Living Car Free - Differences between Commuting and Utility Cycling

Exactly!

Of course weekend trips to coffee shop, restaurant, bookstore to browse and relax are really not errands, but recreation. Errands I run during the week in a mad rush on bike to so I have freetime on weekends to go hiking, etc.

Al

Did I miss the thread where all the car-free members of the forum self-identified to those of us who merely aspire to being car-free?

If you're one of the car-free ones, mind if I ask how you fit in those hiking weekends?

My recreational pursuits are probably the biggest stumbling-block to me being car free. It's close to impossible to pursue stuff like hiking, snowboarding, climbing, mtn. biking, etc. w/o a car unless you live *in* the mountains.

As far as the subject of the thread, the largest difference for me between commuting and utility cycling is that for errands and such I wear street-clothes and tend to cruise at slow speeds. My commute is 15-mi so I'm gonna work up a sweat regardless, so I wear cycling specific clothes and hammer, and I'll probably get flamed for this, but I rarely bother to don a helmet when I'm just heading down to the grocery-store/video-store/coffee-shop. My commute involves higher speeds, and sketchier roads so I always wear the helmet for it.

-Trevor

Hi Trevor

I guess no one has started a self identification thread yet. I hope we wouldn't unintentionally encourage a "more carfree than thou" type of elitism, but that's speaking only for myself.

Indeed, there are some things that are not easy when you don't own a car. Getting more than a few miles out into rural areas is one of them. I tend to make adjustments and go where it's easy for me to go. It's probably easier for me to get to some places in interior Mexico than it would be to get to some of the places you like to go.

Recently I took a trip to a very rural part of Texas. I couldn't think of anything better to do than rent a car. They were out of small cars and had plenty of SUVs, so they gave me a free upgrade to an SUV. That worked out because I was able to take my bike with me. I had a great time exploring the little country roads on my bike. It sure didn't save any gas to haul around a bike in an SUV that way.

I'm not a carfree purist, never said I was. I guess if it creates less animosity to say something like I just haven't gotten around to buying my next car yet, I might start doing that.

Did I miss the thread where all the car-free members of the forum self-identified to those of us who merely aspire to being car-free?

If you're one of the car-free ones, mind if I ask how you fit in those hiking weekends?

I am far from car free, partly because of my desire to backpack and hike in wilderness on the weekends and also because of some errands I stuggle to do on my bike, such as getting sheetrock and 2x4" at the hardware store, going to certain stores/resturants that are too far in 110deg heat during late rush hour, gong to dr. appt. 20mi away from work during working hours, etc. I cycled 4500 mi last year instead of car, plus addtional recreational cycling miles, probably about another 3-4000 miles were driven.

Al

It's getting a little bumpy here. And I thought we were all a bunch of tree-hugging, pacifistic, socialistic, elitist HIPPIES! At least that's what ILTB told me! :D I guess he was wrong about that too.

If you know knew me you would know that I am not a ree-hugging, pacifistic, socialistic, elitist HIPPIES!

I am so fscking conservative, I see the republicans as liberals ;-)

Haha mpop you and me both!! Tree-hugging is neither left nor right though, look up who originated the word "ecology" for instance. Kinda scary.

I plan to rent a car when needed, although I don't see it being needed more than 1x a month for a certain swapmeet that's out in the boonies, and the saturday before I'll do some car-type errends with the car I guess. It's a lot of fun making a car un-necessary though.

My condolences on your conservatism. :(

Great thread, tho' I'm jumping in way late.
Getting rid of the car soon (already unregistered), I'm looking at using the bus and folding bike for all my transportation needs.

So far, I've had the bike into convenience stores. (I don't own a lock!) My next step is to bring it into a major grocery store, folded, in a shopping cart. If it won't fit IN the cart, attached to it somehow so I can roll it around in the store with me.

I'll take photos when I do!

Also: I never really considered a posenger, err "messenger" bag as a cargo option but I sure am now! Once the car sells, I'll have a few $$$ to buy a set of waterproof panniers (thinking Arkel Samurai) and a Chrome bag. My life is starting to seem a lot more fun... (!)

Well I am car free, but for now when I do errands I just walk* (errands usally involve shoping and the local grocery store is only a 5 minute walk away)

So I would say maybe for the errands you could consider walking instead of biking that is what I do at this time. I know this is a biking forum and I am advicating walking I will go slap myself around a bit now to appease what ever biking god might be out there ;-)

* this just means the bad news for me is that the local grocery store will be closing soon so I am going to have to learn how to do my grocery shopping on a bike or walk 30 minutes to the next closest one, I am tempted to just do the one hour of walking myself. there's not too much to learn. go to the army/navy store and get the biggest backpack you can find. i haven't driven in almost three years and with the exception of mpving, a bike and big backpack take the place of a car easily.

removing and putting back things like the water bottle, the frame pump, the bike computer, lights and blinkies, loads, the underseat bag, etc. etc. etc. This is a big nuisance especially when you try to accomplish four or five errands on a trip.

If I use a water bottle it goes in my plastic tub which attaches to the back of my bike. Same for a pump. Same for anything that would go in an underseat bag. I usually ride in the day so no blinkies. I never bothered with a bike computer.

For me it just matters too much to be able to lock the bike up and walk away. If I have a rear blinkie it gets attached to my plastic tub. If I don't bring my plastic tub I bring my backpack and it carries whatever i need.

Cerewa: do you have pictures of that? (or maybe already posted in another thread) Novel idea this plastic tub! Like to see that...

Generally, I see commuting and utility cycling as the same thing, with a few important differences.

