Covet

[Supermau]

Here’s a picture of my backpack at night.

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[cvcalhoun]

@DismalScientist 94188 wrote:

The solution is simple. If you need panniers or a backpack, you are carrying too much crap.

I see it precisely the opposite. If you don’t need panniers or a backpack, you’re using the bicycle as a toy, not as a serious means of transportation. I mean, would anyone buy a car so small that if you needed to buy groceries or pick up your kid from day care, you’d have to go home first and get a different car? I use my bicycle the way others use a car, so I want to be able to pick things up while I’m out instead of needing to go home first.

[peterw_diy]

@cvcalhoun 94199 wrote:

I use my bicycle the way others use a car, so I want to be able to pick things up while I’m out instead of needing to go home first.

That’s why I love my Nashbar “townie” folding baskets. Not as sturdy as metal Wald baskets, but removable (I carried one into Giant Food tonight to use as a shopping bag), and when folded flat each makes a good U lock holster.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Supermau 94196 wrote:

I tell ya what I don’t get…commuters in denim, especially in the hot, hot heat. I’m rambling…

I can ride in jeans for short distances below about 75 degrees, and increasing in distance as the temperature drops. However, I prefer jeans that are built with cycling in mind, which tend to be a little more conducive to the pedaling motion (primarily due to stretchiness) and less chafe-y in the crotchal region (due to the gusset that avoids the big lumpy seam against your scranus).

[dplasters]

What have I started? A spiral to Oblivion.

I’m a bit surprised so many share my backpacking love. But I will take it! Although I’m concerned about the idea of a 20 lbs backpack. What are you commuting with??? I have a massive lunch and my work clothes. So my bag weighs like 7 lbs? Dress shoes are left at the office. Same with all toiletries and towels. And what is with everyone dragging their laptops around for? Isn’t this the reason for things like Citrix remote access and Google Remote Desktop??

But the following just got added to my Christmas list (I’m a bit of an early list maker)
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[americancyclo]

@cvcalhoun 94199 wrote:

I see it precisely the opposite. If you don’t need panniers or a backpack, you’re using the bicycle as a toy, not as a serious means of transportation.

I and some others have been accused of not being serious while transporting ourselves to work on friday mornings.

@cvcalhoun 94199 wrote:

I mean, would anyone buy a car so small that if you needed to buy groceries or pick up your kid from day care, you’d have to go home first and get a different car?

@cvcalhoun 94199 wrote:

I use my bicycle the way others use a car, so I want to be able to pick things up while I’m out instead of needing to go home first.

Not everyone uses cars the same way.
Some people use their cars like this:

or this:

and some people like this:

I appreciate your utilitarian view, but I love thinking that my bike (and the rider) are sporty.

[hozn]

@cvcalhoun 94199 wrote:

I see it precisely the opposite. If you don’t need panniers or a backpack, you’re using the bicycle as a toy, not as a serious means of transportation. I mean, would anyone buy a car so small that if you needed to buy groceries or pick up your kid from day care, you’d have to go home first and get a different car? I use my bicycle the way others use a car, so I want to be able to pick things up while I’m out instead of needing to go home first.

This is hilarious. I think this (bike=toy) is exactly the sentiment that the driver of that Dodge RAM was trying to articulate when he yelled at me to get off the road the other day.

americancyclo’s response was far (far) more articulate, but I would only add that when riding a bike starts to feel all “serious”, I probably need to take a break and drive to work instead.

[lordofthemark]

@cvcalhoun 94199 wrote:

I see it precisely the opposite. If you don’t need panniers or a backpack, you’re using the bicycle as a toy, not as a serious means of transportation. I mean, would anyone buy a car so small that if you needed to buy groceries or pick up your kid from day care, you’d have to go home first and get a different car? I use my bicycle the way others use a car, so I want to be able to pick things up while I’m out instead of needing to go home first.

When I first began to commute, I prepositioned all my office clothes so that I would not need to carry anything except my wallet and building pass (which I kept in my pocket.) A lot of people will use a bike for utility rides that don’t involve carrying anything – to a bank or to a coffeeshop. Its not a car substitute for them, but its more than recreational – its transportation lite, I suppose. (And of course as I have learned, if you have no panniers and forget your backpack, dangling a shopping bag from your handlebars for a very short ride home is eminently doable, if awkward)

[Sunyata]

When I first started bike commuting, it was before I moved to the DC area. I was in a rural city that had zero bike infrastructure. All I had was my road bike (and a couple of mountain bikes, but those are terrible on pavement). So I rode my carbon road bike with a messenger bag. It worked okay for my 13 mile back road commute, but I was pretty sweaty by the time I got to work, even if it was 30 degrees outside. I also rode my bike to the bar, the restaurants, to the bank, and to stores (when I only needed a few things). For these errands, I rarely ever took anything larger than a small messenger bag. It was still utilitarian, but did not require a rack or larger bags.

