Practical limits of using a bike

Quoted message said:

Since I've started riding to & from work on my bike, I'm
now intrigued by the idea of its simplicity for some
reason. I almost feel guilty when I get in my truck to go
someplace. But then today I realized that using a bike for
transportation is probably only good for just that, right?

Actually you can use a bicycle for all basic transportation
and utility functions in a city with no problems.

If you need to transport big items there are options such as
taxis, local freight companies, etc.

It isn't that hard to use a bicycle in a city, it's a very
attractive choice overall.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY
MIND_______________________ ------------------"Buddy Holly,
the Texas Elvis"------------------ __________306.350.357.38-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

[email hidden]__________

Dukester said:

Since I've started riding to & from work on my bike, I'm
now intrigued by the idea of its simplicity for some
reason. I almost feel guilty when I get in my truck to go
someplace. But then today I realized that using a bike for
transportation is probably only good for just that, right?

I mean, I can see how people that live in "town" could
use it everyday for almost everything, but bringing home
those 35 bags of mulch 13 miles from the supercenter
today via bicycle would not be possible, or at least,
practical. (I guess you could make, what, 18 trips?) And
the 4x8 plywood sheets are tough enough to tote by hand.
So I'm curious: is a bike really only good for just
transporting people and small items? Is anyone out there
using it somehow for more?

You might want to check out the "Bikes at Work" delivery
service and trailer supplier at: bikesatwork.combikesatwork.comOpen ↗
I haven't gone quite that far - no moving of refrigerators
or couches, etc.; but I have towed my kayaks for distances
of about 25 miles (the single is easy at 40 lbs, but the
double is 18' long and weighs 90 lbs.). Acceleration is a
bit slow but the extra load is hardly noticeable once moving
on level ground. Hills do present a problem when heavily
loaded. For most loads I use a small utility trailer which
can handle those 4'x8' plywood sheets, albeit with some
overhang off the back, and could carry quite a few mulch
bags. We live in the SF Bay area, so there are some hills
around. Fortunately the bike and trailer can be wheeled onto
the BART commuter rail system during off-peak hours which
allows me to avoid some of the climbs.

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Since I've started riding to & from work on my bike, I'm
now intrigued by the idea of its simplicity for some
reason. I almost feel guilty when I get in my truck to go
someplace. But then today I realized that using a bike for
transportation is probably only good for just that, right?

I mean, I can see how people that live in "town" could
use it everyday for almost everything, but bringing home
those 35 bags of mulch 13 miles from the supercenter
today via bicycle would not be possible, or at least,
practical. (I guess you could make, what, 18 trips?) And
the 4x8 plywood sheets are tough enough to tote by hand.
So I'm curious: is a bike really only good for just
transporting people and small items? Is anyone out there
using it somehow for more?

You can buy or make a trailer which could handle some pretty
heavy loads if your bike had low enough gears, but in
general I agree that there are some jobs which are better
left to a _motor_ vehicle.

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return
address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

Go here: homepage.mac.comevenMoreBikes.htmlOpen ↗

So I'm curious: is a bike really

Quoted message said:

only good for just transporting people and small items? Is
anyone out

there

Quoted message said:

using it somehow for more?

--
Cheers! Duke

"David Kerber" <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote

Quoted message said:

You can buy or make a trailer which could handle some
pretty heavy loads if your bike had low enough gears, but
in general I agree that there are some jobs which are
better left to a _motor_ vehicle.

Yeah, but that doesn't mean you have to own it (or even
drive it). Many lumber yards and nurseries deliver,
supermarkets, too.

"Dukester" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Since I've started riding to & from work on my bike, I'm
now intrigued by the idea of its simplicity for some
reason. I almost feel guilty when I get in my truck to go
someplace. But then today I realized that using a bike for
transportation is probably only good for just that, right?

I mean, I can see how people that live in "town" could
use it everyday for almost everything, but bringing home
those 35 bags of mulch 13 miles from the supercenter
today via bicycle would not be possible, or at least,
practical. (I guess you could make, what, 18 trips?) And
the 4x8 plywood sheets are tough enough to tote by hand.
So I'm curious: is a bike really only good for just
transporting people and small items? Is anyone out there
using it somehow for more?

--

xaccess.orgindex.htmlOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

And the 4x8 plywood sheets are tough enough to tote
by hand.

