Utility Cycling 101: Refinements

Carrying “Stuff” Part II:  What Stuff?

Originally, we were going to devote this week’s article to messenger bags.  However, in several conversations, we began to realize that the cart was, maybe, a bit ahead of the horse.  We kept getting variations of the question, “Why would anyone need something like that?”  What follows is an attempt to answer that question.

In my personal history, the idea of using a bike for utility functions was sort of an unthinking byproduct of other decisions. 

Once upon a time, I sold my car in order to afford a really nice bike.  That left me with a decent bike, and a really good one.  I had thought I would use my “decent” bike in place of a car.  Like many decisions back in those days, this one wasn’t completely thought out.  I had thought,  “Put a rack on the transportation bike and we’re good to go.”  Reality, it turned out, was a bit different than my vague thinking.  Loads tend to come in all shapes and sizes, and many are not capable of simply being bungeed to a rack.  (Back in those days, I did not yet have panniers, and even panniers don’t serve for every possible load.)

Here’s one example:

To augment my carless existence, I relied on friends with cars.  I used their cars for m “heavy lift” applications, and either paid for gas, supplied beer, or performed other exchange of service type transactions.  In those distant days, cars were not as reliable as they are now, and all of the folks in my “set” were young and cash-strapped.  That meant we didn’t have the most reliable vehicles.  That gave me one way to “pay” for some of the automobile usage.  I’m a fair mechanic, and I had tools.

My friend “Tiny” had a fiendishly unreliable ’67 El Camino.  I often used this sort-of-truck.  One day I got a panic call from Tiny.  The “El” had broken down again, and he was stranded and desperate.  Could I come and rescue him?

Naturally the circumstances were such that there was no possiblity of my hitching a ride with another car owning friend.  I grabbed an appropriate selection of tools and shoved them into an old gas-mask bag, clipped the bag to a web-belt and took off.  A bike ride of just under 15 miles got me to Tiny’s location, and a short half hour’s work got the sick “El” working again.  This scene would be repeated many times.

I refined my tool carrying bag.  The web belt arrangement got in the way when I rode.  My huge (and extremely heavy) back pack was good for toting other kinds of loads, but it was awkward and painful on the bike.

Here’s the thing:  As one does more and more utility cycling, one comes to realize two things. 

Loads tend to come in sometimes inconvenient sizes, weights, and shapes.

The cyclist’s infrastructure can change, and change load characteristics.

That first one is somewhat self-explanatory, but the second may take a bit of expansion.  The “infrastructure” referred to here is the equipment needed to support the rider, and to some extent the cargo.  On warm sunny days, not much is required to support the rider.  A couple of water bottles may suffice.  But suppose it’s raining at the beginning of the ride?  No problem, wear a rain jacket (and maybe rain pants and a helmet cover) and add some dry clothes for later.  Then later comes.  The rain stops.  Now the rain gear neeeds to be stowed.  The wise rider will quickly come to realize that some flexibility in cargo carrying is useful, if not essential.

Sometimes loads can be surprising.  Some of the unlikely things that I’ve carried or seen carried include:

• The aforementions automotive tools
• A large watermelon and two large cantelopes
• A large frozen turkey
• Two gallons of milk, a double-pak of paper towels, and a box of dry cereal
• About 2/3 of a dissasembled rocking chair
• A four-barrel carburetor
• A heavy tow-rope, a small chainsaw, and a half gallon of fuel
• A 25 pound sack of animal feed
• A rather extensive camera kit, including lense bag, and tripod
• Two bicycle wheels, with itres mounted
• A motorcycle wheel
• A complete (dissasembled) bicycle
• A kid’s tricycle
• A small tree (ready for planting
• A goodly collection of carpenter’s tools
• Four reams of paper, two large printer ink ribbon cartridges, and the all-important floppy disk
• Two spare bicycle helmets and a pair of cycling shoes
• A week’s worth of laundry (to and from the laundramat)
• Two golf cart wheels (tires mounted) and a cart battery

The list goes on, but you get the idea.  Sometimes “standard” load carrying strategies don’t work.  Ingenuity, adaptibility, resourcefulness, and additional bags can make the bike and rider a lot more versatile.

Next Week:  Messenger Bags (No Foolin!)