Bicycle Fixation Weblog
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02/24/2014: "Carrying Things Too Far?"
This is actually a common sight along the beachside bike path in Los Angeles. as well as on the nearby streets: a fellow (or often enough) a gal carrying a surfboard on their bike. This gentleman has a basket full of civilian clothes as well, though I'd say he's carrying things a bit too far to be chatting on his cellphone as he pedals along a bikepath that pedestrians regularly cross and even walk along (though they have their own path nearby).
The bikes used are often beach cruisers, though BMX bikes and even '70s bike boom ten speeds get the treatment—anything unlikely to be stolen when it's left locked up by the beach for several hours, and that won't cause too many tears if it is in fact nicked anyway. Some folks use surfboard-specific bike trailers, but most use the brackets employed here.
In other words, it's not that hard to carry even something a bulky as a longboard by bike.
I myself have carried items as diverse as a microwave oven, two 60-inch rolls of wool gabardine, or a cello (which I picked up from the repair shop for Gina). Also two hundred pounds of steer manure, but I did use a trailer for that. For the rest of the stuff I mentioned, just an ordinary bike with bags of various sorts.
It's not that hard. In fact it's not hard at all.
I'm hoping that within a few years, even Los Angeles's addled thralls of motordom won't be particularly surprised or unbelieving to see a big load rolls past them at the stoplight on a bicycle. We're getting close to that point. Shop after bike shop is adding baskets, racks, panniers, and cargo bikes of various sorts to their inventories, from butcher's bikes to longtails to bakfietsen.
Just pocket the cellphone while you're portaging your washing machine, okay?
