Commuting - Keep it simple

One thing I like about using a bike as a substitute for a car is that
it's simple. Worries roll off my back like a duck.

For example, my wife's car, which had an $800 repair about 6 months ago (think of a new bike,) just chalked up another $2,000
repair. And yes, it's far less than the value of the car. But SHEESH!!

Using a bike for transportation is about the simplest thing I can think of. If my bike's "transmission" goes out, it may cost me anywhere from $3 for a new cable, to $25 for a new chain, to $60 or more for a new chain + cassette (for example.) I can't even get the car dealership to look at the car for that price.

And don't forget, the bike is the greatest fitness machine (in my opinion) there is. You get fit just getting there. (Why don't bike companies promote bicycles as fitness machines?)

I truly feel sorry for every mother's son out there who's driving only a car for transportation.

I asked a mechanic friend of mine, who does repairs on the side, why he doesn't open up his own shop? He gets enough customers to warrant it, I told him. His reply was that he doesn't really want to be stuck in that line of work. He said one thing customers always seem to think is that, when they get the bad news, the mechanic is lying to them. All this from a guy who charged me half the going rate. Some people don't pay him at all.

I love the bike.

And the Air-Conditioning never needs charging, you don't have to stop at the gas stations, your fuel gauge is much more noticeable, No check engine soon lights, Not having to worry about photo radar (yeah just try and get a picture of my license plate!), you get to smile at pedestrians and see a smile back, Funny noises are usually easy to find, you actually improve yourself while using bicycles, with very little time you can do all your own work (no fuel injection or ignition computers or broken power windows or vacuum leaks or emissions inspections). Lets face it, cars are a headache for short distances (under 30 miles and even for longer distances they filter most of the experience out).

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Pete Clark
One thing I like about using a bike as a substitute for a car is that
it's simple. Worries roll off my back like a duck. [/i]

And how, pray tell, does a duck roll off one's back?

I am now carless. My last car sat all summer, needing brakes, exhaust, bearings, stuff I couldn't do living in an apartment. Stuff that one was dependent on the other. You can't drive without bearings, but to get the bearings you have to drive. Then there were other parts and problems.

I can't say I haven't driven, a friend lets me use her car to grocery shop. But today I hauled a bunch of Peir One pillows home on the commuter, so there's no reason I need a car.

Can I make it work? I don't know, I'm willing to try.

Next week I have to haul my computer to a computer store for some repairs (and an upgrade now that I can actually afford one :D ). Let's see, I can spend $20 on a cab fare or $20,000 on a car for this one occasion (I haven't even been in a car as a passenger in 2002).

That's quite a dilemma...

:D

The trip odometer for this years miles in the old Jeep rolled over 700 miles for the year yesterday (this years bike log has over 5X that many miles recorded).

At this rate the new 40,000 mile tires put on the Jeep last October should last until sometime in June of the year 2041! :thumbup: I guess I should adjust the budget ;)

I have been carless since last summer. The car needed a new transmission, brakes, tuneup, tires and emission repairs. Insurance on the car would have been more than $1200 and I just couldn't afford it anymore. I tried to sell it but couldn't even get $50.00 dollars for that junker! In the end, I called a junk collector to tow it off the street for nothing. I actually made more money from a very used ten year old folding bike that I sold for $20.00 during the summer.

I bough a new computer and monitor last month without a car! Here's how I did it. Picked up cell phone, called a cab, put computer in trunk and paid $18.00 dollars.

My brother just bought a new car last month on top of the fact that his wife has one too. His new car stays parked much of the week since he takes public transport every day. He's paying close to $450.00 a month between cars payments and insurance and this does not include gas and maintenence. As a result, he told me the day that he's broke and needs to get a second job!