Ebikes "at work"

[m@Robertson]

Its been a couple of years since I originally posted in this thread.

Since then I liked the Bullitt in flat ol' Fresno so much, I built another one for the Monterey Bay hills. Took this pic on my way out to Walmart for a grocery run. You can order your groceries online and they'll bring them out to you. Its 14 miles each way, so I made some chili and tossed it into a thermos. Pulled over at a wide spot on the trail and had lunch on my way there.

I have a 7am-8am pickup scheduled for tomorrow. With the time change I'll probably need the lights at that hour.

 

[m@Robertson]

The Mundo is big and can hold up to 440 pounds in the cargo area, more in the front, plus the ridder.

Those things are good for a total of 550 lbs total, which is about 110 lbs more than most other cargo bikes, that top out typically at 400-440.

A lot of that weight limit has to do with the wheels. I put c/f wheels on my BFD and they have a weight limit like nothing else in their class. For the white Bullitt above, the factory rating is 440 but the company says right up front that its the wheels that limit the weight, and the frame can take 'more'. But they won't say how much more. I've had mine with its beefy wheelset to a bit over 500.

 

[Kayakguy]

I didn't find any other thread discussing using ebikes for chores, errands, or other types of "work", so, voila!

I'm normally a recreational rider, but in an attempt to be more environmentally friendly (and get some additional exercise), recently purchased a cargo trailer (Schwinn Day Tripper) for my bike (Giant La Free E+2) so I could begin using it for shopping and other chores and activities around town.

The first outing with the trailer was yesterday, and it was perfect! I'm looking forward to incorporating biking further into my daily routine .

There are still some logistical issues to work out, mainly having to do with security/anti theft measures. I do most of my grocery shopping on the military base nearby, where I feel confident just locking the bike, with trailer attached, to a post outside the store. Out in our little town, I'm not so sure. Do I remove the trailer from the bike and use it as a cart in the store (a bit unwieldy)? Do I come up with a way to lock the trailer to the bike? Do I need an alarm set up (will I even hear an alarm from the depths of Safeway???)?

Suggestions welcome!

Share experiences, pics and ideas for utilizing your bike in a "working" capacity here...

Here's my new set up:

I haven't done it yet, but I'd like to try using the trailer as a shopping cart.

 

[m@Robertson]

I haven't done it yet, but I'd like to try using the trailer as a shopping cart.

The problem with that is you have to load it, then unload it at the register, and then load it back up again while people are waiting in line behind you. I had that happen in a much simpler shopping trip at Home Depot. Much better for me to lock the bike up securely ... or use curbside pickup service and have the shop bring your stuff out to you in the parking lot. I did that this morning as noted above. Not every shop has curbside delivery so it does limit your options a bit.

For the longest time I didn't trust it for buying food, but I've found something unexpected: The store clerks seem to take extra care because they don't want complaints. I picked up an 18-pak of XL eggs and they were fine. The lettuce wasn't wilted and so on.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

The problem with that is you have to load it, then unload it at the register, and then load it back up again while people are waiting in line behind you. I had that happen in a much simpler shopping trip at Home Depot. Much better for me to lock the bike up securely ... or use curbside pickup service and have the shop bring your stuff out to you in the parking lot. I did that this morning as noted above. Not every shop has curbside delivery so it does limit your options a bit.

For the longest time I didn't trust it for buying food, but I've found something unexpected: The store clerks seem to take extra care because they don't want complaints. I picked up an 18-pak of XL eggs and they were fine. The lettuce wasn't wilted and so on.

Curbside delivery — revolutionary!! The Ralph's down the hill has it, and no more theft-paranoia to keep me from grocery shopping by ebike. Yay!

So many things have changed since I was an avid cyclist back in the Late Bronze Age! If I made a list of all the EBR members who've given me great ideas that I actually use now — and there are many — pretty sure @m@Robertson would be at the top.

