Two years ago, the downtown Whole Foods decided to explore doing deliveries by bike.  I have been wanting to start a monthly segment highlighting jobs in the Austin area where people are making a living on a bike.  Whole Foods is a perfect starting point. I arranged a time to meet up with Matt Whetstone, the coordinator for bike deliveries.  While we waited for an order to come in, we talked a little about the program.

How many riders are currently delivering groceries by bike?  We currently have 5 full-time riders and a couple of part-timers.

How does one go about ordering groceries, and get them delivered by bike? Call 512.542.2243. Tell them what you want.  Pay.  Wait for your delivery to arrive within an hour or two.  The delivery zone is roughly 15th Street to the north, Town Lake Lady Bird Lake to the south, Mo-Pac on the west, and Springdale Rd to the east.  If you aren’t sure if you live in the delivery area, give them a call.

Bike lanes are great when you have 100lb of food behind you.

What is the delivery radius?  The delivery zone is roughly 15th Street to the north, Town Lake Lady Bird Lake to the south, Mo-Pac on the west, and Springdale Rd to the east.  If you aren’t sure if you live in the delivery area, give them a call.  

Is there an App for that? How is payment handled?  Currently all of the orders are taken over the phone, but in the very near future there is going to be a website dedicated to ordering some of the most common things being ordered.  No app yet, but who knows.

How much does it cost to get groceries delivered to your door?  Absolutely FREE, as long as you buy $10 worth of stuff.

What do you deliver?  Anything we sell in the store, a lunch order from the salad bar, a pizza, and entire weeks worth of groceries, crates of water.  The only exception, sadly, is alcohol.  It if was legal for alcohol to be delivered by bike, you might need twice as many riders, but for everything else in the store if we sell it you can get it delivered.

What kind of bikes are the used to do the deliveries?  We started with 26′ hybrid bikes but quickly discovered those were not going to work.  Now we have a couple of additional road bikes.  Riders of similar size share rides when possible.  Anything to avoid riding those previously mentioned hybrids. Along with the racks, there are a couple of trailers which can carry up to 200+ lbs of food. 

Notice the additional reinforced supports for the wheels on the trailer, carrying all that Topo Chico is hard on the already rugged trailers.

The bike cage, where all the bikes get looked over before heading out each day.

All that riding must mean you have quite a bit of maintenance, who does the wrenching?  Each rider is responsible for the basic day to day maintenance, but most of the big stuff is handled by a partnership with Austin Bikes.

What are five things you carry with you at all times?  Phone, Breakdown kit (tube, tools, etc), helmet, WF wicking shirt, bag. 

How does one become a bike deliverer?  Up until this point, everybody who has become a bike deliverer has already worked at the store in some other capacity.  We get more than enough applications from current employee’s, but that being said, this isn’t an easy job where riders are out cruising around, we expect the bike crew to be working hard and make as many deliveries as possible (rain or shine….except for lightning).  

Do the riders get any special training?  Obviously the interview process is a little different because we are looking for people who already have some experience riding bikes or are going to be comfortable riding in traffic.  Riders still get additional training on appropriate riding techniques.  The riders out on the street are representing the store when they are making deliveries, so it important riders are modeling appropriate riding behavior.  Our riders are different than your stereo-typical bike messenger, no fixie’s, slower riding, bigger loads.

You wouldn't know it from looking at the trailer, but there are 100 baguettes in that trailer.

Eventually an order was ready to go out for delivery.  Justine’s Brasserie in east Austin orders 100 fresh baguettes nearly everyday, and nearly everyday this are delivered via bike.  I rode along with Adrian as we shot nearly straight east from Whole Foods HQ.  We moved at a steady pace, heading due east, and because it was the day before Thanksgiving, traffic was light.  Riding past a number of “door zones” I asked Adrian where the most dangerous areas to ride were, surprisingly the he said he was most careful right around the store.  Without any bike lanes, high volume traffic, and people pulling in and out of the store, it is real easy for a cyclist to get lost in the mix.  The entire 7 mile trip, took less than 35 minutes.  I seriously doubt you could do the entire trip by car in less than 45 minutes.  Normally this type of trip would include additional deliveries on the way back to HQ but since it was a slow day we just headed back.

