How We Carry Stuff on Our Bicycles in Toronto

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Posted by Duncan 3 years ago. There are 22 posts. The latest reply is from creator.
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Duncan
Moderator
Posted 3 years ago #

How We Carry Stuff on Our Bicycles in Toronto

Before I gave up my car I can remember thinking to myself, "Without a car, how will I carry things?"

How would I carry a 24 case of water home?
How would I carry all of my groceries home?
How would I carry my latest IKEA purchases home?

I soon discovered the answers...

Don't buy water in bottles, you've got a tap.
Don't buy all of your groceries at once, and stop buying heavy frozen junk.
Don't buy more stuff from IKEA, unless you're with a friend with a car.

Just because a bicycle doesn't come with trunk space it doesn't mean that we, as Torontonians, are left unable to take anything with us when we ride. Here then are some of the ways we carry stuff by bicycle in Toronto.

Duncan's City Ride - That's my blog about cycling in the city of Toronto, natch!
Scarr
Member
Posted 3 years ago #

I've got an awesome bike trailer that is meant for kids, but I could probably shove as much groceries as I can in my car's trunk into it.
AnnieD
Member
Posted 3 years ago #

We're getting rid of our car this fall, so I bought a dog Croozer for groceries. And the dog, of course, though I've yet to put her in it. I got the dog Croozer instead of a regular trailer so I would have it if ever I have to take Bubbles (yes, Bubbles!) to the vet, or I want to take her to High Park to schmooze with other dogs. I like the fact that the trailer is completely covered so I can pile the bags up and not worry about something falling out. The Croozer comes with a detachable front wheel (which is a bit hard to get in place - when you push it in completely the holes for the safety pin don't line up properly) and handle so I can wheel it to the local grocery store if I choose to walk. I've also used it to carry my daughter's suitcases when I picked her up when she returned from summer camp. I'd forgotten that she'd also brought her guitar, but fortunately my husband, who drove her bike to the bus pickup spot (but couldn't drive her home because he was heading somewhere else), arrived at the same time as the bus and was able to take the guitar. I bring the Croozer with me to work every Tuesday so I can pick up stuff at the Farmer's Market (a bit cumbersome in my office) and I get lots of positive comments on it.

Funny you should post this - I was at Fiesta Farms yesterday and I'd never seen quite so many bikes there before - they're going to have to expand their bike parking!
joe
Admin
Posted 3 years ago #

Good to hear Annie.

Is it like this one?
sandlynx
Member
Posted 3 years ago #

AnnieD wrote:
Member
Posted 2 days ago #

"We're getting rid of our car this fall, so I bought a dog Croozer for groceries."

Me too, Annie, and looks just like the one in the photo above. I use it dual-purpose too, for hauling heavy loads and carrying the cats to the vet's. I also have a cargo trike that I really like. It's so easy to pedal, despite the fact the rear chassis is really heavy. I'm getting it converted to a 3-speed because I want to use it for greater distances than a single-speed can go within a reasonable time period. Geez, I love you Toronto cyclists! We have cyclists in Lansing, but most of them are sports cyclists with road bikes, not people who use bicycles for realistic, everyday transportation, so I'm kind of alone here in this respect. Trikes around here are classed as "old-folks'" trikes, not rational transportation -- yet. But, because of the economy going south, I'm getting a lot more questions about "Where did you get that? How much does it cost? How much can you haul? I never thought about that for hauling groceries! Where can I get one too? What? You ride all year round? What do you do when it snows?" Sales of regular bicycles have increased dramatically here, to the delight of local bicycle shops.
This is Motown country, and they cling to their cars like it's their last meal before their execution. (Take my car away? Oh, no! How can I function?" Isn't it sad?
---[b] Cycling. It's the next best thing to flying!
Duncan
Moderator
Posted 3 years ago #

Great to hear from people using trailers. Right now, I just use a MEC pannier, which mostly suits my needs. I live within a few hundred feet of where I get groceries, so I have yet to carry them home on my bike.

I'm moving in a few months and I'm not sure if I'll be as close to groceries/booze. I've been seeing a lot more trailers on bikes lately, and I'd much rather be "stuck" behind one of these than an SUV any day.

