Normally I go into a closing carrying a briefcase. For one of my closings yesterday, I was carrying bicycle panniers.
I enjoy cycling, and do it as often as possible. Not only is it a good form of exercise, it's also a good form of transportation. If I have an errand to do, such as dropping off loan documents from a closing, I'll ride my bike. Most of the time I'll use a backpack. But I also have panniers to use when the load is very heavy.
I also use it for riding around town to take pictures for localism. And long distances are not out of the question. My friend and I rode our bikes through Germany and slept in our tents at night.
I don't ride my bike to closings though, because of the distance. I have to be there as quickly as possible. And I'm usually going from one to another.
However yesterday was a perfect opportunity to ride my bike to a closing. The weather was nice, and the distance was short: a little more than a mile. And June is Colorado Bike Month. So I really wanted to be able to ride at least once to a closing. The first thing I had to do was get everything together that I would take.
I used a plastic pouch to keep the documents in. The pouch has a zip lock and is large enough to carry legal size documents. I have both the originals and the borrowers copies.
They fit well inside the panniers. I'll put my stamp and other supplies in the other pannier.
This is my bike, loaded with the panniers, and ready to roll. It's a hybrid: a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike.
I've had it for many years. It still gets the job done, so I see no reason to buy a new one. It has a luggage rack, a mirror (very useful for seeing cars coming up behind you), and a cycle computer. I wear elastic bands around my ankles to keep my pants from getting caught in the chain. There's also a rear light and a mount for my halogen headlight for riding at night. And two water bottle cages.
This was my route, heading west on Fountain Boulevard, with the Rockies in the background.
I got to the closing one minute ahead of schedule and locked my bike to a lamp post. The borrower was a bit envious that I rode my bike. She said she wished she could get into cycling. I had everything I needed and the closing went smoothly.
Getting to the closing was mostly uphill. Going back was a breeze.
Hopefully I'll be able to do the same on June 27, Bike to Work Day.
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