How to Shop by Bicycle [Momentum Mag]

Guest post by Duncan Hurd, managing editor of Momentum Mag

Some days, I like to do the impossible. Or, that is, I like to do something that many people believe is impossible.

I prefer to shop by bike.

My partner and I picked up this habit after we first started biking together. On the way home from a ride, we’d stop in at the butcher’s shop or pick up some take-out for dinner. At first, we’d hang bags from our handlebars, but we knew this was putting our purchases at risk as they swayed or bounced off our front wheels. Sometimes my partner’s purse was large enough for a few items, but we soon had the urge to carry more with us, without having to take transit or resort to borrowing a car.

When it comes to shopping by bike, we are not alone. Studies in Toronto, ON and Portland, OR have shown that people who shop by bike often spend more money per month than those who drive. It may be because we don’t have to worry about car payments, insurance, parking or gas shrinking our monthly budgets. We may also spend more simply because while on a bicycle it’s easy to drop into a new shop or restaurant because we’re traveling around at a pace that allows us see in store windows or read daily specials posted on sandwich boards.

Ready to run your next errand by bike? Tips to help you haul home purchases big and small:

[Find out how at Momentum Mag]