Hey it’s the direct download link for  The Pedalshift Project 188: Grocery Store Strategies on Bike Tour (mp3).

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Grocery Store Strategies on Bike Tour

PREP

• Map them out ahead of time or at least scope them out the day of
• Have room in your bags or a strategy to get your food protected
• Know what meals you’re buying for (i.e. tonight’s dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast and snack) if not a list

ARRIVING

• Scope out bicycle parking options
• Did you bring a lock?
• Should I be afraid people are going to rifle through my stuff?

IN STORE

• Check to see if they have wifi. Download/upload stuff while you shop
• Hit the bathroom – might be a nicer one than you’ve seen in a minute. Clean up as necessary.
• Start at one end of the store and sweep through to the other rather than aimlessly walking aisles
• Favor fresh food and veggies for the very next meal – it’ll keep
• Favor foods that can stand up to a little jostling over more fragile options (i.e. apples over berries)
• If the store has one, check out the hot bar or prepared foods deli for eating at the store
• Weird trick: least expensive and smallest bag of frozen veggies can keep beers cold
• After checkout, grab a seat if they have one. Look to charge up and eat while you continue to up/download

PACKING UP 

• Go directly to recycling (rare) or garbage bins outside the store
• Radically reduce bulk by removing dry items from boxes and discarding all unnecessary packaging.
• Sturdiest stuff on the bottom, most fragile/brusable on top
• Cold sinks, so put those frozen veggies on top of the beer
• Tie plastic bags to hang from rack if you need to, but that won’t stand up for more than a few miles.

BE A GOOD AMBASSADOR

• Don’t get in anyone’s way unreasonably
• Do not leave a mess
• Get to camp or wherever you’re ending the night and enjoy the spoils!