Living Car Free - Bike Free Too?

I just heard that my office might move to a new location a few blocks from my home. I could clear those bikes out of my apartment if I didn't enjoy riding. If this office move occurs, I won't NEED the bikes anymore. I'll just use them for luxury travel, visits to suburban friends or to make some shopping trips quicker. There are a number of retail stores along my future commuting walk so most shopping will just occur as I go. I'm seriously thinking of looking for a job further away so I can get that effortless exercise and fun commute. I might try taking a long route home or getting up early and blending in with the recreational riders down on the bike paths... It could be worse the office move could've been to some inaccessible location. I'll brace myself for the change by reading that essay Thoreau wrote on walking, it starts off distinguishing sauntering from other kinds of walking and goes on from there. I might learn to like walking to work but now when I walk somewhere and see cyclists pedal by free as birds I say to myself "I should've riden the bike."

Another car free thing- my car free girlfriend has decided after 12 years or so to try driving for a while to see what the soccer mom experience is all about. A friend who will be out of town for a few months loaned her a min-van. When she uses the van to take her kid to school she leaves at least 15 minutes earlier than when she packs the kid on the bike. I asked her about it and she rattled off a number of things that make the car slower than the bike. Harder to get the kid in the car seat than the bike seat, traffic, the school has bike racks at the front door but car parking is around the corner.... She hasn't used the mini-van in a week, maybe it isn't so swell? She enjoys honking and waving when she drives past me on the street. That is worth something I guess.

So, when your office moves closer to you, you'll have to move further away to have a decent commute? ;)

Or ride laps around the office before entering.

Since I've become such an avid cyclist, I can't stand walking. It's too slow and boring. I allways find my self trying to dart across a busy street on foot before I remind myself I'm not on a bike. I still like a good walk in a nice area. But when I'm trying to get from point A to B in the city biking is a lot better.
This summer I worked at a paddeling program down on the lake shore. A short 15 minute half flat and half downhill bike ride got me there. But I got a flat and I was too lazy to fix it so I just started walking. It took me around 45 minutes but it was great. I feel like it really got me in better shape. If I work down there again this summer I will definatly walk again, although I may be living in my own place in a different part of the city, in which case I will bike.

a few blocks? ride the bike anyway.

I ride my commuter to my girlfriend's apartment, about 200 feet south of me.

i was thinking about something along these lines recently, too...since we moved to portland, things are so close by that a lot of times we just walk. it saves having to dress for cold weather on the bike, and all the time locking and unlocking, in the event that our errands are lined up along the nearby street, Hawthorne, as they so often are.

also, Holly is missing her former 30-minute commute to her former job.

The solution? we take an hour-long bike ride every other day, usually right after lunch. Leave the house, ride for 30 minutes in whatever direction we want, then turn around and come home. Takes just over an hour with clothing changes, and we get to get out and about and enjoy cycling.

Also there's the trips to the grocery, to the farmers market, to friends houses, or just running errands...but I know what you mean, it's nice to get in a long-ish "commute" now and then.

Maybe get up extra early and "commute" to a favorite coffee shop a couple days a week, then go to the office.

And walk home for lunch! Enjoy the proximity, you're one in a million.

I may have the option to telecommute soon. I'm kind of mulling over whether I should try it. The loss of the regular 19+ mile roundtrip commute would be one of the down sides. I'd have to motivate myself to do some regular riding with no particular destination.

most people would kill to have a commute that close to work. I personally would love to roll out of bed and into work within 10 minutes.

I may have the option to telecommute soon. I'm kind of mulling over whether I should try it. The loss of the regular 19+ mile roundtrip commute would be one of the down sides. I'd have to motivate myself to do some regular riding with no particular destination.

that's a great way to explore your area. when i lived in portland, it was a 10 minute ride to my work. but any chance i had, i'd ride for hours around the town. i found a lot of neat little shops and coffee spots, nice places to have lunch...all sorts of little places in neighborhoods i wouldn't have had a reson to visit if i weren't take a long, aimless ride.

telecommuting seems like fun, and you could turn that commute ride into an "explore d.c." ride. i'd sure find a lot of fun in that.

Wait a tick..... Why would anyone want to be bike free???

Wait a tick..... Why would anyone want to be bike free???
Several of my car free neighbors are also bike free. I've asked a few why they don't bike. They don't like to get sweaty or dirty, a friend got hit by a car, they don't know how to fix a flat and don't like the guys in the bike shop. Some car free neighbors have bikes but only use them for recreation. Just off the top of my head I'd say most car free people on my block don't use their bikes for transport. If you don't ride the thing, then it just takes up space and complicates your life so why not get rid of it? I know bike free people aren't on the Bike Forums but they're out there.

My office move has been put on hold while the various divisions fight over floor space in the new building, so I get to keep my effortless exercise.