Errands by Bicycle: Managing Your Time When You Don't Have a Car

For years I lived without a car. I thought that I couldn't drive, but it wasn't practical to take the bus or walk. I rode my bicycle everywhere. As a result, I learned a lot about time management and stayed in excellent shape. There are a lot of things that you don't have to think about when you're driving, but are a lot more important when traveling by bicycle.

Rule #1: Frozen Foods Melt

If one of your errands is going to the grocery store, do that one last if possible. As much as I hate waking up early, in the summer this was an errand for the morning. While driving a car, you don't think about things like heat as much, because you have air conditioning. There is no air conditioning on a bicycle. You can however, strap a cooler to your bike to help keep the food cool. I used a small rack that attached to the seat so that I could strap things to that. The grocery store was only 3 miles away, so it only took me about 15 minutes to get there and 15 minutes back. I quickly learned however, that 15 minutes is a long time when it's 95 degrees outside. Buy frozen foods in the morning or the evening during the summer time. No matter what season you buy frozen foods in, make that your last errand.

Rule #2: Secure Items Properly

Make sure that you properly tie things down if you're going to put them on your bike. I learned this valuable lesson as I was coming back from the grocery store with a bag of flour. Evidently, the bag of flour had wiggled its way out of one of the elastic straps during the journey home. On my way home, I decided to take a short cut up a steep hill. The bag of flour slide out as I was nearly to the top of the hill, and it proceeded to roll all the way down the hill. I wonder what people thought the flour all over the street was. Needless to say, that short cut resulted in a trip back to the market to buy some more flour.

Rule #3: Wherever You Go, You Must Come Back

Once you decide to go out on an errand, consider the distance and how much energy you have. If you're going out 40 miles away, you'll have to ride 40 miles back as well. It took me awhile to grasp them seemingly simple concept. I would go out somewhere 40 miles away in the morning, but in the heat of the afternoon I'd be dying as I came back and hadn't even eaten. It's a good idea to always bring along plenty of water. You should carry at least a small amount of money as well incase you should happen to get delayed, so that you can pick up a bite to eat.

Rule #4: Bicycles Don't Have Locking Compartments

Unlike your car, where you have a trunk to lock your items in, a bicycle doesn't generally have any locking compartments. When you run multiple errands in one trip, keep that in mind. You'll have to carry everything into every store or you're likely to have your stuff stolen. Some people will even steal your speedometer if you don't take it off and put it in your pocket. Nevermind that the thing won't work without the wiring, people will still take it.

Rule #5: Forget About Dieting

If you replaced your car with a bicycle, you wouldn't have to think about dieting ever again. Think about all the errands you go out on. I used to ride at least 100 miles a week. I could eat anything I wanted and I wouldn't gain an ounce. It was absolutely fantastic.

It can be difficult to manage your time when you don't have a car, but it can be done. Make sure that you don't take short cuts that end up hurting your schedule rather than helping it. Try to schedule errands at times when they are most practical. Remember that you can't be tired when you're coming back home, so carry energy bars or some money for food. Don't leave items unattended on your bicycle or you're bound to have them stolen. While this may seem like a horrible alternative to riding the bus, consider what excellent shape you will be in if you ride your bicycle all over town running errands. You too will quickly learn about time management and find that running errands by bicycle is quite different from running errands by car.