Living Car Free - Living Car-Free is my Favorite

I seem to gravitate to this area more than the others. My family is not car-free. We have one car for 4 licensed drivers. We all ride bicycles. Usually the car stays home with my wife, but even she is riding more and more.

I really enjoy hearing all the perspectives here. Many are car-free, and many aspire to be car-free. I also think many read this area, just to hear what the freaks have to say!

Well when I was first inquiring about "living car-free" and googled it this sub-forum was one of the first hits it displayed. I was engrossed almost immediately learning about how people here were not just surviving without a car but thriving and enjoying a lifestyle many including myself at the time would be afraid to even think about. As I posted in this thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=186777) I had many mixed reactions from people but that is changing almost daily, for the better.

I think that even if people are not considering a totally car-free life many people read this forum looking for good information on how to use their car less & less. Believe me there is plenty of great info & tips here for anyone who wants to drive less frequently. Were not all nutty, being that I'm so new to car-free living gimme a few months and check back, I might be a full fledged car-free freak by then.

Yes, it's good to have a goal and that is mine. :D

Me, too - I like this forum an awful lot because of the "Living" part. And I learned a long time ago it's better to be associated with the freaks than the masses.

My wife and I share a car, drive it about once a week.

I was engrossed almost immediately learning about how people here were not just surviving without a car but thriving

Agreed.

My mother is taking a vacation in a couple of months and I had to pay for her plane tickets as neigther my brother, sister in law, nephew and niece had any money. Between the four of them, the probably make a combined income of 125K a year! I just wrote a check for $550.00 bucks like it was nothing. My checking account for the first time actually has money. I'll probably have to give her spending money when the time comes.

By the way, all of my family memebers own cars which explains why they're all living on the edge.

This forum encouraged me to give up the car. Gave it to my sister and she promptly wrecked it so there is no turning back now! (not that I would :) )

Yep. Another frequent visitor here. I also am not car-free. I do commute by bike about 4 days a week. I like to read this forum for knowledge and inspiration. I may not ever become completely car-free as I have a wife and kids, and it would take a change in lifestyle somewhat to obatin complete freedom. But, reading this forum and the forums on The Simple Living Network (http://www.simpleliving.net/) help keep me focused on ways to a better life, for me at least. Thanks for starting this thread...Jerry

Dahon.Steve - Thats sad... why would someone want to live stressfully on the edge like that...thats great you have extra cash cuz of riding.


Yeah I like this subforum the best... I used to hit up the commuting subforum...but duh I commute everywhere! :)

I've owned 1 car in my life. I paid 300 bucks for a Geo Tracker, that sat in my garage for 6 months. I never registerd it, nor had done anything else. Over the course of the time I did own it, I spend a total of $2.50 on gas, and that was to move it to my new house.
I eventually traded the beast for a sweet Honda XR400R, which I ended up crashing and bending the frame, and forks. I ruined my favorite Perry Ellis shirt because of that crash.... bastards...
I have a ton of money in my bank account, and it keeps on growing. Bieng a guy in my early twenties, its probley a good thing to have a nice bank account.
Everyone that I know, has no lil "nest egg" for when life throws you a curve ball, and you need to fall back on it.
People at work, think I am a total lunitic. I will do a 50-100 mile bike ride before work, like its nothing.
I love bieng car free, and perhaps never will own one. I have gotten by so far with out one, so why will I need one any time at all??

I too visit this forum often but I am not car free. However, about the only time I drive is to get to work, and that's 31 miles away. :( I'd love to be car free eventually, the sooner the better. What thing that is a problem around here is no businesses have bike racks. The only places in town that have them are the university and the bike shop. :(

I too visit this forum often but I am not car free. However, about the only time I drive is to get to work, and that's 31 miles away. :( I'd love to be car free eventually, the sooner the better. What thing that is a problem around here is no businesses have bike racks. The only places in town that have them are the university and the bike shop. :(
There's a simple solution to a lack of bike racks. Get a cable, and chain it to a light post or any other stationary object. That also sends out a message to passers-by that they need bike racks. Have you written your local government?

There's a simple solution to a lack of bike racks. Get a cable, and chain it to a light post or any other stationary object. That also sends out a message to passers-by that they need bike racks. Have you written your local government?
Actually, just yesterday I saw a bike chained to a light pole and thought, "Oh, didn't even think about that!" :D

I have not written my local goverment but that's a good idea. They actually do try to make the town pro-bike, it's just that most of the people who live here are the exact opposite. In the last few years they've created a couple of bike lanes on two very busy roads and put up "Share the road" signs on others where there's no room for a bike lane. The problem is, I doubt any motorist in this town have noticed the signs and they use the bike lanes for passing. :rolleyes: One very useful thing my town has for cyclists and pedestrians is a green path that runs along the river here from a suburb area all the way to the middle of town. They are wanting to extend it in both directions and eventually go all the way to Nashville, which is 30 miles away.

Yeah, you can always find something to lock your bike to. Lamppost, sign post, railing, tree, park bench, picnic table, etc. Make sure you chain up to a stationary object. If you just lock the wheel to the frame, a thief would just throw your bike in a pickup truck. Parking meters are no good because the bike can be lifted over it.

Use a long cable lock to secure the frame and front wheel to a stationary object. Add a small U-lock to fasten the rear wheel to the frame for higher security. This system is described in more detail by Sheldon Brown:

http://sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

Well back in the '90s, nearly every business around here had bike racks. I guess now people simply don't ride much for running errands. The few who do ride are purely recreational.

true..one reason is people drive nuts..so less people bike..