The A2W staff photographer for the Tour de Fat was my 7 year old, Miles, taking pictures from the back of our Xtracycle.

On Saturday, we rode our Xtracycle to the Tour de Fat for the opening bike parade ride. Coming in near Halloween, it is always a costumed affair and my kids love to see what people wear. This year, my son Miles used my camera to take pictures from the back of the bike. What was his favorite? He is a Sponge Bob Squarepants fanatic so it was the Patrick and Jellyfish combo, of course.

Here’s a sample of some great shots. More are on our Flickr page.

Since then, my wife got one, and we have used the Xtracycle to do all manner of tasks including picking up a Christmas tree. Through Austin on Two Wheels, I have also had a chance to test ride bakfiets like the Gazelle Cabby and Christiania as well as alternative long tail designs like the Yuba Mundo and Madsen. Each cargo bike has its strengths and weaknesses, but they all provide great ways to carry cargo and kids on two wheels.

I am certainly not the only cargo bike rider in Austin, but I still get several people talk to me about never seeing a cargo bike before pretty much every time I am out with the kids on one. For those who love cargo bikes and want to feel part of a larger community, Bay area film maker Liz Canning has a project for you. Canning is attempting to produce a crowd sourced documentary on all the different cargo bikes people use and how they have affected their lives. She even has a limited number of cameras that can be shipped to folks who need them.

Check out this great intro video on the project and visit Liz’s site and the project’s Facebook page for more info.

Baby Chicks Onboard

by Katie Jo Dixon, Green Wheels Studios Blog

I’m one of those happy and proud Austinites that rides my bike(s) just about everywhere. If I was to put a label on my bicycle riding self, I’d steal the term “The Self Righteous Cyclist” from BikeSnob NYC’s self titled book. I lay somewhere between “believing that cycling helps make me a better person” and “that bicycling can actually save the world.”

So, when I saw the call for entries for My Ride Writing Contest, I didn’t  think I could compete. I’m lucky to live in east central Austin and I have easy access with my bicycle to the grocery store, bike-pool the kids to school, to work, even to Mexico via bicycle (insert shout-out to Bike Across Borders here)…I’d gotten almost all my bases covered via bicycle.

However, there are a few places in town I don’t or can’t get to by bicycle; mostly because it’s inhospitable to bicycle traffic i.e. lots of fast moving cars with little to know room for two wheels, and I probably wouldn’t want to ride there anyway: like 183 south, for example: SUVs, 18-wheelers, horns blaring, mufflers’ spitting out smog…yuck & no thanks!

With spring emerging in Austin (and an emerging number of bicycles on the roadways too), I wanted to celebrate spring by getting a couple baby chicks: the sound of little peeping feels like song birds are living in my kitchen. The one place I knew to get baby chicks was via the aforementioned inhospitable-to-bicycles roadways, and I’d have to use a car to get there instead of bicycle.

But then on Sunday, I met a local chicken raising group whom “believes that the way to save the world is by raising chickens.” And they directed to me to a central location to get chicks. I was enthralled: I could save the world two times over by riding a bicycle and transporting chicks at the same time!

I loaded up my four year old, seven year old, and a feather-lined cage to carry the chicks back home in onto the cargo bike. I reminded myself that the baby chicks were just as safe in a cargo bicycle as in a car, possibly even safer – we’d be moving much slower on the bicycle, taking routes with bike lanes and less automobile traffic, and the sunlight hitting the black cargo bags could help keep the little chicks warm in route. I deflected the pleas from my children that hand holding the chicks while sitting on top of the cargo bike would keep them warmer than in the cargo bags. I told the children that chicks could ride in bikes, but not on them. The chicks legs were too short to reach the foot rests. It made rational and logical sense to the kids, and they obliged.

