What is quaxing?

[Hot Flatus]

Doing shopping by bike or on foot. Named after NZ politician and former Olympic athlete, Dick Quax, who said no one would ever do such  thing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Quax#"Quaxing"

Sounds like a cosmetic for men.

That wasn't the first thing that came into my mind...

[Pickled Onion]

With all due respect to all those going "I don't see what SOTR's problem is..." but has it occurred to y'all that SOTR might have just the one bike, set up for fitness rides, hence the SPD pedals?

My bike has SPD pedals. When I go shopping, I just tuck my trousers into a sock on the chain side and wear whatever shoes are handy. I'm only going to the shops, SPDs and normal shoes is not ideal, but it works.

I park the bike closer to the shop entrance than you can normally get a car. In direct view of the person who looks after the trolleys (quite a few people don't bother with a lock). I use a self-scan and pack directly into panniers*. This means I only buy as much as I can carry. After riding back I wheel the bike into the kitchen, and put the shopping straight from the panniers into the fridge.

The only downside is that it's uphill on the way back, but as the shop is on the flood plain and my house is not I think I prefer it that way.


* this requires backwards shopping - soft stuff like mushrooms and tomatoes are near the entrance, hard, heavy stuff like wine and cleaning products are at the other end.

[cycleman]

Shopping centres are a pain because finding somewhere to lock the trike safely while shopping is difficult

[Polar Bear]

Is it MKS who make quick release pedals?   I wonder if they do spd as well as flats.  Would be a canny setup if they do.

[Polar Bear]

A quick Google reveals the MKS EZY pedals.  Not cheap but they do both flat and clipless models. 

[Pickled Onion]

To follow up, the fancy shoes and special clothing thing to ride a bike to the shops makes me think that perhaps we should put on nomex suits, helmets and HANS device, to drive our car with it's roll cage and FIA approved fuel tank, to the shops.

if we continue to treat cycling as something that requires funny clothing, and weird pedals, and is thus anything other than the perfectly normal activity that it is for say, the Dutch, we're going to continue to have low cycling uptake.

J

I feel bad quoting this for basically an </aol> but I agree with this statement so much I think it bears repeating.

[Kim]

Is it MKS who make quick release pedals?   I wonder if they do spd as well as flats.  Would be a canny setup if they do.

MKS and Wellgo both do them (yclept EZY and QRD respectively).  The Wellgo version has the advantage that it works properly with Shimano SPD cleats.  Looks road pedals are also an option on both systems, and it appears that MKS now have an ATAC compatible.

It's the textbook solution to clipless pedals for folding bikes, as you can remove the sticky-outy one when you fold.  Not to mention that it's handy to be able to swap between clipless and flats on a folding bike generally.

[Kim]

To follow up, the fancy shoes and special clothing thing to ride a bike to the shops makes me think that perhaps we should put on nomex suits, helmets and HANS device, to drive our car with it's roll cage and FIA approved fuel tank, to the shops.

I can't help thinking that would be a good idea.  People would be more inclined to walk.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Besides which, who could turn down an excuse to dress up like the Fat Controller while waiting for the 7:54 to Marylebone?

[Kim]

Besides which, who could turn down an excuse to dress up like the Fat Controller while waiting for the 7:54 to Marylebone?

Apparently there are strict standards for that sort of thing:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fat_Controller#In_real_life

[Brucey]

... the fancy shoes and special clothing thing to ride a bike to the shops makes me think....

It makes me think that words like 'fancy' and 'special' have no absolute meaning.   In the right context any or all  clothing and shoes might be considered 'fancy' or 'special'.  The implication is presumably  that whatever clothing you might otherwise wear is somehow 'normal' rather than 'special'.

Apologies if this is b. obvious, but   'Normal' (or 'usual') for you is whatever suits you best.  Otherwise you are in danger of  simply pandering to other people's idea of what 'normal' is, aren't you...? 

'Normal' is susceptible to both the winds of fashion as well as practicality;  FWIW it is not so long ago that 'normal' shoes in some parts of the world were wooden clogs, for the simple reason it was 'normal' for the streets to be awash with not-very-dilute sewage. 

cheers

[Kim]

... the fancy shoes and special clothing thing to ride a bike to the shops makes me think....

It makes me think that words like 'fancy' and 'special' have no absolute meaning.   In the right context any or all  clothing and shoes might be considered 'fancy' or 'special'.  The implication is presumably  that whatever clothing you might otherwise wear is somehow 'normal' rather than 'special'.

This is also a fair point.  If you're going to change your clean-and-comfortable-for-kicking-about-the-house-shoes for your walking-outside-where-there's-water-and-mud-and-stuff shoes or your not-a-liability-when-operating-the-pedals-of-a-car shoes to go to the shops, as many people would, then why not the bike shoes if you're going by bike?