Duncan's City Ride - That's my blog about cycling in the city of Toronto, natch!
toddtyrtle
Moderator
Posted 3 years ago #

I'm really amazed at the difference a trailer has made. Until I got one I used my panniers for my trips (1-5 km depending on store). A big trip might have me bringing home 60 lbs in panniers. It works but I felt *much* less stable with that kind of weight. The cool thing about the trailer is that even with a big load I don't notice any detriment to my handling (except that I'm bigger and can't corner as tightly). Only wobble I notice is a little pull or push from the load (barely noticeable).

Of course I'm moving as well so who knows how that will affect my use of the trailer. I think most of my shopping will be closer there than where I am now.
Duncan
Moderator
Posted 3 years ago #

For just a few dollars I've been able to increase the cargo moving capacity of my loan bike from Globe. Bungee cords and a wooden crate are as close to a trunk as I'll get on a bicycle:

Duncan's City Ride - That's my blog about cycling in the city of Toronto, natch!
unclegill
Member
Posted 3 years ago #

The first pic in that post is my favourite.. her shoes match the table base she's wearing - how stylish. I have a milk crate sitting out in the balcony that I was going to use once I got a rack but didn't end up following through with that, or with getting panniers. So for now I carry everything in a ridiculously expandable Macbook backpack. The funny thing is I can count the amount of times I've actually used it for my computer. Instead I play real-life Tetris packing an insane amount of groceries in it every week. Always makes for a comical ride home. I'll definitely upgrade to panniers when I get a second bike.

P.S. Loving the "How we ____ on our bicycles in Toronto" posts. Keep em coming.
theurbancountry
Member
Posted 3 years ago #

On Saturday I purchased a decent-sized basket for my rear rack from Kensington Market ($35) and a Bell collapsible trailer from Craigslist ($100). The only time I drive my car currently is to go to my ice hockey games and to do groceries (and for camping in the summer).

The basket and trailer will allow me to go to hockey games and do my groceries on my bicycle. I gave it a test run over the weekend with my Jack Russell terrier in the back and it works really well. It was always painful to leave my dog at home when we're going biking along the lake or on Centre Island.

Oh, and I also picked up that Trek hybrid bike on Craigslist as well a few weeks ago. Very comfortable and sturdy. A vast improvement over the racing bike I've been riding for the last 3 years (for urban commuting at least - not so much for speed).

James @ theurbancountry.com
Duncan
Moderator
Posted 3 years ago #

Thanks for the photo James, I also edited your posts for you.

I'm certain my next step up from crates and panniers will be a trailer.

Duncan's City Ride - That's my blog about cycling in the city of Toronto, natch!
sandlynx
Member
Posted 3 years ago #

Duncan,
I post your pics on Facebook page so that people in my area will get the idea that you don't need a car to do virtually everything and that a bike, fitted properly can do most of what they now do with a car. It'll take time for it to sink in. I'm fighting the Mini-Motown, car-culture here, and they think a car is a necessity and apparently has existed since the beginning of time because they can't conceive of the possibility that any other means of getting things done (like walking, cycling, etc) has ever been used successfully. (How did our ancestors manage!)
I'm also sponsoring a neighborhood bike ride every Sunday, even in cold weather, so that they will see that people actually use bicycles year round--even when it's cold, snowing, blowing, frigid, etc. So, I'm kind of an example for them. Last Sunday, it was 49 degrees F, which, to a cyclist isn't really bad riding weather. The roads were clear. No one showed. It was too cold for them. But, I'm going to continue anyways. Sooner or later, it's going to sink into their skulls that a bicycle is a means of transportation (not just a kid's toy) that is usable year round. In this culture, everyone assumes that anyone on a bicycle in nasty weather is riding out of necessity because they're (obviously) too poor to afford a car. I'm trying to break this sterotype since they know full well that I can afford a car or two or three if I wanted them.
So, keep showing you pics, Duncan, and I'll pass them along.
joe
Admin
Posted 3 years ago #

Awesome work, sandlynx. :) The first photo from Duncan's original post is the Photo of the Day today too. :)
Duncan
Moderator
Posted 3 years ago #

Here's a similar-style post from Change Your Life. Ride a Bike! in San Francisco.

Urban Riding

Duncan's City Ride - That's my blog about cycling in the city of Toronto, natch!
Duncan
Moderator
Posted 3 years ago #

Saw this older gentleman on Bloor Street. You can carry a lot on a bicycle, should you choose.

Duncan's City Ride - That's my blog about cycling in the city of Toronto, natch!
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