User:Donbren/"L-rack" for bicycle routes

 L-rack" for Bicycle Paper Routes

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When I was 12 years of age (1948) I took on a newspaper route for the Los Angeles Times. I was assigned a route with 110 customers and was given a double bag with a head-sized hole in the center for my head to pass through -- similar to a serape design, but made of a heavy canvas. It was extremely heavy when loaded with 110 news-papers -- even on Saturday, the lightest day of the seven days we delivered papers.

I was told to hang the bags lengthwise across my handle bars to better balance the load. It was awkward and a bit dangerous to maneuver in traffic, as the weight of the papers, coupled with inertia, decided for me which direction I would go. This lasted two days, and I had had enough of this poor baggage-carrying concept.

I then went to the North Long Beach branch of Baker's Bicycle Store and asked them for help. Together we designed and (they) constructed an "L-shaped" rack that optionally fastened to the gooseneck, using the long connecting bolt to serve double duty by fastening the gooseneck to the bicycle and the "L-rack" base to the gooseneck.

This provided a platform upon which we placed a 1-bushel apple box (5-solid sides), and into which I stuffed my neatly folded newspapers, all of which safely balanced atop my handlebars. I was quickly able to deliver my papers -- and live to tell the tale. The other kids immediately had one made for themselves and we all finished our routes in record time each day, something our route manager, W.C. Toovey, rewarded us for with special breakfasts for 'early birds.' I ate free a lot, thanks to that "L-rack" idea!