The Utility of a Bicycle

I love riding bicycles. While never a fast cyclist (racing was never, ever an option), I enjoy the sport of it, the idea that it could make me very fit if I had any discipline. But I also love the utility of the bicycle. The fact that you can hop on a bike fitted with a few bags and go camping, or shopping, run errands, any number of things, appeals to me greatly.

I very much want to go on multi-day tours. So far I've been a bit foiled on that field. I've done some over-nighters, bike camping, but the one chance I had at a multi-day was a bit of a disaster--the first day was extremely windy and I had a mechanical problem that meant I did almost sixty miles with a closed brake against the wind and uphill the whole way. Sounds like a story you'd tell your kids: When I was a kid we had to ride our bikes with the brakes on against the wind and uphill the whole way!

Today I rode my bike to go grocery shopping, which is not an unusual occurance, but I don't do the majority of my grocery shopping by bicycle. I took a quieter, lower-trafficked route than the straight shot direct route down Tangerine. It almost doubled the length of the trip, but it was worth it. It was a beautiful day. There was a breeze, but just enough to know it's there, not enough to have an effect on your riding one way or the other. It was sunny. It wasn't hot, nor was it cold. It was just an excellent day to be out.

There's something about riding down a back road (even if it is only one road away from one of the busiest streets in the area). To be rolling free down a quiet road on a beautiful day with no traffic is a rare treat. Riding home with nothing in front of me but the mountains at the end of the road, it was easy to imagine just riding on for a few more hours, today's schedule be damned. Going to the grocery store put me about twenty-percent of the way toward a good day's worth of touring distance and days like this are ideal for touring.

One thing is for sure, though. While panniers may be great for camping and touring, they aren't so great for grocery shopping. I had two fairly full bags of groceries loaded on either side of the bike. The load wasn't bad, just the act of loading. Panniers are more or less designed for the storage and removal of single items--a tent, a sleeping bag, food, clothing, whatever. Loading them in this matter is no big deal. However, take all of the stuff you want in the pannier and try to stuff it in as one big loose and lumpy bundle and it's no longer so easy. A trailer would be ideal, however.

I've wanted a utility trailer for some time. It would really open up a new level of opportunity for "errand by bicycle" travel. Almost any utility trailer you see for bicycles is designed to carry up to 100 pounds and to track easily behind the bicycle. I have one picked out. It's the Burley Nomad. I picked it for a variety of reasons. I could use it for touring or for errands with equal facility. Mainly, I picked it because Burley is a good and trusted name with a reputation for making quality "lifetime" products. They make highly recommended bicycle trailers for children, too. After a lifetime of purchasing low-end gear because that's what I could afford (only to have it work poorly and disintegrate from use), I just want a good piece of equipment I can count on. I have that in my bicycle, I'd like to have it in my trailer, too.

Now, who wants to plan a bike tour?