I Love My Bag

One of my favorite things about my bike is my bike bag.  There are many reasons for this.  I ride about twenty miles a day and will often see things on the side of the road that I want to take home; recent finds include a raccoon coffee cup, crystal doorknob, glass lasagna pan, perfectly good pair of pliers, and a baggie full of refrigerator magnets in the shape of various U.S. states. These things have all come in handy, but I never would have been able to carry them on my bike without my bike bag.

Sometimes my bike rides can be as long as three hours and often the weather changes:  sun comes out, it starts to rain, things like that.  So the bike bag is a great way to bring extra clothing or a place to store clothing you’ve had to take off.  I keep a pump and a bike lock in there as well.

This summer, my longer bike route took me past a house with a basketful of tomatoes and cumbers out front with a sign that said FREE.  I took three or four tomatoes and one small cucumber a day for about three weeks.  This was great as I am terrible at gardening, but I still got fresh vegetables.

 I also pass two free little libraries – you know, those little cupboards nailed to a tree in front of a house with books inside.  This is another use for my bag – I borrow books from these libraries, and also take books I no longer want and drop them off.  This would be very cumbersome without my bike bag.

And lest we forget groceries-- not that I shop when I go on my bike rides--(Bill is the shopper, lucky me) but sometimes there will be a cooler on the side of the road with “fresh eggs, $3” printed on the side.  If I have remembered to bring money, I usually stop for the eggs too.

 My bike bag features flaps that can be unzipped and hang down (pannniers they’re called), providing more room for more stuff.  These were useful recently when I commuted to class at Endicott and was able to fit all my books and papers in it.

And finally, it is great for picnics.  Sundays, Bill and I often take long bike rides with a plan for a picnic somewhere near the end (usually at a cemetery, a nice quiet place).  The bike bag comfortably holds lunch: sandwiches, chips, deviled eggs, chocolate, and a water bottle full of wine, our picnic foods of choice.  This sure beats the granola bar stuffed into our back pocket!  I love my bike bag.