The Chainlink

Tour de Fat Bike Winner

I don't recall seeing this discussed here.

http://articles.redeyechicago.com/2012-07-31/news/32965932_1_road-b...

Elmurst guy wins the $2500 . . . buys Fuji Cross bike at Performance in Lombard . . . with accessories, what was he in for, $700? Does he pocket the rest? Is there some sort of process for verifying that he actually gets rid of his car?

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Permalink Reply by Michael A on August 8, 2012 at 2:16pm

Being car free does not mean you have to use your bike exclusively. When I was going car free I used every means available. Cycling took care of a lot of my transportation needs. Sharing rides with teammates and friends, public transportation, the occasional taxi and igo car sharing took care of the rest. 

There are a lot of other costs to commuting by bike other then the bike itself. There is the cost of locks,bags, lights, helmets, and the proper clothing to keep you comfortable and safe all year. Tires, tubes and normal wear and tear on a bike over the year also can add up.  

I applaud you for giving this a go. There is a HUGE feeling of accomplishment once you ride to work in weather you would normally not step outside in. 

You can find a lot of encouragement and advice on the chainlink, but since it is is a public forum you will also find a lot of bike bigots and just general trolls with nothing better to do then tell you that you are doing it wrong.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 8, 2012 at 5:06pm

My brother lives in Elmhurst (On Hillcrest off of Butterfield) and I get out there from time to time via Metra or CTA/PACE, or less and less frequently by bike, so I'm kind of familiar.

Is there a Pace bus that is helpful at all for your work commute?

What do you see yourself using the trailer for most often?



Bill Bushnell said:

No harm done. I've dealt with worse.

Commuting in Elmhurst is going to be tough because we have very little bike infrastructure and most drivers aren't used to dealing with bikers. I've already started talks with one alderman here about improving the infrastructure and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I wasn't the only one he's spoken to about it.

I am trying to take the challenge seriously and live up to the intent of it by being car free. There are some times when I may ride along with someone, but only when they are already headed my way and the trip is not realistic by bike, like going to see family in Elgin or Arkansas. Unless it's an emergency situation, I plan on not driving for the next year.

Being in the suburbs, we have a lot less public transit options as well, unless you want to take Metra to go either straight East or West, and only when the bikes aren't blacked out. It's going to be a challenge, but I think I'm up for it!

That is the proper link for my blog and I will be updating it over the next year. If you want to follow my adventures, I encourage you to follow the Facebook page (facebook.com/ForwardAtSpeed) or subscribe to the email updates.

Wish me luck!

h' said:

Hey Bill,

Thanks for speaking up. Sorry if my cynicism took any of the wind out of your sails.

Appreciate the clarification, and wish you luck! I'm coming up on 10 years since going car-free, but to be perfectly honest I don't know if I could make it work living in Elmhurst.

Permalink Reply by Bill Bushnell on August 8, 2012 at 5:12pm

Unfortunately, none of the pace bus routes are of any help to me.

I think I would primarily use a trailer for going grocery shopping.

h' said:

My brother lives in Elmhurst (On Hillcrest off of Butterfield) and I get out there from time to time via Metra or CTA/PACE, or less and less frequently by bike, so I'm kind of familiar.

Is there a Pace bus that is helpful at all for your work commute?

What do you see yourself using the trailer for most often?

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 8, 2012 at 5:19pm

The "BOB" style trailer you describe on the blog is probably the only one you'd want for a long trip requiring a trailer, and people who own them tend to develop stong feelings for them, but there may be better options for hauling groceries for shorter distances. I'll look and see what Performance offers when I'm at a real computer...

 

What percentage of your work commute can you do on secondary or side streets?

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on August 8, 2012 at 5:42pm

I've found that a cheap used kiddie trailer works very well for groceries in town -things in the burbs may be different.   People tend to give a rider that is pulling a trailer a lot more respect and don't buzz you nearly as much.  This may be due to a belief that there is a child within it.   I'll take that -I have an inner child inside me...

