Thursday 28 May 2009

Soon I will have a fetish for panniers

I have trashed the environment and laughed! I have driven less than 100 yards because I could not be bothered TO WALK. I have turned lights ON and OFF and ON again and LEFT THE ROOM! I have abandoned my computer all night to HUM!

I admit to all these things! And MORE. Dirty things, like wanton electricity usage and two fridges, one which stores a decrepit cantaloupe melon we will never eat.

But now I am reformed! This summer I am GREEN.

GRIT HAS A BICYCLE.


I know it is one of twelve bikes scattered around the garage and garden. I have been buying them from the local tip (£3 each) or wangling them from people on Freecycle.

But when I get them home, I find the reason why these bikes are at the tip, or offered on Freecycle.

None of them work.

Well my current bike of choice is working now, thanks to SuperManDig. OK, so it has no back brake, a front tyre that is continuously making a pppfffff sound, no lights, three gears that are permanently frozen, and the saddle is not very comfortable for my lovely bottom. But I have tied a bag to the handlebars and OFF I GO.

Today I cycled to the shops, bought sixteen satsumas, a lettuce, some watercress, a tin of red kidney beans, two loaves of sliced bread winking at me from the reduced bin, six eggs, a copy of the Beano, and tried to fit them on all on my bicycle and about my person.

Then I realised this is why I drive.


But this small person comes in handy. She has a strap-on Barbie bag.

Now if I can do it, ANYONE CAN.

7 comments:

sharon said...

But that only works if the shops are less than a mile away and not up and down bloody great hills! My green efforts take the form of shopping less often and trying to buy locally produced goodies wherever possible.

But good for you - and the helper with the barbie basket anyway ;-)

Firebird said...

Have you considered going all Dr Frankenstein and making one working bike out of the 12? Or, getting Dig to anyway ;-)

HelenHaricot said...

giggle.
have a look at these
http://www.bobbinbicycles.co.uk/epages/rzjy48f9ghvy.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/rzjy48f9ghvy/Categories/Accessories/Pannier_Bags

HelenHaricot said...

oops, or here
http://www.velorution.biz/?page_id=1088

Irene said...

Hell grit, I do that twice a week. What you need are some carrier bags over the back support and a big shopping bag to hang over the handle bar. You can carry many groceries this way. If I can do it, so can anyone. You too.

Grit said...

sharon, these are mere excuses. a hill has two sides. buy a cheap bike, freewheel downhill and chuck it away at the bottom so you don't have to push it back up. (and another solution is to have someone else deliver ... that way your hands are clean.)

firebird, that could be the next plan. i might set squirrel up with a welding course. she would probably choose only the pink bikes, but we could get round that with a spray can, no?

helen, thank you for the links. sadly, i am far too mean. £40! But you have inspired to to look afresh at the sewing machine. i mean, how hard can it be to knock out a couple of bags?

then i misread the 'double dotty panniers' as 'double panty panniers'. that gives me a design idea. just watch this space.

Grit said...

hi irene! rats! you have suggested the most simple and logical solution of all! but you do realise i may yet have to make those panniers out of panties?