Errands

It is remarkably dry here in Portland. This time of year, it should be raining every day--according to the locals. Accompanied by the unusually dry weather is a bitter cold (lows in the teens). This kind of weather warrants some serious warm clothing. Gloves and a scarf are the two key essentials. Once comfortably equipped, all that remains is the decision of where to go. The city offers a bounty of options for scenic rides--especially those along the river. There is something charming about riding through the crisp air with a river on one side.


Personally I don't mind the cold, so long as its dry. One good hill climb on a bike in cold riding conditions becomes the great heat equalizer. Aside from leisure rides, errands are becoming more commonplace too.


The dry weather enabled a rather fun trip to the post office. Fun and post office are not usually synonymous. The appropriately named "Haul" carried my trusty box with ease. Aside from the primary task, the pannier racks proved quite handy for attaching bungee cords that keep stuff really secure ( I highly recommend the rubber bungees sold at the dollar stores). With the box secure I set out. The journey is usually a short one, but something about a box on an elegant bike garnered a lot of attention. "No it's not a custom bike" and, "you can buy it like this right off the showroom floor" were the two standard answers that were dealt out with every encounter. People can't help seeing the cargo strapped to the rear and smile as I ride past or lock it up. The conversations continued in the line at the post office, with all sorts of different people looking at the bike and commenting. The immediate upside of this is that you easily burn time in the long line. Upon reflection, its also a great way to be a bike advocate to those who perhaps don't usually ride.