Living Car Free - neccesity of biking

i'd be interested to hear whether the people here use a bike because they can't afford a car or because it is a choice?
another question. does one even need a bike or is it because it saves time over walking. for myself i see that where i go i can go via walking but use a bike because it is fun and i think better and i like to have a bike as a possession to fix and admire for it's simplicity.
acorn

The main reason I don't drive is that, due to a disability, I cannot get a license. There are other reasons but that one is trump. Where I live, I could survive without a bike but it would be a crippled life, especially regarding social opportunities. If I moved to a city, it would be easier without a bike but a lot of the same problems would come up, albeit less frequently. There will inevitably be a time when I have/want to go somewhere and neither walking nor public transportation are feasible and I can't reliable beg a ride from someone else.

'afford' is relative. $1k gets you a much more reliable bike than car, but it would be a serviceable car if you chose to deal w/ it.

i would have to work more to pay for a car based lifestyle

'afford' is relative. $1k gets you a much more reliable bike than car, but it would be a serviceable car if you chose to deal w/ it.


for me all i could afford to spend at the time i bought my bike was $200 plus the fact with an auto i would have to dish out $60 every month for car insurance which i can not afford so for me there is no choice but a bike
acorn

It is a choice for me, but is related to money as I hate to waste it unnecessarily on gas when pedal power will do just fine. Being a police officer it is amazing to me how many people just don't even think of it as an option. If I had a nickel for every person I have arrested for driving on a suspended driver's license that said, "Well how am I supposed to get to work?" I guess there is some comical irony in the fact that most people on bikes could easily afford not to be.

Eli, if you would be willing to share I am curious what your disability is that keeps you from a car but still allows you to ride a bike. Seizure disorder?

Well, I have vehicles, SUV, Truck, 3 ATVs, 5 horses (at least) and could afford others I suppose.

I ride because it takes just about the same time, but I save my health and the costs involved. Also, my wife can use the SUV (we really need it - our roads ain't pavement) and she isn't capable of riding to the office and back.

I'm only semi-car free. My wife owns a car, but when she goes out of town I'm temporarily car free. I use a bike because it's handier than walking....I can go to the grocery store and return with more stuff than I would like to carry on foot. still, I also have a "bundle-buggy" (grocery carrier) that I can use if I walk. I also regularily use public transit.

I can afford a car...I just don't want one.

It's a choice, but I couldn't afford to have a car now that I've gotten used to having all the extra disposable income. I'd have to give up eating out a lot, buying fancy beer, fancy clothing, and all the toys I've gotten used to. I think that I would always feel like I was sacrificing a lot of lifestyle things that I like if I were paying for a car.

My needs have varied. Right now my car is parked where it has been for the past year and a half. Afford isn't quite the reason, but rather it's a spending priorities decision. Yes, I could pay for a car more than I am now, but I don't so that I can pay off the debts from my marriage all the faster. I could have the car and pay off debts but the debts would go down slower.

When I was married, my ex and I sometimes had a 1 car family, and I calculated that the money saved by my bicycling instead of driving was the difference between being in the red and being in the black each month. Back then, bicycling was an absolute necessity. I worked 9 miles away and there was no bus service when I had to leave for work. A three hour hike each day each way simply wasn't practical.

At one point I had a 3 mile commute from my apartment to downtown L.A. I pedaled then, because parking my car was so expensive. Later I had a seven mile commute that involved 5 miles through a nature preserve. Driving the same route would be 11 miles and I wouldn't get to chase coyotes at dawn. Who could pass that up?

Choice. I could afford a car, insurance, repairs, gas. But why? And taking the bus easily adds an extra hour to my work day over riding a bike. So I bike most days, and when my knee is bothering me, I split commute, loading my bike on the bus rack. This allows me to skip the first bus altogether, and not have to worry about making a transfer. Doing this adds about 10 minutes to my commute over biking alone.

Edit: Actually... I have a truck. I just haven't finished fixing it. The tags are paid for the next 4 years, no payments, and I don't have insurance on it, so it's not costing me anything, and I can have it fixed and drivable in a week if it's necessary.

We're a 1 car family (of two) and my wife uses her car when she has to for her work. I have biked to work for the last 10 years and have had access to a vehicle most of the time. Enviromental, health, and a need to change the way Americans think are my primary reasons for using the bike. We use our bikes for errands and such as much as I can get my wife to. We walk for a number of things and use the bus (our bus system stinks!) on occasion. The whole idea is to make less of a dent in the earth and teach others that they can too, with little negative impact on their lifestyles. We're not always successful, but we keep trying.

