Living Well With Burley's Travoy

My local grocery store is a mile and a half away. Guess I'm a common sight because far fewer people ask about my bike/trailer arrangement. Now, those who ask, are interested to know how it all works as a possible practical application for their lifestyle. The combination of a serviceable bike, inexpensive panniers and a sturdy trailer makes living without a car, at the least, manageable and generally joyful. It is, though, the trailer that makes it a successful arrangement.

For anyone confronting the cost of driving and considering alternatives, the use of a Burley Travoy as your lifestyle companion is a valid option. It'll haul 60 pounds and do so without undue stress. My three mile grocery store round trip includes a quarter-mile of wooded singletrack with a short, steep decline at the end. The Travoy handles the roots, sand and decline flawlessly.

It performs flawlessly, in part, because of the flexible coupling that handles twists and turns and ups and downs.
The hitch folds downward with no more than a twist of the wrist making the Travoy a very usable, maneuverable shopping cart.

The Travoy will handle up to 60 pounds and that amounts to a lot of essential stuff.

Typically, I visit the nearby Saturday morning Farmers' Market in Haile Village. Some of the residents of the Haile community were vociferous in their resistance to extending Archer Braid Trail though their community. The irony is that there are few places more inviting to bicycles than Haile Village.

 In this period of people working at being "green" and Earth friendly, the majority of the vendors in local, open-air markets are the essence of green. They are, after all, the food chain.

Cypress Point Creamery makes cheese on their farm near Gainesville. I'm certain the decision to do something productive came from Nancy because John clearly spent too many years breathing recycled air aboard submarines. The clear air of north central Florida has allowed him to return to a near full level of competence and together they make damn good stuff. Hardly a weekend passes when I do not pick-up some of their cheeses.

Another local purveyor of good stuff are the good people of Kuma's Playpen Ranch. It is here where I get my fresh goat milk to make bread. It is obvious who makes things work here considering that as a younger man Thomas had no idea that being a Navy Medic meant serving with the Marines. Takes time for those of us from that era to find our way.

In the South, beans are peas and peas are English Peas. Adding to the mild confusion is the additional fact, that all the wide variety of southern peas are in fact all Southern Peas. They originated in India, found their way to Africa and have become a staple of Southern cooking becoming known as field peas, crowder peas, cowpeas, blackeyes and more than fifty local names. Horticulturists prefer the name Southern Peas for all of 'em. Southern cooks care not at all about their preferred name and KNOW that one does not taste the same as the other. Among the most refined tastes, White Acre Peas are the best.

I've never asked the name of the gentleman who sells White Acres Peas at Haile, but he grows and sells the best . . . no argument.

Grocery stores cater to our desire for convenience. My perspective on what's convenient has changed significantly since putting aside automobiles as a necessary part of daily life. Going a little out of the way isn't actually going out of the way anymore. It's just more time spent riding and that's a good thing.

The produce people are a short distance from the Farmer's Market at 91st and Archer Road every Saturday and Sunday. It may not be as convenient to stop there as a quick trip to the grocery store, but it's a more rewarding experience and they have the best in-season melons.

Obviously, there are limits to what and how much can be hauled using the Travoy, but testing the limits and possibilities is a part of the adventure.

Plants, of course, do not test the weight limit, but can provide potentially useful camouflage.

Needed to take my PC to the PC fixer. With lots of packing material and moderately deflated tires to minimize bounce it was easily transported round-trip.

Other bulky stuff is also manageable and feline approved.

Living without a car in a relatively flat place with moderate winter temperatures is easy, but handling the things that make cars useful requires some planning. Adding the Travoy to my bicycle accessories was a good choice. Few things are as well designed and functional are Burley's Travoy.

Picking Up

High Sierra and Burley Travoy

I went for a ride intending to think about advocacy. Instead, I picked-up.

One of my usual exits from where I live includes a short transit along a wooded path. Where it used to be little used and almost pristine, it's become a commonly traveled route showing users' disregard. There'd always been some of the out-of-place clutter typical to wooded places on the edge of civilization: a tire half buried and entwined by years of undergrowth; a broken concrete block; and a length of radiator hose emerging in a snake-like loop then disappearing beneath a log. The old clutter disappeared under and behind heavy spring growth reappearing, a bit less obvious, the following winter. Heavier usage has changed the path.

On a whim, stimulated by a promise to myself to "come by sometime and pick this stuff up" I

Short Transit

went by and picked up some stuff. Yesterday's heavy rain had exposed more broken glass than I had noticed along the sandy trail and I wondered how many flats I'd started here. Beverage containers were the most common item: beer bottles; soda cans; and styrofoam cups. Someone had shredded an application for health insurance then dropped it like a path of oversize bread crumbs, perhaps intending to follow the path back home. Snack bags were well represented, too.

Air Potatoes Invade Florida

I was surprised to find Air Potatoes (Dioscorea bulbifera) , but should not have been as they are a well establish, invasive plant in Florida. I'd never paid attention to the plant's vines and made the connection with what they are. They're eaten in some places (Africa and Asia) and reviled here. So, I gathered any of the tubers laying close to the path, adding them to my trash collection. I wondered whether Euell Gibbons might have included Air Potatoes in his first book, Stalking the Wild Asparagus, if there'd been any around his home in Pennsylvania.

The Multipurpose Burley Travoy

The result of my search for something to advocate became a public service I guess. Well, not actually. For a few days when I ride the path I'll enjoy it a little more, so it was a self serving thing I did.

