Utility Cycling 101: Refinements

Carrying “Stuff”

When your bike becomes your transportation, it must carry “stuff.”  That “stuff” generally falls into one of three categories.

1)    YOU!

2)    Inanimate “stuff”

3)    Other people

The first of those categories is obvious.  Many times the primary load of your vehicle is you.  You need to get to a meeting.  You need to get to work.  You need to move yourself from one place to another.

That third category, the one of moving other people around is a bit more rarified, and we won’t treat it in this series of articles.

The second category, that of moving “stuff” around is the one we’ll look at today.

What “stuff” are we referring to?  That depends on the trip and the purpose, but again, there are some fairly common categories.

•  Lunch
•  Clothing
•  Tools
• Books
•  Small purchased items
•  Sports equipment
•  Paperwork
•  Computers

Anyone who has ever tried to ride a bike while carrying something by hand has discovered that this isn’t a practical way to do the business.  It’s tricky and often dangerous.  So, to transport “stuff,” one must add a means of carrying it.  That means can be added to the bike, or to the rider.

What is done depends a lot on what is being carried, how far, and how often.  If your requirements are for smaller stuff, and done somewhat less frequently, a back pack may be all you need.  You may already have one available.  If not, a low cost purchase can pay for itself with only a few trips.  At today’s prices, if you replace two gallons of gas burned per week, you put put about $7.50 in your pocket.  It doesn’t take many of those $7.50 weeks to pay for a modest back pack.

The lowly basket can turn almost any bike into an amazingly useful hauler of “stuff.”  Baskets are versatile.  If the mesh is too wide for the particular “stuff” you are hauling, put it in a bag first, and then put the bag in the basket.

If you are hauling clothing, or other more bulky items on a regular basis, you might wish to consider a rear rack for your bike.  A sturdy rack can support a variety of things.  Add bungee cords, or pannier style bags, and it’s simply amazing how much you can tote.

If you’re carrying a laptop computer, we’d suggest using the rack and pannier strategy, along with a padded “sleeve” type cover for your computer.  In rainy weather, add a plastic trash bag around the computer to ensure it doesn’t get wet.

A little imagination and creativity will take one a long way.  We know of folks who manage to tote some amazing things around.  We’ve seen folks hauling surf boards, small boats, and even a bass violin!  Surely you don’t have that kind of load to move?

Again, please let us urge you…  Start small.  Experiment.  But start!  You’ll have a lot more fun moving your stuff by bike, and you’ll save a bucket load of cash.

Next Week:  Messenger Bags