After each child chose one chick each at the feed store, I realized the obvious that I had overlooked, we’d need to feed the chicks special baby chicken food. It sold only in 20 lbs bags. I did the math: 45 lbs (child #one) + 55 lbs (child #two) + 20 lbs of baby chicken food = 120 lbs total. Still within the 200 lbs maximum range for the cargo bike, and I rationalized: with the extra 20 lbs we’ll go extra slow on the way home, and the chicks will be extra safe when we’re only moving at a speed of 5 miles per hour.

I wanted a sign that read “Baby Chicks Onboard…Please make sure to adhere to the 3 feet when passing rule.” We didn’t have a sign of declaration, and I didn’t want to add any extra weight to our load. Once the children, chicks, and feed were properly balanced we set off slowly bicycling in the sun in the late afternoon. Hearing chicks peeping while I peddled and my children waving and singing to other pedestrians, I realized that the place between “believing that cycling helps make me a better person” and “that chicken raising can actually save the world” was simply that both improve my quality of life.

Donuts and Bikes

by Minor Baker of The Bakers in Texas blog, On Twitter @sugabakes

“Let’s go get donuts Dada!” From the steamy mornings in August to the cold and windy mornings in February, this little tradition now starts our weekend more often than not. Just a year ago we would do this trip by car, but thanks to 30 Days of Biking, we started loading up a well-worn bike trailer and heading the 3 miles by bike. With three boys under the age of 3 there is no such thing as sleeping in on a Saturday, actually there is never sleeping in regardless of the day.

This short morning trip is becoming such a part of the routine that even with my twin nieces visiting, “the boy” assumes WE are still going by bike to get donuts. By we, he is including his cousins.  I figure, why not, since that beat-up trailer is able to hold multiple bags of dog food and/or my sister, the mother of said twins on a dare.  With some creative seating, we are able to squeeze all three in and head off down the road.  I am placing special emphasis on the word “down” here, because from our house, each direction leads to a gentle downhill grade.  It is easy to believe that any trip is going to be as easy, gliding downhill with a limited amount of pedaling.  WRONG!

As we near the donut shop, there is a hill, a very normal and average hill, more like a gentle rise if I was being honest.  This “gentle rise” has never been much of problem when just hauling “the Boy” around.  Up to this point, the three toddlers have enjoyed the kind of speed and excitement that comes with cruising downhill pushed by their additional 100 pounds. Out of nowhere, they whip each other into frenzy about the rapidly decreasing speed as we climb the “gentle rise”.  “GO FASTER! GO FASTER!,” they rant as I mash the pedals as quickly as I can. Understandably, my just out of bed legs are struggling to understand what the heck is going on.  I try to reason with my rabid passengers, telling them “It is a lot harder to go uphill.” Maybe it was their still developing brains or the rush of adrenaline from our downhill cruise or perhaps it was the mob mentality of 3 toddlers crammed into a trailer built for two, whatever it was they weren’t going to take this severe drop in speed lightly.  I get the feeling if given the opportunity, they would start whipping me Ben Hur style, just to squeeze a couple of extra MPH out of the old man.

We did eventually make it to the donut shop. After getting each tyrannical toddler a bag of donut holes, we had a quiet trip home.  Mrs. B and my sister wondered why I was all sweaty upon returning home.  I tried to explain the situation with the speed freaks and the BIG HILL, to which my lovely wife wondered “Why didn’t you just take the car?”  I didn’t even have to answer, because the three adventure buddies raced inside and asked my sister when she would take them to get donuts on a bike.  That excitement is the exact reason we take the bike instead.

Sponsored by

Austin on Two Wheels welcomes you to a second season of extraordinary social rides from March to May dedicated to the simple pleasure of riding a bicycle with friends.

