After breakfast, we swung by the North Branch of the library and then Five Star Video to return two DVDs. And then it was on to some gardening. Oh, that's right: We need to buy some soil to top off one of the vegetable beds. No worries, American Soil has good vegetable soil by the bag, but today was a "no gasoline" day. Well, time to test out the load carrying abilities of the Blue Ox (aka our Yuba Mundo cargo bike).
After deciding on a route involving the fewest hills, I made my way in leisurely fashion. It was a beautiful day with mostly clear skies and light westerly winds. Upon arriving at American Soil, the sales person estimated the weight of each 2 cubic foot bag to be 70 to 80 pounds. After paying, I headed to Area A to pick up my three bags of soil. Worst case scenario, this would total about 240 pounds. Even though the Yuba Mundo has a placard on the frame stating that the maximum load is 440 pounds (not including the rider), this would be the most weight I had ever attempted to carry on the Blue Ox.
Initially there were no employees to be found. They must have been helping other customers, so I located the pallet containing the bags of soil I'd purchased. Loading the Blue Ox turned into quite a balancing routine. I struggled and somehow managed to get one bag secured on the right side without the bike tipping to the right. The second bag was wrestled into the left pannier, which should have balanced things, but with the bike on its center stand it still had a mind of its own, tending to tip one way or the other. The third and last bag went on top of the wooden deck I created a while back. I thought that would have stabilized things, but it didn't. I was trying to figure out how I would get the two load binding straps around the bag on the top while holding the bike steady when an employee showed up and gave me a hand.
With the bags loaded, everything cinched in place, and my receipt verified I began the trip home. Whoah! The bike was a more unstable than I had anticipated. The third bag on the top of the rear rack put the center of gravity higher than optimal. Things were made worse by the lack of weight on the front rack: I just had my lock, cable and a water bottle in the front basket, so the steering was a bit squirrelly. And even though the other two bags were cinched low into the panniers, there was a tendency for the bike to start swinging and swaying like a pendulum. Oh well, too late to do much about it now.
Shifting my weight forward, I focused on pointing the Blue Ox straight and making every move as gently as possible. I tested the braking before I got onto the open road. The caliper brakes worked, but squeaked and complained mightily. It was clear I'd have to plan all my stops well in advance. Even hitting a bump or pothole started a spooky sequence of shifting moments that were ... interesting. Not wanting to ponder a gasoline-powered solution, I leaned forward, pedaled with purpose and thought happy thoughts.
The reaction of drivers I encountered on the way home was, surprisingly, one of deference. They must have seen the bike was heavily loaded and a bit hard to control. Everyone I encountered was civil and several drivers waved me ahead so I could avoid stopping. The few turns I had to negotiate were done slowly and with great care. The few times I had to start from a dead stop proved a challenge until the wheels got spinning fast enough to add stability.
Arriving at home, I unloaded before taking a picture since the Blue Ox wanted tip off the center stand with the slightest provocation. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! Here are some the results of our labors, done the old-fashioned way, sans gasoline!
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| Potatoes go here ... |
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| Tomatoes and marigolds ... |
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