I've chosen to not afford a car. It means that since I don't have to afford a car, I can work less or at lower-paying jobs. What I ended up doing is starting a business that now makes enough that I only have to work a couple of hours a day, and I work two days a week at the neighborhood branch of the public library--largely for the "staff doesn't pay fines" benefit.

I got around by foot or on the bus for six years before I got the bike. My initial motivation for buying the bike was to save travel time to clients' offices. (Clients, BTW, get a kick out of me showing up by bike.) It has, for better or worse, transformed my life.

Business suffers during nice weather, like the unusually nice late November we've been having here. I ride instead. Depending on how the next two days pan out, I could have more miles in November than in any other month this year, except July. And this is my busy season.

On the other hand, I feel 20 years younger. (40 years younger when I ride in the rain.)

I have been car-free my whole life. I never even got myself a driver's license.

Part of it is a long-standing hate for cars and how they have made our built environment hostile to humans, and another part is a rather extreme case of ADHD which makes me supremely inconfident behind a wheel. I do not feel I am capable of juggling everything involved in safely driving an automobile; it's rather overwhelming. I'm fine on a bike!

Choice...I cycle because I enjoy it. I would rather grab a bike and get some where near by, than crank the car, drive to the place, find a freakin' parking place... The bike is quick easy and if I see something along the way I can stop and look at it, don't do that with the car. I hope in the not to distant future to get out of car completely except for longer occasional trips. Right now I have to have my truck for work.

Aaron:)

For me it's sort of a choice, but where I live (Seattle), not having some form of private transportation can be a major hinderance. For instance, biking to work takes about 20 minutes, while the bus takes about 45. So in practical terms, having a bike makes perfect sense - it's usually more efficient than the bus, and much less expensive than a car. If where you live and work is along a direct bus line (no transfers), then you can get by just fine without a bike.

As for a car, I could afford one, but just barely (I'd have little money left for anything else). As it is, I'm more content working less (about 32 hours/week) and having more free time and money without a car. If I had a car, I'd need to work at least 40 hours/week to have any disposable income.

It's a choice. Even if I couldn't drive or bike, the subway is just a two-minute walk away, and several bus/streetcar stops are not much further. My boyfriend lived for a couple of decades in Toronto without owning or needing a car or a bike.

I demand of myself a level of exercise that is not capable through walking. I could probably go bike-free, but I would have to start running to work every morning. If I wanted to work full-time (which I do not, I enjoy the freedom of part-time employment) I could afford a car, but why change my lifestyle to something I don't want, for a posession I don't want? I will stick to my bike.

I refuse to pay the high insurance costs. When they wanted over $100 a month for insurance I said "no".

Never had an accident, or speeding fine, nothing.

My life has improved vastly since then and know I have no debt (except mortgage) and can rent a car any time I please for 'extra heavy' stuff.

It started for me as health. I was physically unable to drive for a year and a half. During that time, my 18 year old car died. Since I could not drive, I did not replace it. I was finally physically able to ride a bike again last spring. I had been taking medication that caused me to gain a lot of weight, so it seemed like a great idea. Also due to the health issues, I get extremely motion sick in cars and buses, which is unlikely to improve for me.

So I bought a bike I liked (http://www.breezerbikes.com/bike_details.cfm?bikeType=town&frame=u&bike=uptown), started riding to work and around the city, and haven't stopped. I decided I detested paying for a car I did not need. I've lost 50 lbs since April. I have so much energy, my coworkers want to slip me sedatives in my tea. I rode a lot between childhood and my mid-twenties, and now I feel like myself again.

Choice. I could afford a car, insurance, repairs, gas. But why? And taking the bus easily adds an extra hour to my work day over riding a bike.

This basically parallels my situation. I could afford a car, but I just don't see the point. There were a number of years back in the '90s when I couldn't afford a car, and I did just fine without one. I really don't see the point of giving my money to an overseas based oil company that doesn't care a jot about my well-being just because everyone else does.

I could afford a car, but I just don't see the point. There were a number of years back in the '90s when I couldn't afford a car, and I did just fine without one.

Funny - your finances have improved but you're still in red ink.