Is Describing The Same As Naming?

Was sick for most of a week and finally began feeling more like I should. Seems like it takes longer to recover from colds and flu than it used to, or maybe I was sicker. Because I felt closer to normal today I set off on a grocery and bottled water run, a round trip distance of three miles.

After replacing most of the drive chain of the High Sierra I feel like I have finally done right by a machine that’s been remarkably dependable, even after long periods of disuse and neglect. It wasn’t a big problem skipping the middle ring for short trips, but got to be tedious if I was out all day. With all three chain rings useable again it fits my around-town and commuter needs very well. With fair skies and a mild temperature it was a close-to-perfect ride.

Schwinn High Sierra and Burley Travoy Grocery Run

The Safari’s long wheelbase, extra large frame and rear rack make it a very close fit for the Travoy, but on the Schwinn the fit is perfect. Recently, the Schwinn was at the center of a brief discussion at Bikes and More where the question was asked whether it qualified as mountain bike or had become a hybrid?  Hybrid seems to define a bike intended to be a hybrid and can include trekking, cross, commuter, city and comfort designs, The distinctions and differences between and among these designs can be pretty indistinct and more a matter of taste, or so it seems to me. I could put a set of off road tires on the Schwinn and use it as a mountain bike taking it back to its early heritage where it would easily outperform me. Its utilitarian qualities and durability make it a good fit for this small urban community. My nomenclature, therefore, is inexpensive transportation device.

Keeping It Safe

Maybe I have had a false sense of security, but until recently I haven’t invested much time in researching the best ways to keep my bike safe when it’s parked and out of my sight. Where I was formerly employed I locked my bike to a “No Parking” sign in full view of someone in an adjoining office. A vinyl coated cable and brass marine lock seemed all that was needed and I thought little of the possibility of someone taking the bike. When I made the move to a bicycle lifestyle and started riding the Schwinn fulltime I purchased a pair of Nashbar Euro Compact Panniers. They are difficult to hang and to remove making theft a little less likely, so I never gave much thought to their safety, either. When I began riding the Safari my attitude began to change.

I accept the truth of the assertion that a determined thief can overcome any system used to secure a bike. Making the task as hard and time consuming as possible is one way to minimize the chances of losing your bike. By any standards my current approach falls short. For each bike I create obstacles, but not sufficiently difficult to overcome under anything but idea conditions for me.

My aged Schwinn is unlikely to be a first choice for a thief. It is looks its age because of the myriad of nicks it has acquired and fading of its logo appliqués. Unless the potential thief is bike-savvy and looking for an ancient hardtail or understands bike accessories its tires and fenders will mean little. Only the FrankenBrooks saddle might seem to have tangible value, but it is modestly protected by a thin cable and combination lock. My sense is that for trips to my busy, nearby grocery store the bright yellow vinyl encased cable and brass lock is sufficient. No longer do I carry panniers, having replaced with my Burley Travoy, so it just a matter of securing the bike and shopping.

Before I set off on my tour I invested a modest sum and purchased a Kryptonite chain and integral lock. I probably had little to worry about in the campgrounds where I stopped, but I felt more comfortable with the chain that I would have with my vintage vinyl covered cable. Since I removed all the panniers and handlebar bag each night and kept them in the tent with me security of those items was a non-problem, too. While the Kryptonite is heavy, weight was (and is) a non-factor compared to loss of the Safari. My current security solutions are make-shift while meeting requirements I think are important, but I think something more focused is necessary.

I once knew a burglar who asserted with a pretty good credentials (for a thief) that time of exposure was critical if he wanted to steal something. he calculated exposure by  considering accessibility. If something was difficult to take because of security measures or problems in getting to it the item was less likely to be taken, lacking a value worth a higher risk. With that in mind, I have read innumerable reviews of locks and chains and cables and cuffs and whatever-else-passes-for-bicycle-security. There is general agreement that a dedicated thief can take anything, given enough time and that is just about the only single point of agreement.

Venerable vinyl covered cable

In the very near future I will replace my vinyl covered cable with another chain from a name-brand manufacturer. I’m opting for chains over U-Locks because of the difficulty U-Locks create in mounting them when not in use and their lack of flexibility in encircling many readily available securing points. Chains require use of heavy duty bolt cutters or powered grinding wheels which would be less likely in the hands of someone engaging in thefts of opportunity. I am willing to take that much chance in security circumstances common to my lifestyle.

  

I can employ secondary security on the Safari’s Ortlieb panniers and handlebar bag when necessary. Among my secondary measures is a BikeClub which I used for my front panniers before buying the Travoy. It resides in one of the Front Rollers for that single purpose. A Knog Party Frank takes care of Back Roller security. Admittedly, neither the Party Frank nor the thin cables attached to the Ortlieb Front and Back Rollers are going to thwart a determined thief carrying cutters. The idea is to limit exposure, so I seldom carry panniers except for touring. Ortlieb provides a locking mechanism for their handlebar bag which is enough to discourage theft of opportunity.

Party Frank and Pannier Security Cables

Kryptonite in Repose

With a chain for the Schwinn and the vinyl covered cable as a secondary measure I expect it to be as safe as it needs here. In a major city with dedicated bike thieves I know something more would be needed., but even the most secure locks may not be enough. An acquaintance, while in Brooklyn, had his bike stolen by having the frame cut. “Fuhgedaboudit”. Someone wants it badly enough, they’ll take it.