Environment, Exercise, or Other: Reasons for being carfree

[flats]

I'm curious if there are carfree cyclists out there who do it for reasons other than its low environmental impact or the great exercise that accompanies it.

[donnamb]

Both.

[flats]

naturally there will be some overlap, but I'm looking for the chief motivation behind your carfree lifestyle, specifically if it is not environmental concern or exercise.

[jonathan180iq]

I first picked up cycling so I could have something to do to keep me active on a regular basis. Growing up, I was always in team sports. Now that I'm a bit older, there aren't any options for "adult" sports on a level that is much of a challenge for me. On a bike, I am my own nemesis. I am my own competition.

Along with that, the environmental implications and the philosophical ideas that one encounters from the saddle of a bicycle are simply an added bonus.

My personal feelings on the environment help get my up early and hopefully lead by example. But, like I said, it started as an activity thing.

[tfahrner]

I'd say I'm car-free mainly for "communitarian" reasons. I don't like how car culture affects social relations, upends the meanings of place and distance, and especially the influence on architecture and other elements of the built environment. It's the built, not the natural environment that I'm more focused on. Swapping out the current car fleet for magically "green" ones and getting people to drive to the gym more often won't get to the root of what's wrong. See http://clevercycles.com/energy_and_equity/ for probably my favorite articulation.

I bike because I enjoy it immensely and it dovetails perfectly with the above motivations.

[jeff-o]

I started for the exercise and to save money on gas. Now it's mostly for environmental reasons, for my health, and to prove a point.

[markhr]

exercise

If I was concerned about the environment in any way I'd probably take a long hard look at ALL my activities (Walking greener than cycling?)

[spinninwheels]

The main reason was out of practicality. I had sold my vehicles because I had no need for them at that point in my life. Commuting was almost as fast as taking the transit (Toronto), but with out the waiting (stress) factor. Owning, driving, maintaining and parking a car in a large city is a HUGE pain in the ***** (IMHO). Also, I could predict my ETA quite accurately.

In hindsight, that was the motivating factor, though now I consider the environmental and exercise aspects as the driving force to maintain my car-free lifestyle. And they are both on equal footing. How perfect is that?

[rhm]

Spinninwheels summed it up pretty well, but it's too complicated to distill into a simple reason. I bike commuting because I hated parking the car at the train station; but once I got to riding every day, I realized I hated every aspect of driving; and soon got to disliking the subway as well; so I got the folding bike and started riding at both ends of my train ride. For environmental reasons, I wish I could give up driving entirely... but that's not easy either.

[CaptainCool]

I have no social or political motivations. Biking is cheap and cars are a hassle and I'm in college.

[Artkansas]

Neither reason.

I enjoy bicycling. I have commuted since I was a kid so it only seems natural. I like the ability to pace myself, if angry ride fast, if sad ride slow, if distracted, pull over to the side of the road and watch the birds.

The reasons given seem so intellectual. Mine feel mostly emotional. I ride because I am.

[gosmsgo]

money

[MyBikeGotStolen]

My reasons in no particular order:
1 Money (im in college too)
2 Environmental
3 Excercise
4 Fun
5 Just to prove I can
6 My car sucks

Im sure Ill think of more later.

[Newspaperguy]

I'm car-light, not entirely car-free. Whenever possible, I'll leave the car and use other forms of transportation. There are a number of reasons.
• It's cheaper than driving.
• It's kinder to the environment
• It's good exercise
• In town, it's as fast as driving a car, if not faster.
• My job and most of the services I need are all within a few kilometres of home. It seems pointless to run the car that short a distance, especially in winter.
• When it's cold and snowy, there's a special challenge in getting outside, especially on a bike, when others are complaining about the weather and road conditions.

But the most important factor: I find cycling and walking a lot more pleasant than driving.

[littledog]

It's fun and it relieves stress.

