I wouldn't place that bet, buzz. When you're car free, you learn to use the noodle, cruise hardware shops, source for the best bargains, and geek it up.
I've got a TV, a decent 21" low frills hi-rez flat tube model, a fairly decent DVD, VCR, and satelite. If you've seen the local TV programming around here, you'de get sat, too. I've built up a decent sound system to go with it, complete with a homebrewed dual 10" isometric bandpass subwoofer and stand speakers that sounds just as good as the high end factory jobs. I bought a book on speaker building, and another on studio level audio setups.
And all this without a cash sucking eternal confusion engine in the way. The only motor I need is the one god gave me. :D


Oh, don't get me wrong. As someone who was car free for many years I know first hand about the resourcefulness of the those who live that lifestyle. And I applaud those efforts. In fact, I have never bought a television. They've all been given to me when other people upgraded.

What I meant in my post was that an "alternative lifestyle", which I think living car-free represents, may mean that some within that subgroup might also reject other aspects of "popular culture" like televisions, cell phones, computers and even the internet. I, for one, would like to ultimately be car free, off the electric grid as well as being completely debt free. On the other hand, I enjoy telecommunication technology in it's many forms- including tv. My guess, and it's only a guess, is that the personality type that lives car free or desires to be so craves other forms of independence, which, in each individual, may manifest itself in different ways.

I remember when gasoline was 25 cents a gallon and a long distance phone call was three dollars. It just makes economic sense nowadays to substitute communication for transportation whenever you can. If my experience is any guide, the Internet is a major enabling factor for the carfree lifestyle.

I think it's clear that many of us do follow a simpler lifestyle that is in some ways "alternative" to modern American culture. However, many carfree people do live as "ordinary" Americans in most ways, they just don't have a car. They have big suburbans, the high tech electronics, kids in private school, lots of nice bikes, and no car.

So far, it seems like this forum is big enough for both camps. Some threads are pretty political and controversial, but others are more practical or "how-to."

I remember when gasoline was 25 cents a gallon and a long distance phone call was three dollars. It just makes economic sense nowadays to substitute communication for transportation whenever you can. If my experience is any guide, the Internet is a major enabling factor for the carfree lifestyle.

This is true. My whole job is working from home on-line. Cars schmars.

I think it's clear that many of us do follow a simpler lifestyle that is in some ways "alternative" to modern American culture. However, many carfree people do live as "ordinary" Americans in most ways, they just don't have a car. They have big suburbans, the high tech electronics, kids in private school, lots of nice bikes, and no car.

So far, it seems like this forum is big enough for both camps. Some threads are pretty political and controversial, but others are more practical or "how-to."

Absolutely.

But I am curious as to whether and/or how a car-free life style translates into other aspects of one's life.Though I own a car my bike is my main means of transport-even for grocery shopping. I find I tend to be more aware of energy consumption around my home, want to eat less processed foods etc. I don't know what comes first here the chicken or the egg whether that tendency for the simpler lifestyle is what makes me a bike rider or whether biking has made me more aware of alternatives. It would be interesting to hear from people who more recently incorporated a more car free way of living and how it may have influenced other aspects of their lives.

Absolutely.

But I am curious as to whether and/or how a car-free life style translates into other aspects of one's life.Though I own a car my bike is my main means of transport-even for grocery shopping. I find I tend to be more aware of energy consumption around my home, want to eat less processed foods etc. I don't know what comes first here the chicken or the egg whether that tendency for the simpler lifestyle is what makes me a bike rider or whether biking has made me more aware of alternatives. It would be interesting to hear from people who more recently incorporated a more car free way of living and how it may have influenced other aspects of their lives.
I'm not trying to be a nag, but if this is interesting to you, it will probably be interesting to others. Why not figure out some way to start a thread that gets at this question?

I've only owned one car in my life, about 5 years ago. Didn't keep up with maintaining it so it died. I was living in St.Louis at the time and a car was much needed. I live in Mpls and there is no need personally for me to have a car here. This city is pretty much bike friendly, there's so many of us on the roads that it kinda makes it more comfortable, if that makes any sense. It's my form of transpo and I've met more people just riding around than in any other situation. Oh yeah, it's good excercise.......

To everyone, lurker or otherwise, who doesn't post to this forum because they're not car-free...

