Commuting - Bikes are for those who can't afford a car

I was browsing for used bikes on the local CraigsList site and found this post (original at http://hartford.craigslist.org/bik/335572951.html ) :




In need of bike to get to work

I am seeking a bike to get myself to a job 3.5 miles from where I live for a few weeks until I can save enough to get better means of transportation. If you have a bike you'd like to donate, please call me at [phone number] and ask for [guy's name]. Thank you!

Arghhh!!!

What could possibly be a better form of transportation than a bicycle for a mere 3.5 mile commute to work? Obviously this guy is short on cash, since he's seeking a free bike. So he's going to "save up" to buy what? a car? for a 3.5 mile commute? If my guess is right, a sizable chunk of his salary will go directly into the car that gets him to work. A set of tires for a car can cost him more than a decent commuter bicycle.

Not blaming him personally, and please don't spam him, but it really brings out the prevailing attitude at least in this part of the U.S. Around here the only people who use bicycles for transportation are children, homeless people, people who lost their license for drunk driving, and 'losers' who can't afford a car.

Pretty sad state of affairs, eh?

A good stereo in a car will be more then a decent bike, yet alone tires. Hell, gas for a couple of months to go to this "commute" of 3.5 miles will be more then the bike itself. It is a shame that some people are so damn lazy that they need a car to commute this distance.

I had a coworker who just walked the 3 damn miles he had each way.

Hear, hear! That's why I get strange looks when I tell people I am selling my car to
have more money to put into my bikes. Tires alone for my current car costs over $700!
Why pay so much to get fat and lazy? I'll get a hooptie for the occasional weekend run out of town but that's about it.

The guy sounds fony,doesn't matter, he doesn't matter. A person who works over 10 miles away is in for quite a commute. More-over, to some individuals, thier time is just just too valuable. I know a few. It is they who choose to ride on the weekends mostly. I know a few who work from 7:00 'till 7:00,they can't cycle to work. Some live 7 miles,still too far, others 70 miles. Certain members may disagree that 7 miles is so far,it's not but the extra hour a day is more than some can spare,I'd say that making triple digits has it's down-side. I don't believe much snobbery exists, reverse-snobbery,disdain for those who have does.

It really is kind of sad. Most people just don't consider it, and I am suprised he did even for the interim. What is really sad is the guys I see making $8 an hour living with 6 or 8 people in a 2 bedroom ghetto apartment driving a $40,000 vehicle. Now that is some wierd priorities, but who am I to say how someone else should spend their $8?

You can spend a lot on a bike and bike gear for commuting (not that you have to do this) and it is only a small fraction of what the vast majority of the population spends. Everything is relative. Retro-grouches take note.

Cars.com has among other things, a 5-year cost of ownership calculation and breakout for any car you might be researching. The major cost item for new cars is depreciation. Other items include insurance, repairs, fuel, lost interest, etc. A Corolla priced new car is estimated to cost about $27,000 over the first 5 years. That would buy a lot of bicycles and accessories.

The guy sounds fony,doesn't matter, he doesn't matter. A person who works over 10 miles away is in for quite a commute. More-over, to some individuals, thier time is just just too valuable. I know a few. It is they who choose to ride on the weekends mostly. I know a few who work from 7:00 'till 7:00,they can't cycle to work. Some live 7 miles,still too far, others 70 miles. Certain members may disagree that 7 miles is so far,it's not but the extra hour a day is more than some can spare,I'd say that making triple digits has it's down-side. I don't believe much snobbery exists, reverse-snobbery,disdain for those who have does.

I can't tell if you're serious or sarcastic.

70 miles away from work? - time to visit monster/dice/etc
7 miles? - if it's an urban commute you *might* lose 20 minutes over driving.
7pm? - bike lights work fine

High salary making your time too precious? - Personally, I require more non-work time to drive, because driving means a trip to the gym which requires over an hour. With my 21-mile RT commute that means I've lost about 45 minutes over cycling.

At risk of sounding like a car-free rant... I just don't like hearing these weak excuses. 99% of the time, the truth is that this person just doesn't want to do anything but drive. If that's the case, save the excuses and just be honest about it. The desire to make excuses makes me think that there's a certain amount of guilt over their decision. I'm not judging them - they're judging themselves.