Commuting to work often requires riding farther than 10 miles-- I'd recommend a lighter bike with 700c wheels and a really good lighting system for longer daily rides.

Utility cycling is often shorter hops-- I'd recommend an old heavy MTB, 26 inch wheels with a cable lock and big baskets for carrying stuff. Ugly and heavy work for bikes you don't need to ride more than 5 miles. Put any old 3speed you can find at Goodwill on the untility most wanted list as well.

Of course in real life I mix the commuting and utility trips all the time. I often stop at the store with my faster lighter "commuting bike" on the way home. I'll ride my MTB utility clunker to work if the commuter is broke down.

So I think having 2 bikes is a good way to go-- A nice lightweight road or touring set up for long rides and a cheap beater with baskets for short shopping trips.

Generally, I see commuting and utility cycling as the same thing,

Rather than worry about definitions of commuting cycling and utility cycling, I just think in terms of, "I use my bicycle to get me places."

I am a human being who rides a bicycle. I don't worry about getting caught up in definitions trying to define myself as a commuter cyclist or a utility cyclist or a recreational cyclist or a vehicular homicide cyclist. It's very easy to get lost in that fuzzy area known as "identity politics". The more we immerse ourselves in these labels, the less we can communicate with one another. (i.e. I can have fruitful exchanges with others about bicycle safety, but very little fruitful exchange goes on if the other person is just trying to reinforce his own self-described identify as a "vehicular cyclist". I can have fruitful exchanges with others about bicycle racing, but very little fruitful exchange goes on if the other person is all wrapped up in definitions about what constitutes a "real cyclist.")

On the weekends when I seldom ride at night, I remove my Niterider HID light. I keep my pump and everything else I carry in my Carradice Barley bag, and it's attached to my seatpost via a Carradice SQR bracket, so I can take it off and bring it with me easily when doing errands.

I carry a cheap waterbottle that I wouldn't care if someone stole it, and lock the bike with a big Kryptonite cable and an OnGuard u-lock. I have replaced the wheel quick releases and seatpost binder with allen head versions. I realize someone can still steal them if they have a 5mm allen wrench, but I am also very careful where I park the bike and I do use the locks.

My bicycle, although I like it and feel it's pretty nice, is not one of the more popular ones for thieves. They seem to look mostly for nice mountain bikes, then nice roadies. My BOB-ish commuter with Brooks saddle and fenders is stealable, but they'll steal the more desireable ones first.

If I need to carry a bunch of stuff, I put on my Ortlieb Backroller Plus panniers (they go on and off the rack easily).

Other times I don't want to bother with all that so I either walk or take the bus.

Rather than worry about definitions of commuting cycling and utility cycling, I just think in terms of, "I use my bicycle to get me places."

I am a human being who rides a bicycle. I don't worry about getting caught up in definitions trying to define myself as a commuter cyclist or a utility cyclist or a recreational cyclist or a vehicular homicide cyclist. It's very easy to get lost in that fuzzy area known as "identity politics". The more we immerse ourselves in these labels, the less we can communicate with one another. (i.e. I can have fruitful exchanges with others about bicycle safety, but very little fruitful exchange goes on if the other person is just trying to reinforce his own self-described identify as a "vehicular cyclist". I can have fruitful exchanges with others about bicycle racing, but very little fruitful exchange goes on if the other person is all wrapped up in definitions about what constitutes a "real cyclist.")

Word.

Rather than worry about definitions of commuting cycling and utility cycling, I just think in terms of, "I use my bicycle to get me places."

I am a human being who rides a bicycle. I don't worry about getting caught up in definitions trying to define myself as a commuter cyclist or a utility cyclist or a recreational cyclist or a vehicular homicide cyclist. It's very easy to get lost in that fuzzy area known as "identity politics". The more we immerse ourselves in these labels, the less we can communicate with one another. (i.e. I can have fruitful exchanges with others about bicycle safety, but very little fruitful exchange goes on if the other person is just trying to reinforce his own self-described identify as a "vehicular cyclist". I can have fruitful exchanges with others about bicycle racing, but very little fruitful exchange goes on if the other person is all wrapped up in definitions about what constitutes a "real cyclist.")

Gosh, did I ever label any cyclist? I support the whole *big family* idea of cycling. I really like bikes-- racing bikes, BMX, low riders, MTBs and bikes of a more utility nature. And of course I love everybody who rides-- from Lance to Grandma.

I always tell cycling newbies that bikes are simple machines -- or tools. They are used for a huge number of very different uses-- from hauling constuction suppies in China to the Tour de Fance. This diversity of applications is why not every bike is the same. The trick is to get a bike that's a match for the job you want it to do. It isn't that any bike is really better any other bike-- ther are just made for a different functions, different riders

20 years ago I rode single speed and fixed gear bikes and carried everything in a over the shoulder bag. It worked for me that the time because I was a young buck, a strong rider and was so completely full of pi$$ and vinigar I was almost a salad dressing (Oh! How I miss those days). Now I ride bikes with derailuers and racks/baskets-- because I'm older, weaker and have a bad back. At some point in life I'll be an old duffer riding one of those clunky adult trikes-- very s-l-o-w-l-y. But I'll still be a cyclist. As long as you're petaling-- it still counts.

Gosh, did I ever label any cyclist?

No, I was just agreeing with you when you said you saw commuting cycling and utility cycling as the same thing. I find it amusing when cyclists try to divide themselves into a bunch of different little mutually exclusively subspecies. Unfortunately, Internet forums like this really exasperate the problem -- people want some quick catch-phrases to sum up their style of cycling. These catch phrases serve as a form of short-hand, and then we make the mistake of confusing the short-hand with reality.

Happy cycling.