I can't speak for everyone but it sure seems to me that you don't have to be car-free to post here. If you have something interesting to post, post it. I'm pretty sure nobody will tell you that you shouldn't post here because you're not car free; I haven't seen that happen yet.

To everyone, lurker or otherwise, who doesn't post to this forum because they're not car-free...

I can't speak for everyone but it sure seems to me that you don't have to be car-free to post here. If you have something interesting to post, post it. I'm pretty sure nobody will tell you that you shouldn't post here because you're not car free; I haven't seen that happen yet.
I sure have no problem with it either. I've even read interesting posts from people who are anti-carfree! Wannabees and those who are merely curious post here all the time, like cerewa said.

i'm not a lurker, but over the past 3-5 years i've grown more into the concept of "simplifying my life".
so over the past two years i've started bike commuting, sold my car, i own a home with my sig other and share car (best of both worlds), and i can't evangalize enought how much money i save being a "one car family"

i concentrate on "less stuff and more living".
on a travel note, i LOVE visiting cities where i can walk/bus/taxi around town. i've never been to NY, (need to go), but visited Buenos Aires in October, and have plans for Frankfurt and Amsterdam this year, and possibly some time where i can take a short bike trip for few days outside of the city.
so in addition to carfree i'm a big debt free advocate, and living a simple life and finding pleasures in other ways than just "buying new toys" will help you accomplish that as well.
sorry for rambling, that's my story :)

Hello James D.
You're not rambling. Those are pearls of wisdom dripping from your.... from your....um,...keyboard!
You're reading my diary! Lots of good points in your post. I'm 20 years older than you, but I've managed to conserve the "keep it simple" philosophy as you've described. Bought my first microwave in 2000, my first TV in 2001.

I've got a 40-year-old face, but 20-year-old legs, and they aren't slowin' down yet!

Ciao for now.

I'm not car free, but I drive as little as possible.
Not long ago I borrowed a truck from work to drop off an amplifier that I couldn't carry on a bike. On the way back I met up with some friends. They are so used to me biking everywhere one asked me "you drove? doesn't that make you feel dirty?"

http://ljplus.ru/img/d/a/dashing/060112_car2.jpg

I'm not car-free but am trying to be car-lite. Posted a couple of times but the responses I got left me feeling unwelcome. Interestingly there's no responses from anyone in my catagory in Serge's poll either.

So I'm a little backwards. My bikes are my main form of transportation, and my jeep is my form of recreation...litearally, it's more of a toy than a vehicle.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/AfterThisNap/RandomWinterpics083.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/AfterThisNap/frontshot.jpg

Ever thought about a mountain bike? Probably way more fun than that 4WD.

I'm another lurker, mainly because I am not car free. Although we have two cars, I have been commuting by bike nearly every workday for the past eight years, along with doing most shopping trips by bike. Limited parking spaces, heavy road congestion, and concerns about dents, road salt often make riding more convenient and less stressful in my area than driving.

The health benefits are also important. I'm the sort of guy who doesn't think twice about hopping on a bike during a blizzard to go to the store or work, but would never be able to do a regular workout. If I didn't commute every day, I would never get any physical exercise at all. In fact, my first bike gathered dust in the basement for five years, before I realized that it might be good for getting to work on.

During the summer, I have to drop off our daughter at day camp. Since dirving her to camp, driving home, and riding my bike to work would take up a good deal of my morning, I am also interested in transporting children by bike. After three years with a trailer, we are now using a Train-A-Bike. We also take frequent summer trips to a small island that has no cars for rent, but does have bikes and trailers available..

I actually like cars (well, at least classic cars.) However, I never got into utility motoring and don't want to become car-dependant, particularly since I live in a place where driving is often neither pleasant nor convenient. So I do share many issues with you.

Paul

I'm another lurker, mainly because I am not car free. Although we have two cars, I have been commuting by bike nearly every workday for the past eight years, along with doing most shopping trips by bike. Limited parking spaces, heavy road congestion, and concerns about dents, road salt often make riding more convenient and less stressful in my area than driving.

The health benefits are also important. I'm the sort of guy who doesn't think twice about hopping on a bike during a blizzard to go to the store or work, but would never be able to do a regular workout. If I didn't commute every day, I would never get any physical exercise at all. In fact, my first bike gathered dust in the basement for five years, before I realized that it might be good for getting to work on.