[fat_bike_nut]

Mostly because I'm really hating driving now. I'm not car-free, btw, but I just do not like driving anymore. Bicycling is fun, walking is fine if I'm in the downtown area or hiking in the woods (but kinda boring anywhere else, like the suburbs, ugh), and taking the bus isn't all that bad unless I am on a really tight schedule.

[dauphin]

let's see...I'm broke....my kid drives my car...must be the money!

[Chris L]

Time, money, health, convenience.

I see no point in paying whatever it costs to aquire and maintain a car these days just to sit in gridlock for an hour each day when I can ride to work in 20 minutes. Cycling has long been an integral part of my life anyway, so I've never had any need to bother getting a car. Heck, even as a kid I used to do my family's grocery shopping on my bike, so nothing has really changed.

[Scout!]

I don't like the idea of owning anything too big to for me to carry by myself.

I don't like having to ask permission (re: license, registration, insurance).

I do like using my own power to provide the necessities of my life.

I do like being open to the climate and the neighborhood as I move from place to place.

[phantompong]

It began as exercise. I wanted to have some good exercise I wouldn't be bored with (I get bored running, swimming can be troublesome, I used to shoot air rifle but I can't now, and I prefer individual sports so I don't have that many options). Then, the more I learnt about cycling, the more I realised it could meet my transport needs more than adequately. But the first and initial and still current motivation is exercise.

[squegeeboo]

I picked exercise, but thats not the full reason.

It began cause I crashed my car and couldn't afford a new one. Now I can, but I like not being fat any more, and realize I would stop biking most days of the week if I got a car, so now it's exercise.

[sumguy]

ultimately I'm cheap. when the car died I didn't want to deal with maintaining another..
I needed to lose weight and lower my bp and had planned on biking or walking to work anyway.
I'm concerned about the environment and would've bought a hybrid or the most fuel efficient car I can find. Most of my driving is 10-15 minute trips.
Really enjoy being outside and its a real stress reliever. Now if I could just stop spending so much time on BF and ride more :D
So the dead car saves money and provides a healthier and greener lifestyle. Very happy not having a car.

[Lamplight]

My main reason is simply that I hate driving with a passion. The fact that I'm getting exercise and easing up on the environment are just nice bonus features. (Also, I'm not carfree, but 95% of the time I ride instead of drive)

[wahoonc]

Cheap and/or broke...was the first time I chose car free. I was down to my last $50 and had to have transportation to a new job. $25 bought me my 197? Raleigh Sports Standard that I still have today (a bit worse for the wear) I was car free/light until 1997, I am headed back that way just as fast as I can go. I have always had and have ridden bicycles since I was 6 years old. Currently I drive way too many miles a year, I consider most time behind the wheel of a car to be nonproductive and a waste of time. I am getting to where I don't want to even go to work because of the drive involved at the beginning and end of the week. (I work construction and have to travel out of state)

Aaron:)

[acroy]

exercise
fun
saves money
lets me drink more beer, not gain weight ;)

[thebikeguy]

Financial reasons at first,then it became fun and great exercise once I got into the routine.Don't miss driving a car(car-free since 1994) at all.We're coming into my favourite time of year for riding(winter).Call me crazy but I love the challenge of riding in those conditions.12 straight Canadian winters.The one encouraging thing is the numbers of fellow winter bikers has come up in the past 4-5 years.But you can see the really dedicated few out there in the freezing rain or big snow storms.My cut-off temperature is -30C/-21F.Anything much colder than that is NUTS.

[PVyrus]

-So people will stop asking for rides, lol.
-To give the bicycle exercise :P
-To be involved in the route, and not separated from it.
-Good for your self-esteem (You rode here!? Wow!!)

...and of coarse to slim the body, fatten the wallet, and spare the earth.

