Mithrandir

Other than yourself, that is...


So tomorrow I'm going over to my brother's for the 4th of July. Since I have off all day I figured I'd take my bike. He is a musician and is currently in the process of shipping CD's and other merchandise around the world, so he wants me to bring over any extra bubble wrap of "bags of air" that I've gotten from any packages I've received recently. So tonight I began packing my panniers full of air bags, and it occurred to me how strange it is going to be having panniers that are packed full but nearly weightless.

So that's my answer. The strangest thing I've ever carried on my bike is... bags of air.

AlbertaBeef

I was Santa in a Children's ward at a hospital one year ... and my car was knackered and I didn't have a ride... So I rode my bike there.

Santa Claus suit and all. I got LOTS of honks and waves, it was incredibly fun.

john4789

Bike wheels strapped to my messenger bag, just picked up from the bike shop after being repaired. Odd to have 2 working wheels on your bike and 2 spares I guess, got lots of honks.

Closed Office

I've had microwaves tied to the back rack a few times.

A 66 pound bag of cement in my backpack for a handyman job I was doing. It was 9 miles from the Home Depot to the job, but I actually enjoyed it. On an up hill part, I had enough adrenalin going that I powered up it faster than usual when riding with a normal load.

Bags of air just wouldn't have been as enjoyable.

ChrisM2097

Nothing odd, really. Lots of tools. This past May, I offered to be the on-site mechanic for bike-to-work day. I brought way, way too much stuff...but I was prepared for just about anything!

RWBlue01

I was going to say the same thing.....but in my case it was just me and my bike. :-)




On a more serious note, nothing that odd, food, work cloths, computer, friend,

szewczykm

I've got my underwear in my bag every morning.

CommuteCommando

Back in high school, it was a Sousaphone. (in HS band I was a victim of cultural stereotyping "Give the fat kid the tuba")

Condorita

Potted orchids on a couple of occasions, gifts for my mom. A boysenberry plant. A tomato plant. I've also ridden to stamping (rubber; card crafting) classes on my bike, carrying my basic stamping kit in one pannier and extra supplies in the other pannier.

ka0use

a wheelchair.

i found it in a dumpster and knew a guy who volunteered for a non-profit that re-distributed
used medical gear to those who were un-insured and/or inpecunious. canes, walkers, etc.

dude, i can clear the traffic around me.

i also take a gas can to get mower gas. that clears the road, too.

cool on the sousaphone, air bags, and santa! you might have put some helium in the air bags, kinda lighten
the load....they might have helped with the cement, too...

chefisaac

Last week we did a boot camp culinary classes for our sales folks at work and we needed a lot of knives so I rode my bike to the knife shop, picked up 50 knives (which was $500 in knives), placed in panniers and off I went.

Other things: Panniers full of sauce in bags I took home, groceries from the store, produce from farmers market.

bigfred 

a pair of 225cm DH race skis strapped to the top tube, sticking out both ends.

If scooter riding can be included, while living in Bermuda I've scootered with:

a bag of golf clubs between my legs

in a wetsuit, wearing my bcd, with tank strapped to back and resting on passenger seat, mask around neck, fins between legs

a 16 foot spinnaker pole resting on the bars and nestled under my arm, jousting style, with red rags front and back. Wouldn't want to be unsafe you know.

steve2k

I bought a new lawnmower and transported it back from the shop to my house (about 7 miles). It was in a trailer so not strictly carried "on" my bike.

SkippyX

Gravity Aided

Horse harness and my Hardrock .
Used it to transport the harness
a couple of blocks .
Bought in an antiques sale,
sold to a collector .

Cychologist

When my brother, an avid cyclist, died, the family thought it appropriate to carry his ashes to the cemetery via bicycle. His burial urn was placed in the child carrier he had used with his children. We also had holy communion at the cemetery, with the wine brought in a water bottle and bread in a water bottle cage. All family and close friends who were able (about 15) rode bicycles to the gravesite. May sound weird but was very meaningful to the family.

Tom Stormcrowe

That doesn't sound weird, it sounds both cool, and a great way to remember and celebrate his life.

chasm54

Not too strange, but I attracted a certain amount of attention lately when visiting my sister while on tour. I stopped about twenty miles from her place to pick up a bottle of wine for her and a single malt for my brother-in-law. Well, they are called bottle cages, aren't they?

tony_merlino

A cassata cake for my sister's birthday. I bungied it to the rear rack, which turned out not to be such a good idea... There may be some things best not carried on a bicycle.

TacomaSailor

My cocker spaniel

My wife and I rode our mountain bikes about 6 miles and several thousand feet up into the Cascade mountains on the SW side of Ranier. My young cocker spaniel ran along beside us. My wife and I were both serious dirt trail runners at the time and the dog ran 4 - 8 miles on with us every day.

The day of our mountain bike ride got a lot warmer than we expected and the trail up was a little steeper than expected. The dog had no problem keeping up on the climb at 5 - 7 mph.

Once at the top we stopped for lunch, pictures, and other familial activities. The dog took a nap and wandered around.

When it came time to go down the dog just sat and stared at us - she was clearly saying she was too tired to run down the hill.

Eventually I put on my light wind breaker, adjusted my fanny pack so the bag was in front, and made a 'sorta pouch for the 25 pound cocker spaniel to ride in - wedged between my chest and the fanny pack. The descent was not real technical but was pretty fast.

The dog loved it - she hung her head over my shoulder, let her tongue drip saliva all over my jacket, and yipped for joy as we rushed down the hill.

dscheidt

I've carried another bike before. Got some strange looks.

contango 

Don't know what counts as odd. The first time I used my panniers it was to haul about 30 pounds of scrap metal to a dealer. I carried two broken laptops home from a friend's so I could try and fix them (I got them both working again).

Aside from that when I've used them it has been for groceries, touring, nothing overly exciting.

SkippyX

That's a great story.

Bill Kapaun

These & a microwave oven

CliftonGK1

3 gallons of coolant, 2 gallons of motor oil, an oil filter, an air filter, and a radiator hose. Rode 4.5 miles with that in a Wald 157 giant delivery basket, up a 2.25 mile climb for the last half. I never knew I could ride that slow and still hold a line.