I've chosen to not afford a car. It means that since I don't have to afford a car, I can work less or at lower-paying jobs. What I ended up doing is starting a business that now makes enough that I only have to work a couple of hours a day, and I work two days a week at the neighborhood branch of the public library--largely for the "staff doesn't pay fines" benefit.

I got around by foot or on the bus for six years before I got the bike. My initial motivation for buying the bike was to save travel time to clients' offices. (Clients, BTW, get a kick out of me showing up by bike.) It has, for better or worse, transformed my life.

Business suffers during nice weather, like the unusually nice late November we've been having here. I ride instead. Depending on how the next two days pan out, I could have more miles in November than in any other month this year, except July. And this is my busy season.

On the other hand, I feel 20 years younger. (40 years younger when I ride in the rain.)

Out of curiosity, what is your business? I'm thinking of doing the same thing.

I sold a brand new Saab I bought at my first job out of college. Not to mention, I quit said job, because I realized I was on the work/spend treadmill.

Having a car would be nice. Then I could transport my bike(s) to the bicycle club rides which are not accessible by bicycle. Also I could drive to bike paths in different parts of the state. However I would not have been able to afford my stable of bikes if I still had a car. So it is a matter of priorities. I gave my junker car away and have no regrets about it. I love my bikes and the health benefits that goes with it.

Having a car would be nice. Then I could transport my bike(s) to the bicycle club rides which are not accessible by bicycle.

I love the irony in that.

It's pretty much the same with my club. By kvetching loudly, next year some rides are slated to start in the city. Of course, I've been tapped to lead them... (Be careful what you ask for.)

The other thing that has me shaking my head about my club is that of the meetings I've attended, I'm the only one who arrived by bike. There was another bike at the volunteer appreciation dinner earlier this month. But it was used as a prop and arrived in the back of a minivan.

Full disclosure: I will confess to having had ride partners pick me up twice for rides in another part of the state. Bike was not pleased with that at all. For about a week it threw its chain every time I shifted to the small ring. It stopped only after I threatened to take it to the LBS that it doesn't like.

Out of curiosity, what is your business? I'm thinking of doing the same thing.

Primarily web hosting, which is most easily described as being a landlord for web sites. I rent 'em the space, and (metaphorically) keep the hallways swept, the lawn trimmed, and the garbage picked up. That's about it. Secondarily, web design and maintenance. I cater to not-for-profit agencies that can't afford the big guys in town, but need a more professional look and greater reliability than volunteers.

I was carfree before I got a bike. It hit me one day that I could go more places if I had a quicker alternative to walking and the city bus. By now the bike has become a "necessity," but like so many so-called necessities, I discovered that I can still live without a bike, when I broke some body parts and couldn't ride for five months.

BTW, now that I ride, I only take the bus a few times a year. That suits me fine!

I ride because I enjoy it, it's more convenient than driving, and it provides exercise. Parking is tight, traffic is highly congested, and I'm too lazy to drive. I have two cars and an airplane, neither of which allow me to find a parking space on Capitol Hill.

Paul

Funny - your finances have improved but you're still in red ink.

:lol:

If you knew how broke I was a decade ago, well, let's just say red ink still constitutes an improvement.

I ride a bike out of choice. It's a choice to commute without polluting and it's a financial choice.
I mean, responsibly, how many of us can actually afford a car? I know there are people out there who purchase cars with cash (The best car I ever owned, a Geo Metro, was a cash purchase), but the majority of people buy their fancy schmancy cars on loans and credit. This puts them in debt. So, technically, most people can't afford a car.

I could walk to my destination, of course. But, it would be a much slower and much less fun commute. Why walk somewhere in an hour when you could be there in 15 minutes by bike?

As far as spending the same money on a bike as a car, I think that defeats the purpose of lifestyle cycling. The best bike I have owned was a $90 late 80s road bike. It's geared perfectly and the components are still pretty much top quality. Sure, it's not a carbonfibertitaniumalloyaluminumairbubbble, but it's light to me and gets where I'm going pretty quickly.

To me, it comes down to being environmentally responsible. I can get to any where in this city (population ~45,000) in less than 45 minutes. By anywhere, I mean that I can ride from the center to the outskirts, where I live.

Be Safe,
Jonathan

PS:
Plus, I've come to hate the system of stop and go traffic lights and it's inefficiencies(sp?)
I get so frustrated when I'm sitting in traffic, knowing that I could be on my bike whizzing by the lines of idling cars without having to worry about the roadblocks in front of me.

