Your latest bike purchase?

[dkel]

What was the last bike you bought? Why did you buy it?

My last bike purchase was a Cannondale Quick 2 that I got at the end of November. In September I had gotten my old 2001 Trek hybrid out of the back of the garage to start commuting by bike, and after really getting into it, I realized I needed something a little more dialed-in for the rigors of commuting. The Quick was a perfect choice, because it is much nicer than what I had been riding, but similar in style: a hybrid, upright riding position, very stable handling, and generally familiar territory for a newbie like me.

So here’s why I’ve started this thread: five months and 2000 miles after my Quick purchase, I’m starting to think I need another upgrade (I’m really looking at the Surly Straggler, but that’s for another thread…really, really looking hard at the Straggler…with jealous eyes and a covetous heart…). Am I crazy to want a different bike so soon? I’ve learned a lot recently: much from doing all that riding, and at least as much from being involved in this forum. I’d like to think I’m being sensible and purposeful about my needs, based on all I’ve learned, and not just succumbing to n+1 frenzy. So tell me: why did you get your last bike? What did you get?

Topic

[shirag]

I’ve used a banjo brothers market pannier https://banjobrothers.com/products/market-pannier and/or my other panniers (ortlieb, North St. backpack pannier). I brought my pannier(s) into the grocery store and loaded my groceries directly into them, instead of using canvas bags.

[LhasaCM]

@shirag 208542 wrote:

I’ve used a banjo brothers market pannier https://banjobrothers.com/products/market-pannier and/or my other panniers (ortlieb, North St. backpack pannier). I brought my pannier(s) into the grocery store and loaded my groceries directly into them, instead of using canvas bags.

I do (well “did” when I shopped in person) the same thing – using Ortlieb Velo-shopper and/or Bike-shopper panniers and directly loading things into them, but those would be too narrow for the canvas bags you want to use. In the store, I would hook them onto the outside of the cart while shopping, and then when checking out just have everything go back into the cart so I could pack it myself at my leisure and not hold up the line. I have about a 3 mile ride home from the nearest stores we’d go to, so having things balanced and potentially staying dry/out of the elements was a bit more important to me and made the pricier panniers (even on sale) worthwhile.

[drevil]

@shirag 208542 wrote:

I’ve used a banjo brothers market pannier https://banjobrothers.com/products/market-pannier and/or my other panniers (ortlieb, North St. backpack pannier). I brought my pannier(s) into the grocery store and loaded my groceries directly into them, instead of using canvas bags.

Yes! I love how panniers can clip directly to the top of the sides of shopping carts. It also gives me a good idea of the capacity of what I can bring home. If you get a cart big enough, you can just have them clipped on the inside of the cart and not knock over too many apples… I mean, I imagine you’d knock over less stuff

[Steve O]

@drevil 208544 wrote:

Yes! I love how panniers can clip directly to the top of the sides of shopping carts.

OMG!!!! I have been shopping with panniers for centuries, and I never thought of this. I just put my pannier in the cart.

The benefits are many-fold: ease of carrying, doesn’t take up space in the cart, eyeball your capacity, knock over small children.
Thanks, drevil!!!

[Judd]

I’ve done panniers in the inside of the cart. I like to go to Giant and use their Scan It scanner gun. You can pack your panniers as you shop and then just scan the gun to pay at the end and you’re ready to jump on the bike.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sunyata]

@Tania 208541 wrote:

Sunyata – no basil memories in stock (at least not last night or not with the other baskets). They’re getting in the Banjo Bros grocery panniers so I can see them in person.

Bummer, they used to have them. You are more than welcome to try mine out to see how they work for what you want.

[chris_s]

@Judd 208576 wrote:

I’ve done panniers in the inside of the cart. I like to go to Giant and use their Scan It scanner gun. You can pack your panniers as you shop and then just scan the gun to pay at the end and you’re ready to jump on the bike.