Not blaming him personally, and please don't spam him, but it really brings out the prevailing attitude at least in this part of the U.S.
Same around here. When I'm stuck in traffic, I'm surrounded by all the latest luxury vehicles.
And I'm talking Mercedes 550's, not 190's!
When my oldest son (13) and I are driving, he counts BMW's & I count Mercedes.
Mostly he wins, but not by much!
And when he counts Porches & I count Ferrari's, Bentleys, RR's & Aston Martins, it's a tie! :rolleyes:

But when traffic is moving, we're doing 80 or 90 in our Accord. And the Lux cars are in the left lane going 61 m.p.h. wih their left blinker going. :mad:

Because ...

"Around here the only people who use bicycles for transportation are children, homeless people, people who lost their license for drunk driving, and 'losers' who can't afford a car."


Pretty sad state of affairs, eh?
STATE?!? More like Country! :p

I'm moving to Holland! ;)

Thread title: Bikes are for those who can't afford a car

Should read: Bikes are for those who can afford a car, but choose to invest their money instead of throwing it down a car shaped hole.

We're taught it as kids

You wait to turn 16 so you can stop riding your bike and get a car. I hear it over and over from high school kids. I don't know how we can break this.

I havent started commuting yet (by bike). But im kind of in a pickle, I deliver pizzas, so I have to have a car.

At risk of sounding like a car-free rant... I just don't like hearing these weak excuses. 99% of the time, the truth is that this person just doesn't want to do anything but drive. If that's the case, save the excuses and just be honest about it. The desire to make excuses makes me think that there's a certain amount of guilt over their decision. I'm not judging them - they're judging themselves.
+100 The poster of that ad is totally unaware of how stupid his attitude is. Perspective is a wonderful thing, too bad so many lack it.

The guy sounds fony,doesn't matter, he doesn't matter. A person who works over 10 miles away is in for quite a commute. More-over, to some individuals, thier time is just just too valuable. I know a few. It is they who choose to ride on the weekends mostly. I know a few who work from 7:00 'till 7:00,they can't cycle to work. Some live 7 miles,still too far, others 70 miles. Certain members may disagree that 7 miles is so far,it's not but the extra hour a day is more than some can spare,I'd say that making triple digits has it's down-side. I don't believe much snobbery exists, reverse-snobbery,disdain for those who have does.
weak.

7 miles as an excuse to drive is a joke - most people could cycle that in a comparable time.

People don't have to live those lives, they choose to. Fine, if that's how they want to live then so be it. But don't tell me you can't find the time. That fact of the matter is that they don't have their priorities straight - they don't want to find the time.

It's not their time that's valuable, it's their money. Their time means nothing to them when they waste it so frivolously sitting in a cage thinking of more excuses to justify their lifestyle.

7 miles as an excuse to drive is a joke - most people could cycle that in a comparable time.

This is very true, my 7 mile commute takes 15-20 mins in my car and 25 mins on my bike. I've only been commuting to work by bike for about 5 weeks now and I'm already considering selling my Mazda RX8 and buying a very cheap practical car instead. As much fun as the RX8 is to drive on an open road it performs no better in a traffic queue than any other car and no car can compete with the pleasure I get from cycling. When I think of the sort of bike I could have bought with the money I've spent on cars over the years it makes me feel quite queasy!

Well... I can not afford a car due to my cycling addiction. If I did have my own car I would not have the money to support my LBSes and web retailers. :p

Only 3.5 miles? Silly person.

It's true! I can't afford the gas for my car anymore, so I must ride...

When I think of the sort of bike I could have bought with the money I've spent on cars over the years it makes me feel quite queasy!

I agree. I've made the decision that the car I currently own will be my last, and I will drive it for the rest of my life (when I do drive, since these days it mostly sits in the driveway). In the past, I would get the bug to buy a new car whenever the "honeymoon" was over with the old car; at one point, I went momentarily insane and considered owning two cars.

Now the money I would have spent on a new car is going into bikes. And the money I'm saving on gas will go into my dream bicyle, yet to be determined. Or maybe the bike tour vacation that I've always wanted to do, but couldn't afford due to lost income from time off work.

The guy sounds fony,doesn't matter, he doesn't matter. A person who works over 10 miles away is in for quite a commute. More-over, to some individuals, thier time is just just too valuable. I know a few. It is they who choose to ride on the weekends mostly. I know a few who work from 7:00 'till 7:00,they can't cycle to work. Some live 7 miles,still too far, others 70 miles. Certain members may disagree that 7 miles is so far,it's not but the extra hour a day is more than some can spare,I'd say that making triple digits has it's down-side. I don't believe much snobbery exists, reverse-snobbery,disdain for those who have does.