When I moved to the DC area, I knew that I wanted to use bicycling as my main form of transportation. It was a transition, but I am happy to say that after being here for about six months that I am pretty much there. I use my bike for 90% of my transportation means. I bought a “commuter specific” bike. I started out with my old messenger bag, but realized I needed something a bit more weather proof if I was going to be an every day commuter. I got a bigger more weather proof messenger bag. But I hated having the weight on my back and arriving at work with a super sweaty back (and bag!). So I bought a rack and a basket for the rear. The basket ended up being really bulky and not really that great for every day commuting, but works AMAZINGLY well for grabbing groceries. So I ended up researching and purchasing an Ortlieb Downtown pannier and never looked back. I LOVE it. It surprisingly changed the handling of the bike a lot less than the basket did. And I have not noticed that much of a difference in riding the bike, it has not really changed cornering, acceleration, or stopping. However, it does add quite a bit of extra weight to the rear of the bike that I only notice when I try to move the bike when I am not riding. Walking up three flights of stairs with the pannier still on the bike is kind of a pain, but nothing that would stop me from using it.

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I guess the point of this is to a) rave on the Ortlieb pannier and b) reiterate the point that no matter how you ride your bike, just ride your bike. Just because someone is riding a racy road bike to and from work (or wherever) does not mean that they are not a serious commuter. And just because someone is riding a racy road bike (or whatever) for pleasure does not mean it should be designated as a “toy”. Bicycling is a way of life for some of us and for others, it is a hobby. But no matter how you bike, we are still all in this together.

[americancyclo]

@cvcalhoun 94199 wrote:

I mean, would anyone buy a car so small that if you needed to buy groceries or pick up your kid from day care, you’d have to go home first and get a different car? I use my bicycle the way others use a car, so I want to be able to pick things up while I’m out instead of needing to go home first.

I think a lot of this comes down to a personal willingness to specialize tools. I’m willing to have two bikes with two distinct purposes, acknowledging there are strengths and weaknesses with each. some folks choose less than two, some choose more.

–you can skip this part if you want–
The racy bicycle is fun and fast. It cannot tow a trail-a-bike back from daycare. The MTB tows a trail-a-bike quite well and has nice gearing for the 9% grade I have to drag the little one up (not totally true, she pedals quite well now). I did my work commute three days in a row on the MTB and I wanted to stab a (bicycle) fork in my eye, it felt so slow and miserable. It was dirt cheap and functions perfectly for what I need it for (snow, rain, and spending time with the kiddo).

@lordofthemark 94210 wrote:

A lot of people will use a bike for utility rides that don’t involve carrying anything – to a bank or to a coffeeshop.

I would like to point out the same is true of cars.

@Sunyata 94216 wrote:

I guess the point of this is to reiterate the point that no matter how you ride your bike, just ride your bike. Just because someone is riding a racy road bike to and from work (or wherever) does not mean that they are not a serious commuter.

I agree, but still object to the serious part :p

[jrenaut]

This is also why steel “cross” bikes are awesome – they’re fast AND utilitarian.

I can see both sides of this, and I’ve talked about this before, but I currently have two bikes. The Xtracycle, which is kind of like a Chevy Suburban – like a gigantic couch with wheels and a huge trunk. And the Volpe, which is like an Infinity CUV – sporty and fast and still capable of carrying a sizeable load. To complete (haha not even close to complete) my collection, I want the sporty two-seater convertible, capable of carrying ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but really fun to ride.

[americancyclo]

So to get this thread back on track, I was at Bikenetic the other day asking about the Raleigh Tamland and the Willard. Of course there was also a Volagi Viaje there. then I made the mistake of looking at the website and they have a limited edition Viaje Ti. If only I had the money, and the space.

[lordofthemark]

@americancyclo 94221 wrote:

I would like to point out the same is true of cars.

Pardon me for being unclear. What I meant was that for lots of beginning transportation cyclists, who previously relied on driving/walking/transit for all their transportation needs, and mostly on driving for their local shopping and errands, the gateway drug to using a bike for errands is using it for services and such errands that do not require actually carrying anything – because such beginners may be reluctant to add weight or anything that will make riding more difficult or less comfortable (if they are already recreational cyclists who like to carry stuff, that would be different) I know that was my situation a couple of years ago, and my guess is that there are probably a bunch of people who are much more likely to do a transportation ride that does not involve carrying anything than one that does.

[Phatboing]

@americancyclo 94244 wrote:

So to get this thread back on track, I was at Bikenetic the other day asking about the Raleigh Tamland and the Willard. Of course there was also a Volagi Viaje there. then I made the mistake of looking at the website and they have a limited edition Viaje Ti. If only I had the money, and the space.

Willard is a silly name for a bike (what next? Mitt? Mittens?), and oh my that Viaje is gorgeous. If I wasn’t the happy owner of a Colossal Ti …

[jrenaut]

The Viaje bikes are really pretty except I just can not get excited over the curved top tube. I realize there are definite advantages to curved or slanted tubes, but aesthetically I just can’t get myself to like them.

[Author]

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