More rides, more giveaways!

We have expanded to 16 rides this spring with an art ride and two family fun rides in addition to our food and drink and pampered favorites. Not only do our rides provide tremendous fun, we’ve added a book of coupons from our stop sponsors that you will receive on each ride to use on future visits. Plus we’ll be giving away a Gazelle Dutch city bike in a drawing of ride participants at the end of the series.

Private Parties
We are also pleased to announce we will be offering private parties for a special experience on two wheels. If you are looking for a unique theme to your next office party, bridal shower, birthday party, or anniversary, look no further.

Need a bike? No problem!
We have a fleet of easy to ride, comfortable Dutch bikes for rent so you can pedal around in style on our rides. We also have these bikes available with great looking accessories if you fall in love with the ride and want to take it home.

Kicking the car habit
Austin on Two Wheels will also be offering a limited number of Car-Free Living Classes in partnership with Bicycle Sport Shop. Whether you want to enjoy the financial boon of living car free or just find ways to cut back on your driving, our fun and informative class will help you live well without using a car.

UPDATE: I received a message from BoxCycles that the lighting issue I mentioned in this review is being addressed in the next shipment to the U.S. Look for better mounting options and possibly a dynamo.

My experience: BoxCycles arranged for me to borrow a model of the Christiania Cargo Bike from AustinBikes for a long weekend of testing including child transport and grocery shopping.

Build Quality: 5/5

Function: 4/5

Style: 5/5

Overall: 4.5/5

Availability: AustinBikes (1213-A West 5th Street) is the exclusive Texas dealer for the Christiania cargo bike at a retail price of $2700. Currently, the model in black with rain cover is available, however pre-orders for a May shipment are being taken now for those who want a different color or component build.

Overview

The Danish-made Christiania Cargo Bike offers families and those wanting to replace their car a practical, well built option for transport by bicycle. Its largest in class cargo box provides a lot of carrying capacity, though this size means you will need a dedicated space to park the Christiania. While the three wheel platform takes some getting used to for the experienced cyclist, it provides an extremely stable platform for loading cargo and for those who might not feel confident cycling a load on a two wheeled cargo bike.

This box is huge!

Note about terminology: For this article, I will make comparisons of the three wheeled Christiania box bike with the two wheeled, Long John-style box bikes like the Gazelle Cabby or WorkCycle Bakfiets. The Dutch term bakfiets, or box bike, is an accurate description of both styles of bikes but for sake of brevity when I use the term bakfiets it will refer to the two wheeled, Long John version.

Build Quality and Function

The Christiania box cargo bike is a high quality bike designed to take a beating and be left in the elements. The power coat frame and lacquered box communicates that this is a bike meant to be used and abused.

The best feature of the bike is the cargo box which is larger than any other box bike on the US market. I was able to fit an entire week’s worth of groceries including milk and sodas plus my 4 year old child without a problem. The size of the box could also be a drawback. The double wheels and box take up a lot of room when parked, and the box does not fold down like the Cabby and other soft shell bakfiets. This means you will need more space then a normal bike for parking and storage. It also means riding up on a sidewalk is less feasible. On the other hand as I’ve found with other cargo bikes, the bike’s size gives you more respect on the road so maybe the sidewalk becomes less necessary.

Week's worth of groceries & a child. No problem!

The box includes a bench with seat belts for two children. The bench also opens up for storage and includes a lockable lid so you can leave valuables, another unique and useful feature among cargo bikes. The removable rain cover uses tent style poles for structure and allows the sides to be removed if you wish to use it just as a sun guard. There are also nice small features like a step up plate on the rear drive side of the box to make getting in easier for kids.

