Obviously the "Bicycle Lifestyle" is much more on topic for a place named "bikeforums.net". Some say it's less edgy, but it strikes me as more extreme. Here's why: In NYC the majority live car free, but the dedicated environmentalists, simple livers, and otherwise human powered fanatics talk about reducing dependence on the system. They're more extreme. They strive to be free, not only of gas guzzlers, but of all nonhuman powered forms of transportation.
As for myself, although I'm car free I decidedly do not live the "Bicycle Lifestyle". I walk when possible (I enjoy walking...especially jaywalking :lol: ) and, although I try not to take public transit when I don't need it, I often make compromises like taking transit uphill and riding my bike downhill. All in all I try to reduce the distances I need to travel as much as possible and I only ride a bicycle because I can't walk everywhere and it's cheaper than transit.
I know that many of you look for ways to incorporate more bicycling into your life, simply because you enjoy it. Also, many of you want to reduce environmental impact at all costs. That's not me. I don't enjoy cycling that much and I'm not that dedicated to the environment. Although I live the car free lifestyle, I do not live the bicycle lifestyle.
The BikeForums Team
-adv-
This is an archived thread, you can find the full version of this thread, with images, links and more content here.
I'm car free. Biking for me is just one of several options for transportation. I do enjoy biking. And I try to fit in a bit extra just because it is fun. But walking is my favorite means of transportation. Walking is perfect because I can do it anytime I want. And I don't have to park my shoes or wait for them. I enjoy public transit because I can sit back and chat with my kids or read a book or just day dream.
Platy
I think I live a bicycle lifestyle. Its by far my favorite mode of transportation. I also walk, take public transit, ride the occasional train and ride in cars. Might take the motorcycle safety course someday. But the bike is my favorite.
makeinu
I'm car free. Biking for me is just one of several options for transportation. I do enjoy biking. And I try to fit in a bit extra just because it is fun. But walking is my favorite means of transportation. Walking is perfect because I can do it anytime I want. And I don't have to park my shoes or wait for them. I enjoy public transit because I can sit back and chat with my kids or read a book or just day dream.
Yeah walking is wonderful. You can't stop and smell the roses (or the peanuts for me...no rose peddlers on the streets around here, pardon the pun) with any other form of transportation.
I also enjoy public transit. No stress. Just sit back and let someone else do the driving. However, I do try to reduce public transit usage for the same reasons I don't drive a car (money, environment, etc), but I'm simply not dedicated enough to abolish all forms of motorized transport from my life. Call me selfish, but that's where my priorities are.
Cycling? Eh, it's kinda like driving, but you get more bang for you buck (or your global degree for the environmentalists out there). I like that I have to do it because it forces me to get cardiovascular exercise, but I don't actually enjoy it. If I have the time I prefer to stroll.
Sammyboy
I'm not car-free, but I'd say I live a cycling lifestyle for sure. I'm always trying to find ways to cycle more, more things I can do on my bikes, ways to adapt them.
vulpes
Since rediscovering cycling in the early spring, I've become quite the enthusiast, even over-zelous at times. I was car free throughout highschool and several years after, although there was no such term as car free back then. But rediscovering the freedom, independence, self-reliance and enjoyment of cycling in my youth (as well as my long standing loathing of cars) led me to begin developing a car free lifestyle right away with help and encouragement from these forums and other web sites. And it is definately a bicycle lifestyle for me.
I did a lot of walking back then, as well, but I much preferred riding my bike and still do. Public transportation is rather dismal in this town and I rarely have need of it anyway. I lived in the San Francisco Bay area for a few years and commuted between home in Alameda and work in the city by ferry, bus and ride sharing, while the car stayed in the driveway, just due to the horrendous traffic and parking issues there. But I didn't much like riding the bus with all the waiting and being packed into a steel can like so many sardines.
East Hill
There's not very efficient public transportation out where I live. There's walking, and there's bicycles. Bicycles are more fun, more efficient at moving me around, and are faster.
I do enjoy walking, but as a female, I like to limit the amount of time making myself a target.
So, I'm working on a bicycle lifestyle. Still not car free, but always working toward it. One day I'll get there (and this forum will be a big help in doing so).
East Hill
Brian
Thief!
wahoonc
There's not very efficient public transportation out where I live. There's walking, and there's bicycles. Bicycles are more fun, more efficient at moving me around, and are faster.