I do this also. Banjo Bro panniers hook right onto the sides of the inside of the cart. I use the Scan-it gun & pack my panniers exactly how I want, then pay, walk out, hook ’em on the bike and ride off confident that I haven’t bought more than I can carry.

[dkel]

@chris_s 208904 wrote:

I do this also. Banjo Bro panniers hook right onto the sides of the inside of the cart. I use the Scan-it gun & pack my panniers exactly how I want, then pay, walk out, hook ’em on the bike and ride off confident that I haven’t bought more than I can carry.

Me too, except ortliebs. For a long grocery list I bring front and rear panniers. For an even longer list, I bring the trailer.

[Tania]

Went with the Banjo Brothers grocery panniers which have a fully open top (much like a basket), fold up and were stupidly easy to put on and take off.

Shopping this am was too much fun.

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[peterw_diy]

@chris_s 208904 wrote:

I do this also. Banjo Bro panniers hook right onto the sides of the inside of the cart. I use the Scan-it gun & pack my panniers exactly how I want, then pay, walk out, hook ’em on the bike and ride off confident that I haven’t bought more than I can carry.

Best part of this is that the Banjo Brothers bags use closed triangles for the lower “hook” and therefore unlike old-school panniers with “S” lower hooks don’t get caught on the cart. Only problem with the triangles is using them on racks that don’t have lower hooks of their own, like front lowrider racks. I bought a box of vinyl-coated 3/8″ “P” clamps (since LBSes only seem to stock the larger ones that fit seat stays) and attached the Banjo Brothers silver dropout hooks to my lowriders with them so I can run the bags up front, too.

If anybody wants/needs P clamps this size, let me know as I have more than I’ll ever need and would be glad to give away extras gratis.

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[Judd]

Just got a 2021 Tern S00. This model has a belt drive and continuously variable shifting. It’s equipped with the front pizza rack, wider running boards in the back, extensions for the kickstand and huge panniers on the back. I’ve put a little over 40 miles on it the past few days.

I’m 6’3″ and it fits me great with several inches of seat post left to spare. The riding position is upright like a Dutch bike which I really like. The pedal assist includes four modes: eco, tour, sport and turbo. It’s a heavy bike. With the power off it rides similar to a CaBi as far as effort. Eco mode provides enough assist to make the effort to speed feel more like my normal commuter. Tour mode makes the effort a bit easier and I don’t see using more than this that frequently. I’ve only used sport and turbo for instances where I wanted to clear an intersection quickly (Crossing Route 1 in traffic, eek!) or on a heavy traffic road (West and East Glebe). Switching between modes is an easy thumb push and the motor shift between modes is smooth.

The bags are really great. The tops can fold in to make them like a bucket or can be stuffed full like a pannier. Tomorrow is the first test of hauling the Surly Bill Trailer that I use for Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail events.

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[awitt]

@drevil 208544 wrote:

Yes! I love how panniers can clip directly to the top of the sides of shopping carts. It also gives me a good idea of the capacity of what I can bring home. If you get a cart big enough, you can just have them clipped on the inside of the cart and not knock over too many apples… I mean, I imagine you’d knock over less stuff

I love doing this at Giant where you can ring up your groceries as you shop and load them straight into the panniers. I have open top market panniers and I use a canvas bag because it allows me to tie the tops closed so nothing falls out and it helps keep the stuff from shifting. It’s also easier to bring my groceries upstairs without bring up the whole panniers. I also have some shaped packing material that exactly fits a dozen eggs and some bubble wrap to keep glass jars from knocking again each other.

[dkel]

@dkel 202703 wrote:

Time for a makeover!
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@dkel 203203 wrote:

Got the rest of the components for the makeover:
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Finally, months after acquiring the parts, I’ve finished the makeover!
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[huskerdont]

Beautiful. Welcome to the orange Soma club!

[dkel]

@huskerdont 210488 wrote:

Beautiful. Welcome to the orange Soma club!

It’s really only the cockpit that’s redone: swapped out the drop bars for a Jones loop bar.

[Author]

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