During the summer, I have to drop off our daughter at day camp. Since dirving her to camp, driving home, and riding my bike to work would take up a good deal of my morning, I am also interested in transporting children by bike. After three years with a trailer, we are now using a Train-A-Bike. We also take frequent summer trips to a small island that has no cars for rent, but does have bikes and trailers available..

I actually like cars (well, at least classic cars.) However, I never got into utility motoring and don't want to become car-dependant, particularly since I live in a place where driving is often neither pleasant nor convenient. So I do share many issues with you.

Paul
With eight years of bike commuting under your belt, I imagine you have a lot of good ideas for this forum. I've often enjoyed your posts in Commuting and other subforums. And maybe you'll even pick up some ideas here for going even lighter on the cars.

for me probably the biggest drawback to being carfree is dating especially being in a small town in texas, if you don't have a new dodge pickup or such the women tend to ignore you, especially us over 50 guys :(

for me probably the biggest drawback to being carfree is dating especially being in a small town in texas, if you don't have a new dodge pickup or such the women tend to ignore you, especially us over 50 guys :(
I'd bet my left brake lever that a thread on this topic would be well received, if you feel like starting one. ;)

Obviously, most of you guests are interested in both bikes and carfree living, or you wouldn't be here.

Don't be too sure about that. A lot of them are probably google spiders or people who have found this site after searching for another term and just stumbled in. Being ranked highly on google is a double-edged sword.


If you're like me, you might be the ONLY ONE in your neighborhood, school or workplace who uses bikes as basic transportation.

Yes I am, but I'm not sure I consider that to be a bad thing.


Internet forums work best when everybody contributes. With more members, this forum will be even more informative and have livelier discussions.

Aren't there enough flame wars between those who are car-free and those who aren't?

Don't be too sure about that. A lot of them are probably google spiders or people who have found this site after searching for another term and just stumbled in. Being ranked highly on google is a double-edged sword.




Yes I am, but I'm not sure I consider that to be a bad thing.



Aren't there enough flame wars between those who are car-free and those who aren't?


Stop making sense! It gives me a headache. :)

Stop making sense! It gives me a headache. :)

Hah! Someone on another forum thinks I don't have the "wisdom" or "experience" to post there.

Actually, I didn't intend for my post to sound as negative as it came across. Seriously, I'd welcome some input from people with different questions or different experiences, but I wanted to bring some balance to the "more is better" argument -- oh yeah, and, well, the bit about the car free vs non car free flame wars stands. :D

I don't post here because I rarely visit here.

I'm also not car-free. I have a pick-up truck. It would be nice to get rid of it since I rarely drive it, but when I do drive it I'm really glad I have it. A truck is such a handy thing to have. I can haul my trike down to Ventura and go riding with other recumbent riders. I can move furniture, gravel, take stuff to the dump. Very handy.

For other purposes I use a Vespa. I use the Vespa for groceries or other errands, and for those days when you have to go from here to there but there's just not enough time to do it by bicycle.

In other words, I'm not car free but I do try to practice some kind of sanity about the whole vehicle thing. Why haul out a sledgehammer when you are putting up a thumbtack? I use the right tool for the job. The truck for moving large things, the Vespa for moving me quickly and in style (I can use it for job interviews no problem!) and my bike for moving just me when I can get there in human-powered time.

for me probably the biggest drawback to being carfree is dating especially being in a small town in texas, if you don't have a new dodge pickup or such the women tend to ignore you, especially us over 50 guys :(
I have taken my girlfriend out on my tandem. We went to a bar to listen to bluegrass and have dinner. The only problem ocurred on the way home I think she had to many Bloody Mary's when I stoped she fell off the back.
I lerk because by the time I read a thread, usually what I have to say would only be redundant.

I'm glad to hear that non-carfree'ers are welcome to post here, too. Although I have posted on occasion, I'm not completely car-free, and therefore don't visit here as much as I do Commuting or A&S.

I am happy to report that I got rid of my personal car in December, so at least now we are down to a one-car family. But since I do use the family car on occasion (mostly when they are with me, sometimes when I have a longer way to go than time permits), I do not consider myself completely car-free even though I no longer have one in my name.

