Living Car Free - Where are you cycling ... for fun ... this weekend?

Where are you cycling ... for fun ... this weekend?


I was car-free for many years (and will be again), and when I was, one of the things I really enjoyed was spending an entire summer day outside ... mostly on my bicycle.

I might set off at some point in the morning, and cycle to one of many local beaches anywhere from 50-100 kms away. Then I'd spend some time at the beach swimming, or lying on a towel reading a book and soaking up the sun. Later I'd make my way home, often stopping along the way to get something to eat. I'd arrive back home as the sun was coming down. Those were great days!!

I tried to head off in a different direction every weekend, and really got to know the province. Many times I'd stop at beaches, sometimes it would just be a ride to explore some roads I hadn't ridden. Other times I'd check out historical sights or towns I hadn't been to before. There's a lot of interesting stuff out there!! :)

I'm not car free right now, but I still enjoy spending my weekends on my bicycle.

How about you?

i ain't car free (just car lite) and this isn't this weekend, but I had a great car free weekend last weekend.

Was on vacation in Alaska, my bro-in-law and I rented jamis codas in Juneau, AK and rode to the mendenhall glacier to spend the day hiking and gawking at the glacier. After we left we rode to see Auke lake and the University of AK southeast (where my sister went to school) and back to drop off the rentals just in time for dinner and beers.

even though we had headwinds all afternoon this day has been the highlight of my summer. Without the bikes it would not be.

Sadly, nowhere. I will be pedaling to work early to monitor a client's site when it turns on in the morning, and I have to pedal to the Alltel Arena to work an Arkansas Twisters' game and then pedal home. So it should be a little more than a 25 mile day.

I may turn the trip to the Alltel into a fun trip by going along the Arkansas Rivertrail though and crossing into North Little Rock over the Big Dam Bridge.

I'm not sure what Sunday promises. I need to spend the time writing resumes and updating my online portfolio since my current employer has missed payroll three times and I'm taking that as a hint.

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Update, Rain has moved in, so I will likely end up taking the bus instead of riding along the Rivertrail. :(

I will be pedaling around town, going to the local farm teams baseball game this afternoon, then fireworks tonight. With a 3 day weekend next week, I am hoping to ride somewhere a little farther, just don't know where yet.

Grocery store and the tractor parts store:roflmao2: possibly the local vegetable farm if I have time.

Aaron:)

Probably just around town if I have to. It's too hot to cycle for fun now, except very late at night.

just got back from a ride to town for coffee and some bagels. I am not car free, but getting lighter every day. This was actually the first real errand I have run on my bike in a while, though I have been commuting for just over a month now.

Wife and I re-defined our car situation this morning-we no longer have her car and my car, but rather the car with good mileage, and the car to haul stuff. What used to be my car gets over 30 HW and about 27 around town, and the other car is a toyota minivan. Our area is not really suited to car free, as it is very rural, no transit, and very hilly, but we are working on it. Basic rule is if the car is there and you dont need to haul, use it. For me, if it is within 3 miles, I will bike. I will soon push that to 5 miles, but need to ease into it.

Later today, I will be biking up to the local farm where we own a seasonal organic produce share, so I will be picking up the week's veg and eggs, and possibly have some ice cream :)

I am trying to get the courage and strength up to bike to my buddy's 4th of July cookout next weekend, but it is 30 miles each way. a little daunting.

Will be riding in pride parade tonight, will probably be the slowest I will ever cycle, should be lots of fun though.

I just fit a new rear derailleur and chain on my commuter bike.

If I can get it all working, I'd like to head up towards Mall-land. I need a new pair of glasses and the only optical places I can find are located in Malls.

If I survive all that and someone hasn't stolen my bike, I may go for a recreational ride with my son. Probably on a trail somewhere... if we can find one that isn't barricaded due to flood damage.

Saturday's adventures were car assisted ... a drive out to our start location, 102 km ride in the mountains, and a drive home again (see Cadillac's post in the Long Distance forum).

But today's adventure was car-free. I rode 65 kms round trip to one of the local beaches.

Because it is a "long weekend" (sort of) here in Canada, and a very hot day in the part of the world, the beach was packed. There was a long line of motorized vehicles at the entrance and park official were only allowing these vehicles in as someone left. So there was a bit of a wait ...... for them ..... but not for me! :D I rode up to the front of the line and asked if bicycles could go in, and the official grinned, and said, "Yeah sure!" so in I went!!

I found an empty bench in a reasonably quiet area of the beach, and spent a lovely hour or so soaking up the sun, reading my book, and occasionally splashing in the water. A lovely day! :)


Anyone else ride for fun this weekend?
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I didn't get out there this past weekend, but this coming weekend we're taking a ferry from Boston to Provincetown (on the tip of Cape Cod) and pedaling down to Dennis (that's about 2/3 of the way down the Cape) for a day on the beach with family. About half of the route will be on the Cape Cod Rail Trail.

nice one cutman-I was just plotting a possible trip to the cape w/ the wife to do parts of the rail trail.

I went to work today for several hours.

Took the train which left me at the World Trade Center, then past 42nd street to my office on 57th. New York City is the bomb riding at 6 in the morning without any cars. After 12 noon, it becomes a jungle but you can't beat it during the morning hours.

Next Friday, I'm going on the group ride to City Island where they have great seafood. I don't like the hills but that's life. I try to make at least one group ride every two weeks and there are some that do that EVERY week. However, goup rides are great but I have different needs like visiting the mall and using commuter trains to visit different cities.