I do enjoy walking, but as a female, I like to limit the amount of time making myself a target.
So, I'm working on a bicycle lifestyle. Still not car free, but always working toward it. One day I'll get there (and this forum will be a big help in doing so).
East Hill
Very well put and I am in the same situation.
Aaron:)
wahoonc
Thief!
I rest my case!
Aaron:)
East Hill
I rest my case!
Aaron:)
I'm still trying to figure out who's a thief. This makes no sense at all.
East Hill
Sammyboy
I think Brian is referring to the fact that he had "Bicycle Lifestyle" in his blog post. Of course, he also tea-leafed it off Xtracycle. I'm going with Lifestyle Cycling instead. Booyah!
jamesdenver
I think bikes and bridge a gap between walking and public transit. For example our new light rail line serves an enormous area of offices parks in the southeast side of Denver. If your offices is more than a half mile from the stations you'd need another bus - hence more waiting. Many 9-5ers travel on the train with their bikes, and they can make that 1/2 mile or 1.5 mile gap in a few minutes max. Perfect example.
Platy
Names are important. Take two hypothetical guys, Homer Lee Pigg and Spruce McCoy. You've already formed expectations about those people, even before you know anything else about them. That's why Marion Morrison became John Wayne.
wahoonc
I think bikes and bridge a gap between walking and public transit. For example our new light rail line serves an enormous area of offices parks in the southeast side of Denver. If your offices is more than a half mile from the stations you'd need another bus - hence more waiting. Many 9-5ers travel on the train with their bikes, and they can make that 1/2 mile or 1.5 mile gap in a few minutes max. Perfect example.
Hey does that light rail run out to Highlands Ranch?
Aaron:)
Bushman
I'm car lite. I use any one of my three trucks for work and camping only, the rest of the time i bike or longboard. I refuse to use public transit its horribly expensive, and i hate walking.
Bushman
I'm going with Lifestyle Cycling instead
please dont....there is far too much use of the word "lifestyle".
lifestyle cycling conjurs up images of yuppies riding Jorg & Olif bikes that they bought with credit cards.
Platy
please dont....there is far too much use of the word "lifestyle".
lifestyle cycling conjurs up images of yuppies riding Jorg & Olif bikes that they bought with credit cards.
Whatever the negatives may be, the word lifestyle is a tag that suggests you can behave differently from the majority and still get at least partial acceptance for living that way.
Is my coffee the right kind and is it strong enough? Does my bike have the right amount of gears? Does my transit pass match my henna tattoo? Ha.
makeinu
Thief!
You stole it from xtracycle, platy stole it from you, I stole it from platy. Does it really matter? I didn't say I invented the term. I don't even know what it really means. That's why I made this thread, to ask what people think it means.
Platy
You stole it from xtracycle, platy stole it from you, I stole it from platy. Does it really matter? I didn't say I invented the term. I don't even know what it really means. That's why I made this thread, to ask what people think it means.
I didn't steal anything, I posted about something that Brian linked to. There are 32,000+ Google hits on "bicycle lifestyle", and only one of those is for Brian's blog.
jamesdenver
Hey does that light rail run out to Highlands Ranch?
Aaron:)
Sort of. One line goes to the southeast/east side of H.R. which is actually Lone Tree. The other line ends in Littleton, on the far west side of H.R. Both have connecting busses which snake throught the maze of H.R. streets though. Transit isn't bad there if you do a bit of research first. I've made it to some bars/restaurants there via bike/bus.
check RTD (http://www.rtd-denver.com) site for details
makeinu
I didn't steal anything, I posted about something that Brian linked to. There are 32,000+ Google hits on "bicycle lifestyle", and only one of those is for Brian's blog.
In my opinion you can't steal words. I was just humoring him by using the term "steal".
wahoonc
Whatever the negatives may be, the word lifestyle is a tag that suggests you can behave differently from the majority and still get at least partial acceptance for living that way.
Is my coffee the right kind and is it strong enough? Does my bike have the right amount of gears? Does my transit pass match my henna tattoo? Ha.
I never searched for acceptance...probably why I never wanted to live in an area with HOA either:rolleyes:..Coffe... black prefer fresh ground...decaf is a waste of beans, gears...if I don't have enough I walk uphill, what is a transit pass....:p
Aaron:)
Platy
In my opinion you can't steal words. I was just humoring him by using the term "steal".
