Bike excitement

Remember my grand adventure last month that involved me hauling a bazillion pounds of groceries on my back and handlebars?  I promised that I'd set up a rear cargo rack, and I did!  Well, Matthew and I did.  He helped.

This was a learning experience for me, too.  At first I went to Fred Meyer to raid their biking section, and the only rear cargo rack that they had was this.  I naively assumed that since it was all they had, it must be decent.  No. False.  Bad.  It was a piece of garbage that only held value in being a great device to whack against your head after you realize what a stupid purchase it was.  While it does not say so, it doesn't fit all bikes, and even if it did fit mine, it would have been mostly hidden under the seat.  Fortunately, I returned it, and no great harm was done.

Next I used the powers of Amazon.com to find a good rear bike rack.  This is the one.  The reviews were super helpful, and it sounded perfect for me.  And it is.  The one thing I had to take care of was procuring little pieces of hardware because I don't have eyelets on my seat stays (gosh, I sound so knowledgeable).  I ended up going to a bike shop, explaining my problem, and they handed me what I needed (minus a few nuts that Matthew easily picked up at his work).  In retrospect, I probably could have asked them to help me find a cargo rack, but I still am happy that Amazon helped me know what I was getting through all of the good reviews.  Sometimes you just need to know something is good.

As you can see, the cargo rack was needed so that I could attach an egg crate to it.  I found this green crate at Goodwill for $2 (woo!), and then we bought some bungee cords to do some ninja stabilization moves.  And now it is stable.  And holding a heavy bag of groceries.  And my back doesn't hurt.

So there you have it.  Bike excitement.

The Grand Adventures of Karen

*Note* All pictures were taken in the safety of the living room.  No Karens were biking around with a camera in one hand (and unchanging scenery) in the making of this blog post.  Faces were recreated for the benefit of the reader.

This is my face when heading out on some errands.
Note the jaunty look with the stylin' helmet.

This is my face when I watched a woman park in
a 5-minute book drop off spot at the library.  Only she
missed the parking spot and ended up parked mostly on
the sidewalk.  Seriously...?

This is my face as a giant oak leaf attacks my face
briefly as I bike down the path away from the library.
*Note*  This is not a real oak leaf.  No oak leaves
were harmed in the making of this blog post.

This is my face as I leave the grocery store with 19 pounds
of groceries on my back and another pound hanging on my arm.

What the...?  Who knows why I have this face.

It should be noted that my pants are not being
caught in the chains of my bike anymore.  Why not?
Fabric scraps, a button, and a chunk of elastic that
was used to package a duffel bag we bought a couple years
ago.  About 15 minutes of sewing later, and now I be STYLIN'!
  Also, do you see the stained patches on my knee?  That is how
 you distinguish me from the other people
 in Hillsboro.  "Who's that ragamuffin over
there.... Must be KAREN!"

I hope that you have enjoyed the great adventures of Karen.  I was thinking today while riding my bike that I really do enjoy biking and walking over driving because when I drive now, I realize I am missing out on things.  The exercise is an obvious plus to biking (I got in 6 miles yesterday and about 9 miles today), but I also notice more about what's going on around me when I'm biking.  I can notice birds and people, and I can smile at people walking by.  It was actually really comical when the oak leaf attacked my face today.  As soon as it fell off, I couldn't keep from laughing.  Part of this post is also to let people know that if you want to haul stuff while biking, it might take some forethought.  I actually am in the process of getting and setting up a rear cargo rack with a basket so as to be able to carry groceries without carrying a heavy backpack on my back.  Pictures to come.  There are also bike trailers for things and for children, and there are bike seats for kids, too.  Just yesterday, I was admiring a bike seat for small children because it allows the kid to sit between you and the handlebars.

I hope that you have received some bike inspiration!   Have a wonderful autumn day!