Utility Cycling - I am a utility cyclist!

As of this afternoon, when I made my first grocery run (and a stop at the hardware store) with my hand-me-down Robin Hood, newly renovated and carrying some Wald rear baskets.

This was the first time I had spent any time on the Robin Hood. It was entirely different from my modern road bike. Downtube shifters were tricky, because you sit absolutely upright on that bike, which makes for a very long reach. And, with the Huret derailleurs, there's no index -- just like the old days. Shifted smoothly, though.

Not that everything was perfect. Something was rubbing, somewhere, and the baskets are a bit too narrow for the reusuable grocery bags I use. And I discovered that a loaded bike is a bit tricky to mount. If I leaned the bike over a bit, the front tire wanted to skate away. Have to work on that.

I brought along two shock cords, and good thing -- I probably would not have made it home with all the groceries without the shock cords holding everything on (including a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper lying on top of the rack).

But ... it all worked out, and will work even better next time.

This one trip on the bike knocked out two trips I would have made in my truck. Not bad!

Oddly enough, drivers gave me much more room than they typically do when I'm on my road bike. Not sure why. Maybe they were afraid of that crazy guy on that old green bike with the baskets.

"This one trip on the bike knocked out two trips I would have made in my truck. Not bad!"

Yep, there serious money to be saved leaving that iron hulk parked in the drive way!!! :thumb:

"This one trip on the bike knocked out two trips I would have made in my truck. Not bad!"

Yep, there serious money to be saved leaving that iron hulk parked in the drive way!!! :thumb:

And even more to be made selling it!

As to why drivers give you more room, well, on your nice road bike you're slim and fast, on your old clunker with the big old baskets you're wider, and wobbling a whole lot more when you reach down to those shifters.

Yes, my wife says I look like an old man on that bike, and nobody wants to hassle an old guy out on a ride. So she says, anyway.

Took it out for another errand today. Starting to think of a lot of things I could do with this bike. Baskets hold a lot of potential.

Getting used to the downtube shifting, but it is still a reach.

And this bike weighs pounds more than my LeMond. So much that you don't notice it all that much when you load it with some cargo. What's a few pounds more?

Not familiar with a Robin Hood, but if it has a front brake, squeeze that and push down on the bars to keep it stable while mounting. I learned this at 10 yr old on my paper route, but it is also SOP (without the pushing down part) for motorcycles.

Why not switch to some stem shifts to shorten the reach?

Why not switch to some stem shifts to shorten the reach?

That is an excellent idea.

I've got to do something -- It is not a good setup the way it is. Too long of a reach, throws me off balance.

Took it on a run to the drugstore this evening. On the way back, I fooled with working the rear derailleur with my foot on the downtube shifters. It worked OK. With a little practice, might work better.

But ... that's just not right.

So looking for some stem shifters or will try to move the downtubes up and make those work.

Awesome.

I've got those Wald baskets on my commuter (fits my shoes on one side, clothes on the other, and a briefcase on top). For shopping, I throw one bag on either side, then have a coke flat bungeed to the top. Works perfectly.

Another alternative to the downtube shifters is barend shifters. What is your mechancical set up (ie number of gears, shifters, etc) ?

Mechanicals -- Huret front derailleur with two chainrings.

Huret rear derailleur with 5 cogs (haven't counted, but the largest is pretty big).

Downtube shifters, also by Huret.

Bar-end shifters might work. I actually have a pair of bar-end Shimanos that I had on a bike with 8 speeds. Those might work.

Here's a pix of the Robin Hood, on its maiden voyage to the grocery story, loaded up for the ride home.

I see what you mean, those shifters are a long way away! With those bars, I think you'd be best off with some kind of thumb shifter, like mountain bikes used to have.

+1 on the thumb shifters... that's what I did with my Mixte, (just old non index mtb parts) because the handle bars I put on my bike where so wide that I had a hard time even with the stem shifters that it had. After two lower back surgeries and a hip replacement, down tube shifters would be totally out of the question for me. I took the Mixte for a ride yesterday, and man those shifters are nice, just to change gears with a flick of the thumb. :thumb:

another +1 on thumb shifters, especially with your bars.....(picture is worth 1000 words).

I have them on my utility/commmuter (search for my posts or "japanese 8 speed" if you want to see...)

they work great, are simple to install and as low a provile as you are going to get.

They are cheap.... 13.00 at Rivendell, or go to AEbike or have your lbs order from the QBP catalog

http://www.rivbike.com/products/list/shifters_and_derailers#product=17-097