Grocery shopping
03-10-09, 11:55 AM
#26
Senior Member
There are three grocery stores I regularly bike to. Ironically, the one that's the worst to park at is the Whole Foods with the bike rack. It's one of those slotted racks that you can only lock one tire to unless you lift your bike up and put the front tire over the rack (or park at the ends, but there's almost always someone already at each end). That method almost works for my normal-sized ride, but it's still a pain on my 20" bike. The other two stores each have no bike racks, but do have some sturdy railings where I lock up. With one store, that would be a problem if there was ever more than just me, because that railing probably wouldn't accommodate more than one or two bikes at a time. The other store could probably handle more. But it's all moot, because I've never had to share parking space with any bikes at any store other than Whole Foods.
03-10-09, 12:54 PM
#27
Senior Member
As part of our city's downtown renovations, we installed over 100 bike racks. They are the type shaped kind of like the Greek letter PHI. No one used them. Bikes would be chained to a tree, light pole or sign post right next to a bike rack. After a couple of months seeing this, I found a place online to get small oval stickers that pictured a bicycle and ordered a bunch. I had our guys stick them on the racks and suddenly they started getting used.
03-10-09, 03:00 PM
#30
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As part of our city's downtown renovations, we installed over 100 bike racks. They are the type shaped kind of like the Greek letter PHI. No one used them. Bikes would be chained to a tree, light pole or sign post right next to a bike rack. After a couple of months seeing this, I found a place online to get small oval stickers that pictured a bicycle and ordered a bunch. I had our guys stick them on the racks and suddenly they started getting used.
03-10-09, 04:29 PM
#31
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1. The closest store has a rack. Gets plowed in when it snows.
2. Requested they not plow it in.
3. It's plowed in every time. Plus the cart attendant damaged my bike when I chained it to something else.
4. I don't shop there any more.
03-10-09, 04:49 PM
#32
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They built a new Giant near us a year ago. I rode through the lot before they opened and did not see a bike rack. I e-mailed their corporate offices and someone called and assured me that a bike rack was in the plans before the grand opening. It was installed about a week later and is right next to the 2nd entrance.
03-11-09, 07:38 AM
#33
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I wish! Where I live and work, (Dallas area), the grocery stores and shopping centers don't cater to cyclist, just more parking spaces for cars. It's a reality.
Even then, if they did put up racks, the effort to try and shop by bike would be challenging because the roads hear are not designed with us in mind. I would probably be risking my life every time I tried to get from the 40mph access road to the closest neighborhood street. Then on top of that, that neighborhood street normally doesn't connect all the way through where you need to get to. Even the neighborhoods are not designed for cyclist. Sad, but true.
Even then, if they did put up racks, the effort to try and shop by bike would be challenging because the roads hear are not designed with us in mind. I would probably be risking my life every time I tried to get from the 40mph access road to the closest neighborhood street. Then on top of that, that neighborhood street normally doesn't connect all the way through where you need to get to. Even the neighborhoods are not designed for cyclist. Sad, but true.
03-11-09, 09:01 AM
#35
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No.
That would be for people looking to transport either large loads or regular shopping, e.g., 2x50kg bags of kitty litter and a 50kg bag of dog food and the week's groceries (legs of steel!).
This is for people, like me, who occasionaly stop to get bread/milk/random item on the way back from work/cycling and happen to be on a bicycle.
I saw a similar thread on a UK forum and was suprised by how much attention/posts it got.
That would be for people looking to transport either large loads or regular shopping, e.g., 2x50kg bags of kitty litter and a 50kg bag of dog food and the week's groceries (legs of steel!).
This is for people, like me, who occasionaly stop to get bread/milk/random item on the way back from work/cycling and happen to be on a bicycle.
I saw a similar thread on a UK forum and was suprised by how much attention/posts it got.
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Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
shameless POWERCRANK plug
Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
03-11-09, 03:04 PM
#36
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Please let's don't rehash that.... commuting, vehicular cycling, utility cycling. It got so ugly last time.
03-11-09, 03:48 PM
#37
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THAT ROCKS! I could not do that here, they would call the police! I hang my bike up high when I can like on a fence with my drop bars. We have a bolt cutter prob here in this town and U-locks only fit poles and hand rail type things. If you hang your bike up high they would have to flash the bolt cutters up in the air for all to see. I wish I could take my bike inside with me and use my bags as the stress of theft on a cyclest is way more than if you had a car in the lot. I just hate to say it but it is true.
I'm not a lawyer but I don't think it counts as stealing until you actually attempt to leave the store without paying. When I was going through the thread I was thinking about doing the same thing if I was in a similar situation. A bike takes up way less space than a normal shopping cart...nevermind those monstrous carts with the pseudo toy truck/car thing for kids to sit in.
I know it doesn't actually mean that they wouldn't call the cops but I'd be happy to have a discussion with the manager and cops when they arrived.
03-12-09, 03:30 AM
#38
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I was just thinking about this the other day. I wouldn't care much if my car got stolen but my BIKE.... 
I don't even think it has to do with the fact that I put many more miles on my bikes than on my car. I just don't have any particular sentimental attachment to my car like I have with all my bikes. Funny, isn't it?
I don't even think it has to do with the fact that I put many more miles on my bikes than on my car. I just don't have any particular sentimental attachment to my car like I have with all my bikes. Funny, isn't it?
I'd be mighty aggravated by a car theft, but I chose the car on the basis of cost and gas mileage. Plus, it's insured. The bike is not.
03-12-09, 03:35 AM
#39
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and "Thank you, Jesus" to that!
03-12-09, 03:49 AM
#40
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Having it insured doesn't help the gutted feeling though.
__________________
shameless POWERCRANK plug
Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
shameless POWERCRANK plug
Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
03-12-09, 03:12 PM
#41
Senior Member
You said it
I don't like to use the bike racks because usually they are in a place where you can't see them, so it would be easier for somebody to mess around with the bikes. I like to lock my bike up in front of the store to a huge tree, or tall, heavy metal post, out in open view.
Many of the stores don't even have bike racks anyways.
Many of the stores don't even have bike racks anyways.
03-13-09, 02:21 AM
#42
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Yeah, Fresh and Easy is the one market in my area that doesn't have a rack. The one time I went there, I had to lock my big ole bent to a tree with a bunch of sharp thorn-like things. I had to accept some stabbing while locking and unlocking. 