Long Story...

August 2005, 28 years old.. : Just bought my first house, had a new car on a loan since 2002.
November 2005: Stress, chest pains, gaining weight... doctor said to change my diet or i'll be dead soon....
December 5, 2005: Got on my walmart bike and rode it to work for the first time in my life.

August 2006: Sold the car after it had been sitting for a LONG time.

Today: Still riding to work, however the walmart bike is long gone !!!


I can afford a car, easily.... however I save so much $$ by not owning one that my lifestyle is greatly improved.

I have a sportbike for recreation that I ride only once a week(end) and keep it parked in the garage the rest of the week... my fiancee has her own car, which we share for dates and going to places far away and such... I only use it when I feel lazy, otherwise I pedal .. and I have a trike for getting groceries !!!!


Opinions of my friends, family, and co-workers... most people think that I'm crazy and stupid for riding a bicycle in traffic, rain or shine... people always seem to ask me the same question " what do you do when it rains? " ... and I always answer the same way " put my rain suit (garbage bag with holes in it) on and RIDE ANYWAY !! " ....

I am super healthy now, lost 30 lb, feel great all the time.


After thoughts: Sometimes I ask myself, what the heck am I doing on the road with these crazy drivers? When my life flashes before my eyes, I get the urge to change something but I know that I enjoy riding 2 much to just stop and go back to the car lifestyle.





F- cars.











.

Choice. I actually own a nice car, but Its been almost 2 years sine I have driven it now, since I got into biking. Keep telling myself not to sell it in case I start needing it, but never have.

Choice, but here in Los Angeles it takes as long to drive to work as it does to ride.

Eli, if you would be willing to share I am curious what your disability is that keeps you from a car but still allows you to ride a bike. Seizure disorder?

I have an eye disorder called retinoschesis. It cannot be corrected with glasses. I have enough vision to ride a bike though.

Long Story...

August 2005, 28 years old.. : Just bought my first house, had a new car on a loan since 2002.
November 2005: Stress, chest pains, gaining weight... doctor said to change my diet or i'll be dead soon....
December 5, 2005: Got on my walmart bike and rode it to work for the first time in my life.

August 2006: Sold the car after it had been sitting for a LONG time.



We have a similar story.

October 2005: I decided that I'd ride my bike to school one afternoon, after work, and then ride to my house, just to see what it was like.
December 2005: I had clocked 87 miles since that first day and I was starting to shop for something alittle more effecient than my $68 Wal-mart bike.
November 2006: 450+ miles later, I'm riding as much as I can and I'm still loving it.

December 2006?: I have a new bike on my list for Santa and I'm hoping he can hook me up.


Be Safe,

The other thing that has me shaking my head about my club is that of the meetings I've attended, I'm the only one who arrived by bike.

that's exactly why I stopped going to club rides.... that and people wanting to stop every 10 miles for a coffee.... or the ride leader canceling the ride because of a little rain... this was after I rode 40 miles to the ride, IN THE RAIN!!

people always seem to ask me the same question " what do you do when it rains? " ... and I always answer the same way " put my rain suit (garbage bag with holes in it) on and RIDE ANYWAY !! " ....

that rings a bell... the one I've been asked a few dozen times in the last month or so is "what do you do in winter?"... to which I reply "about what?"... then they say something like "how do you get around?"... "VERY CAREFULLY!!!" :p

I'll ultimately end up buying a car within the next six months or so, but cycling/commuting will always be fun for me. I honestly don't mind riding my bike to the train station to head into the city.

The car will most likely be an older beater that will end up just another toy for me.

Going without a car is a choice that is part of a larger change in lifestyle. I initially thought that it was going to be a huge problem (I live on a small island with bad roads and need to go a variety of places to get basic things) but it has been a delight. With the awful roads down here in Nevis I frequently get places faster on the bike than I would with a car. I purchased a car which I almost immediately loaned out to some friends. What I've really been most fascinated with are the emotional and psychological changes that happen with the shift away from motorized transport. There is a particular sense of independence/autonomy/self-reliance that appears that feels wonderful.

Well in America,
I think the affordablity question is not a factor when you can get a car transport for 1500 dollars a year based on the last year I owned a car.

Here take that this 91 percent of american households own a car.

What I've really been most fascinated with are the emotional and psychological changes that happen with the shift away from motorized transport. There is a particular sense of independence/autonomy/self-reliance that appears that feels wonderful.

