I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to how I can incorporate my bike into my weekly (and mid-weekly) shopping trips. Now that I have a rack on the bike and panniers, I can certainly carry some stuff by bike from the shopping center a mile down the road. The problem is where to park and lock up the bike. I could even ride to Blockbuster to rent and return movies but there’s no place to lock up. They have those huge pillars around the building holding up the roof and covered sidewalks, but who wants to carry 30 pounds of chain long enough to reach around one of those things? Those skinny cables as we know are pretty much good for nothing, even if you could find one long enough. It’s great if you have two people, one person to shop and one to watch the bikes, but if you’re on your own as I am this is more problematic. I had hoped to make a quick run over to the local pet store for food, and the craft store for some stuff, and I really didn’t want to have to take the car. I guess I’ll just have to start making a pest of myself when I go shopping and bug the management about installing bike racks. 😉
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Get a rough bike so ugly, you don’t need a chain! For your shopping; a wicker basket! They are very fashionable here now! 🙂
I would be so tempted to put a little stuffed dog in the basket and do my rendition of Elvira Gulch with Toto 😉
The lack of bike racks everywhere is one of my biggest peeves! I think you have to start asking the places you shop to get one over and over and over again until they do.
Hi Kendra,
I know, it’s so annoying. So many little trips could be done by bike, if only… if only…I sure hope things will change. I guess all we can do is keep pestering them about getting bike racks (in the nicest way, of course 😉 )