Its really too bad when you have such a tight, daily schedule you can't afford an hour here or there. That is plain ridiculous. A sure way to kill yourself before your time.

I have a car. And two bikes. :p Both have their uses. :)

I havent started commuting yet (by bike). But im kind of in a pickle, I deliver pizzas, so I have to have a car.


Im sure in your region your pizza place has a huge delivery radius so this isnt viable, BUT --

here in Chicago most pizza deliveries ive seen are done by bike

Around here the only people who use bicycles for transportation are children, homeless people, people who lost their license for drunk driving, and 'losers' who can't afford a car.

Pretty sad state of affairs, eh?

Makes me glad to live in a part of the country where people are out on their bikes more than that.

Also reminds me of a guy I knew, who lived in a nice residential area in LA and liked to walk places. He looked kind of disreputable (long hair, tats, dressed in black like a heavy metal roadie) and the police picked him up repeatedly because they assumed we was homeless, a druggie, or a criminal.

I can well afford to put as much gas in my car as I want to. But I'd rather spend my money on more important things like beer.

7 miles is not a long commute! Back in the 80s, in Portland, OR I easily commuted 7 miles to work year around on a Raleigh Sports. I only lived 1 away from the college I attended. Later, I switched jobs to one 3.5 miles from home but it was a hilly commute & took about the same time. Don

I can well afford to put as much gas in my car as I want to. But I'd rather spend my money on more important things like beer.


+1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000


mmmmm.....beer.

... driving means a trip to the gym which requires over an hour.

+1. Sure we're all busy, me too, and I have trouble carving out personal time to get out to the gym. So my commute is my workout. Keeps me in shape and saves the money of gym membership.

man biking does absolutely nothing to keep me in shape.

I must be doing it wrong.

Intervals and sprints. If you can't get in shape using at the very least intervals you are doing something wrong.

It's just more evidence of how we've been brainwashed by big business. People identify car ownership with certain levels of success or prestige, likewise, people who use "alternate" forms of transportation are viewed will less prestige, a lower level on the social ladder. It's an indication to me of: 1) how effective marketing is, 2) our lemming mentality, and 3) how difficult it is to tip the scales and effectively encourage independant analysis and action. I just read about gas prices going up again. When you're paying: a high car payment, high insurance, high repair bills, and $80 to $100 or more for a fill up, you gotta ask yourself "do I own my car or does it own me?". A bike seems to be the smart choice for that guy but it's very difficult to overcome the dominate paradigm of car ownership in this country.

man biking does absolutely nothing to keep me in shape.

I don't believe you.

Biking at a really easy pace takes less physical effort thank walking... but it's also a lot better than sitting still. I think half of the people in developed countries would be in much better shape if they just spent an hour a day doing something as physically active as biking at 8 miles per hour.

The word "afford" implies wealth (or lack of).

The only wealth any of us really has, is healthful free time. How much of that HFT you wish to trade for material "wealth" is an individual decision.

I'm stingy with mine.

man biking does absolutely nothing to keep me in shape.

I must be doing it wrong.
Not true. Even if the results are not visible the 20+min/day of exercise is improving your health. Lots of studies have shown this.
My weight has remained constant (at a level 20-30lbs overweight) since college despite various activity levels including my current daily 17miles of commuting. However I do feel that I am in decent shape and my blood pressure and lack of sick days seems to indicate this.
For most healthy adults a 7mile commute would add some time to their commute but would easily pay it back in improved health. Most Americans have to look for ways to be active and commuting by bicycle is an excellent way to fit that into your day.
Craig

I was browsing for used bikes on the local CraigsList site and found this post (original at http://hartford.craigslist.org/bik/335572951.html ) :




Arghhh!!!

What could possibly be a better form of transportation than a bicycle for a mere 3.5 mile commute to work?

Maybe he's waiting for The Starship Enterprise to put one of their transporters on ebay.

here in Chicago most pizza deliveries ive seen are done by bike

Yeah, didn't you see Spider-Man 1 (or was it 2)? Peter Parker delivers pizza by bike and rescues people all on the same trip without dropping the pizza!


Intervals and sprints. If you can't get in shape using at the very least intervals you are doing something wrong.

