Advocacy & Safety - impact of cycling on motoring and car-buying

If you participate in this forum, you are presumably at least a casual bicyclist. How does your cycling activity affect the way you drive and the way you select a new or used motor vehicle?

I rent vehicles as and when I need them, and chose the type of vehicle best suited to the passenger or luggage load.
By need, I mean that making the journey by a mixture of bike/train/bus/taxi is more expensive, takes too long, or is otherwise not sensible.
This weekend Im renting a car to take someone and their luggage to the airport.

I don't think I'll ever buy a new car again.

When my current car (Vauxhall Cavalier 2.0 TD) finally fails its MOT for anything that will cost more than £200 to fix I'll take it down to the scrap man, and buy another heap, via private sale for under £1000.

It will have to have a hatchback and folding seats so I can get lots of stuff in the back for transport of bikes, motorcycle parts, trips to the tip etc.

I hope I'm savvy enough about cars not to buy something that will expire 50 miles after I've bought it. If it lasts me a year I'm happy, if I get 2 or 3 years out of it I'm quids in. Insurance is low coz the car has no residual value, and no kids will want to "joy-ride" it either.

Stew

Over the years, I used my car less and less until, finally, about a year ago, I gave up my car all together.

When I really need a car, I rent one. I rented my first car due to this strategy last weekend to bring the family on a camping trip.

Thus, bicycling has replaced the automobile for primary transportation in my lifestyle.

If you are interested, I started a poll thread several months ago asking what percentage the forum readers used their bicycles for transportation. Have a look. It was pretty interesting. I think it was under the Commuting topic.

John,

For me, cycling largely replaced driving, though not completely.
For many, cycling is a wonderful sport. For me, it is a serious way to get around!

There is definitely a direct competition between driving and cycling, for me. This has changed the way I look at driving. It seems so wasteful (and dull).

As for my next "new" car, I am sure I will get the best I can afford.
But I won't be using it much! ;)

I use cycling a lot for going up to the store or other neighborhood errands. As soon as I start commuting I feel that the need for a car will grow less. I do need it tho for my weekend camping trips and to haul my wifes junk.. er I mean antiques around.

In the past year and a half of commuting I've really reduced the amount of driving I do. In fact, I'm just coming up on my first oil-change since I started bike commuting. That's down from 5 changes a year. I don't use my bike much for errands, because I've invested so much in it emotionally and in upgrades, that I'm afraid to leave it unguarded for things like shopping. I do still use my Escort wagon for shopping, trips to the airport, or hauling supplies from the lumber yard or nursery. I'm hoping that I'll not need to buy a car again. In stead I'm thinking about a "work bike" for the errands around town.

Gee, if I lived closer to work, maybe I could use my bike more!

I, like Mike, have crossed the line and can actually imagine myself never owning a car again. I especially hated paying for gas and insurance, not because of the price, but because I was so blatantly getting screwed by the oil companies and the insurance industry.
Plus I love to ride. People can't understand why I would givw up 2 hours of driving a day for 3 hours of riding. For me it's a no-brainer.

After 3 years without a vehicle, I have once again joined the ranks of motor-vehicle owners. Yesterday, I purchased a 1989 Dodge Dakota pickup (long bed, 2.5l 4, 5-speed). I will be purchasing a bike carrier for the bed of the truck (maybe I'll end-up bike-pooling with another cyclist to club rides).
In the short term, I still plan to commute by bike, at least for as long as I'm working downtown. The building that I'm temporarily working in has no free parking. If I'm still here when the snow starts, I'll use the bus, or just walk the 2 miles each morning.
As far as winter riding goes, I think that's not going to be a major past-time, as it was in the 2 previous winters.

Originally posted by Jean Beetham Smith
I don't use my bike much for errands, because I've invested so much in it emotionally and in upgrades, that I'm afraid to leave it unguarded for things like shopping. I do still use my Escort wagon for shopping, trips to the airport, or hauling supplies from the lumber yard or nursery

Jean, Oh Jean; This is the season of garage sales. Keep your eyes open for a good and cheap garage sale bike.

If it has a twin wire basket that goes over the back wheel, even better. If it does not have the twin wire basket, get one - they are simply magnificent and can hold more than panniers. You can load the baskets with miscellaneous stuff and still throw a 25 pound bag of bird seed or water softener salt on top of the basket and ride home.

