Friday, May 18, 2012

Commuting Update


The other bike rack in front of school was full. There's hope for the human race yet.

Well the first full week of May closes with a string of nice sunny warm days here in Ohio.  I only drove my car one day this week simply because Wyatt had band practice and had to lug along his saxophone on Thursday.  Two of the days I rode my motorcycle and while I can't claim a fitness bonus from riding that machine my fuel consumption could be measured in ounces which I consider to be a conservative and smart use of resources.  Besides the Triumph is just plain fun.

Summer Vacation is just around the corner and in the fall Wyatt will be going to middle school.  We will be letting him ride to school on his own and of course it makes me nervous but we've got to cut that cord at some point.  I've enjoyed escorting him to school up till now and never considered it a bother in the least. If anything it adds a little distance and a chance to see something different than my usual commute route.  I'm sure he is more than ready to earn his own wings because we often see kids riding to school by themselves that are much younger than him.

Over the summer I am going to design and fabricate some kind rack system for his bike similar to a rear pannier setup that will allow him to attach his saxophone's hard case to one side and his backpack to the other to balance the load.  I've just begun the process of kicking around ideas in my head but really don't have a plan yet.  I'll start with a good quality touring rack and go from there.  Of course I'm open to suggestions from any of you cargo-carrying-cycle-commuters out there.

3 comments:

  1. Custom sax racking! Why does that sound dirty?I've not graduated past regular panniers on regular racks, but I think that is a great idea. Solving specific barriers to the commute is what it is all about!

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  2. I used to use a bike trailer. Worked great. I would recommend something like this: http://www.bobgear.com/yak

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    1. Yes the BOB trailers are nice. Also allows the bike to stay clean without a bunch of stuff bolted on. If you don't need it it can stay in the garage. That's definately an option as he carries a ton of school books most days.

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