Or he's done something else REALLY REALLY right and is in such amazing shape that they don't improve his fitness :eek:

The word "afford" implies wealth (or lack of).

The only wealth any of us really has, is healthful free time. How much of that HFT you wish to trade for material "wealth" is an individual decision.

I'm stingy with mine.

Ha ha. I like that. HFT instead of MPG!!!

The word "afford" implies wealth (or lack of).

The only wealth any of us really has, is healthful free time. How much of that HFT you wish to trade for material "wealth" is an individual decision.

I'm stingy with mine.
That's a good point. :) It pointless to have lots of $$$ and other expensive material posessions if you're not healthy enough to use it.

"Duuuuuude, i've got this sweet lamborghini but i can't drive it since i lost both my feet from diabetes..." (or something of that nature) :lol:

I guess that's why i'm doing my best to remain a member of the HHMFC (or is it HHCMF?)

I don't believe you.

Biking at a really easy pace takes less physical effort thank walking... but it's also a lot better than sitting still. I think half of the people in developed countries would be in much better shape if they just spent an hour a day doing something as physically active as biking at 8 miles per hour.


And that is biking at ideal conditions - flat, hard surface, no wind with lots of coasting.

Even walking would benfit most people.

I for sure don't knock my self out on my 15 or 27 mile round trip commute but I really feel the effects. Loss 5 lbs in the last two months too.

It's just more evidence of how we've been brainwashed by big business. People identify car ownership with certain levels of success or prestige, likewise, people who use "alternate" forms of transportation are viewed will less prestige, a lower level on the social ladder. It's an indication to me of: 1) how effective marketing is, 2) our lemming mentality, and 3) how difficult it is to tip the scales and effectively encourage independant analysis and action.
Hell yeah. What's that SUV ad that's been running over the last year -- it shows this vehicle that, to me, just screams "wretched excess", big and bulky and still just a four-seater because each seat is like a barca-lounger, power brakes, power steering, power door locks, seat heaters, A/C, automatic transmission, DVD player for little Trevor and Courtney in the back seat so you won't have to actually interact with your own children...et bloody cetera. And the tag line at the end? "It's not more than you need -- just more than you're used to." Whoa! Well, I do have to give them points for successful, blatant pandering to the greedhead consumer. But I really believe that you'll never get a significant percentage of people commuting on bikes (or in general becoming more conscious consumers) until you get them to take a reality check on their whole definition of "need". Y'ever want to just slap people who tell you that they need things that are luxuries by any reasonable definition? Yeah, me too.

I ride as often as possible and a 4 mile commute. Days like today where I have to pick up lumber from home depot on the way home...... well you know.

I still rode before work though.

Bikes are for those of us who are smart enough to realize we don't need a car.

I had a coworker who just walked the 3 damn miles he had each way.


:beer: exactly.

since when is three miles a big deal? I walked the dog three miles last night. So what?

The guy sounds fony,doesn't matter, he doesn't matter. A person who works over 10 miles away is in for quite a commute. More-over, to some individuals, thier time is just just too valuable. So valuable that they choose to sit in traffic jams to the gym, work out there and sit in jams again to get home? Cycling is a way to SAVE time because you're combining exercise and transportation. True, if you don't want any exercise, you'll save time short-term... but you're probably shortening your life by a significant chunk, so at the end it's no savings at all.


Certain members may disagree that 7 miles is so far,it's not but the extra hour a day is more than some can spare Oh my god! It takes those people an HOUR longer to bike 14 miles than to drive it? Those people need to get on the bike asap and start riding their bikes to work. You say they do bike? On weekends? Must be some of those lycra-clad warriors on Trek Madones whom I pass on my cruiser on bike paths. :lol:

Sorry... could not resist. It's just that ridiculous.

I briefly considered buying a car last winter, because I was sick and tired of getting stranded by buses. I didn't know much about cycling then and I assumed I could not bike in the winter. I'd only done a few <5km commutes at that time, and I'd moved 15 km from work.

Well, it's snowing today (yes - in May!!) and I survived biking in, so no car-shaped hole will be swallowing my money! I never wanted the car as such, just a way to get myself and my gear to work without standing nose-to-armpit with 300 strangers on the LRT, or waiting 20 minutes for a bus at a stop without a shelter.

