How to Do Your Grocery Shopping on Your Bicycle

Americans drive 84% of the time, even though most of our trips are less than 2 miles long. Why not ride your bike to do your errands instead? Biking is fun, saves money on a car, reduces stress, can save time if you would otherwise go to the gym for your exercise, burns about 500 calories per hour (think what you can eat!), and doesn’t pollute the environment. With a little advanced planning, you can carry your week’s groceries on your bicycle.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Panniers
• Comfortable bicycle seat
• Backpack or courier bag
• Bike trailer
• Loose-fitting clothing
• Secure bicycle lock
• Spare tube or patch kit
• Bungie cords
• Helmet
• Sturdy bicycle such as a mountain, hybrid or touring bicycle
• Basket
• Bike rack

Shopping on Your Bicycle

1. Check with your doctor if there is any chance you aren’t healthy enough to ride a bicycle.
2. Find a grocery store that you like close to your home. It also helps if the route to this store has bike or wide curb lanes and light traffic. A 10-mile distance is a good maximum if the terrain is flat and roadway pleasant.
3. Chose a grocery store with good bicycle parking, and bring a lock. If your favorite store doesn’t have good bicycle parking, let them know that you want it and they might install some. You can also mention this to your local government or bicycle coalition, since they may be looking for locations to place bike racks.
4. Check your tires—it will be easier to ride with a load on full tires.
5. If it’s all the same to you, choose foods that travel well and are small and light. For example, buy juice concentrate instead of juice and tortillas instead of bread. But definitely don’t deny yourself something that you would otherwise want.
6. Pack frozen foods together to keep them cold longer.
7. Pack like a pro: You’ve probably noticed that baggers put the lighter, more fragile things at the top of the bag. When transporting food on a bicycle, this becomes even more important. You should not be using any of the bags provided at the store (other than just to separate things) because they’re not strong enough.
8. If you are using a combination of loading up yourself (with a backpack or carrier bag) and your bike (with a rack or trailer), put the heavy things on your bike.
9. Ride carefully. Take turns slowly. Signal your intention to drivers. You should do this anyway, but you will find your (and your bike’s) response time is slower when loaded down. Also, you don’t want to be all sweaty when you enter the grocery store’s compulsory climatization.
10. Save large and heavy items (such as dog food or cases of wine) and some frozen items (if your distance is more than a few miles) for grocery trips with a taxi or car. Or ask if the store delivers.

Tips & Warnings

• Roll up (or strap down) your pant legs to keep them out of the chain. Capri pants work well.
• Local bicycle organizations sometimes have bike trailers to lend to their members–if they don’t, get one for them.
• Old bike tubes work well as bungie cords.
• Pack your groceries in a box, and strap that to your bike rack if you lack panniers.
• You can hang sturdy canvas bags from your handle bars for very short distances and light loads.
• A rear basket can carry a bit more weight than a front basket.
• A taxi can serve as a backup in case you have too many groceries or a problem with your gear.
• Budget 1 hour per 10 miles for travel time. Remember, it also counts as exercise.
• You should feel reasonably comfortable biking on the street before you do it carrying your family’s week’s food.
• Jeans tend to be uncomfortable when riding due to their thick seams.
• Only place light items in a front basket.
• Always wear a helmet.

Who Can Help: