If you love cycling, why don’t you Utility-cycle more?

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Alex will know much better than me, but to give you a visual, here are 2 photos of Jody Cundy, first with a walking leg & second with a cycling leg.

Back in my early amp days I chatted with Jody about his leg design. You may notice that with his custom cycling leg (those things cost $40k plus) the pylon doesn't go straight down but is angled forward to place the cleat in a position relatively similar to where it would have been if he was wearing a shoe.

Turns out that when he was trying out cycling (he was previously a paralympic swimmer) he just put a cycle shoe over his regular prosthetic foot as he didn't know any better. So when the time came to make a custom solution he was so used to that relative cleat placement they decided to replicate it.

British Cycling had lottery money coming out its wazoo and if they thought you were a medal chance they would happily throw money at it. Having a cleat placed away from the direct downward location has its risks as it creates a moment (rotational torque) at the upper prosthesis socket which can in turn be problematic for some. Not all of course but cripes it's sure an expensive way to find out. Clearly works for him, he's has done a track kilo time trial in 61.x seconds.

I met Jody briefly in 2011 when we were both racing the Paracycling world cup road race and ITT.

[Alex Simmons/RST]

I should also add that back in 2008, Paul Craft of RAW Track organised a benefit night for me to raise money to help buy me a dedicated cycling leg. It was very successful and with the money I created a new leg with an outer aero cover which I used for the balance of my racing days (2011 was my last season). I was extremely grateful for all the the great support I received from so many.

[zebee]

I do this almost always when my car needs some work at the shop. The look on their faces is hilarious wen you rock up in lycra, drop the keys off to them and then proceed to take a bike out of it and ride away! Actually I don't know how other people do this? I assume they either hang around or drive 2 cars!?

It was one of the reasons to get the Brompton: the motorcycle shop that was best for my Italian Exotica was 3km from the station and while he was happy to give me a lift it was harder when I dropped it off before he opened up.

So strap the Brom to the pillion seat, strap helmet to the bike, C-bag and shoes in the topbox. When I get to the shop remove and unfold B, attach motorcycle helmet to the helmet lock, bike jacket and boots in the topbox, put on shoes, and ride to the station.

They were quite unfazed. If you work on Moto Guzzis[1] then you have met way too many weirdos for anything one of them does to surprise you.

Zebee

[1] "If motorcyclists are the fringe of society, Guzzi riders are the ragged fringe"

[Pax]

It was one of the reasons to get the Brompton: the motorcycle shop ... was 3km from the station...

So strap the Brom to the pillion seat...When I get to the shop remove and unfold B ... and ride to the station...

Zebee

Bromptons are fantastic utility bikes, they make all kinds of “multimodal” utility cycling possible...Bike + car. Bike + Train, Bike + Bus, Bike + mororbike!! Nice...love mine too

[cyclotaur]

I ‘utility’ rode from about 13yo to 55. School, paper round, visiting mates then work on and off but never very far. Probably 1000-1200 km per year max.

On retirement I bought a road bike and have averaged 7500 kms per year ever since, 99.9% recreational.

Reasons for so little utility riding now are that we can walk to shops, and have good public transport locally. I reckon mixing walking shorter local trips with recreational fitness riding is a good healthy combo. Also I hate locking/leaving my bike anywhere so will choose walking over riding anything up to 5 km unless I can bring the bike indoors with me.

[outnabike]

I am basically a utility rider most of the time. I have to say it is getting harder. Yesterday I went to Dandenong market. It was around 4-5 degrees and at 7.15am I was told that bikes are not allowed in the area.

I am talking me simply walking along with my bike. There were very few shoppers, and at that hour only the shop owners were setting up.

Not only that, 5 minutes later another market custodian (Some sort of market guard) also told me to get out with the bike. They were not rude but that was what they wanted....me gone.

I tried to point out that at 73 years of age this just happens to be my shopping trolley, and in fact it is narrower than their large trolleys.
I tried to explain that it is a lot more hindrance to peds due to the stall holders filling the public's walk ways with their goods, trying to double their allocated stall area.
I mean they actually place pallets all over the foot paths.
I told them that where I enter from, there are no signs coming in from the public car park.
I made the point there were no bike racks any where in the area where my bike could be safely chained to.

All to no avail because for one he didn't care, and two, neither of these council representatives could speak enough English to get the gist of what I was saying.
I have pics and video as I had left my front camera running. I will be making a submission to the Dandenong council.

Sadly the same thing happened to me at the capitol centre. Told to park where ever I like outside; attach to an armco rail.

[zebee]

Bromptons are fantastic utility bikes, they make all kinds of “multimodal” utility cycling possible...Bike + car. Bike + Train, Bike + Bus, Bike + mororbike!! Nice...love mine too

I use mine as the shopping trolley itself! part fold with front wheel folded, seat down but handlebars still up. Roll along on the rack ezywheels putting the shopping in the C bag.

It's just for quick last minute things on the way home from work although I do have a little packaway backpack in the toolbag for the overflow if needed.

For the usual weekly shop it is electric trike and trailer with Arkel shopper pannier. Used to do it on the 2 wheel 'bent or even the Brom with the trailer and pannier but the trike has made me lazy! Lock up the trike and pannier, take trailer to supermarket. Use it as shopping trolley (as it can be used as a handtruck). Return to trike, lock trailer to trike and take pannier to fruitshop as the fruitshop aisles are way too narrow and crowded for the trailer. Return to trike and resort so the heavy stuff is in the trailer.

