Thatâs a five-digit-year clockâs worth of stuff! I know who Iâd want to be stuck in an earthquake with.
She certainly is prepared. Unless her commute is 80km each-way in the countryside, I feel she is a little âover-preparedâ. She needs to carry âGas-Xâ on her commute? She should perhaps review her diet.
Not really. It looks more like one of those things that a person might occasionally need, and if it doesnât take up much room (which it doesnât), why not? I carry much more gear than this on my jaunts around townâno makeup, but spare tubes, a poncho, and a rack strap in case thereâs some impromptu shopping opportunities.
Iâm actually calling bullshit on this. One patch, no spare tubes and no pump (that I could see, anyway). No true bike commuter (or scotsman) would leave that stuff out.
Most of what sheâs carrying I just leave at work. It saves me space and I wonât forget to bring something along with me. My commuter bag just has my clothes for the day and spare tubes, pump, etc.
What kind of roads to you have over there? I mean, thereâs plenty of tires that are nearly immune to usual urban hazards.
Yeah, I donât get it either. Thatâs a load of cheap stuff that could be easily bought twice and left at the office.
The helmet is useless on a slow bike like that.
Of course, all protection helps in case of a crash, but I donât know anybody saved by a helmet and I live in the Netherlands. Nobody wears helmets on a commute.
Only racers, bmxers doing stunts and kids with overprotective parents wear helmets.
The main reason is that youâre far more likely to hurt limbs than hour head.
I have seen many a scraped knee and sprained wrists, but head injuries⌠I have seen nor heard of a single one.
Aggressive and/or inconsiderate motorists are a bit bigger problem in the US than they are in the Netherlands.
@firmagorilla Iâve been saved by my helmets a couple of times (brain injuries & abrasions). First time I was doored and got hit by a passing car. The second time I was cut off by another bike and I attempted to use my face as brakes down the road. I still have my right ear thanks to a âStackhatâ (horrible looking helmet that is more like an ice hockey helmet than a bike helmet). This was before helmets were compulsory in New Zealand. Iâve only left for work once without my helmet and I got about 100m away and then felt odd (naked feeling) and realised what it was, so went back home.
I suspect that one HUGE difference between The Netherlands (and Denmark etc) and Australia, New Zealand and the US is that in AU/NZ/US car drivers do not give cyclists room and there are few dedicated cycle facilities. Youâre right about limbs too, and thatâs why I wear gloves. And safety glasses (tinted for day, clear for night) to stop the stones flicked up off the road removing an eye.
As for the commuter pack, nothing beats spare tubes. On anything over 30km I take two, for daily riding I take one.
This is just the contents of a purse, incidentally carried on a bike.
I herby award you one free do over, Mark. Love to see some real commuter kits.
No helmet? Thatâs probably because in the Netherlands you donât have alligators. http://boingboing.net/2014/06/27/alligator-encounter-causes-man.html
The operative word being ânearlyâ. I donât get many flats these days. Tires are much better - true; but flat tires are still by far the most common mechanical issue. Everyone I ride with carries the means to fix a flat. What is the use of a single patch and no pump? And she needs an energy bar and gel blocks? How far is her commute?
You didnât read the article, did you. She lists far, far more stuff than is shown just in the purse, but she still misses the most common items that bike commuters carry: Spare tubes and a pump.
I donât even schlep my shirts and pants. I just leave the work clothes at the office and have them laundered downtown.
Yep. Thereâs something that doesnât make sense. Itâs as if this is what she imagines sheâd take IF she commuted by bike.
Iâve occasionally wondered why people go on about what they do not know⌠when they could as easily ask a question. I suspect an abject lack of curiosity, and a sense of entitlement to answers, is in play. Neither of which inspires admiration or respectful response.
What I mean is, arenât you amazing, and isnât this story about you just fascinating?
Iâd like to know why⌠so I will ask.
Anyone know why a bike commuter would carry Gas-X (or any of those things) instead of buying two and leaving them at both ends of the journey as a mentally superior human being would?
In my experience itâs the light that fails more often. Havenât had a flat tire in years, possible because I use one of these glass-proof.brands.
Perhaps she can use the pumps at gas stations. My valves are the usual kind, but I put an adapter on them.
She obviously feels the need to carry it, thatâs justification enough.
However, she presented her selection as a matter of practicality, which I simply donât get. Hence âI donât get it.â
There restâs merely your projection.
And if she flats when sheâs not next to the gas station?
Sheâs a commuter who uses the bike instead of a car, so there could be plenty of gas stations where she rides.