If your bike is so good you are afraid to maximize its use, then you need a bike you can use for errands and commuting. Go get it, girl! $25.00 is all it takes to make the leap to a carless freedom.

I'm very sure I will never buy a new car.I've said this before on other threads,with a new car you lose thousands of dollars a year to depreciation.I would much rather spend thousands a year on bicycles.Not counting deperciation cars are expensive to keep,what with insurance,maintenance and repairs,not to mention fuel.Speaking of maintenance, a while back I went to get my oil changed and Wal-Mart was packed so I went to one of those quick oil change places.40 freaking dollars to change my oil!Yeah I know I could change it myself, I used to.

Mike makes an outstanding point -- anyone who owns a really nice bike also needs at least one beater which he/she is not afraid to use for errands. As a UCLA undergrad with a brand-new, sharp-looking Nishiki, I assembled a series of fun, interesting, ugly beaters, based on old 10-speeds and old 3-speeds.

Just about everybody replying to this thread has talked about the type of use or lack of use of their car.
Being a cyclist, for me as a driver has meant that I drive as if there is a cyclist around the corner, I keep strictly at the speed limit and if any one out there doubts that speeding in endemic just try driving at the posted limit and just see the cars build up behind.
I am courteous to cyclists, give them room. overtake only when it is completely safe to do so.
I work on the theory that not only do I wish to be treated like that but I am setting a good example to other drivers. If the car behind me sees me signal and pull well out to overtake a cyclist as I would overtake any other slow moving vehicle, then maybe next time they are in that situation they will do the same.

I'm more watchful of cyclists, I've always given them room, but now I'm more assertive about. I used to worry about holding up traffic, but now I just watch the cars crawl up to my rear bumper until it's safe for me to pass the cyclist.

I'm also looking at the streets with the question of, "Is this a bike-friendly road?"

Oh, yeah, and the world doesn't look as flat... as in, "boy this would be a character building hill" :)

Kevin S.

Have you ever noticed the look you get off a fellow cyclist when you overtake them in a car? They know. It's an understanding, an invisible bond, telepathy, whatever.

It's an "I've just been overtaken by a fellow cyclist who has had the decent courtesy to wait and give me an extra-wide berth" look.

We are just looking after our own really. :)

I have never owned a car, and have no intention of doing so. I only need to take a ride to confirm that point. For me, cycling is exercise, transport and hobby all rolled into one.

Several respondents have reinforced my view that cycling definitely makes me a safer, more courteous, motorist. (Of course, it's pretty tough to crowd cyclists while driving with a bicycle-graphic "Share The Road" bumper sticker.) I still think every able-bodied driver's training should include a certified Effective Cycling course.

I make a point of driving within the posted speed limit, particularly on roads on which cyclists or pedestrians are present.

Originally posted by John E
Several respondents have reinforced my view that cycling definitely makes me a safer, more courteous, motorist. (Of course, it's pretty tough to crowd cyclists while driving with a bicycle-graphic "Share The Road" bumper sticker.) I still think every able-bodied driver's training should include a certified Effective Cycling course.


I'd just as happily change the punishment for things like running stop signs, talking on the phone while driving, or erratic driving. Make them ride a rusty old Cannondale with a loose headset and a leaky front tire through the Manhattan rush-hour for a week. :D

I've always prided myself on being a courteous driver; I slow down when merging and allow other cars on the roads, watch for pedestrians, stop at bloody stop signs, use my blinkers, and bother to fix broken headlights/etc. So cycling hasn't really changed my habits all that much.

It has changed my view of "The Motorist", however. People are fscking insane! Not using blinkers, driving just on the edge of the white line (or in the bike lanes that are provided), doing sixty going down a very narrow two-lane (one in each direction) road...sheesh.

Originally posted by John E
If you participate in this forum, you are presumably at least a casual bicyclist. How does your cycling activity affect the way you drive and the way you select a new or used motor vehicle?
If cycling had no effect on the way people select (or choose not to buy) a motor vehicle, the industry would not be trying to lure cyclists off the road by false claims of safety.

I am the first to admit that cars, trucks and the highway system have propelled many American cities (and entire regions) into economic boom. But cars may not continue to provide economy
for the masses in the next century.