It's different if it's a trademark. As a former businessman, I've owned and enforced trademarks against Companies You Have Heard Of. I actually did a quick check to see if "bicycle lifestyle" was a trademark before I quoted Brian's blog! Found out that it's been used for marketing by Bianchi Milano, but probably not as a trademark.
However, the "Thief!" post makes me wonder exactly what is going on here. Since I can't figure it out, I'm going to take it as a cue for me to retire for a while from the discussion about the fate of LCF.
Brian
I didn't steal anything, I posted about something that Brian linked to. There are 32,000+ Google hits on "bicycle lifestyle", and only one of those is for Brian's blog.
With a little scripting, I can add that back into every post on my blog. That should fix google.
However, the "Thief!" post makes me wonder exactly what is going on here. Since I can't figure it out, I'm going to take it as a cue for me to retire for a while from the discussion about the fate of LCF.
I think I need to start using the [SARCASM] tags more. Although my point was that he did get the idea from my blog. I should be thankful that anyone read it*.
*I haven't had a look at the Utility thread yet, I may regret that some people read my blog.
cerewa
Brian, if it makes you feel better it was completely clear to me that your one-word post was a joke.
Brian
Brian, if it makes you feel better it was completely clear to me that your one-word post was a joke.
I will sleep better tonight, thank you.
Platy
Let's all sleep well tonight.
:beer:
bragi
Getting back on topic, I became a bicyclist because I was carfree. After ditching the car, I tried walking and using public transit for a few weeks, and soon discovered that I didn't have the necessary mobility: walking, while very pleasant, was too slow, and public transport, while cheaper than owning a car, is still kind of expensive, plus there's a certain lack of independence in taking the bus that I found irritating. I bought a used bike, and I love riding that thing. I currently use my bike for probably 75-80% of my trips, and walk or use the bus for the other 20-25%, but even so, I consider myself carfree more than a bicycle lifestyle person. For me, even though I love the bike, it's more about freeing myself from cars than about cruising around on a bike and being cooler than everyone else.
Teme
I'm still wondering if my life style is car free of bicycle lifestyle. Freedom from car should be intentional decision to have car free lifestyle. Our decision has become more or less intentional lately. Before it has been just economical decision - why to put money to something which you don't necessary need.
But what does bicycle lifestyle mean? Commuting, going to grocery store by bike, travelling by bike everytime when possible, loving bike hm.. does it mean that or is that enough for bicycle lifestyle? I'm not sure. At the moment I'd rather take bike than any other transportation vehincle. Maybe that's what is required for bicycle lifestyle.
So I'd consider my lifestyle car free AND bicycle lifestyle now. The life has been more or less bicycle lifestyle last 10 years. Oh well... but does my lifestyle turn to car lite lifestyle if we rent car every summer for 2 weeks? Scary if it does that. This year we haven't done that, but next summer we'll most likely do that.
ralph12
I think I live a bicycle lifestyle. Its by far my favorite mode of transportation. I also walk, take public transit, ride the occasional train and ride in cars. Might take the motorcycle safety course someday. But the bike is my favorite.
That Motorcycle Safety Course is worth taking if you think you may enjoy MC riding. But, it doesn't teach as much as it seems to suggest it does. I would say it's just the bare bones, and after taking it, I had to practice motorcycling for quite a while to get confident. I admit that I did a pretty piss-poor job of following the instructions though, and I barely passed.
I have to say bicycling is my favorite method of transportation too. I'd like it even more if I lived in a flatter area. Hills are fun, but after 3 or 4 miles, constant uphills start to kill me.
Brian
That Motorcycle Safety Course is worth taking if you think you may enjoy MC riding. But, it doesn't teach as much as it seems to suggest it does. I would say it's just the bare bones, and after taking it, I had to practice motorcycling for quite a while to get confident. I admit that I did a pretty piss-poor job of following the instructions though, and I barely passed.
I have to say bicycling is my favorite method of transportation too. I'd like it even more if I lived in a flatter area. Hills are fun, but after 3 or 4 miles, constant uphills start to kill me.