Our current remaining car-dependence centers around not only schlepping our two young kids around (ages 5 and 7), but also for schlepping art, which is fragile and sometimes needs to go up to 50 miles away, in a largely rural area lacking public transportation. Both needs are mainly my wife's. (She's the stay-at-home parent, as well as the work-at-home artist.) Of course she could do more local trips on a bike, with some equipment and gumption, but she doesn't have that vision yet, and I don't want to push her too hard. I'm mainly working on increasing my own bicycle use for now. Currenty debating a trailer versus the Xtracycle. The kids are as yet too young (5 and 7) to ride by themselves, but I try to take them out a lot, and they enjoy it. As they get older, I'm confident we'll talk more about it. (My 7-year-old was saying last fall that he hopes gas prices keep going up so more people will go back to riding trains! I swear I did not [consciously] put that thought in his head! :) )

BTW, regarding the TV question: I also lean to not having one, we don't have cable, and I watch something network TV maybe twice a year, if it's a special thing like our Cowboy-in-Chief's State o' the Union. As a family we do watch videos or DVD's, especially the kids, but if I were living by myself, I probably wouldn't bother. Too many other better things to do with one's time, in my maybe-not-so-humble opinion.

Hi,

I've been lurking here for a few months now and just voted in the "Why do you visit Living Car Free?" poll thread. http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=169088

So I want to be car-free at least car-light and am looking for ideas, help, and inspiration. Also, I enjoy reading the "simple living" and related threads.

Inspiration.

Having the usual excuses for not going car free, It's nice to see people actually doing it. Not many commuters by choice here in Atlanta, but when my car is parked in traffic, and I see what most people would call a "low life" rolling by the line of cars on two cheap wheels, I am jealous of my missed freedom. The rider is probably pissed he doesn't have a car, and can't wait to get one so he doesn't have to pedal to work anymore.

Gotta be a fable or something in there somewhere.

Of course thoughts about why people read but don't write will have to remain speculative if they won't tell us. Wouldn't it be interesting if some of them registered in Bikeforums and told us what's really going on?

I'm a newbie, just registered with Bikeforums, probably because of this thread.

I've lurked on carfree for a while, simply because I agree with the ideas bounced around here. Simple living really hits a nerve with me, as it has been about as far from my lifestyle as possible.

For years, I have been a shameless gas-guzzler, debt-ridden consumer, with all the trimmings. I have frittered away time, money and energy on things that weren't really worth it. I live in one of the most car-friendly cities in the world outside of the US. And, I have been a self-proclaimed capitalist *******.

There hasn't been a single cataclysmic change, but things have turned around for me. Perhaps this has come from reading. I have been inspired by some of the posts here in carfree, worried by reports on peak oil, intrigued by simple living, fascinated by Walden, and Buddhism is starting to make a lot of sense as well.

So, things have changed in the last 6 months. Now, I ride my bike for 90% of journeys. Now, I am cleaning out my possessions and selling volumes on eBay and in the local paper. Now, I have donated bags and bags of 'stuff' to charity. Now, I am simplifying... and now, I am happier.

This forum has been a little piece of sanity to read every day. I haven't posted, simply because I am still a long way from being car-free - I'm just not there yet. Perhaps, though, I'm on the right track.

Anyway, that's my story. Hello to everyone!

Damian

Wow damian. I really admirepeople who keep an open mind and are really able to question their basic assumptions at some point! You're my hero of the week. :)

One thing I have to say to newbies is something I learned when sudying cognitive psychology years ago. Novices are often much better teachers than people who are experts in the field being taught.

For example, a mathematician with a PhD might not be very good at teaching business math to high school kids. This is because the expert can't remember the problems faced by 9th grade scholars, and he/she also tends to give overly complex explanations that confuse the young students. Often, the best teacher for 9th graders is 10th graders!

Similarly, somebody who has been carfree for years may have forgotten some of the problems facing newbies, and may take the solutions for granted. So somebody like you, a novice, will often be the best one to help out those just coming around to being carfree.

New to bikeforum and was curious about this thread. New to blog too so still struggling with terminolgy. As I have found out about posting anything there is a history.Wouldn't you know lurkers just plain don't want others to know they are watching. Being careful about what I say or what people see I say is a risk I'll gladly take. If this novelty wears thin I'll quit posting and leave the forum but if people want to interact with me. OK too. I'll stay...What do you think?