+1, and I'm not trying to be smug. It just happens.

If I don't ride, my mental state suffers. Suppose that makes it necessary. Or an addiction. Call Betty Ford!

And sweet Jaysus, I hate-- and I mean hate-- driving a car in the city. Out on the highway it ain't bad, but in the city, it's truly a hideous thing to behold. I can't concieve why any able bodied person would drive a car in town. I suppose that's delusion, so I desperately need help.

I own a car but bike rather than drive to a lot of places, and when I bike I can honestly say money has nothing to do with it. It's mainly for convenience. For example, if I drive to a store downtown, it is hell finding a parking spot, whereas with a bike I can leave it right by the door. So biking to certain locations is more convenient than driving to them.

Also, when not going far, I usually prefer biking. I've never understood how some people can get in a car to go to the corner store 2 blocks away.

In fact the only time I prefer to drive is when:

1) I'm going far.
2) It's raining or very cold.
3) I need to carry something big.
4) I am going to work and don't want to arrive sweaty.

In pretty much any other case, goign by bike is preferable IMHO.

In fact the only time I prefer to drive is when:

1) I'm going far.
2) It's raining or very cold.
3) I need to carry something big.
4) I am going to work and don't want to arrive sweaty.

In pretty much any other case, goign by bike is preferable IMHO.
I hope you keep reading this board. There are lots of ways to ride instead of drive in each of these four cases.


1) I'm going far. If you're fit and have a decent bike, you can ride long distances. There are also other alternatives to driving, especially mass transit.
2) It's raining or very cold. You just need the right gear and the right attitude. Lots of threads about this issue, and also the Winter Cycling subforum.
3) I need to carry something big. Many threads about trailers, panniers, xtracycles, etc.
4) I am going to work and don't want to arrive sweaty. Recent threads here--also on Commuting subforum.

i'd be interested to hear whether the people here use a bike because they can't afford a car or because it is a choice?
another question. does one even need a bike or is it because it saves time over walking. for myself i see that where i go i can go via walking but use a bike because it is fun and i think better and i like to have a bike as a possession to fix and admire for it's simplicity.
acorn

I became car free out of necessity. Unemployment put me on the brink of bankruptcy and I could not afford costly repairs as my junker would not start. Six years later, my financial situation changed 180 degrees around and I'm making more today than ever in my life. I'm still car free and discovered I never really needed it in the first place.

It's a choice, but I couldn't afford to have a car now that I've gotten used to having all the extra disposable income. I'd have to give up eating out a lot, buying fancy beer, fancy clothing, and all the toys I've gotten used to. I think that I would always feel like I was sacrificing a lot of lifestyle things that I like if I were paying for a car.

Agreed.

I hated walking around without any money because the car took it all in repairs or insurance. I like saving and seeing the numbers in my bank account go up. It's called piece of mind.

Agreed.

I hated walking around without any money because the car took it all in repairs or insurance. I like saving and seeing the numbers in my bank account go up. It's called piece of mind.


:D :roflmao: (I was told I couldn't afford to part with any of mine:rolleyes: :p ) BTW I am in full agreement with you. I am on the hunt for a beater cargo trike, or possible a cruiser that I can doctor as a grocery getter when we move to town in the next couple of years.

Aaron:)

Choice.
Had a 2003 VW Passat - got frustrated with it being so $$$ - realized I could combine riding the bus and biking and get around fine 90% of the time...

For me living car-free is one of many choices which I have made that goes against cultural expectations. Financially I can afford just about any car I want as I own my home and several others as well as working for myself, but I have absolutely no interest in owning a car.

It's a little different with bikes, however. I just dropped a big chunk of change on a brand new Cannondale CAAD9 Optimo 1 (along with a bunch of carbon fibre upgrades ofcourse;) ) which would be a most appropriate bike if I were a pro racing cyclist. :D but I'm not, I'm just a middle-aged guy with a thing for bikes and can afford to indulge myself in the bike equivalent of a mid-life-crisis red Ferrari...... except that its silver, and there's no seat for the blonde bimbo with big bazookas :p

:D but I'm not, I'm just a middle-aged guy with a thing for bikes and can afford to indulge myself in the bike equivalent of a mid-life-crisis red Ferrari...... except that its silver, and there's no seat for the blonde bimbo with big bazookas :p Get an xtracycle. room for the blonde and the bazookas!