Easily Run Errands on Your Bike With These Simple Tips

You don’t have to be a hard-core cyclist or environmentalist to run errands on your bike. All you need is the willingness to try something new, and maybe get a bit sweaty. And of course, you’ll need a bike. Whether you want to run errands on your bike by yourself or bring the kids with you we have a few tricks up our sleeves that will help you get everything accomplished.

Running Small Errands

Need to run over to the Post Office to mail a letter? How about the dentist for a cleaning? If you live close and your kiddos have been out on the bike with you before these trips are a great place to start. The perceived (or real!) challenges are smaller and you don’t have a lot to carry. If your child is riding in a Child Bike Seat like the Observer or Caress, we recommend using a small backpack, handlebar bag or basket, or saddle bag. When using the Observer, a front mounted seat, a backpack or saddlebag will help to offset the weight of your child. When using the Caress, a rear mounted seat, we recommend a handlebar bag or basket as it will not interfere with your child’s seating position.

Carrying Medium or Large Loads

Stopping off at the grocery store? Headed to the library or dry-cleaners? There are solutions to help you run errands on your bike for larger loads as well. If your munchkin is riding in a Child Bike Seat, panniers in the front or back of the bike can help to disperse the weight of your groceries. We believe the best option for larger loads is the Hamax Outback Multi-Sport Bike Trailer + Stroller. The Outback is an easy way to get your child, all of their things, and all of your things to and from any errand you may need to run. Plus, it easily switches to a stroller with the One-Click Safe Connection Point. This means that you can bike to the grocery store and then lock up your bike outside, and wheel your stroller (and child!) inside to shop within seconds. No need to remove your child when switching between attachments either, so you can let sleeping babies lie.

The storage compartment behind the seats of the Outback measures 22″ x 11″ (Outback ONE is 17″ x 11″) and can fit multiple grocery bags as well as the baby’s diaper bag and mom’s purse. If necessary, you can put a few bags of groceries up front with the kids, but we recommend the cookies stay in the back for safe keeping.

Safety When Running Errands On Your Bike

We recommend that you lock up your bike before you head into the store and bring the bicycle arm with you after you’ve switched to the stroller connection. The bicycle arm easily slides into the side of the Outback. When you’re ready to head home it’s easy to access and switch out the stroller wheel for the bicycle arm. While we hope it would never happen, it certainly wouldn’t be fun to have finished your shopping only to realize that you were missing part of your transportation back home.

It’s also a good idea to test drive your bike with the added weight of a handlebar basket, panniers, or even a full trailer. By doing a few test runs before the grocery store, you’ll get an understanding for how your bike handles under extra weight, as well as how to balance out your loads the best way. You don’t want to be figuring that out for the first time with a tired toddler and a couple dozen eggs in the back.

As always make sure that everyone is wearing helmets and appropriate clothing for the weather. Remember that the kids aren’t doing hard pedaling work so they may need an extra layer. If you’re using the Outback bike trailer, the safety flag ads height and visibility to the trailer for other drivers. Adding a bell or horn to your bike could be useful as well, especially if you are riding in traffic.

Whether you’re heading out to take the oldest to dance class or buying a weeks worth of groceries, knowing that you can get some fresh air and exercise in on the way should be an exciting prospect, not a discouraging one. By starting with short, simple trips you won’t overwhelm yourself, the kids, or the bike.