My grocery shopping routine consists of removing my shopping bag from the bike, locking the bike, shopping, unlocking the bike, then reattaching my grocery bag. I’ve been tempted to just roll the bike straight into the store, but my bike is big, and when I let go it falls over.
Hyuk-Jae Chang has created a grocery getter bike that transforms from a bicycle to a small shopping cart.
Unfolded, this concept is a somewhat normal small wheeled folder with baskets front and rear. To use it inside the supermarket, you fold the bike in half and pop out a hidden third wheel so the cart can stay upright.
Photos and more from Yanko Design. Via Charles @ WIRED Gadget Lab, who pans the idea. Treehugger suggests this bike leaves no excuses for driving to the store.
Would love to see something like this get to actual product stage. I've not had a chance to test it, but the Tago appears to have similar functionality with the ability to carry children as well. It's a 3 wheeler too which probably means more stability and weigh capabilities.
Lately, I pick up a hand-held basket at the door and bungee it to the bike, then use the bike as a cart. If I need to let go of the bike, I lean it carefully against a nearby shelf, but it's usually easy enough to hold the bike with one hand while I grab merchandise with the other.
My bike is a “crank forward” design, about 10″ longer than a typical bike, probably in the range of an Xtracycle. I could put a kickstand on the bike, but there's usually something to lean it against.
Ingenious! However, it's hard to imagine using this bike for anything but grocery shopping–which may be all that some people need for their only bike, or for their second bike.
And it doesn't have the throw-it-in-the-trunk-of-a-car convenience of other folders.
For grocery shopping by bike, I'm pretty high on the folding bike plus Burley Travoy system that I tried out this week: http://www.biketrailerblog.com/2010/07/cat-food…
Ted
http://www.utilitycycling.org
pshaw: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cleverchimp/398525…
and the same bike has completed PBP and fits in an overhead bin: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cleverchimp/395394…
What is the price?
Concept, not a real product, so no price. Sorry.