Wise Words - Car Free
You might think that it is impossible these days to ditch the car completely. How would you get to work or do your weekly food shopping? How would your kids get to school? A combination of the right kit and the right mental attitude can make a big difference. And of course you don't have to go the whole hog. Just cutting out those short journeys can make a huge difference to your carbon footprint.
The Weekly Shop
You can leave the car at home, shop by bike and not starve! Many families have gotten into the habit of doing one large weekly, or even fortnightly shop - the car and the explosion of frozen and packaged goods in supermarkets has facilitated this. But you can do more regular twice weekly shops by bike, given the right kit and a bit of planning.
When you're in the shop, get a trolley that roughly approximates the load capacity of your bike. Trolleys come in all shapes and sizes these days and many supermarkets have small trolleys - the capacity of these is about the same as a backpack and two large (50 litre) panniers. If in doubt, take your panniers in with you in the trolley and shop until your panniers are full. You might get a few odd looks from security but don't be put off. Next time, you'll know the limits of what you can carry. When you have paid for your shopping, don't bother packing it in carrier bags, just dump it straight back into the trolley and head back to your bike. Mount your panniers and then empty your trolley contents into your panniers, heavy, non squashable stuff first, lighter more delicate stuff on top. Make sure that you equalise the weight on each site of the bike. Save some more light stuff for your backpack - you don't want to be top heavy. It pays to find a secure parking space for your bike first, preferably undercover so that you are not doing your packing in the rain. Now all you have to do is return your trolley, saddle up and ride home. When you get home, you can unclip your panniers and pack your stuff away - and this way you won't be left with a pile of carrier bags to deal with.
If you really want to stick with the routine of a weekly shop, you'll need to bring in the heavy artillery. While a standard bike with a rear rack and panniers will cope with a 3-4 day shop, for a week or more's worth of shopping you'll need something a bit more specialised, which nowadays means a dedicated freight bike or a trailer.
Cargo Trailers
Probably the more sensible option for most people, as you still have a compact, manouverable and stowable bike for your day to day riding. Cargo trailers come in many different configurations: one wheeler, two wheeler, touring or urban designs. For getting shopping home, you'll need something capable of carrying your stuff without squashing it into a bag. Make sure that you lock your trailer and bike securely when you leave it to go shopping - it could turn into a very expensive shopping trip.
Freight Bikes
There are a growing number of freight bikes on the market, some designed for courier and messenger services, but some equally useful for the car free life. They range from traditional butchers bike designs, through to stretched chainstay bikes with room for four panniers, plus special adaptations, allowing you to 'stretch' your existing mountainbike.
The School Run
Getting your kids to school needn't mean exhaust fumes and traffic jams. Depending on their ages and abilities, there are numerous bikes and adaptations around for family biking.
If you've got nursery-age kids a child seat or trailer bike is probably where it's at. Many nurseries have a pram park - ask if you can leave the childseat or trailer there, then you can go off to work unencumbered on your normal bike.
Plan your route to school with your kids in advance and do a reccy of it on your own, looking out for potential trouble spots. Don't go for the direct route that you'd use if you were driving - the point is to avoid traffic as much as possible.
Getting your kids used to planning their journey will give them more independence and skills when it comes to them making the journey by themselves.
If you are going to take your kids to school you'll probably want to foster in them a lifelong relationship with the bike. So for goodness' sake don't turn up dressed like an overweight team pursuit rider. Lycra may go down well on the club run, but it won't impress the mums in the schoolyard.
Don't underestimate the power of peer pressure. You want your kids to ride safely and wear a helmet, so wear one yourself and get them a really cool one so they won't feel foolish in front of their mates.