I didn't take the MSFC, even though passing that would have gotten me my license without the practical test. I did pass the test though, on my GL1800, that I had only ridden about 500 miles. It's not practical to ride my bicycle to work, but I'll take the motorcycle over car any day.
discosaurus
I think the "bike lifestyle" part comes in when cycling influences other basic parts of life. For a few examples, the way i eat, arrange my apartment, dress myself, plan my schedule, are all influenced by riding the bike every day. If I was just walking and taking transit, I probably would make different decisions about those things. If that's not "bike lifestyle," i don't know what is.
adgrant
I am car light and will be car free in a few months. However, while I bicycle for fun, it really isn't a means of transportation for me. In Manhattan its much more convenient to walk or take the subway and my commute to work requires a subway and train ride. I would also need a different bike from my current road bike.
Newspaperguy
If I need to use a label to describe how I live, I'll use "bicycle lifestyle" rather than "car-free lifestyle." For one thing, I can't become fully car free since I am required to have a reliable motor vehicle for work. Since I love my job, I don't want to change careers right now. More importantly, I ride my bike because I love to ride my bike and I don't enjoy driving a car.
I'm in a small town with no transit to speak of, so that's not an option for me. There are some in the community who are petitioning for a proper inter-community transit and I applaud their efforts.
I'll get around by bike or on foot when possible and practical and by car when necessary. ("Necessary," by the way, doesn't happen very often.)
chephy
I do enjoy walking, but as a female, I like to limit the amount of time making myself a target. It must be sad to live in a place where a mere act of walking is considered "making yourself a target". :(
As for myself, I lead a bicycle lifestyle. I could (and did) have a completely car-free life without any pedalling, but biking is a lot of fun. Public transit is not fun. So I take PT as little as possible and bike as much as possible. I don't really like walking - too tedious and slow. Jogging is better, but it's still like crawling compared with biking and it puts a lot of stress on the spine and the joints. Biking, on the other hand, only puts stress on joints and bones on the body when you crash. :D
chephy
For a few examples, the way i eat, arrange my apartment, dress myself, plan my schedule, are all influenced by riding the bike every day. If I was just walking and taking transit, I probably would make different decisions about those things. If that's not "bike lifestyle," i don't know what is. Same here. If my boyfriend and I are going out and, for whatever reason, don't have our bikes, we're likely to stick to places within walking distance or on the subway line. With bikes, it's just distance that matters, not public transit layout or schedules.
Most of the time we do go by bike, so I imagine that w/o bikes the set of places we frequent would have been considerably different.
Dahon.Steve
I know that many of you look for ways to incorporate more bicycling into your life, simply because you enjoy it. Also, many of you want to reduce environmental impact at all costs. That's not me. I don't enjoy cycling that much and I'm not that dedicated to the environment. Although I live the car free lifestyle, I do not live the bicycle lifestyle.
I do not live the bicycle lifestye either.
I love transit and use it to work. I stopped biking to work because the stress of riding in rush hour traffic and transit is so cheap, my lightrail ticket is only $53.00 dollars per month! There's no way I can pass that up because it allows me to shop and dine with full access to New York City.
There are people here that have utility bikes for shopping, but my supermarket is across the street. I don't need a bicycle for anything other than weekend entertainment.
The OP by the way is in the majority. There are millions more just like him that are car free and do not use a bicycle at all! It's due to the fact that many of these individuals cannot afford a good utility bicycle or they are in poor condition. Then there's the image problem the utility cyclists suffers from not being able to afford public transportation or a motorcar. Lets not forget that women with children will also avoid the cyclist lifestyle due to the danger factor.
Unfortunately, most of them will eventually own a motorcar because of poor public transit in their town.
Smallwheels
Does anyone here use a Xootr scooter for short trips instead of a bicycle?
There is no home delivery of mail in my town so we all have post office boxes. I use my Xootr to go to the post office and the nearest grocery store. It is much easier to use it for the short trips. My apartment is on the second floor and my bicycles stay inside. Pulling one out for trips that are only a few blocks would take much longer than using the scooter. Neither of those locations have bicycle racks. I've talked to managers at both locations and so far they haven't added bicycle racks.
xpokox
i've always been a bicyclist and long-distance walker, even when i had had cars in the past.
of course i still enjoy these emmensely, i'll hop on the bus every now and then as well.
Roody
I was carfree first, but cycling has taken over my "lifestyle". About 90 % of my urban transit needs are served by my bikes. I do take an interurban bus for long trips.
I call myself a carfree cyclist, and I think that Carfree Cycling would be a great name for this forum. (I proposed it a couple years ago but got voted down.)