 

[PatriciaK]

The problem with that is you have to load it, then unload it at the register, and then load it back up again while people are waiting in line behind you. I had that happen in a much simpler shopping trip at Home Depot. Much better for me to lock the bike up securely ... or use curbside pickup service and have the shop bring your stuff out to you in the parking lot. I did that this morning as noted above. Not every shop has curbside delivery so it does limit your options a bit.

For the longest time I didn't trust it for buying food, but I've found something unexpected: The store clerks seem to take extra care because they don't want complaints. I picked up an 18-pak of XL eggs and they were fine. The lettuce wasn't wilted and so on.

I just check out normally, have my bags loaded into the grocery cart, then put them in my trailer, just like I'd put them in my car trunk. Not a problem for me...

 

[Taylor57]

The problem with that is you have to load it, then unload it at the register, and then load it back up again while people are waiting in line behind you. I had that happen in a much simpler shopping trip at Home Depot. Much better for me to lock the bike up securely ... or use curbside pickup service and have the shop bring your stuff out to you in the parking lot. I did that this morning as noted above. Not every shop has curbside delivery so it does limit your options a bit.

For the longest time I didn't trust it for buying food, but I've found something unexpected: The store clerks seem to take extra care because they don't want complaints. I picked up an 18-pak of XL eggs and they were fine. The lettuce wasn't wilted and so on.

Yeah, I would be worried about the guy with the angle grinder in the parking lot ready to file thru my Krytponite and steal my baby while I compared cuts of meat and poultry! I even lock my bike up inside the gym every morning. Sucks, but that's where we are now in my village...

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

Yeah, I would be worried about the guy with the angle grinder in the parking lot ready to file thru my Krytponite and steal my baby while I compared cuts of meat and poultry! I even lock my bike up inside the gym every morning. Sucks, but that's where we are now in my village...

I was at an event in Ohio, with 3000-4000 people lots of cash changing hands. At one fence there were easily 40 Ebikes lined up after dark, not a single one was chained.

 

[Art Deco]

Where in Ohio were you? I am from west of Canton....Carroll county. Did you take the food trailer to a county fair?

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

Where in Ohio were you? I am from west of Canton....Carroll county. Did you take the food trailer to a county fair?

Holmes County at Mount Hope. I was there for Progress days, big horse event. We're going to try to the trailer into progress days next year since they're being held in Lancaster next year. The year I was there there were 3 truck/trailers there and no one was selling food, only snacks.

 

[Art Deco]

Holmes County at Mount Hope. I was there for Progress days, big horse event. We're going to try to the trailer into progress days next year since they're being held in Lancaster next year. The year I was there there were 3 truck/trailers there and no one was selling food, only snacks.

I think our family went to Mount Hope once, a tour related to the jams and jelly company that I could never spell right.

 

[m@Robertson]

I just check out normally, have my bags loaded into the grocery cart, then put them in my trailer, just like I'd put them in my car trunk. Not a problem for me...

I used to do that when I was riding normal bikes with front/rear racks that had regular panniers. I'd hang the bags off the shopping cart sides, inside and out. But for me at least, it was still easier to put the panniers into the bottom of the cart, fill the cart and do the normal checkout, then pack the bags on the bike. Different strokes...

Nowadays I use a bike whose panniers are each 26L hardshell buckets you can just toss stuff into, and they are only overflow, as the main cargo compartment is a big open box you throw your chit into without a care for anything but available space. I'll never go back to a longtail, buying things in two's and caring at all about packing.

Yeah, I would be worried about the guy with the angle grinder in the parking lot ready to file thru my Krytponite and steal my baby

As far as I have been able to tell, those people exist for sure but not anywhere I have ever lived. Still, I make it as tough on them as possible. Needing at least two cuts on 18mm hardened stainless, plus two more on 16mm hardened steel, thats a couple-three cutoff wheels, and maybe a second battery. 5-minutes-plus sounds like not a lot but its always been plenty considering the bike next to me - not to mention the cars - are a lot easier to take. That bike next to me in the pic used just a cable and thats 5-10 seconds and you can pick that expensive analog bike up and run with it.