Adventure Grocery Shopping!

Even a trip to the grocery store can be an adventure when you choose to commute on your trusty bicycle. Missoula is a great place to load up our bikes with necessities and pedal home--the relative flatness of the terrain makes a trip home with a load of canned goods and juices entirely doable. Since moving to Missoula at the beginning of this year, I’ve done all my grocery shopping on my bicycle, and I have a few hints to pass along.

First, it helps to be a little organized. Smaller items can be picked up from local/nearby grocery stores on a daily basis, but for the larger grocery trip, I like to make a list of all the items I think I’ll be needing for the week. That way, I can check out what’s going to be on sale, as well as figure out what containers I’ll need to bring along for bulk items. Of course, I always forget things (yesterday, for example, I was making sushi and forgot seaweed!), but it’s nice to get a good collection of the foods I’m going to need for the entire week.

As I mentioned, I’ll usually stop by the grocery store on the way to or from work occasionally during the work to pick up a last-minute item or two, and, for that purpose, my daypack works just fine. However, for my weekly large trip, I like to use panniers for my bicycle (another hint--if you’re using panniers, be sure to pack your groceries evenly! The other week I put all my cans in one bag and nearly tipped over on my way home.) Panniers are inexpensive (you can frequently find them used), and easy to attach: you can check in with your local Bike Shop with any questions. Another option for groceries is a trailer, which many cyclists prefer to panniers. You can get all the information on the pros and cons of panniers versus trailers on Adventure Cycling's website.

Grocery shopping by bicycle is a fun, easy way to get outside, save on gas, and avoid the hassle of obnoxious grocery store parking lots. The next time you start dreading a trip to the grocery store, grab your bicycle and go on a grocery shopping expedition!

Sarah Raz works for the Adventure Cycling Association in Missoula, Montana, as a Tours Specialist. Sarah grew up in Virginia, and moved to Helena to lead a crew of trailworkers for the Montana Conservation Corps in 2005. In her time off, she enjoys backpacking, running, baking bread, writing haikus, and playing air guitar.