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.
rockmom
07-24-07, 09:00 PM
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
07-24-07, 09:03 PM
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
07-24-07, 09:13 PM
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
07-25-07, 03:26 AM
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
07-25-07, 05:18 AM
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
07-25-07, 05:23 AM
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
07-25-07, 05:57 AM
Thief!
wahoonc
07-25-07, 06:04 AM
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
07-25-07, 06:26 AM
Thief!
I rest my case!
Aaron:)
East Hill
07-25-07, 06:38 AM
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
07-25-07, 08:51 AM
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
07-25-07, 08:54 AM
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
07-25-07, 09:09 AM
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
07-25-07, 11:13 AM
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
07-25-07, 11:21 AM
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
07-25-07, 11:23 AM
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
07-25-07, 11:33 AM
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
07-25-07, 11:34 AM
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
07-25-07, 11:43 AM
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
07-25-07, 11:51 AM
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
07-25-07, 11:54 AM
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
07-25-07, 12:00 PM
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
07-25-07, 12:03 PM
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
07-25-07, 04:18 PM
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
07-25-07, 07:04 PM
Brian, if it makes you feel better it was completely clear to me that your one-word post was a joke.
Brian
07-25-07, 07:16 PM
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
07-25-07, 07:32 PM
Let's all sleep well tonight.
:beer:
bragi
07-26-07, 01:27 AM
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
07-26-07, 01:28 AM
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
07-26-07, 05:48 PM
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
07-26-07, 05:52 PM
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
08-04-07, 12:38 PM
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
08-05-07, 03:06 PM
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.