I’ve been out and about on my bike a few times lately, but some modifications were needed. If I’m going to use my bike as a mode of transport, then I need to be able to carry as much luggage as I can when I’m walking or taking the bus. This means one handbag, one bag of work-related gubbins, and sometimes also a bag full of shopping or library books.
I did have a front basket, but no matter how securely I tried to fix it to the handlebars, it always seemed to wobble about. Stick a heavy bag in there, and every time you try to go round a corner, gravity leaps out at you and tries to pull you off the bike. Not good. Especially when you have to struggle through half a dozen chicane barriers on the way to the supermarket.
So I bought these two baskets. Which turned out to be somewhat larger than I’d expected once I put them both on the bike at the same time! They’re a tiny bit wider than the handlebars (by about an inch), and I have a nasty feeling that they won’t fit into any average-sized bike rack, which could be awkward. But at least I won’t be thrown off at the chicane barriers on the cycle path now – I don’t think I’ll fit through them at all without getting off the bike!
But at least I’ll be able to carry a lot of luggage, which was the aim.
While I was fiddling about, I discovered that the batteries in the rear light had worn out. After a bit of a struggle with a screwdriver to get the thing off the carrier, I discovered it takes AAA batteries, which we don’t have in the house. So, with a little bit of imagination (and a handy bit of pipe insulation), I managed to jerry-rig an alternative that’ll do for now.
My next mission is to cover those baskets in reflective tape, otherwise I’m going to get squished by motorists trying to overtake me without realising that my bike is now a wide load!
I’ve been inspired by a number of Cycle Chic blogs, who focus on using your bike as transport, and riding it safely on the road whilst wearing your normal clothes. I have a number of friends who do this as a matter of course, and once I’m a bit more fit, I’d very much like to join them.