Ride home, sling pannier on shoulder and haul trailer up 2 flights of stairs with all the heavy stuff in it. Makes a bit of a thumping noise going up but is easy enough to haul. Beats carrying it all up by hand!

[fat and old]

My car needed some work done and the shop told me on Monday they had an early opening today/tomorrow, so I drove it in this morning and did the 40+km ride home.

I do this almost always when my car needs some work at the shop. The look on their faces is hilarious wen you rock up in lycra, drop the keys off to them and then proceed to take a bike out of it and ride away! Actually I don't know how other people do this? I assume they either hang around or drive 2 cars!?

Try doing it when you drop off your tipper! Or ride in to pick up a mini bus at Budget, or show up at a site meeting and point at your fancy shimano kicks when hi vis is raised.....

[queequeg]

My car needed some work done and the shop told me on Monday they had an early opening today/tomorrow, so I drove it in this morning and did the 40+km ride home.

I do this almost always when my car needs some work at the shop. The look on their faces is hilarious wen you rock up in lycra, drop the keys off to them and then proceed to take a bike out of it and ride away! Actually I don't know how other people do this? I assume they either hang around or drive 2 cars!?

Haha, I have done the same thing when dropping off the car. I got some very strange looks as I unloaded the bike out of the back at the Service Centre, then hand them the keys. I used to get the car serviced in Hornsby (Sydney), which is right in the middle of a popular loop called "Three Gorges", and my house is actually on the other side of one of the Gorges, so after I gave them the keys I went and did two of the three Gorges, then when picking the car up I finished off the loop and back through the last Gorge

[opik_bidin]

Back in the days, I wasn't too educated about bicycles and such.

I did stubbornly ride a bike during high school but lasts just days as it was a small kid bike and I didn't know what a good bike is.

It was until I came here to Australia and got into cycling that it all come back. learning what was good and bad, how to search good deals, friends you can ask.

and the used goods in gumtree that can are still in great condition with very low prices is such a dream.

I think most people just don't know yet the cycling that fits them

[spork]

When I was at Uni, I relied on cycling for 90% of my transport needs for a couple of semesters, and again a few years later when I wrote of my car - which I had finance on but no comprehensive insurance.
Around 10 years ago I started riding again, purely for fitness. My fitness improved in leaps and bounds - but my knee couldn't keep up, so I didn't ride for 7 - 8 years.

A month ago I bought an eBike.

I ride it to work whenever possible (some days there is no fleet car available, so I have to use my own, and some days I have out-of-town clients for my 2nd job).

We tend to do several small grocery shops each week, so my panniers are ideal.
I do the occasional recreational ride, but so far ~ 90%+ of my mileage has been utility cycling - and I'm loving it! I get the exercise with minimal time sacrifice.
Last week my car didn't leave the carport for 6 days straight.

Yesterday I rode to work, then to the pub after work, where I found space in a pannier for a 6 pack of good beers (and room in my belly for one schooner). Then the greengrocer for some last minute supplies, and on to home. I consciously avoid wearing cycling specific clothing (apart from a helmet) for various reasons, and my knee seems much happier using flat pedals and Doc Martens.

I find Utility cycling is much more enjoyable when it's a choice rather than a economic necessity.

[Tim]

I found this article interesting;

https://pvcycling.wordpress.com/

The gist of it being that if people had to carry all the crap they buy home on a bike or on their back they'd only buy a fraction of what they do.
The article relates mostly to food but extrapolates neatly to our grossly over-consumptive lifestyles.

[zebee]

The gist of it being that if people had to carry all the crap they buy home on a bike or on their back they'd only buy a fraction of what they do.

Heh... I've gone from shopping on a Brompton using the medium size C bag to a trailer and 1 massive pannier! Junk expands to fill the available room and a trike with Arkel Shopper and trailer has a lot of room for the junk to expand into.

I have a lot of e-waste to get rid of but the nearest place that will take it all is Artarmon and I dunno I want to take trike and trailer that far. Especially given I'm not going to try taking trike and trailer up the stairs to get over Gladesville bridge. So motorcycle it is. Throw-over panniers and a large duffle bag and a cargo net should do it.

I suppose I could take the Brompton and the trailer instead. Load more into the trailer and then strap the B on top of the lot to take the train. Too many bulky items though, might be two trips.

[g-boaf]

I do the utility riding thing some times with my road bike - I just get what I need during the day and then load it up when I go home. Just carry things in the backpack. Heavier stuff (or stuff that is cold) I'll just stop at the local shop very close and quickly grab it. It works fine.

Some of the real utility riders seem to hate that. How dare I ride a road bike for utility purposes!

[zebee]

Some of the real utility riders seem to hate that. How dare I ride a road bike for utility purposes!

I get some odd looks when people realise the bike with the dynamo lights, heavy duty wheels, and touring rack is full carbon fibre.

The Encore was sold as a top level sporting recumbent, I bought it cos it was made to fit and no 'bent on the market was small enough for my short legs (Ducks Disease! The curse of the Seagoons!). That is is so light (before I got to it..) that the bike shop reckoned they had to weigh it down to stop it floating away is irrelevant to me.

Run what ya brung. Nothing says a fancy road bike can't go to the shops. And given I saw a kid on a BMX bike passing heaps of midrange road bikes uphill on the 'Gong one year I think nothing says you have to be on a drop bar bike to go fast either!

My guess is they don't hate it. They are just wondering where you put the extras because every utility rider knows that you go shopping and you always end up strapping that last odd shaped bit to the rack with 2 bungees and a toestrap.