Category Archives: shopping

Big Loads, the Friendly Competition

Posted on June 27, 2008 by Anne | 5 comments

Tim and I are engaging in a friendly “big load” competition. We both know Tim is bigger and stronger and can carry more but it’s still fun for me to pretend I’m in the running. (Ah it’s the little things that keep marriage interesting).

The loads are really hard to gauge since we don’t have a scale that will register that much weight. So our method for determining who is the burliest Xtracycle grocery shopper is how much we spent at Trader Joe’s. I hauled $205.68 back in January. Tim’s latest load was $209. I’m pretty sure he bought more wine and cheese and other expensive stuff than me so I know I’m winning. ; – ) Maybe we need to bring in a neutral third party to be the judge?

Happy Friday! It’s a beautiful day in Seattle – I hope it’s nice where you are.

– Anne

5 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, shopping, xtracycle

Tagged alternative transportation, BIG Loads, grocery shopping, xtracycle

My New Red Basket Rules

Posted on June 10, 2008 by Anne | 10 comments

Tim spent a couple of hours last weekend lovingly painting my new front basket cherry red. It looks great. Tim, you do good work– and you’re the best. Continue reading →

10 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bike lust, bikes, oma, shopping, sustainability

Tagged carrying stuff, oma, Red Basket, shopping

Movin’ on up… to a not-so car-free life.

Posted on April 1, 2008 by Tim K | 13 comments

We’ve been doing the bike thing for close to a year now and it’s been a pretty nice ride. We’ve lost a few pounds, got in decent shape, reduced our foot print on the environment, and saved some cash. We’ve ridden through rain and sleet and snow and survived it all.

In the meantime though, we kind of feel like we’re missing out as participants in American culture. Sure the Xtracycles can haul a lot, but just try using one after a Costco run for a 50″ Plasma TV, car battery, and family-sized box of ultra slim. It’s just not going to happen. And when was the last time we had time to go spinning class? Riding everywhere takes so long and so much energy that we don’t have a spare time for the gym or audio books or Oprah or anything like that.

We want a car. A big one. Continue reading →

13 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here, consumerism, shopping

Tagged april 1, bikes, craigslist, suv

Update on Mayor Nichols’ racks

Posted on March 31, 2008 by Anne | 3 comments

I recently requested some bike racks for a fairly new commercial strip in the Ravenna neighborhood of Seattle. Over the past several years some “mixed use” apartment buildings have been built on NE 65th street. In addition to the two large apartment buildings, there are now four restaurants on the two-block stretch. And not a single bike rack. Continue reading →

3 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, neighborhoods, Rack that Bike, seattle, shopping

Tagged bike parking, bikes, cycling, racks, seattle

Wool

Posted on January 30, 2008 by Anne | 7 comments

photo credit: Chronanor (http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=330456640&size=m)

It’s cold in Seattle right now. Not as cold as this, but cold in a windy drizzly Northwest kind of way. The 35-40 degree light rain gets in your bones and leaves you with a chill that won’t quit. We’re still out there riding every day and not suffering too much. We quickly figured out the right layering combo for this weather. We don’t go anywhere without our wool. Not the itchy scratchy irritating kind, but the soft (ahhh), not-at-all itchy Merino variety. Lucky for us, there’s a lot of it on the market right now. Continue reading →

7 Comments

Posted in bikes, shopping, weather

Tagged bikes, cold, cycling, rain, wool

Perfect for the Spatially Challenged

Posted on January 22, 2008 by Anne | 11 comments

I had a brief period of panic outside of Trader Joe’s today. I guess I’m used to the two-Xtracycle Trader Joe’s runs. You really don’t need to worry about whether it’s all going to fit or not when you’re loading up two. Sometimes Tim and I even fill up a shopping cart and a couple hand baskets and still get everything on the bikes.

I tried to be aware of the one-bike issue today – I set up my six cloth bags in the cart (the number that normally fit in the Freeloaders) and filled up each bag as I shopped. I was pretty confident I had showed enough restraint to get it all on the bike. Then I went to check out. As I was re-bagging after the cashier rang my stuff up, I noticed my six bags were bulging.

When the cashier read me the total – $205.68, mild panic set in.

Continue reading →

11 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, BIG Loads, bikes, seattle, shopping, xtracycle

Tagged bikes, freeloaders, groceries, kona, seattle, sun, trader joes, ute, xtracycle

In for Service

Posted on January 7, 2008 by Anne | 1 comment

Tim has spent the last couple of rainy days in the garage with the Xtracycles putting extra coats of polyurethayne on the snap decks and footies and installing my Christmas present – Brooks B17 Women’s saddle. It’s like having my car in the shop – I have to find alternative transportation.

Yesterday, the seven year old and I were all set to go to PCC – dressed for the weather with hats, gloves and coats etc. We were helmeted and ready to go. We went out to the garage to hop on the bike and found it apart. I didn’t know the bike was “in the shop” (I guess Tim and I should work on our communication). Bummer. Dinner guests were arriving soon so we had to _gasp_ drive to the store – no time to walk or take the bus.

I felt pretty dirty driving 1/2 a mile to the store – first time I’ve done that in months.

– Anne

1 Comment

Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, shopping, xtracycle

Tagged alternative transportation, biking, cycling, xtracycle

Tree Haulin’

Posted on December 17, 2007 by Tim King | 4 comments

You’ve probably seen about a zillion Christmas-Trees-on-Xtracycle photos already this year. I mean, everybody is doin’ it.

Said photos are usually cute and harmless and kind of fun to look at. For our sake, let’s hope that’s true because the CarFreeDay team is making it a zillion and two right here. Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, BIG Loads, extravehicular activities, kids, seattle, shopping, sustainability, weather

Tagged , bigload, bike, Christmas 2007, Christmas Tree, Christmas Tree Ride, kids, seattle, xtracycle

Hardwick’s – a good ol’ fashioned hardware store

Posted on December 13, 2007 by Anne | 3 comments

We are lucky enough to live within biking distance to Hardwick’s.

“Hardwick’s is a family-owned and operated hardware store located in the heart of the University District in Seattle, Washington. Passed down through three generations, Hardwick’s is rich in family tradition. Grandfather Charles Dean Hardwick established the business as a secondhand store in 1932 after he lost his real estate company in the market crash. Starting with his own office furniture as the original inventory, Grandfather Hardwick’s business continued to thrive in the Depression era by including factory seconds and damaged freight from the Milwaukee Road and Union Pacific Railroad and by purchasing goods from the public….”

Continue reading →

3 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, kids, longbikes, neighborhoods, seattle, shopping, shops

Tagged , bikes, Hardware, Hardwick's, seattle, tools, xtracycle

Xtracycle Stoker Stems

Posted on November 21, 2007 by Tim K | 4 comments

I covered stoker bars a while ago. That was a cop-out because the bar is the easy part. Almost anything will work (chopped off mountain bike bar, old BMX bars, Albatross, whatever). The hard part is mounting the bar in such a way that the passenger’s nose is not stuffed into the rider’s butt.

Continue reading →