Errandonnee 2015: 8 Bike Errands in Beaver County

3/11/2015 16m

The Errandonnee is a winter bicycling challenge that demonstrates the great utility of bicycles to run errands. There's rules and criteria, but basically it's 12 errands over 12 days, with a total mileage of at least 30 miles.

I've completed the Errandonnee challenge each of the previous years. In 2015 it's March 5 to March16 and I'd been travelling and unable to ride. So I'm very mildly pressed to get in 12 errands between the remaining days and the winter weather, and today presented an opportunity to Bike Some Errands. I may substitute some higher-value errands if there's a surplus, but I needed to get some on the record.

You can see where other folks have used the #errandonne hashtag here.

My first errand was stopping at a convenience store for some drinks.

My second errand was riding over to my client's place in Vanport.

My third errand was the US Post Office, in the Federal Building of Beaver PA. I had to ship an old and wonderful headlight back to Planet Bike. It's an Alias HID, and the battery technology is outdated and there's no more batteries for them. As a sign of their excellence, if you send the old light back to them they'll issue you a credit for a new purchase, such as their nifty Blaze 650 XLR. Planet Bike is good people.

Next I pedalled over to the Beaver Library to pick up a book. A government building providing books, knowledge, wisdom, entertainment and education for free! Damn guvmint.

I needed to purchase an inner tube. Stopped at a LBS. Owner asked me, you still using inner tubes? and I thought, man I can't handle any new techno-obsessions right now.

Sixth: I was intrigued by the new Errandonee category, you carried what on your bike? I knew I'd never match the audaciousness of the noble soul who carried snowshoes on their bike, so I kicked it meta and carried a book about highway-building and overpass-lowering Robert Moses. (who, I learned, did not ever learn to drive!) Not just a book, of course, but a graphic novel that manages two chapters you'd think were about Jane Jacobs.

Seven: pedalled over to the Credit Union (I love CU's) to use the no-fee ATM machine.

Eight: rode to my other client's place of business to pick up a few checks.

This was also my first ride to successfully use a Garmin Edge 500. Seems nice. I like the data pages that auto-rotate. Kind of prefer the interface from my Edge-200. Typical end user: why'd it have to change?