It's the Stuff We Carry

What do you currently use your bike for? Now think, what would you like to use it for? I ask this because it can raise some interesting options regarding the type of bike you’ll want. If you want to be a hardcore racer, then you can probably skip this post. However, if you want to ride your bike for daily use like riding to the store, commuting to work or even taking a stroll with your STRIDER rider you are the perfect candidate for a cargo bike.

Cargo bikes are becoming more and more common here in the US. They’ve been common in other areas of the world where there is a higher percentage of people using bikes for daily use but I do see the trend on the rise here.

The idea behind a cargo bike isn’t very complicated. You can load up your bike and haul stuff.

There are many types of cargo bikes on the market today and you could probably convert your existing bike to a heavy hauler with a few simple pieces. A simple way to convert your bike to haul stuff would be to add a rack and some panniers (bags that attach to the rack, think saddle bags on a motorcycle). Depending upon the size of panniers, you could haul quite a load. I have 2 panniers on a bike and I could easily haul enough stuff for a weeklong trip yet they work great for commuting to work too. I can fit an extra set of clothes, food, shoes, a laptop and the kitchen sink if need be.

If you’re idea is more of a trip to the bulk shopping center then you might want to look for a more specific bike. An actual cargo bike will allow you to haul a lot of stuff. Back in the day, I had a Kona Ute that allowed me to haul a 50 pound bag of dog food, 4 gallons of milk and multiple sacks of groceries. The coolest part is that I could have packed on more. I’ve even seen full house moving parties using these cargo bikes so the capabilities are limitless.

Our local STRIDER dealer, Acme Bicycles, uses a Civia Halsted cargo bike to deliver fun (picture on the right).

It doesn’t matter the type or size of your bike, chances are you can add a few bits and pieces to make it more useful. Most trips are under 2 miles anyway and you might find it’s faster to go by bike.

Tip #6 – Get a bell for that bike. It’s good to let people know when you’re coming around a blind corner or coming up behind someone. Safety first.

Share your Strider success stories, photos, video and interact with other Strider enthusiasts by joining the Strider conversation on our Facebook wall! Do you tweet? We Do!