[chephy]

I'd say I'm car-free mainly for "communitarian" reasons. I don't like how car culture affects social relations, upends the meanings of place and distance, and especially the influence on architecture and other elements of the built environment. It's the built, not the natural environment that I'm more focused on. Swapping out the current car fleet for magically "green" ones and getting people to drive to the gym more often won't get to the root of what's wrong. +1. I hate what the car culture does to the society even more than what vehicle emissions do for our air.

[bragi]

It started out as a combination of environmental concern and a desire to save money. Now I mainly do it because it's easier than driving, and way more fun.

[heywood]

it makes the most economic sense and it keeps you healthy so it's a 'win-win' situation.. :)

[Roody]

All the reasons everyone said. When I look into what it means to "live the good life" I don't see a car anywhere at all.

[Platy]

Not needing a car is a very different thing from not having a car. I'd like to see the future develop in a way that allows more people to not need a car.

[Smallwheels]

I bicycle and walk for environmental reasons. As a very young child I always watched the Jacques Cousteau and National Geographic shows. I was fascinated by the things in nature, especially dolphins. I wanted to take care of The Earth.

The schools I attended occasionally handed out little science magazines. They had stories about new things in science and often there were stories about the environment. In fall 1973 in sixth grade we were given one of those magazines with environmental stories. It came with a pledge for students to sign. It was a promise to not litter, to not pollute the environment, and to take care of The Earth. I was very happy to sign that pledge. It is one of the events of my grade school years that really stands out in my mind. I don't know how some of the other students felt about it, but it was very important to me.

As a teenager I fell in love with cars. I didn't really consider a car free lifestyle then. There were no people in my environment who rode bicycles for transportation. The few people I knew who rode busses were less fortunate than I. It wasn't until the year 2002 or thereabouts that I was enlightened about bicycles as transportation.

I don't believe that cars are causing global warming. I do believe they cause a lot of pollution throughout their lifecycle from production to being junked. My car is for sale now because I don't use it enough to justify keeping so much money invested in it.

Once I started walking to my grocery store for shopping, I couldn't bring myself to use a motor vehicle to go there unless I needed a huge load of groceries. It took just about as much time to get my motor scooter out of the garage and to put it away when done, as it would take to walk there.

I use a Xootr to go to my nearest grocery store and the post office where I live now. I bicycle to the Wal-Mart five miles away.

[csr]

The more I bike, the more I realize that cars are boring and boorish. Useful tools in their place, but much overused, their place greatly exaggerated.

[Torrilin]

I like long distance driving. I like cars. I like tinkering with cars. I hate driving in stop and go traffic with a burning passion!

I like living in cities. I like living near downtown, in walkable neighborhoods. Guess what kind of driving I'd end up doing most?

Yeah.

I do not love tinkering with a car more than I hate driving one in heavy traffic. So a car gradually became a luxury I don't want. A bike is also a luxury. Just it's a luxury that makes my least favorite form of driving into a rather fun one, and it lets me go further and faster.

The enviromental kudos from riding a bike are "eh, that's nice I guess". The exercise is ok. Neither one really motivates me. Skipping traffic jams because I walk or bike through them? *That* motivates me.

[Mr. Jim]

The first time I went car free it was about money. I simply couldn't afford a car. Eventually things got better and I bought a clunker, which I then sold to afford a vacation, bought another clunker and got a better job which allowed me to buy a nice truck, I also got back into riding at this time and eventually into racing triathlon and any other endurance sport I could find a cool race for. I then ran into a bit of legal difficulty and lost my license. Got it back after a bit but had sold the truck in the mean time and just never bought a replacement, it's been two years now and I rent a car to go to races or grab a ride with a buddy. I love the exercise, I am very concerned about the environment and don't understand all the SUVs with one person in them, has the average American's ass gotten so big they need an SUV to haul it around? My family and coworkers either think I am nuts or admire me depending on the weather conditions. There are no other commuters in my area who commute by choice, a couple of guys who do so because they either cannot afford a car or have lost their right to drive. But most of all I ride because it is who I am.

[Someday_RN]

I voted other.