It depends on how you mount the plywood sheet on the bike. I
use a carrier that I heliarced out of 6-4 Ti. The sheet is
held a few degrees from horizontal, so it serves as a rain-
roof. And if one can pedal fast enough, you can feel at
first a slight shudder. Then the handlebars firm up. At this
point, you can pull back on the handlebars, and smoothly
rotate. When safely airborne, lighten up on the handlebars,
and allow the bicycle to smoothly land itself after the
glide. Avoid landing on the front wheel, by flaring just
before you run out of airspeed. Always glad to help. :-)

(Inspired by some Italian Guy on here who writes fantastic
nonsense.)

There's a guy here in Chicago who has a home-made bike
trailer that's about eight feet long. I saw him at the Home
Depot hauling 4x4 fence posts and various home items. He is
mentioned on a website somewhere moving a washer and dryer -
together! I saw him just the other day turning a corner
downtown. It's the only bike you need to turn wide on!

-Collin

"Dukester" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Since I've started riding to & from work on my bike, I'm
now intrigued by the idea of its simplicity for some
reason. I almost feel guilty when I

get

Quoted message said:

in my truck to go someplace. But then today I realized
that using a bike for transportation is probably only good
for just that, right?

I mean, I can see how people that live in "town" could use
it everyday for almost everything, but bringing home those
35 bags of mulch 13 miles from the supercenter today via
bicycle would not be possible, or at least, practical. (I
guess you could make, what, 18 trips?) And the 4x8 plywood
sheets are tough enough to tote by hand. So I'm curious:
is a bike really only good for just transporting people
and small items? Is anyone out

there

Quoted message said:

using it somehow for more?

--
Cheers! Duke

Collin O'Neill said:

There's a guy here in Chicago who has a home-made bike
trailer that's about eight feet long. I saw him at the
Home Depot hauling 4x4 fence posts and various home
items. He is mentioned on a website somewhere moving a
washer and dryer - together! I saw him just the other day
turning a corner downtown. It's the only bike you need to
turn wide on!

Here's my arrangement for towing my two-person kayak - I
definitely have to plan my turns more carefully than usual.
And the bollard-guarded entrances to the bike paths are a
real adventure. 206.40.48.1861BIKEOpen ↗
TRAILER.JPG

Quoted message said:

"Dukester" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Since I've started riding to & from work on my bike, I'm
now intrigued by the idea of its simplicity for some
reason. I almost feel guilty when I

get

Quoted message said:

in my truck to go someplace. But then today I realized
that using a bike for transportation is probably only good
for just that, right?

I mean, I can see how people that live in "town" could use
it everyday for almost everything, but bringing home those
35 bags of mulch 13 miles from the supercenter today via
bicycle would not be possible, or at least, practical. (I
guess you could make, what, 18 trips?) And the 4x8 plywood
sheets are tough enough to tote by hand. So I'm curious:
is a bike really only good for just transporting people
and small items?

On Sat, 3 Apr 2004 17:37:24 -0600, "Dukester" <[email hidden]>

from said:

Since I've started riding to & from work on my bike, I'm
now intrigued by the idea of its simplicity for some
reason. I almost feel guilty when I get in my truck to go
someplace. But then today I realized that using a bike for
transportation is probably only good for just that, right?

I mean, I can see how people that live in "town" could use
it everyday for almost everything, but bringing home those
35 bags of mulch 13 miles from the supercenter today via
bicycle would not be possible, or at least, practical. (I
guess you could make, what, 18 trips?) And the 4x8 plywood
sheets are tough enough to tote by hand. So I'm curious: is
a bike really only good for just transporting people and
small items? Is anyone out there using it somehow for more?

Oh, yeah:

bikesatwork.combikesatwork.comOpen ↗

If you are really interested, I highly recommend the book at
the URL, "Cycling for Profit." I have it, and it is chock
full o' good stuff. Perhaps you can find it used.

--
[email hidden]
Go outside. Shut the door.
103

Quoted message said:

bringing home those 35 bags of mulch 13 miles from the
supercenter today via bicycle would not be possible, or at
least, practical.

*Thirty-five* bags of mulch??

No, the bicycle was never intended to be a farm implement.

On Sat, 3 Apr 2004 17:37:24 -0600, "Dukester"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

bringing home those 35 bags of mulch 13 miles from the
supercenter today via bicycle would not be possible

So cars are for [censored], is that what you're saying? ;-)

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. chapmancentral.co.ukchapmancentral.co.ukOpen ↗

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
Washington University

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bringing home those 35 bags of mulch 13 miles from the
supercenter today via bicycle would not be possible, or
at least, practical.

*Thirty-five* bags of mulch??

=v= Unless you're starting a farm, this sounds like a
project for a mondo lawn somewhere out in a sprawling
suburbia where, for example, "supercenters" are 13 miles
away. So right off the bat, we're talking about
transportation infrastructure specifically designed for
wasteful car use.

