Living Car Free - Public Transportation

Where I live now, I'm only two miles from work. Very easy to bike all year round. However, when it comes to getting groceries, I take the bus to go downtown which is almost 10 miles. Not much for some of you, I know, but too much for me to do right now. In June, the city wants to cut the bus route that picks up at my apartment complex. I believe the city I'm in doesn't/wont pay taxes toward it so they're getting rid of it. If all the protesting and speaking at city meetings doesn't work, I'm trying to find a different carfree alternative.

The taximeter cabs are expensive (2 dollar pick up .19 cents for 1/10th a mile) and I use them only if I need to go to the vet or in emergencies. I really don't want to spend 20 dollars once or twice a week (I buy fresh produce for most of my diet). Does anyone here ride a moped/scooter? Or have any good information toward it? I'm going to contact my DMV to find out laws, but if anyone in Michigan could lend a hand of knowledge, I'd appreciate it.

I've only been carfree since September 2005 , but I would very much like to stay that way for a few years. There aren't many (or safe) 'ride exchange' programs out here to be involved in either. If there are any alternatives I'm over looking, please let me know!

well this sounds drastic, but if you live in an apartment you might want to move to a better location.

Possibly you could start gradually working up to being able to ride 10 miles. This would be good for your fitness, if you have the physical capacity to do it. Riding slowly for 10 miles is about the same amount of effort (and time) as walking 3 miles, for a comparison. I realize that not everybody can do this, but many can and just don't know it.

I live in Michigan. My stepson (30 years old) owned a couple little electric scooters. You don't need any license to ride them here. I'm not sure they have the range for a 20 mile round trip. There are also power assist units for bicycles. No license required for them either. I don't know much about them, but most bike shops seem to carry them.

If the city eliminates bus service, there might be alternatives started. A lot of rural counties in Michigan have a shuttle type bus service. All counties have shuttle service for handicapped people if that would apply.

stick with your naturally powered bicycle. Start training yourself up + buy a large messenger bag = Enjoy life. I guarentee that you can ride 10mile, thats like 15km.
Public transportation sucks anyway

10miles is a good distance when you're not used to it, but as others have said you may just well be able to work your way up to it slowly.

The idea of a power assist system is a great one, since it will help you do the 10 miles easily, while still working out.

Here's one i've actually been checking out for my gf...
http://www.bionx.ca/

Here's the gist of this system.

4 multiplying effort levels: The motor can boost your thrusting power by 25%, 50%, 100%, or 200%,depending on the sssistance level selected

Range:
Assistance level 1: 60-70 km
Assistance level 2: 45 km
Assistance level 3: 35 km
Assistance level 4: 25 km

It also features things like recharging the batteries when your brake, or go downhill. 35km= 21.7miles. That would take you there and back easily.

Is there another bus you can catch that's within 2 miles that goes to the city. If there is, just lock (hide) the bike at that location and take another bus to the city.

Others have given great advice, and I will second the idea that 10 miles isn't that far once you get used to it. I would also suggest getting a bike trailer, its well worth it for groceries. Towing one is surprisingly easy, not nearly as much drag as I expected, but starting and stopping is more effort.

I guess I'm just feeling blunt today, so I'll just come out and say it. A person under the age of 60 that can't bicycle 10 miles has some pretty serious health problems.

Although, to be fair, you didn't say you couldn't do it, you just said it was too much for you.

So, does that mean you "can't" do it, or that you "won't" do it? :)

Whoa horsies! I think there's lots of people who can't ride 10 miles. Most could work up to it, and should for the sake of their own health and pleasure, but some really can't. I don't know where the OP falls, but it sounds like she might be one who is working up to it:


I take the bus to go downtown which is almost 10 miles. Not much for some of you, I know, but too much for me to do right now.

But even if she's training to do the 10 miles, she evidently can't do it right now. When you're older like me, it does take a bit longer to get in shape. I recommend increasing mileage by only 5 to 10 % a week if you're starting out.

I would work on riding farther distances, but untill then you can ride your bike part way to a bus stop and take the bus the rest of the way. If moving is an option though, go for it. Its worth a little extra $ to have a grocery store, library and good restaurants within walking distance, and actually in most suburban areas the rent/house price is lower near commercial zones because for some reason suburbanites seem to want to drive at least 20 miles to get anywhere at all.

My ideal (doesn't work out this way all the time) is to be able to get groceries along my day to day commute. These days I buy groceries about 2 miles from home, but if I go there on the way home from school it adds only 2 miles to my ride home.

Is there anywhere you could shop that's nearer to home, nearer to work, or halfway in between?

I used to do a 25-mile round trip to my summer internship but it would be hard to convince me to do a 20mile round trip to the grocery store. You wouldn't have an 8 hour break in the middle of your 20mile ride. It's also rather time-consuming to ride that far, and I like grocery-buying to be a quick and easy errand.

Although I still own a car, for the last 4 years, I have shopped 99.99% of the time by bike unless the weather is wet or really cold 30 or lower. Since I currently use 2 rear collapsible baskets which limited my load, the longest distance has been no more than 10 miles RT. Now, if I ever move to an area where I didn't need a car, I could see doing a 20 mile RT but with a large bike trailer.
Of course, I would need to feel that my bike and trailer would be reasonably secure from theft since it would be my main mode of transportation.

Here is a possible trailer
http://www.bikerev.com/pg18.cfm

Whoa horsies! I think there's lots of people who can't ride 10 miles. Most could work up to it, and should for the sake of their own health and pleasure, but some really can't. I don't know where the OP falls, but it sounds like she might be one who is working up to it:

What makes you think the OP is a she?