I have on various occasions had the kit conversation with newbie cyclists.  I tend to say something like: "Of course you don't need any of this stuff to ride to the shops, or even for rides of a couple of hours, but since I'm a Keen Cyclist™ who does long rides in unpredictable weather, I've got a whole drawer full of mildly tatty or badly-fitting bike kit that I might as well use.  Plus if I wear the cycling stuff it reduces wear on my civvy trousers and the saddle sores from the weekend's Silly Bike Adventure won't complain as much."

If pressed further, I suggest that legwear of a vaguely sporty disposition and a decent set of gloves are generally a good idea, but to only go out and invest in more cycling-specific stuff when you feel it might actually be useful.  Most people seem to appreciate that.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I think this is an outward-in versus inward-out thing. There is normal and usual for you as an individual and your particular activity. This might mean special shoes or skintight clothing in garish colours. Fair dos.

But there's also normal as perceived by society in general. What does the man on the Clapham omnibus or the woman on the Damrak tram think of as 'normal'? I think QG's point is that cycling will always be perceived by society in general as not suitable for everyday activities like shopping, if the people doing it are mostly dressed up in something very different from what is generally thought of as normal. It becomes a special activity by virtue of being done in special clothes.

[quixoticgeek]

... the fancy shoes and special clothing thing to ride a bike to the shops makes me think....

It makes me think that words like 'fancy' and 'special' have no absolute meaning.   In the right context any or all  clothing and shoes might be considered 'fancy' or 'special'.  The implication is presumably  that whatever clothing you might otherwise wear is somehow 'normal' rather than 'special'.

Apologies if this is b. obvious, but   'Normal' (or 'usual') for you is whatever suits you best.  Otherwise you are in danger of  simply pandering to other people's idea of what 'normal' is, aren't you...? 

To quote Fox Mulder "How do you define normal?"...

Actually normal for me isn't what suits me best. Normal for me is what society believes is within acceptable bounds of "normal". i'd go so far as to say that this is probably the case for most people. For those of us on days we're not working, and not doing anything unusual, we're probably wearing jeans or similar trousers.

If Normal for me was what suits me best, I'd probably wear a lot fewer clothes.


While you are right that it all depends on your frame of reference, I think there is some agreement on what counts as "normal" western dress...

'Normal' is susceptible to both the winds of fashion as well as practicality;  FWIW it is not so long ago that 'normal' shoes in some parts of the world were wooden clogs, for the simple reason it was 'normal' for the streets to be awash with not-very-dilute sewage. 

Yes, Normal is a moving target. At the dawn of the safety cycle, the clothing I would have worn to cycle in would be drastically different to what it is now. Because fashion changes. In those days the bike helped feed into the rational dress movement. An attempt to redefine "normal" redefine what fashion dictated a woman should wear.

Yes, there was a time when Pattens were the norm. Tho I don't think any of us are old enough to remember that first hand. That said I do know a few people in these parts that still wear wooden shoes... Tho they are not "normal" wear.

Today I cycled to the police station. I wore a skirt, and tights, and a tshirt type top. On my feet I had a pair of leather slip on shoes with a 30mm heal. This is normal for me. Based on the gender make up of this forum, it's very much not normal for most here...

I have on various occasions had the kit conversation with newbie cyclists.  I tend to say something like: "Of course you don't need any of this stuff to ride to the shops, or even for rides of a couple of hours, but since I'm a Keen Cyclist™ who does long rides in unpredictable weather, I've got a whole drawer full of mildly tatty or badly-fitting bike kit that I might as well use.  Plus if I wear the cycling stuff it reduces wear on my civvy trousers and the saddle sores from the weekend's Silly Bike Adventure won't complain as much."

If pressed further, I suggest that legwear of a vaguely sporty disposition and a decent set of gloves are generally a good idea, but to only go out and invest in more cycling-specific stuff when you feel it might actually be useful.  Most people seem to appreciate that.

This is kinda almost the point I was trying to convey in the what pedals thread. There are many who feel the need to push special cycling shoes on newbies in order for them to be a real cyclist. It's all part of the uniform. And for many who just want to ride a bike, and have fun, it's a bit much. If drivers were treated the way that cycling industry/cyclists treat newish cyclists, then when you go to the car dealer to buy a car to do the shopping, you'd come out with a car with a scaffold frame in the back, FIA approved fuel tank, a Nomex suit, and a helmet with HANS device. All to drive the 3km to the shops.

The typical cyclist in the UK is perhaps one on a racing bike wearing lycra and funny shoes.

The typical cyclist in the Netherlands is probably wearing jeans, high heals, and riding an Oma fiets that most Brits wouldn't even consider road legal.

