Slightly over 30 miles later and I'm wiped.

[srlevine@neuromatch.social]

Slightly over 30 miles later and I'm wiped. Towing the trailer is a lot of work!

Tempted to replace my current avatar with this photo, but I don't want to brag or anything.

If anyone is curious: the roof mounted bike racks will fit the cross bars on a bike trailer with a little pipe insulation for padding/getting them to the correct diameter. You too can be maximum weird. I don't know yet how stable this is going to be with a bike mounted on it (it might need to be reversed to put more of the weight over the bed of the trailer), but pretty cool, eh?

#BikeTooter #CarryShitOlympics

[srlevine@neuromatch.social]

A closer shot of the trailer for @cargot_robbie who was curious yesterday and @forth who has heard more about the trailer saga than she maybe ever wanted to (don't worry April, I can send you detailed photos of the attachment piece next time I take it out! I'm sure you're dying to see them!).

[cykonot@mas.to]

@SRLevine it's a very nice picture! I'd say i wish i lived somewhere that travel with fitness benefits was more viable, but you just went 30 miles! Very solarpunk

[silvermoon82@wandering.shop]

@SRLevine
That's brilliant!

[stevegis_ssg@mas.to]

@SRLevine

Yo dawg we heard you like bikes so we put a bike on your bike.

[srlevine@neuromatch.social]

1. my saddle post seat-post mess is clearly not positioned exactly right and my poor butt isn't happy.
2. my feet aren't happy either because of the bike shoe destruction on Wednesday night that I didn't realize until Thursday, which meant using the backup pair that I got for free because they are slightly too large (mostly in the width I think) for the listed size (I have that same size in that same brand in a different style and they fit, but that was the pair that suffered a catastrophic failure).
3. I think one of the fancy Yakima twist things to tighten the bolts down was missing, which I didn't realize when I handed over the cash, not a big deal, the seller used a wing nut in its place
4. I did not buy the second (it was $50 for both and he said I could have both for $70 and had planned to buy both just for funsies) because when the seller and I looked at the trailer it seemed like a second wasn't going to fit. In retrospect it might have if I reversed one of them, but that risks getting a long steel rod in the way of the wheel turning on the bike, so perhaps it's better that I didn't have that idea until I was halfway home
5. I think to make this work right it's really going to need a better/larger/more stable trailer, but the idea of buying a trailer that is more than the combined cost of my bikes is a no-go, and I'm not quite handy enough to build one unless I go the key-clamp route and can figure out how to attach an axle for the wheels (that's supposedly the hard part in any trailer build)
6. did I mention I was tired? I stopped many, many times for water and refilled multiple times (including when the seller offered) and am still a bit head-achey, though that could be partially low blood sugar, I did not plan well and started the trip at 11:50, which is too early for lunch for me (I had a snack) and only had a couple of cookies when I stopped because I felt I had to keep up the momentum of moving or I wasn't going to finish the journey

[iris@neuromatch.social]

@SRLevine you're braver and more determined than I am. Props and wishing you a very restorative rest!

[srlevine@neuromatch.social]

@cykonot This was only really possible with the trailer because 2/3 of the trip was on Irvine's nicely protected bike path system. I've done long errand runs and stuff elsewhere in orange county and I don't think I'd want to take a trailer on some of the extremely hairy roads I've ended up riding on.

I want to yell encouragement at you to try, but I think you live in Arizona (or New Mexico?) and just the thought of biking in that heat makes me want to have a cool glass of water and take a nap. Some climates are just not suitable for outdoor exercise, at least not in the middle of the day.

[srlevine@neuromatch.social]

@stevegis_ssg Hopefully going to allow me to pick up free bikes that only need minor work like "replace the tires" and redistribute them. I'm highly unlikely to do major work on any, but the last one I brought home was a giant pain that involved my taking two bikes on a bus. I'm now not limited to "reasonable walking distance" if something is available and I think I can find a home for it.

[srlevine@neuromatch.social]

@iris Or maybe I just have less of a sense of self preservation? You have a cat to go home to after all.

[cykonot@mas.to]

@SRLevine yes, phoenix. I could reasonably do local shopping with an e-bike, though the bike lanes are unprotected and drivers are not cognizant of pedestrian or bicyclists. Sun protection would still be an issue tbh, and the good uv hats don't like wind lol

[h2onolan@infosec.exchange]

@SRLevine perfection.

[iris@neuromatch.social]

@SRLevine also this is brilliant and I love it.