=v= On the other hand, mulch doesn't weigh that much (unless
it gets soaking wet). With a Bikes At Work trailer, I've
hauled comparable loads and sizes for comparable distances.

Quoted message said:

No, the bicycle was never intended to be a farm implement.

=v= I've heard of farms in Santa Cruz and somewhere in
Oregon where everything's tilled by bicycle and otherwise
handled entirely with muscle power! <_Jym_

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

On Sat, 3 Apr 2004 17:37:24 -0600, "Dukester"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

bringing home those 35 bags of mulch 13 miles from the
supercenter today via bicycle would not be possible

So cars are for [censored], is that what you're saying? ;-)

He said mulch, not compost. Not the same thing at all...

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return
address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

In article <c6Jbc.175510$_w.1818109@attbi_s53>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

"David Kerber" <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote

Quoted message said:

You can buy or make a trailer which could handle some
pretty heavy loads if your bike had low enough gears,
but in general I agree that there are some jobs which
are better left to a _motor_ vehicle.

Yeah, but that doesn't mean you have to own it (or even
drive it). Many lumber yards and nurseries deliver,
supermarkets, too.

True, and I never said you did. Home Depot will rent you a
truck by the hour if you buy something too big to fit in
your own vehicle.

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return
address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

"David Kerber" <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <c6Jbc.175510$_w.1818109@attbi_s53>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

"David Kerber" <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote

Quoted message said:

You can buy or make a trailer which could handle some
pretty heavy

loads

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

if your bike had low enough gears, but in general I
agree that there

are

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

some jobs which are better left to a _motor_ vehicle.

Yeah, but that doesn't mean you have to own it (or even
drive it). Many

lumber

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

yards and nurseries deliver, supermarkets, too.

True, and I never said you did. Home Depot will rent you a
truck by the hour if you buy something too big to fit in
your own vehicle.

I'm appending to David's message since I was about to make
the same point.

If you have a lot of really bulky stuff you might prefer to
rent anyway, to minimize the number of trips and the
possible superficial damage to your vehicle.

I might haul a bunch of bags of dirt once every other year,
a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood even less often. Everybody will
have their own answer to these questions, and can calculate
at what point the economic and hassle equation makes it more
reasonable to own than to rent. For most people, groceries
are the most common large item ferried, and there are a
number of ways to deal with groceries.

In the US, where the average number of vehicles per
household is higher than the average number of drivers,
there's a much easier equation going on: Can we live with
one less car? (and one less set of car payments /
insurance, etc.) That's a heck of a lot easier to do, and
in a family situation involves few lifestyle changes by
other family members.

"LioNiNoiL_a t_NetscapE_d 0 t_NeT" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:CBObc.105537$Bg.10176@fed1read03...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bringing home those 35 bags of mulch 13 miles from the
supercenter today via bicycle would not be possible, or
at least, practical.

*Thirty-five* bags of mulch??

No, the bicycle was never intended to be a farm implement.

If you really need/want a lot of mulch, tree care firms will
sometimes deliver wood chips right to your yard for free at
the end of the day -- their alternative being that they have
to pay to dump it somewhere. You have to be patient, and you
will not be getting playground-quality wood chips, but it's
fine for mulch. I just got a full dump truck load last year
and have slowly been putting it where it supposed to go.
(Can't do it when it's raining, and I'd rather bike when
it's sunny.)

Peter Cole said:

"David Kerber" <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote

Quoted message said:

You can buy or make a trailer which could handle some
pretty heavy loads if your bike had low enough gears, but
in general I agree that there are some jobs which are
better left to a _motor_ vehicle.

Yeah, but that doesn't mean you have to own it (or even
drive it). Many lumber yards and nurseries deliver,
supermarkets, too.

If you live in a college town, which are always full of
broke young dudes with pickup trucks, you can get anything
moved for $20.

Matt O.

Quoted message said:

"David Kerber" <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote You can buy
or make a trailer which could handle some pretty heavy
loads if your bike had low enough gears, but in general I
agree that there are some jobs which are better left to a
_motor_ vehicle.

A friend of mine rides a Greenspeed tandem trike that
converts to solo and can also fit into two suitcases for
travel. It also has an overhead rack attachment that can
carry canoes, lumber, etc.

He built a trailer with a friend that is able to hold about
1500 pounds. It is frequently used for moving, parades,
etc. My buddy has changed the directory that was full of
photos of the trailer in use, if anyone wants more images-
let me know.

greenspeed.com.autandem.htmOpen ↗
tricolour.netgtvs6.htmlOpen ↗
hpv.tricolour.netdjhOpen ↗