Bikes and Baggage Cargo Ride — Proteus Bikes, College Park

[Greenbelt]

My LBS is hosting a utility fun ride (probably around 10 miles) on October 30. The goal is for customers and friends to experience errand/shopping riding with other riders on a low-traffic time of the week (Sunday morning). Some of us might do mock shopping just for the challenge and experience — I’ll probably have a backpack full of groceries by the time we’re done!

I’m not sure the exact route, but it will be mostly on residential streets and local roads with bike lanes. We’ll probably explore some of the shortcuts cyclists in the area use to get around the region.

Here is the link to the announcement, and I’ve pasted the text of the announcement below if that link doesn’t work.

Here is a link to a bike route to the shop from College Park Metro (http://vimeo.com/21293118 )
and here is a link to the bike route from the Greenbelt Metro (http://vimeo.com/21279584 )

It’s also pretty easy to get to Proteus from the University of Maryland campus — just take the Paint Branch trail north from the campus (near the Comcast center). The trail goes under University Blvd and around the Paint Branch golf course. After the golf course, there’s a spur off to the right that goes up to Route 1 near the bike shop, and there’s a new traffic light to cross over.

Date: Sunday, October 30
Time: 9:30am
Place: Proteus Bicycles | 9217 Baltimore Avenue | College Park | MD | 20740 | 301.441.2928

Leave your car at home. –

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Dig out your backpacks, racks, panniers . . . any safe way you can carry small packages. Discover just how fun and easy it is to do local errands on your bike. We have a fun route all planned out for you. You will go from stop to stop picking up packages and surprises, returning back to the shop for awards and celebrations.

This will be about a 10 mile ride routing you to various public places where one might commonly go on an errand. You will be amazed how fun and quick it can be using your bike instead of your car. Helmets are required and young and/or inexperienced riders should have a riding buddy with them. RSVP is appreciated. Check webpage in case of rain. Hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Jill DiMauro
Proteus Bicycles

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email: jill@proteusbicycles.com
web: http://www.proteusbicycles.com

[Riley Casey]

Very glad to see this ride idea from Proteus. The close in suburbs are ideal for utilitarian biking just as much as the urban core is. This is what biking is really all about in much the same way that cars are much more about taking a half dozen kids to soccer practice than they are about the Indy 500.

[Dirt]

Cool idea. I may have to ride across town on the dummy for this.

[Greenbelt]

@Dirt 9271 wrote:

Cool idea. I may have to ride across town on the dummy for this.

That would be fun — anyone who hauls out from DC or Virginia will get first dibs on my specialty anti-bonk oatmeal dark chocolate chip cookies.

[FFX_Hinterlands]

This is great. I would love to see a regular Cargo ride out here in the suburbs.

[Joe Chapline]

Great idea. There was a recent press release from Metro that said about 33 percent of all the people going to College Park Metro station drive less than 3 miles to get there. One percent bike. So it seems that some outreach about utilitarian* cycling could do a lot of good in that area. Metro is building a 2400 sq. ft. bike cage at the station to encourage cycling.

*Or, just “utility.” I think “utilitarian” is a combination of “utility” and “Unitarian.” It’s gathering together in fellowship and also getting something done.

[Dirt]

@Greenbelt 9272 wrote:

That would be fun — anyone who hauls out from DC or Virginia will get first dibs on my specialty anti-bonk oatmeal dark chocolate chip cookies.

Coolness. I will add that to my calendar.

[bikenurse]

Jill might need some volunteers, so contact her if you’re able and willing. I hope lots of people come check it out. The more the merrier!

[KLizotte]

If one is doing multiple errands by bike, one runs into the problem of what to do with purchases when hopping from store to store (if travelling solo). Taking them on/off the bike is a real pain as is carrying everything around.

I just came across this link showing how Calif has outfitted many public areas with on demand “lock boxes” for bikes; this system allows bikers to store their purchases (and bike of course) for only 5 cents/hour!

I hope something like this scheme gets started in DC. Could potentially solve a lot of problems with theft, convenience, etc.

http://www.bikelink.org/

[Dirt]

It’s big. It’s dumb. It’s back.

[Dirt]

@KLizotte 9304 wrote:

I hope something like this scheme gets started in DC. Could potentially solve a lot of problems with theft, convenience, etc.

It would be cool to have something like that around.

[Joe Chapline]

@KLizotte 9304 wrote:

If one is doing multiple errands by bike, one runs into the problem of what to do with purchases when hopping from store to store (if travelling solo). Taking them on/off the bike is a real pain as is carrying everything around.

That’s a good point, and it also applies to transit. Railroad stations and bus terminals used to offer lockers so you could stow your stuff and leave the station. I’ve often wished that shopping malls had checkrooms so I could shop without carrying a briefcase, luggage, or other packages. Drivers have lockable storage wherever they go.

[OneEighth]

Not to be a downer, but post 9-11, you probably won’t get too much support for lockers in crowded places.

[Dirt]

@OneEighth 9311 wrote:

Not to be a downer, but post 9-11, you probably won’t get too much support for lockers in crowded places.

I thought about that too, but a lot of metro stations have them.

[Joe Chapline]

@OneEighth 9311 wrote:

Not to be a downer, but post 9-11, you probably won’t get too much support for lockers in crowded places.

Maintenance would be a headache, too, but it’s a something to think about for places that want to attract and accommodate cyclists, transit riders, and walkers.

[Author]

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