25th December 2018 Going [completely] Overboard.

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Christmas Day, 39-42F, mild, almost clear, light winds increasing, with a chance of sunshine early on. No white Christmas, but Santa was very generous with the chocolate again this year. I will soon turn into a chocolate pig. Which is highly appropriate for Denmark. Merry Christmas! 

Some advice for Santa's little helpers to help bring home the bacon:

Here is an image of my laden Higgins trike in a previous year. 

Provided you have 2-wheel drive you can still get around on a delta trike, whatever the conditions

No fat and knobbly tires required. Just 700 x 23 slicks, Trykit 2WD and human power. Even steep hills can be climbed on snow. Though beyond a certain depth forward resistance becomes too high as the narrow tires cut through the crust.

Fortunately most roads were cleared frequently enough not to have to change my route. The picture was taken on a quiet, rural lane on a cold, windy day.

Denmark uses local haulage contractors with their lorries temporarily fitted with snow ploughs. These are backed up by liquid salt sprayers to help to keep the ice at bay. Most Danish cars are fitted with winter tyres on steel rims for several months. Going back to their smart alloys, with summer tyres, for the rest of the year.

That big blue bag [above right] was just one of many I found over the years in charity shops. As I experimented, endlessly, with suitable means of bringing home the daily shopping. I even ran my Higgins with a home made rack I made from a dirt cheap, rucksack frame, again from a charity shop. It was held securely onto the rear triangle using pairs of plastic clips, fitted back-to-back and zip-ties.

Eventually, I settled on a bright yellow, water-sports, duffel bag for the Trykit rack. Which provided a huge capacity of 40 liters compared with traditional and much heavier, canvas saddle bags of only half the size.

The only obvious downside is the rather shorter life when used and abused every day. While still being easy to to see from a great distance compared with dull, traditional saddle bags. Thanks to all the straps, it was quite easy to fix the big bag onto a standard, rear trike rack. With the help of a cut down and lightweight, moulded plastic, draining-board tray for extra, bottom support.

One of the carrying handles is looped over the saddle for security. While the other is zip-tied out of sight to the Trykit rack to stop the bag moving about. It would take a thief ages to steal the bag even with a sharp knife. A traditional saddle bag needs only three, highly visible straps to be cut or simply unbuckled.

Top access for loading is far easier than a traditional saddle bag.  No silly and ridiculously heavy, double top flap and drawstring snorkel getting in the way. With the ability to take four, 1 liter cartons of milk, or organic apple juice, from front to back the huge volume can be used to maximum effect. It used to drive mad that the "Camper Longflap" wouldn't take even two, 1 liter cartons front to back! They always had to sit in a long row. Which made shopping unnecessarily difficult and highly prone to damage.

The straps and roll top of the "Overboard" duffel bag keeps everything snug so it doesn't move about. Or cause unnecessary wind drag when only half full. The snap-in, plastic buckles are excellent for quick and easy closing or release. No rusty buckles and cracked leather straps making your load look "untidy!" The sliding/locking straps on a modern bag are great for effortlessly taking up the slack. Damage to the shopping has dropped to nil since I stopped having to stuff it into a silly, <cough> "full sized" canvas, saddle bag.

The grippy, rubberized net, rear pocket has carried my "Dreadnought Class" Abus, intercontinental, ocean going, container ship's anchor, Mini-U-lock with complete confidence from the very first outing. Easy of access without any risk of it slipping out. The Velcro strap at the top further secures the lock but is easy to free with a hooked finger. A constant reminder to fit the lock instead of forgetting it. Then losing your ride to some callous sociopath who "has had a hard life" of drug abuse and alcoholism which desperately needs paying for.

Probably too large for most bikes, the 40L Overboard duffel makes the perfect trike, saddle bag for the 21st century. A full change of clothing, laptop and a load of shopping, on the way home, is well within its capacity for triking commuters or expeditions. There may be other, similar bags but I haven't needed to try them yet.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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