require car transport, but some have overcome that need. Not wanting to lose the gardening soil that they had built up over time when moving to their new place, Shea transported it all to their new place by trailer, even down to the last cubic yard. Nikki transported a cherry tree and rose bush. Sometimes during home improvement efforts one has to dispose of rubbish--large amounts of heavy, bulky, rubbish. When Shea had 50 old car and truck tires sitting in the shed that needed to be disposed of, did they just call someone to haul them away? Recruit a friend with a truck? Nope, on the bike trailer they went...10 at a time...with rims. Jen transported lumber and chicken wire for construction of a compost bin, and at one time carried a 40 lb roll of canvas.

Work materials tend to be heavy and bulky, and can be quite formidable to transport by bicycle. Giles transported 150 feet of rain gutter and 400 lbs of particleboard on a bike cart. Work materials can also be a bit on the fragile side, as in the case of the replacement glass that Fred had to transport for his job as a building superintendent. I wonder whether he needed replacement glass for the replacement glass. This would clearly be one of those times that one rides carefully.

Romance and bicycles do not seem like they would go together. How romantic is it to ask someone on a date and say “meet me there” rather than “I will pick you up,” or to pick someone up on your handlebars? Sometimes, however, bicycle transport can prove that romance is alive. Renae had a futon transported by her lover for seven blocks, which was then decorated with roses (carried in his mouth). Now that is what I call romantic. And I think that Michael could make money renting out his Xtracycle with the deck and footboard attachments.

Readers of CU may be familiar with the bike collective’s valet services at the Salt Lake City Farmer’s Market, but some may not know that all our equipment and supplies are transported completely by bicycle. That includes bike parking sign and E-Z Up canopy (weighing in at 38 pounds). All this has been carried at different times using my trailer, Michael Wise’s Xtracycle, and Brian Price’s radioflyer wagon. I even balanced it all between the seat and handlebars of my bike a few times.

The stuff we carry runs the gamut from the mundane to challenging to romantic. We transport stuff to move, to eat, and to work, and sometimes just to have fun. Whether it is to go somewhere where the fun begins, or frankly to test the limits of our ability to transport things by bike. There is nothing so gratifying as knowing you can transport anything without resorting to petroleum. As Steve Wasmund pointed out “[t]here's a definite joy to be found in schlepping yourself and your stuff around under your own power.” Amen to that brother.

Editor’s note: People in SE Asia and other areas of the world use rickshaws to carry large amounts of stuff by human power. For the story and photos, see “Biking in Southeast Asia” in our August 2007 issue online at cyclingutah.com.

Tweet

Pin It