Originally Posted by
jade408
It is not about the distance, it is about the things you need to do. Head over to the commuter forum, the average commuter is male and never had to stop for groceries, day care or the pharmacy on the way home. So they can take a scenic route or go straight home.
Now let's pretend you have to go to the pharmacy, library and the grocery store during the same trip. And they are all on the same block. Well you still have to carry the other stuff with you on each stop. For the case of a car driver, they can throw it all in their trunk, where it can rest securely. When you are in a bike, this means you've gotta carry it all with you, or assume it is safe on your bike. It may not be particularly continent or practical.
This of course makes a wild assumption that all of your errands are in the same vicinity, which isn't possible in all neighborhoods.
It it is fairly easy, with a bit of equipment, to do a single trip on your bike. Trip chaining is tougher, in terms of logistics.
None of this is really very difficult - with a bit of creativity!
Last week, I needed to go to the beauty supply store, the garden center, the grocery store, and the drugstore. The beauty supply store is 7 miles north in a suburban area; the grocery store and garden center are on the other side of town from me, but across the street from each other, and the drugstore is pretty close to my house.
Using Google Maps, I determined my route: go to the beauty supply store first (furthest trip, lightest items), garden center second (non-perishables), grocery store third, and drugstore last. I took the trailer with a large plastic tote that basically serves as my trunk - if I want, I can use locks to close the tote and secure it to the trailer and then lock the trailer to the bike at each destination. Best of all, since everything was locked in the trailer, I didn't have to carry a bunch of stuff in places or check a bag.
It's actually pretty common for me to do multiple trips at a time. Favorites include garden center/grocery store, grocery store/drugstore, and home improvement store/food co-op (I did this one over the weekend!) I'm in charge of the twice a month grocery shopping for my household...and picking up landscaping/home improvement supplies...so there have been some pretty interesting trips!