Other standard features reflect the utilitarian nature of the bike: fenders, a rear wheel frame lock, bell, and chain guard. My only major gripe with the bike’s design is the lack of built in lighting that is standard on bakfiets. Due to the trike design, a dynamo wheel is not possible, but I could not find a decent place to put a forward light on the bike. The handlebars would be blocked by sitting children or the rain cover, and there are precious little other places to put a light on it. I question why a bike so obviously designed for daily transportation is not equipped for riding after dark. There are a few other minor stylistic changes I’d like to see like a rear rack, a frame lock that allows a plug-in chain like the AXA Defender, and fully encased chain drive, but the lighting issue was the only reason the bike did not get a perfect score for function.

Very nice gear range on 7 speed internal hub. Full chain guard, rear rack, & lock upgrade would make this perfect.

Ride Quality

The Christiania is a box bike on a three wheel platform, but unlike the trike designs in the U.S., it has two wheels on the front and a single wheel on the back. The frame pivots from the front box to the driver’s compartment for turning, yielding a bicycle that is much more maneuverable than the one wheel front, two wheels back design. For an experienced cyclists, this design takes some getting used to as you have to break old habits that keep a two wheeled bike upright and turning. This means no need for putting your foot down at stops, but it also means no leaning into turns. The pivoting front box is pushed different directions to turn, but if you fall into the old habit of micro adjustments on the front wheel at slow speed, it can make your driving erratic. Particularly disconcerting is riding the Christiania on our high camber roads. You feel yourself wanting to lean to right the bike, but of course, you can’t. Zenning out is key, and after a half day of riding, it seemed very natural to me.

7 speed shifter & bell on shopping cart style handlebars

The gearing on the Christiania is in my opinion the best specing of the entire bike. They have not made the mistake of gearing as if we live in the flat, flat Netherlands or Copenhagen. While it comes with a 7 Speed Shimano Nexus internal hub, the designers have paired the chain ring and rear cog to yield a very forgiving lowest gear, the best in all the cargo bikes I’ve ridden. This means I was able to take all the hills in my neighborhood and along South Congress even though the bike weighs over 70 pounds. This gearing is also appreciated when getting the bike going as pushing off with your foot like you do on most bikes is tricky on the Christiania. Being able to start pedaling from a stop is a nice option.

Lots of reflectors but unfortunately no lights

The braking system on the Christiania is a combination coaster brake and disk brakes on the front two wheels. I was very thankful for the disk brakes as the coaster was certainly not sufficient for going down hills loaded with children and groceries. (As a side note, this is why I avoid bikes that only have a coaster brake. If your chain pops off on a down hill, you have no brakes. The results can be catastrophic!)

The front pivot make the Christiania much more maneuverable then conventional trikes, but it is still bulky. I find two wheel bakfiets to be more nimble on this front. I also found the steering on the bike to be pretty squirly when you got above 15 MPH. Due to the double wheels and weight distribution, small steering adjustments at these higher speeds can get out of hand quickly so you have to be more focused when running faster. This is something I’ve not found to be an issue with bakfiets. Having said that, you really will not be riding this bike much above 12 mph unless you are going downhill. Finally, you can tip the bike if you try to turn at high speed. I noticed one of the front wheels lifting off the ground on tight, fast turns when unloaded. The Christiania is built for slow pedaling and carrying lots of stuff, not racing.

Summary

My kids loved riding in the Christiania.

If the lack of a lighting system is addressed, the Christiania box cargo bike makes a great option for carrying children or packages and purchase by bike. There is a reason box bikes are considered the SUV of the cycling world. They are just so useful that you may have to question why you bother to own a car at all. The Christiania gives you the most carrying capacity of box bikes on the US market. They are a welcome addition to available bakfiets and deserve a test ride when you are considering a cargo bike.

Editor Note: BoxCycles is an site sponsor of Austin on Two Wheels.

Entire city loses it’s mind when 1/16 of an inch of snow falls. People have been seen stocking up on canned goods & bottled water. Stranded resident, Margie Pimwater, noted she had cabin fever for the 18 minutes she was stuck inside. “How will I ever make it to Sunday when it’ll be 70 degrees again,” she lamented.