I basically just chuck all my groceries into the the trailer.  I've even asked a grocery to not use any bags and to just throw the groceries into the cart so I could wheel it outside to then fill the trailer.   It's a bit harder to carry the stuff in but it saves on a lot of bags.   Most grocery stores don't like this though.  It makes them uneasy.

The BOB trailers are pretty darn neat -but I'd be afraid to park one in the city due to theft concerns.  A cheap kiddie trailer is not a super big deal to replace.   Locking a trailer up can be difficult sometimes. 

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on August 8, 2012 at 5:59pm

Bill - Your Red Carpet!

 

 

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 8, 2012 at 7:30pm

Same problem here. I usually assume the bagger is afraid of getting in trouble...


James BlackHeron said:

 Most grocery stores don't like this though.  It makes them uneasy.
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 8, 2012 at 7:34pm

Here's Performance's trailer selection:

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=1055...

My problem with the BOB is that I hate the proprietary axle, and find them very very expensive.  In fact, they've already cost me $170 and I don't even own one.

(I borrowed one, and somehow the yoke got bent or twisted supposedly while I was using it, so I had to buy a new one; the 'bad' yoke is still kicking around here somewhere)

Permalink Reply by Bill Bushnell on August 9, 2012 at 9:41am

Thanks very much for all the advice everyone! I can't buy this kind of advice!

I've looked through Craigslist and found a number of two wheeled kids trailers for inexpensive, even under $100. The one wheeled trailers seem to be much less common on there, likely because the groceries people carry in them don't outgrow them, unlike the kids trailers.

H', I'm sorry to hear about the bad experience you had with the Bob trailers, but it does bring to light the proprietary connection systems for trailers. I think it may come down to what kind of trailer I can find used. Even if I spend $150 on a used Bob trailer and $170 on axles, I'd still come out under budget compared to buying a new one.

Julie, thanks so much for sharing the video! It was an awesome event and I hope you enjoyed it!

Julie Hochstadter said:

Bill - Your Red Carpet!

 

 

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on August 9, 2012 at 9:51am

As winter approaches I bet you can find some decent kiddie trailers for under $75 or even $50 if you search Craigslist hard enough.

The one I have (a Rhode Gear) has a unique clamping hitch that doesn't require any special attachment on the bike -you just clamp it onto the chainstay of the bike on the non-driveside just in front of the dropout lug.   This makes is simple to move from bike to bike, hook up and unhook, and doesn't require your bike to carry a big heavy hitch attachment on the end of the axle like some designs do.  But the downside of this is that it means the trailer is that much easier to steal.    I like this system though because I don't want to carry around a big lump of heavy metal on the end of the rear axle even when I"m not carrying the trailer unless I go to the trouble to take it off.   I only use my trailer about once a week for big grocery trips or when I need to pick up something big.

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on August 9, 2012 at 9:52am

I just out this in the other thread (arg, so many!) , but I just bought this trailer used and love it.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 9, 2012 at 12:19pm

If you're not limited to what Performance offers, I'm a big fan of BicycleRevolution trailers- "The Shopper" might serve your needs. Very easy/minimal hitch mount.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/BIKE-BICYCLE-TRAILER-CARFREE-BicycleR-Evolu...


Bill Bushnell said:

Thanks very much for all the advice everyone! I can't buy this kind of advice!

I've looked through Craigslist and found a number of two wheeled kids trailers for inexpensive, even under $100. The one wheeled trailers seem to be much less common on there, likely because the groceries people carry in them don't outgrow them, unlike the kids trailers.

H', I'm sorry to hear about the bad experience you had with the Bob trailers, but it does bring to light the proprietary connection systems for trailers. I think it may come down to what kind of trailer I can find used. Even if I spend $150 on a used Bob trailer and $170 on axles, I'd still come out under budget compared to buying a new one.

Julie, thanks so much for sharing the video! It was an awesome event and I hope you enjoyed it!

Julie Hochstadter said:

Bill - Your Red Carpet!

 

 

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