Living Car Free - Organizing a Grocery Get

Our local bicycle co-op is organizing a "grocery get" this year for Bike Month.

A grocery get is an event where a group of cyclists parade into a grocery store, buy some food and drag it home. The event is aimed to convince the store of the spending power of cyclists and for the cyclists to meet some of their cycling colleagues.

We had one last year that kind of fizzled because of rainy weather.... even though the local grocer offered a $5 discount for anyone who showed up on bike.

This year, I'm trying to spread the grocery get from the one downtown store to other neighborhoods. My local grocery store (1 km away) and the health food store (3 km away) both have bike racks and are very welcoming for cyclists.

My question: what would attract more cyclists? I'm thinking a discount might help, but maybe we should just forgo the parade to the store and instead declare a Cycling Weekend or something,,, with prizes and discounts.

Anyone ever put something like this together?

It sounds fantastic. I long for the day when I can see those kinds of things here.

It would be great to see a newspaper article on it, or something. It wouldn't take much to get me to do it, but the others in town, I don't know... I'll have to ask them.

That's a good question. From my twisted perspective I don't know why a cyclist wouldn't be riding their bike to do grocery shopping. I do it several times a week.

So I'm guessing it is because they percieve that it is too lowly for them, or that they don't like the idea of wearing a backpack.

Maybe if you put it at the end of a Century. Or have a picnic close by, where all the food has to come from the grocery store. And supply the beer.

It would be great to see a newspaper article on it, or something. .

That's a good idea. I'll be carrying a camera and if nothing else, I'll get some space in the town's newsletter as well as the local cycling web sites.


From my twisted perspective I don't know why a cyclist wouldn't be riding their bike to do grocery shopping. I do it several times a week.

Good point, but recall that the idea of riding to the store doesn't occur to many recreational cyclists.

I recall mentioning to my wife 5 or 6 years ago that it would be a good idea to get a bike trailer for the groceries. She found that somewhat amusing... but today she sees it as very do-able (since we have a trailer and use it all the time.)

Hopefully an event of this sort might get a few more people out of their cars and locked up in the bike rack.

Around here we do it as a social ride called Bikes and Baguettes (http://trinitybicycles.com/home/?p=604) several times a year. They just did one last Saturday, although I didn't make it. I did, though, do the family grocery shopping on my Schwinn Varsity townie on Sunday.

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/161994_180693608642224_6877601_n.jpg

There is a loose group of maybe 6-12 people that organize stuff like this under several names- Bike Friendly Fort Worth, The Night Riders, FW Critical Mass, etc. All those names are nothing more than Facebook groups. Someone creates an FB Event and 4 to 100 people show up. FB friend networks get the word out. If you do anything with FB, you know how fast a group of friends can grow.

Good point, but recall that the idea of riding to the store doesn't occur to many recreational cyclists.

Yep, I'm all too aware of that. I just submitted an article that will be published in one of the local papers for April, suggesting ways that people could include errands with their recreational riding.

Maybe you could have people all buy groceries and then ride over and donate it to a needy family.

I have to commend you for trying to get more
cyclists to see the more practical uses of a bike.
I haven't heard of anything similar in my area,
but one of the local COOP organizes fun, kooky
riding events. Maybe you can use/get some
more ideas:

http://times-up.org/index.php?page=rides-events

RIDES and EVENTS



Group Rides
Beach Ride (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=beach-ride)
Bike Lane Liberation Ride (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=bike-lane-liberation)
Blue Apple Ride (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=blue-apple-ride)
Bridges by Night Ride (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=bridges-by-night-ride)
Community Garden Tours (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=garden-tours)
Coney Island Cyclone Ride (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=cyclone-ride)
Dumpster Ride (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=dumpster-ride)
Critical Mass (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=critical-mass)

What is Critical Mass? (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=critical-mass-what)
Brooklyn Critical Mass (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=brooklyn-critical-mass)
Halloween Critical Mass (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=halloween-critical-mass)
The Caterpillar (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=caterpillar)
Historical Significance of Critical Mass (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=hostorical-significance-of-critical-mass)
Historical NYC Critical Mass (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=historical-nyc-critical-mass)


Earth Day Ride (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=earth-day-ride)
Folds Up! Folding Bike Ride (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=folds-up-ride)
Graffiti Ride (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=graffiti-ride)
Green Apple Ride (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=green-apple-ride)
Jamaica Bay Campout (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=jamaica-campout)
Lights in the Heights Ride (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=lights-in-the-heights)
Moonlight Ride - Central Park (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=moonlight-ride-manhattan)
Moonlight Ride - Prospect Park (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=moonlight-ride-prospect-park)
Mystery, History, Murder, and Money Tour (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=mhmm-tour)
New Year's Eve Ride! (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=new-years-ride)
Old Croton Aqueduct Ride (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=old-croton-aqueduct-ride)
Parks, Plans, and Politics: Andrew H. Green History Ride (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=andrew-h-green-ride)
People's Environmental Tour of the South Bronx (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=peoples-bronx-tour)
Riverside Ride (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=riverside-ride)
Traffic-Calming Rides (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=traffic-calming-rides)
UFO Ride (http://times-up.org/index.php?page=ufo-ride)

What store are you going to use. Have you went to Hy-Vee and asked what they could put together for your event. You could pick a day and get all their stores in the area involved. They give a discount if you use a reusable bag.

What store are you going to use. Have you went to Hy-Vee and asked what they could put together for your event. You could pick a day and get all their stores in the area involved. They give a discount if you use a reusable bag.

Yes, it's Hyvee. I'm talking to the manager of my local and he's certainly willing to work with me. The hard part is promoting the event IMHO. But anyway I have 6 weeks to mull it over.

I'm also trying to set something up at New City Market since that's where I get my organic tofu and since they have a great bike rack.

I'd get the store to put it on their web page. Also have them put it on their facebook page and you might want to post it on the main Hy-Vee facebook page. Hy-Vee is also a huge supporter for JDRF's Ride for a Cure. They send one of if not the largest cycling teams every year.

I just submitted an article that will be published in one of the local papers for April, suggesting ways that people could include errands with their recreational riding.


Sounds interesting. I hope you post a link when it is published.

I love this idea..