Besides, thanks to student loans, I have absolutely no chance in hell of affording the insurance and maintenance on a car, and the $1500 purchase price I could scrape together makes for a MUCH better bike (hello Xtracycle!!) than it would a car :)

Oh, and I beat the bus home by ten minutes the other day. Pretty sure I was only about 20 minutes behind where I'd have been on a car, too.

+1. Sure we're all busy, me too, and I have trouble carving out personal time to get out to the gym. So my commute is my workout. Keeps me in shape and saves the money of gym membership.

I actually get a better workout commuting than doing a "recreational" ride because I am not a morning person and I have to get to work on time... so it kind of turns into a semi time trial... :D

What could possibly be a better form of transportation than a bicycle for a mere 3.5 mile commute to work? Obviously this guy is short on cash, since he's seeking a free bike. So he's going to "save up" to buy what? a car? for a 3.5 mile commute? Pretty sad state of affairs, eh?

Better that we send him links to here than spam him. Who knows, this might be a growth experience for him and he will discover the joy of bicycle commuting and come over to our side.

I was *very* happy today to hear the conversation in the lunchroom. There's a group of people who know each other, all live within a mile of one another and work in the same building, and the two are 15 miles apart. One of them finally got around to calculating that the group together was spending > $100 a week on gas, and they're all going to start carpooling.

Meanwhile, the IT dept just set up a carpooling forum on the internal chat board.

I thought that the pain level would have to get way more intense than $3.50/gal to do this, but I'm happy to see it. Carpooling cuts gas usage and pollution more than even getting people out of SUVs and into small cars.

I sent the craiglist chap a nice email pointing to a few local bike shops I knew while I lived in the area. They all had very nice, and very reasonably priced, older bikes which I told him would far outlast any car he could buy and might allow him to forgo the car purchase and save his money for other things in life. I should have posted a link to here though.. Maybe I will if he chooses to reply to my email in a positive manner.

I actually gain time and money by riding my bike. I put in two intense workouts every day, so I only go to the gym if I want to. At the same time, my weight keeps steady @ 175lbs, my energy levels are up, my health is greatly improved (I hardly get sick) and save money on health insurance, car depreciation and maintenance, gas prices, etc. I can go as far as to say that my conscience feels great knowing that I'm contributing towards a cleaner environment, and I get time to "unwind" on my way home from the office.

I also enjoy "moments" more. This morning the mountains over Colorado Springs were covered with snow. It was a nice sight and I know if I was driving a car I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. Sometimes I see something, stop the bike, pop out my 35mm camera and take a few pictures. I just love the frame of mind of being a bike-commuter.

I could buy a new bike every year and still not spend as much as it costs to have a car. I don't have a car anymore; my wife does. But for short errands and things like that she (as well as my kids) are sold on the idea of short distance commuting. I'll be buying bikes for all of them this summer.

It's a choice and everyone can choose what they want. I feel good with my decision and to a certain extent proud to be part of the bike-commuting community.

GreenAnvil

There are 2 extremes here:

1. Car-Free Nazis. You don't need a car EVAR! I towed my home, furniture and all, 100 miles
in the snow, up hill, in an afternoon. Car owners should all die!

2. SUV diehards. It's my god given right to drive a 10 ton Canyonaro 550cid V-12 4 MPG city
alone, to get my mail. For all the fuel you don't burn, I'll burn that and 10 times more.

Somewhere, there is an in between that most of us can relate to.
Most obstacles can be overcome so you can bike to work, school, market, etc. If you
really want to bike, you will, if you really don't want to bike, you won't. Simply find the
excuses that fit your desires.

My excuses are fuel and money savings and physical fitness. The fact that I skip most traffic
is a bonus.

Problems include:
1. Employment not cooperative with cycle commuting. No proper parking, locker rooms, showers.
2. Need new equipment. Bike, cloths, rack, bags, lights, etc.
3. Not in shape (or good enough shape) for distance (7 miles, 10 miles, 50 miles)
4. Insufficient Time
5. People will think I'm poor or a 40 year old virgin
6. Bad neighborhood(s)

(please skip the counter-list on how you've overcome said problems)

I'm going to keep my truck, end of story. If fuel becomes too big a problem, I'll convert it to
electric. 75-90% cut back on my driving is my goal. If I can cut back by 95%, even better.

Cheers

CE

And here I thought this thread was just about exposing the fallacy of assigning "wealth" to the price of the material goods one possesses (is possessed by?).

Sort of like pointing out the idiocy of the bumper sticker:

The one who dies with the most toys wins