The later is much more the sort of setup for going to the shops. Maybe even for riding out on a Sunday afternoon to have lunch and enjoy the sunshine. If you wanna do everything in an Ariel atom, sure, go for it. But maybe we should appreciate that it's perhaps not best for most people, and certainly not Normal...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_mJNRf8iOo&vl=tr

J

[morbihan]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHstH5Nl3H1/

Shopping by bike = Happy Place.
A nice 15 km round trip to the farm shop, mainly on a cycleway, and flat.
I look forward to the ride, and usually do a couple  of visits a week.
MY sunlite trunk bag is the perfect shape for 2 dozen eggs.
Its one of the rare times cycling that there is no emphasis on training/workout, the helmet gets left at home, and shorts & teeshirt rig is fine.
 Joyous.

[Butterfly]

Is it MKS who make quick release pedals?   I wonder if they do spd as well as flats.  Would be a canny setup if they do.

It's the textbook solution to clipless pedals for folding bikes, as you can remove the sticky-outy one when you fold.  Not to mention that it's handy to be able to swap between clipless and flats on a folding bike generally.

Useful for a unstoked tandem as well. It stops your rear nearside pedal unscrewing itself and going to live a life of freedom elsewhere.

[Paul H]

Shopping centres are a pain because finding somewhere to lock the trike safely while shopping is difficult

Shopping centres are a pain to do your shopping in.
I do all my shopping on foot or by bike, I never ride to the shop/farm/market, I stop at them when I'm out riding.  When I first stopped using a car, it was a real chore trying to replicate the weekly shop, so I just stopped doing it. I might shop four or five times a week, which means smaller quantities, which leads to not needing everything in one place, which in turn leads to better shopping, on whatever criteria you choose, price, quality, ethics...
Of course not everyone's circumstances are the same, but a lot of them are of our own making, and a lot is changeable if we choose.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Theoretically, one of the benefits of the move from office based jobs to mass WFH is that we can be a bit more flexible in popping out for a short break each day to pick up a bit of shopping. In practice, I'm not sure how many people are going to use that or appreciate it. Higher cost per item is an obvious factor.

[andrew_s]

WFH has reduced the size of my normal shop from a pair of Ortleibs to a Camper Longflap.
I use the same shops, so no extra cost, other than the increased proportion of trivia.

I've usually been shopping by bike for several years now (12?). To the regular supermarket, it's a toss-up time-wise, as I avoid 5 out of 6 sets of traffic lights on the bike.
I go in whatever I happen to be wearing, apart from changing indoor sandals to SPD sandals, and an ankle strap on the driveside leg if I happen to be wearing long trousers and no socks.
The bike is whichever happens to be inside the door, but they've all got SPD pedals, they've all got racks, and all will get used for whatever other riding I may be doing. If I had a dutch-style bike it would just end up finding itself away from the door, and rearranging bikes would be more hassle than using whatever was by the door.

[rogerzilla]

Car parks are incredibly dangerous places to cycle.  No-one expects to see a cyclist and, if they do, they're not going to stop coming out of their space because you shouldn't be there, you quaxxing pervert.  Also, car drivers are even less likely to indicate or drive on the left.

[Polar Bear]

Is it MKS who make quick release pedals?   I wonder if they do spd as well as flats.  Would be a canny setup if they do.

It's the textbook solution to clipless pedals for folding bikes, as you can remove the sticky-outy one when you fold.  Not to mention that it's handy to be able to swap between clipless and flats on a folding bike generally.

Useful for a unstoked tandem as well. It stops your rear nearside pedal unscrewing itself and going to live a life of freedom elsewhere.

There is clearly a tale to be told there.  🙂

[Butterfly]

Is it MKS who make quick release pedals?   I wonder if they do spd as well as flats.  Would be a canny setup if they do.

It's the textbook solution to clipless pedals for folding bikes, as you can remove the sticky-outy one when you fold.  Not to mention that it's handy to be able to swap between clipless and flats on a folding bike generally.

Useful for a unstoked tandem as well. It stops your rear nearside pedal unscrewing itself and going to live a life of freedom elsewhere.

There is clearly a tale to be told there.  🙂

If you have an e-assist Helios, the cranks are not in sync. On our first outing, even with a stoker, the nearside crank unscrewed. Eventually at the York Rally a couple of years back, the usual stoker was riding his own bike and I was solo on the tandem. When we returned to the rally site, I was minus one pedal. Since then, I swapped to MKS quick release pedals and usually remove the rear ones when riding solo, but even without removing them they don't unscrew.

[Kim]

If you have an e-assist Helios, the cranks are not in sync.

Which precludes the usual tie-the-pedals-together-with-knicker-elastic trick, which ought to prevent this (as well as keeping toeclips the right way up).

[Butterfly]

If you have an e-assist Helios, the cranks are not in sync.

Which precludes the usual tie-the-pedals-together-with-knicker-elastic trick, which ought to prevent this (as well as keeping toeclips the right way up).
[/quote

It's the single downside of the e-assist. I miss our knicker-elastic/bungee keeping the pedals upright.