I am getting a little older each year (who isn't?). I can go over 10 miles-or any distance I care to go-by adopting a more sedate, slower pace like most Europeans use when they go out to cycle. I find that since using this cycling system, I am able to enjoy cycling more, stay safer in traffic, and control the bike far better than blasting down the street. Try to find a pace that you find the best that one would be which would work for you rather than against.

Forget the bionx kit, too expensive. At US$1000, I'd rather buy an actual moped/scooter. You probably will not even need the NiMh, unless of course, you got the cash to spare. It is also rear mounted, so it might be more complicated to install. It does look good, but I attribute that to the battery pack.

For a cheaper, but reliable alternative, go with the go-Hub conversion kit(around US$650): http://www.electric-bikes.com/go-hub.htm

If you still want to go even cheaper, but still impressive, there's the Wilderness Energy(US$350) I have one myself, and highly recommended, except for the rack that the kit came with, I suggest you buy your own, or use the one you currently have, provided it can take the weight of a 30 lbs sealed lead acid batteries. I got mine for $225 at the bargain bin. There's no 26" for sale right now, but I say give them a call and ask if there's one available. I hate thier instruction manual though, but the kit is simple enough that it was quite easy to install, and quite straight forward to operate. Do email me if you have any questions.

Wilderness Energy:
http://www.wildernessenergy.com/unibikekit.html

Both the goHub(they only sell kits using brushless motors, which is more efficient than brushed) kits and WE brushless motor kits will give you at least 20+ miles(real world conditions, including starts and stops) in one single charge. Less if there's some hills. More if you actually pedal with the motor(same with the more expensive bionx). For a 10 mile commute, I suggest you not use the motor when you're going downhill, or the ground is fairly flat, so you'll have more juice for when you get back home.

The other WE kit, the brushed motor will give you about 25-30% less range than the brushless version, but has more power, perfect if you're gonmna climb tons of hills. All these kits mount on your front fork, which is easier to install.

I completely forgot my car ever since getting my own kit, about 4 weeks ago. I also no longer rely on the bus for getting home, over a couple of 2 mile hills long hills here(but not that steep), from downtown.

Here she is with the kits installed and before the "makeover"(new baskets, brooks b66 saddle, new fenders):



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/slyargent/utilitycommuter.jpg

A moped or scooter would cut down on the time and effort factor but I have no experience using one on a daily basis.

I don't doubt you could ride the 20 miles round trip on a bicycle but the problem is that you have to ride that far to the grocery store. I use my bike for almost all of my commuting and errands but my grocery store is only about a mile away. The issue when it's further away is keeping the food fresh on the ride home. Even on my short commute on hot summer days frozen foods can defrost in the ten to fifteen minutes it takes me to unlock the bike, load the groceries onto it, ride home, bring the bike in the building and unload and put away the groceries.

Depending on how many people you are shopping for and how many days of food you're hoping to carry home you're going to be hauling quite a load for the ten miles home. Not only that but carbonated beverages get shaken, eggs get rattled, milk sours, glass jars break when the ride gets longer and longer. A trailer is a reasonable solution and a cooler might help but each trip will be a project that you will have to devote about 3-5 hours of time to complete. Figure 15 minutes getting the trailer hooked up and the bike ready, a minimum of 45 minutes for the ride to the store, an hour of shopping, 45 minutes home, 15 to put everything away. If you don't mind devoting a Saturday to that endeavor then fine, but what happens when you get three weekends in a row with heavy rain? I think you need to look into a closer source of fresh produce and groceries or see if there is a grocery delivery service you can take advantage of.

I really do like my location. It's close to work and that's where I go most of the time. I'm not fond of eating out in restaurants mostly because I work 2nd shift and enjoy home cooked meals. In the summertime, there is a farmers market less than a five minute walk away. I'm only 4 miles from a state park with great mountain biking trails and even less to have access to 18 miles of trails that go all around town! Rent is super cheap too :)

I can ride my bike 10 miles roundtrip, but it takes a while and I like to do it where I can hop off my bike and play in the woods or near the river for a while. I've done an 8 mile trip to get groceries at a bit more of an expensive store nearly a month ago, but it was difficult for me to do. The biggest difficulty is lack of time. I'm usually working around 10 hours a day, six days a week at a physical labor job. I need to be able to do it quickly and be able to carry everything in a way that it wouldn't get smushed or unfrozen.

I do appreciate the suggestions to bike to a bus stop that's close, and I'm sure I'll be doing that. The electro-assist thing looks interesting too! I'm not sure if I'm mechanically inclined enough to do it. How many people have tried these out?

And yes, the OP is female.

60 hours a week! Damn, I'll just shut up then, seeing as how I don't think I even work 60 hours a month.

You rule, I drool! :)

Oh no, the electric assist kits are very simple to install. Just install the front wheel(if you can remove your normal front wheels with the quick release, then you can deffinitely do it), then hook up the wires. You will only need to connect 2-3 of them, and its a no-nonsense thing. One wire will not fit into the other so you're pretty much guaranteed to connect them correctly, at least with the Wilderness Energy kit, and the go-Hub wiring should be easier. The battery wires(on the WE and go-Hub kits) also comes pre-wired so you don't even have to bother with them.

I have very minimal mechanical experience myself, and I've always paid somebody to fix my car, computer, ANYTHING at the slightest sight of problems and even I got the kit installed. I didnt even have the slightest idea that bike brakes are adjustable until very recently :p