Bike cargo

Usually I really like not having a car, though it does make carrying things around town more of a challenge. Brian went to a bachelor party on Saturday for one of his fellow teachers. They started with a soccer game at school and Brian had offered to bring a case of beer for the guys to drink after the game.
In our former lives, Brian would drive there and make a quick stop at the liquor store to buy some beer on the way. In our lives in Hannover, it's another story. I have two bikes. My older bike is the one I take around town to do errands and such and it has two saddle bags on the back. While Brian started walking, I rode to the Getrankmarkt, which is the store where you buy beer and and any other sort of beverages. I then bought a case of beer, which is 20 beers. (Why do Americans like to have things in dozens? Eggs come in boxes of 10 here too). I had to unpack them and load them into the saddle bags, putting towels in between so they didn't clank too much as I rode down the street. I met Brian at school and we wheeled the bike in to unload, making sure the kids playing basketball in the gym didn't see us.

I am thinking about riding my bike to Ikea. I have to go there to buy shower curtain liners, which Ikea must have a monopoly on, because I can't find them anywhere else. The other times I've gone there I take a tram and then have to walk about 15 minutes to the store, so riding my bike seemed easier. Plus I could get my exercise in and save 4 euros by not having to buy a ticket. Now I am debating about just how much stuff I can fit in the saddle bags (you can't go there and only buy shower curtain liners), and wehther it's a good idea to wear a backpack too. I won't be buying any furniture, but I wonder if I could manage to bring home a floor lamp somehow...

Of course, it could be raining and sleeting when I decide to go, since that's happening about every day now. Then I might chicken out, or I might still go and be totally miserable doing it. If only they sold shower curtain liners somewhere else... There are times I really miss Target.

So far the saddlebags have worked well for carrying boxes to the post office and for carrying bottles of soda and wine. I even carried a bike pump in the saddlebag last week, though half of it was sticking out of the top and I thought it might fly out if I made a sudden stop.

Even though carting things around this way seems odd to me, it's pretty normal for Hannover. A few days ago, I saw a couple carrying a Christmas tree by balancing it on a bike and walking the bike home. I've also seen someone walking a bike home from the flea market with some furniture loaded on it. I guess cars aren't the only things with wheels that you can use to cart your stuff around. They just move faster and don't clank as much when you go over a bump.