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Can't ride November 7? Help buy groceries

The Chicago Southland's ONLY food drive/scavenger hunt by bike is Saturday, November 7, high noon at GoodSpeed Cycles.

Last year, Crankies hauled back 318 lbs. of Thanksgiving fixin’s—including frozen turkeys!—for the food pantry program at Restoration Ministries in Harvey.

Here's how it works:

Cost

Participating in Cranksgiving is free, but the groceries are not. Plan on spending at least $30.

The Start

Beginning at high noon Saturday, November 7, Crankies (you, on your bike) meet at GoodSpeed to pick up a manifest listing area grocery stores and food items.

The Objective

Using any route, and in any order you'd like, go shopping by bike, buying at least one item from as many of the listed stores as you can and delivering it all by bike back to GoodSpeed by 4pm.

The Stores

• Meier - 3800 Vollmer Rd, Flossmoor

• Jewel - 3153 183rd St, Homewood

• Berkot’s - 2345 183rd St, Homewood

• Gaia's Market & Refillery - 1948 Ridge Rd, Homewood

• Aldi - 18901 Halsted, Glenwood

• Target - 17605 S Halsted St, Homewood

• Jewel - 17705 S Halsted St, Homewood

You can start your ride at any time after noon, but you have to finish by 4pm at GoodSpeed. Follow your own routes, or use our suggested routes (about 16 miles of riding).

The Grocery List

You'll pick up the shopping list at noon on Saturday at GoodSpeed.

Tips for Carrying Your Groceries

• Large backpack

• Bike basket

• A rear bike rack with a bag, or bungies, or duct tape, or all three

• A kid's bike trailer (with or without kid)

• Split the shopping into two (or more) deliveries to GoodSpeed

• Split a list with a riding partner or team

• Hire an Uber that carries everything, and in GoodSpeed's parking lot, load all the items into a garbage bag and sling it over your shoulder like a Cycling Santa, complaining loudly as you walk into GoodSpeed about how your back hurts from biking with all these groceries (Nothing's really cheating when the goal is to feed people)

The Finish

You must finish at GoodSpeed by 4pm. When you arrive laden with food and sundries, we'll toast you with a beverage to celebrate your cleverness, your swiftness, your thoroughness, and your generosity, awarding prizes (including heaviest load, most items delivered, most miles ridden) and partying.

The enormous pile of food and items will be donated to Restoration Ministries in Harvey for distribution through their food pantry and aid programs.

You will have a crazy amount of fun doing so much good. Even if you only plan to buy three things from one store (um, Berkots is like three blocks from GoodSpeed) and then head straight back to the shop, do it!

Let's push back against the meanness of the world and get properly Cranky!