Christmas by Bike
It’s Christmas time which means everyone is dashing about the city with a long list of errands and shopping to do. It also means hauling stuff. It’s easy to think you need a car for the job.
Sure, cars can carry a lot of stuff. When I was a kid I would watch in awe as my dad would artfully fit an impossible amount of stuff into our tiny car.
But bikes can carry a surprising amount of stuff too. It’s just a different sort of space to pack.
After Christmas shopping it might be challenge figure out how to transport everything home. No matter the vehicle, it’s natural to push it’s cargo limits. I turn it into a game to see if I can find a good spot for everything.
Of course to transport all these Christmas gifts home I would have had to buy them first. But I didn’t actually get around to doing my Christmas shopping yet. I got overwhelmed by the crowded stores and left with only a gift for myself.
But still, when I eventually get around to doing my shopping, I am not afraid of the challenge of getting things home by bike. Someday I hope to even take on a Christmas tree.
We’ve already got that last panel covered in Baltimore: Pork-n-Pine Tree Delivery. Makes me wish I did a natural tree! (Except for the needles, and our cats, and… actually I don’t want a real tree but it’s a cool idea anyway.)
One item that I’ve been consistently frustrated with is wrapping paper. Why doesn’t it come in packages anymore? Or at least short rolls? They don’t fit in my pannier and I just have visions of it slipping out of a bungee, although probably it will be fine. I also had this problem when I used to take the bus everywhere. It’s just such an awkward item!
I just bought a roll of Xmas wrapping paper on Sat. — stuck it down in my large pannier. It sticks out the top, but it’s not going anywhere! No problem at all. 🙂
AWESOME!!!
DC
Your dad’s in good company; there’s a Simpsons episode in which Homer imagines he’s playing Tetris as he loads the family sedan.
Love the panel of the ‘shoe rack’ ! Did you make it to the ‘Jingle Ride’, or happen to pass us by along the way ? Check out the pics. from the ride on Ciclismo Classico’s ‘Facebook’ page, (it’s an ‘open page’) or their home website.
Hope you and your Family have a great Holiday Season !!!
GG.
We have a tradition to go get a tree with my parents every year, but we noticed there was a tree lot just a few minutes ride away from our apartment, with the trees all baled up, and I’m pretty sure I could get one the size of the one we actually did get home on my front rack 🙂 The other option would be to rent a bakfiets for an hour and do it that way 🙂
We’ve begun trying to mostly make our Christmas presents, so that we only have minimal shopping to do out in the popular shopping areas. I hate getting caught up in all the craziness, it’s much nicer just being at home working on stuff. We’ve also cut back on who we give gifts to, and how much we give each person. After all, the gift-giving was originally just secondary to the celebration anyway (you have a party, so you bring something nice to give people you care about), eat lots of food, and drink! Now we have gifts without the party! That’s no fun.
Hope the rest of your December goes swimmingly!