Grocery Shopping By Bike

Front and rear racks

 Have you been considering using your car less and your bike more? Well, we have made that change in our life and we love it. Last year we decided to cut down how much we use our car. Every time we used our car we made poor choices (fast food, general waste). We were neglecting our health, our family time, and always seemed to be in a rush. So, we slowed down. We did not make the choice based on financial reasons; but have seen extra money in our bank accounts at the end of the month.  This post is for the beginner to help out and show what we have learned.

Wald 520 Amazon

GET THE RIGHT GEAR:
Wald makes a rear basket/rack {the 520} that will carry at least two large bags of groceries, and  you can strap a few more to the rack. We have this setup on my moms vintage 1968 Western Flyer bicycle. She likes the weight in the back, so it doesn't interfere with her steering.  This setup is ideal if you will heed our advice and shop frequently as apposed to loading up and forgetting you don't have a trunk.  This is not for the person who wants to take off the basket and only use it occasionally. (This basket is bolted to your bike in several locations to make it secure.)

Linus panniers

Rack and panniers:
Similar to the Wald 520, only not as permanent. There are several great racks on the market; but when shopping for groceries - you need one that can hold the weight; groceries are heavy.
Panniers come in different sizes and materials. We have two kinds, one made by Linus, and one set we purchased on eBay. The Linus set is great for light weight loads but I'm sure they could hold a lot more than we toss in them. Our eBay set is from a Chinese store and we paid around $20.00. Our Chinese panniers have zippers, pockets, reflective tape and hold the weight without flopping about. The Linus set however, can roll up into a neat little bundle.

TIPS:
DO NOT FORGET TO BRING A LOCK, AND USE IT
Shop more frequently. Think Daily or Weekly not Monthly
Plan your trips. If out at night bring lights and reflective gear.
Try to purchase whole foods and purchase less processed foods.
Buy a quality rack we like the Wald 215 they have two colors and a wood version.
Enjoy you new Slow Life and take the time to smell the roses.

Our Dutch Bicycles