Biking for me is something I love to do. I am also a student, but my wife is disabled, so if I could afford the expenses of owning a car I would. I did not even get my license until I met my wife. When I graduate I can write my own ticket, so I will get a car; this will allow me to spend more time with my wife, and give her more freedom.

[urban rider]

I hate driving and I have worked in some of the worse neighborhoods in the city. Everyone of my co-workers have had thier cars vandilized. I could bring my bike inside of the office and watch it.

Gas, the price of a can of beans.

[beingtxstate]

I'd say I'm car-free mainly for "communitarian" reasons. I don't like how car culture affects social relations, upends the meanings of place and distance, and especially the influence on architecture and other elements of the built environment. It's the built, not the natural environment that I'm more focused on. Swapping out the current car fleet for magically "green" ones and getting people to drive to the gym more often won't get to the root of what's wrong. See http://clevercycles.com/energy_and_equity/ for probably my favorite articulation.

I bike because I enjoy it immensely and it dovetails perfectly with the above motivations.

+1 I agree wholeheartedly! So far we (American society) has only looked at the symptoms without addressing the real problem: a car culture that is embedded in the fabric of societal relations.

I am car-light, my wife drives more than I do, and if I don't ride the bike, I usually take the bus. Though I am definitely environmentally conscience, it is not my primary motivation. I am just tired of the laziness of American Society, its total distortion of the cost of transport, fuel, resources, etc. I am just tired of leaking energy, resources, etc. like a sieve. At least when I ride, I know that the energy I use is much more efficient.

[cerewa]

I guess i probably put it in this order right now, as to why I am trying to be car-free
1: cheapness
2: low environmental impact
3: exercise

[j.w]

exercise
fun
saves money
lets me drink more beer, not gain weight ;)

Bingo. Don't need to worry about being the designated driver. Every weekend you go out carfree is potentially a party night.

When my last car broke down I could have bought a new one but found that I preferred using the money for other things.

[Sianelle]

For me it's just plain easier to get around on a bicycle. I love the fact that I can ride a vehicle that doesn't cost me money or need to be insured, or registered & etc. Being Green is certainly a part of the reason why I ride.

[halfro]

both and not woning a car makes life simple

[kjohnnytarr]

It's cultural for me. I suppose it's environmental in a sense of the word too, but not the usual way people think of it. Exercise isn't really a reason for me so much as an awesome benefit.

[Jake_M]

Both.

+1

[adgrant]

I live in Manhattan. It costs about $450 a month to park a car in my neighbourhood.

[D Slam]

The more I bike, the more I realize that cars are boring and boorish. Useful tools in their place, but much overused, their place greatly exaggerated.
+1, big time.

I used to be a car fan. I've gone on many road trips, done a lot of driving, and lusted after cars nicer than the one I currently had.

I'm cured of all that now. I have restructured my life to allow myself to be car-light right now (still own the 15 year old Civic, but hardly drive it and am considering selling it), and I like life better this way... the space that was occupied by driving and maintaining a vehicle is filled much better with other things now. Cars are BORING, and 95% of driving is BORING as well. I saw a short TV clip about "getting behind the wheel of your dream car", with the assortments of Ferraris, etc. I thought "what a bunch of fat, boring losers! Can't you have more interesting dreams than that?"

[Booger1]

I voted other.I've been an automotive machinist for 35 years.Owned lots of cars.Gave up driving 11 years ago because I got tired of working on car parts all day,then have to work on my own on the weekends.Having to pay for gas,insurance,maintaining them,just got tired of the whole thing.I still own 2 cars( collector cars) but sold all the rest of them.I don't drive them any more,if someone offers me a price I can't refuse,I'll sell them too.

[Melalvai]

The ego trip.
(Car lite, not car free)

[Boudicca]

I voted other. It's cheaper, more convenient, less hassle, and to be honest I just don't need a car. Exercise and environmental benefits are bonuses.