- Quote on Facebook from my friend John Wright
in response to the Austin hysteria over our “blizzard”

When we woke up this morning, my wife mentioned that in all the flurry of weekly activities in our home we had forgotten to stop by the grocery store before the “Snowpocalypse” to get some basics. We were, *ahem*, snowed in without such stables as milk, bread, butter, and dark chocolate. How would we survive?

The Gazelle Tour Populair handles shopping in the Snowpocalypse just fine

After being inspired by this morning’s Friday Film Fun, I headed out on a Gazelle Tour Populair, a very nice Dutch bike I had on hand from last year’s urban living rides. While I never got above the second gear, the bike handled the snowy conditions admirably without a hint of snow or slush on any of my clothes. The neighborhood grocery store was pretty barren of people, but with so many people home from work and trying to enjoy the snow before it melts, there were actually many more neighbors out in their yards or walking around than you would expect with the weather and our suburban development.

In honor of my bikes Dutch pedigree, I threw in a boutique of purple tulips, and upon reaching home found raisin bread baking and my children playing on a see-saw in the snow. Gotta love snow days!

Two words: Snow Day!

I know our northern friends are snorting as the fact that a 1/2 inch of snow has shut down our city, but then again they they’d crumble with 6 solid months of 90 plus degree days that we weather just fine. While you probably don’t need a snow plow bike, be sure to check out Streetfilms winter cycling primer if you do venture out on your bike today.

Of course, snow days mean an excused day of hooky which means you should be up to no good like this snow bike conversion (warning- music soundtrack NOT work friendly):

Of course, you don’t have to make special upgrades to your bike to have fun and get into trouble:

In some cities, residents just shrug off the snow and keep going on with their lives and no need for special equipment to make you look like an Imperial Clone Trooper.

Copenhagen January Cycling – Your Country from Copenhagenize on Vimeo.

Enjoy your snow day and ride if you dare!

We currently have a Christiania box bike in our possession so plan to see a review in the coming days. Also, note that Boxcycles will be giving away one of these bad boys (or is it bad girls?) as part of their ’10 tweets, 10 weeks’ contest. Just follow them on Twitter @boxcycles and look for a question tweeted each week through March. The answers to the question are all on the Boxcycle site, and they’ll be doing a drawing at the end.

More about the Christiania and Boxcycles:

Christiania Bikes, the iconic Danish cargo bikes, have finally made their way to the States after nearly 30 years roaming the streets of Copenhagen and beyond.

Their new, US distributor, Boxcycles – based in Boston, has been selling them via a growing, nationwide retail network since last summer and are proud to announce they are now available in ATX through Austinbikes.

This new and exciting addition to their retail network comes as a result of Austinbikes’ co-owner Eric Hess’ recent visit to Copenhagen where he was amazed to see literally thousands of these bikes in and around Denmark’s capital city.  Estimates put the number of Christiania Bikes in the city at 15,000 – probably a big factor in why the Danes are considered the ‘happiest people in the world’.

The bikes are a versatile breed, used for hauling of heavy goods and cargo, mobile businesses, and child transport.

In October, Christiania Bikes were awarded the prestigious ‘Classics Prize’ by the Danish Design Center – given to a Danish design that has stood the test of time. (see a short video)

Currently, Austinbikes has one bike left on the floor until they replenish the supply in May, so if you are interested, please head down and take a test spin.

As well, Boxcycles is holding a twitter contest – ’10 tweets, 10 weeks’ – where the winner will get a free Christiania Bike.  Just follow them on twitter (@boxcycles) for your chance to win!

Christiania cargo bike available in Austin exclusively at:

AustinBikes
1213-A West 5th Street
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 468-9557

Interested in becoming an A2W sponsor? Visit our sponsor info page or contact Elliott at sponsorships@austinontwowheels.org or (512) 791-9874.