Utility Cycling - Grocery Hauler: Dealing w/eggs.

I recently started hauling groceries by bike. Does anyone have any experience bringing home a dozen eggs and having them all arrive intact? My grocery ride is an 86 Ross Mt Hood w/rack. I’m trying to move away from the messenger bag and will be adding a set of Trek grocery panniers to the mix in the spring.

Ive done it using my Burley trailer, Sun grocery panniers, regular panniers, plastic bag over the bars, and backpack. Never had a single egg break. Even if a few did, I can handle the loss of 8 cents in eggs.

I recently started hauling groceries by bike. Does anyone have any experience bringing home a dozen eggs and having them all arrive intact? My grocery ride is an 86 Ross Mt Hood w/rack. I’m trying to move away from the messenger bag and will be adding a set of Trek grocery panniers to the mix in the spring.

I've gotten eggs home by both backpack and panniers ... I put them in on top of everything else -- ie the heavier stuff goes in the bottom, like packing a grocery bag in store, and then the lighter and more fragile things go on top. Wrapped in a few plastic bags, and they always seem to come home okay.

I use a front basket for the more delicate items. Front baskets rock.

On the last layer in the top of a backpack. Or they sell plastic doo-dads for taking eggs backpacking.

Eggs are pretty hard to break if you keep them in the carton. I've attached a carton of eggs directly to my rear rack with a bungee cord. I just flip the carton upside down, and run the cord between a row of the pods. I live less than a mile from the grocery store and have fairly smooth roads to ride on, so your mileage may vary.

I've had success putting them in my backpack, and also in my home-made trailer. Like others say, the key is that they're above everything that's durable or heavy.

I know the question was about intact whole eggs and enjoyed reading everyone's experiences. I get those eggs in a carton or sometimes at the asian stores I get those preserved eggs wrapped in plastic and stuck in nice styrofoam boxes. I boil those preserved eggs before I open the shell so I don't know if they are runny or not. The shells never break on the way home. There are also dried eggs or egg whites depending on what you'll be doing with them. Eggs get shipped and trucked around from chicken to you so I believe the other posters when they say they can be carried on the bike too.

Yup, done backpack, top of grocery pannier and hanging off the handlebars in their own bag. It's two miles to the grocery store and I haven't broken an egg yet.

If your store sells eggs in the type of carton which can be easily broken into two smaller cartons (6 eggs each), then you might try doing that (and then setting them on the top layer of your panniers or other container.)

For some reason, I seem to break fewer eggs when I carry them in the smaller containers that way. Less moment arm around the center of mass when the container vibrates, or something...

Buy a live chicken and then the eggs will already be at home:D I have carried eggs on a bike for years and the only time I broke any was when I dropped the pannier they were in on the way up my steps:rolleyes:

Aaron:)

Buy a live chicken and then the eggs will already be at home:D I have carried eggs on a bike for years and the only time I broke any was when I dropped the pannier they were in on the way up my steps:rolleyes:

Aaron:)
But how do you get the chicken home? I know--put a little leash on it and let it run behind the bike. ;)

Another way to get your eggs home is to put the carton alone in a plastic shopping bag, tie it up tight, then tie the handles around your handlebar. Then just let them dangle there while you ride home. They won't break unless you crash. This works with bread and bananas too.

All groceries (including eggs) go into a Rubbermaid bin. The bin rides on my B.O.B. trailer. I have NEVER had a problem.

But how do you get the chicken home? I know--put a little leash on it and let it run behind the bike. ;)


Roody, good suggestion...but you should know better than to ask me (an old resourceful country boy) a question like that:D :p

Aaron:)

if you're really worried about eggs breaking, get some bubble wrap and wrap it around the egg carton, then put it on top. Its just that much more insulation for them.

If you are moving toward grocery panniers, that doesn't mean you must go all or nothing. You could get a small backpack just for those few fragile items. I have loaded groceries on the bike, and then carried just the eggs in a little backpack/shoulderbag that I have just for carrying little things here and there, by bike or by foot.

I worked in an outdoorsing store a while back and we sold a plastic thingy that holds eggs for backpacking. Essentially it cradles the eggs like the familiar cardboard carton, but has springy bits of plastic at each end to avoid breakage.

First post on bike forums is about carrying eggs...not what I expected, ha.

Hoffman

But how do you get the chicken home? I know--put a little leash on it and let it run behind the bike. ;)

Somehow you got me good with the Thanksgiving turkey walking along behind the bike. :o
I'll get even somehow.:D :p

I worked in an outdoorsing store a while back and we sold a plastic thingy that holds eggs for backpacking. Essentially it cradles the eggs like the familiar cardboard carton, but has springy bits of plastic at each end to avoid breakage.

First post on bike forums is about carrying eggs...not what I expected, ha.

Hoffman
Well your first suggestion was a great one! Welcome, new person. :)

I place the carton(s) of eggs on my stomach, tuck the jersey in tightly, and ride home as quickly as I can. I can't recall breaking any eggs (or lightbulbs, for that matter), since I learned this trick.

I place the carton(s) of eggs on my stomach, tuck the jersey in tightly, and ride home as quickly as I can. I can't recall breaking any eggs (or lightbulbs, for that matter), since I learned this trick.
And on a real warm day the eggs would be soft-boiled by the time you got home. Maybe even scrambled, if you were riding hard enough. You probably save a lot of time that way. :)