General Cycling Discussion - City Utility Bike

Everybody needs a good Utility Bike for errands and the such. Who thinks they have put together the ultimate utility bike?

My utility bike consists of a 1993 Specialized Hardrock with the following accessories.

-dual wire basket w/ 3" reflector on each basket
-lots of bungees
-Planet Bike plastic fenders w/ mudflap and additional reflector attached
-rear blinkie
-slick 1.95" tires

What else could I ever need? Oh, I am sure there is something.

Whatever puts you more on par with motorists (except a motor).

My "city utility bike" -- I call it The Mule -- is a '92 Specialized Rockhopper Sport with slicks, a rear rack, a removable handlebar bag, toe-clips and straps, and a Cateye Hyper light.

The Mule isn't fancy, but it's a great bike.

That's neat, Steele-bike.

I like the double wire basket idea. You can really haul a lot of stuff with those wire baskets. You can fill the baskets and still keep heaping stuff on top of the baskets like sacks of stuff.

If you have mountain bike rims, that is even better. My "freighter" bike is a 1973 Three-speed. It works well, but the rims are getting lumpy from carrying too much weight and then hitting bumps.

Originally posted by Pete Clark
Whatever puts you more on par with motorists (except a motor).

How about a 105mm recoilless rifle or a couple of LAWs? :D

But seriously, though, folks, PaDumPum (one of those drum noises) I envision that the old Schwinn Voyageur hanging in the garage awaiting overhaul will make an excellent weekend "freighter". I think I will leave it just a little grungy looking just to make it less attractive.
Rainman

I vote for an old one-speed Schwinn, ( K.I.S.S. ), and one speeds are great for training too!
Ride Simple
Pat

Actually, single speed bikes with coaster brakes have their place. They do make good freighters.

If you are really loaded down, though, you might consider puting and hand brake (caliper brake) on the front to assist in braking.

When you have a lot of mass in motion, it can take more than one brake to stop quickly.

When I picked up the old Bianchi and the Voyageur, Rainbabe insisted that something had to go. It was the old single speed Murray or the old Voyageur. The Schwinn won. Rainbabe has this really twisted way of thinking that considers 3 bikes enough for anyone. In fact, as far as she is concerned, any bike not actually being ridden is just taking up space. I think it must be some brainwashing left over from Cold War days. What else could explain such a bizarre concept?

Originally posted by RainmanP
Rainbabe has this really twisted way of thinking that considers 3 bikes enough for anyone. In fact, as far as she is concerned, any bike not actually being ridden is just taking up space. I think it must be some brainwashing left over from Cold War days. What else could explain such a bizarre concept?

Bikes are a lot like energy. You have kinetic energy and you have potential energy. And thus you have kinetic bikes and you have potential bikes. In the world of physics, kinetic and potential are equally important. They just go hand in hand, simple as that.

Rainman,
Does Rainbabe have any collections fo shoes, coats, hats, dolls she needs to cut down on?
Maybe you could suggest collecting the beer or whiskey bottles you could drink up instead of riding and collecting bikes, a collection of g**lfriends.
Different bicycles are like any tool, different types for different purposes. Station wagons for the family, pick-ups for the chores.
I know my points my be moot but, arrows for a future quiver?
Ride a variety
Pat