Made both my runs successfully, the look on the counter guy's face at the tractor place was great. :lol: I picked up 4 oil filters, 2 air filters and 7 fan belts. He brings them out the side door to put them in the "truck" for me;) Blew his mind the truck was a bike with baskets.:thumb:

Grocery store run was typical and uneventful, glad to get them both done before it really got hot. We hit close to 100f.

Aaron:)

I'm doing a half-century (today is the last day of my weekend) around the west Denver Metro area. I used to drive C470 every day and always thought it would be cool to see at a speed slower than 80mph... the bike path sounds like a perfect opportunity. I'll stop for coffee and lunch, somewhere interesting that I haven't been before.

Our club was heading out to do more mountain work. We short circuited the worst of the mountains because it was too hot. We still got in 60 Km. We were originally going to do another 40 Km up in the mountians.

We began with a trip to the bank to cash an "economic stimulus" check. We got sidetracked by a yard sale. Then decided to explore an alternate route to a Vietnamese coffee shop/bakery. We stimulated the economy with an iced coffee and snack box and some passion fruit drink to carry with. Well that is halfway to the lake so why not see what its like biking to the lake? At the lake we got talking to a guy fishing with his son. The guy outlined a route through the woods that he rides with his son so we tried it. Got caught in a rainstorm. Refreshing. Well, since we're going by the grocery store anyway we did some shopping. We stimulated the economy some more by buying food. The trip to the bank which would've taken 30 minutes by car lasted 5 hours by bike. This illustrates the down side of car free living, errand running is so fun you tend to expand the mission till you eat up the whole day with frivolous biking with no other purpose than to enjoy yourself.

We began with a trip to the bank to cash an "economic stimulus" check. We got sidetracked by a yard sale. Then decided to explore an alternate route to a Vietnamese coffee shop/bakery. We stimulated the economy with an iced coffee and snack box and some passion fruit drink to carry with. Well that is halfway to the lake so why not see what its like biking to the lake? At the lake we got talking to a guy fishing with his son. The guy outlined a route through the woods that he rides with his son so we tried it. Got caught in a rainstorm. Refreshing. Well, since we're going by the grocery store anyway we did some shopping. We stimulated the economy some more by buying food. The trip to the bank which would've taken 30 minutes by car lasted 5 hours by bike. This illustrates the down side of car free living, errand running is so fun you tend to expand the mission till you eat up the whole day with frivolous biking with no other purpose than to enjoy yourself.

Actually that is my life's goal:love::thumb::roflmao2:

Aaron:)

Are there really only just a few of us who head out on our bicycles to have fun on the weekends?

Are there really only just a few of us who head out on our bicycles to have fun on the weekends?

We have fun on our bikes every day of the week, while we use them for transportation. The only difference is on the weekend we don't usually have to check in at work. I know that after I sold the car my weekend rides just to ride became rare. My description of last weekend- get some things done along the way extend the errand running is more typical. Sometimes I take camping trips or what not or explore a new place. I also do long fun rides if I'm getting in shape for a tour.

I know that after I sold the car my weekend rides just to ride became rare.

Why was that?

During the years I was car-free, I commuted to work by bicycle and ran my errands on foot (the grocery store, etc. was very close to where I lived) during the week .... and then spent my entire weekend out on my bicycle somewhere, just for fun.

My rides were for fun...if it had been serious I would have ridden the roadie in full kit (JK!:lol:) If I had to I could have driven the truck to the places I rode the bike. However I was under direct orders NOT to take any side trips (like I have a bad habit of doing) All told I rode about 25 miles and enjoyed every minute of it! And on two different bikes:thumb:

Aaron:)

Are there really only just a few of us who head out on our bicycles to have fun on the weekends?
Once I told my partner I don't ride recreationally. She has been teasing me about that ever since, because often I ride a lot for some obviously made-up reasons (like scouting out new routes).

My "weekend" consists of Wednesday this week. I just finished putting together my new IRO and I plan to spend my day off riding the hell out of it. Maybe I'll even take a train out to the country to get back to nature a bit. I don't really know.

We have fun on our bikes every day of the week, while we use them for transportation. The only difference is on the weekend we don't usually have to check in at work. I know that after I sold the car my weekend rides just to ride became rare. My description of last weekend- get some things done along the way extend the errand running is more typical. Sometimes I take camping trips or what not or explore a new place. I also do long fun rides if I'm getting in shape for a tour.

I find myself doing more and more "fun" transportational rides on Saturday ... trip to the library, health food store, LBS, even Walmart once in a while. Then Sundays, I like to head out of town on a purely recreational run. If you set all the transportation rides up nicely (not too much shopping, for example....), they can be a lot of fun.

My only problem with the Sunday ride is that get to the half-way point of the trip and realize I should turn around. I have this tremendous urge to keep going....

Once I told my partner I don't ride recreationally. She has been teasing me about that ever since, because often I ride a lot for some obviously made-up reasons (like scouting out new routes).

I find that interesting ... obviously you do some recreational riding :), but why would you tell your partner that you don't ride recreationally. Don't car-free cyclists ride recreationally?

...why would you tell your partner that you don't ride recreationally. Don't car-free cyclists ride recreationally?
When we met she had a hard time understanding what the car free thing was all about. Her earlier understanding was that bike riding is strictly a form of sport and recreation, so my explanation started with the statement that I don't ride recreationally.

When we met she had a hard time understanding what the car free thing was all about. Her earlier understanding was that bike riding is strictly a form of sport and recreation, so my explanation started with the statement that I don't ride recreationally.

Ah, I see. :)

Are there really only just a few of us who head out on our bicycles to have fun on the weekends?

Sometimes I work so many days in a row that I have to either use my day off as a rest day or take the bus in to work, which is not fun, so riding on the weekends is always a big deal to me. Even going to the coffee shop is like a mini-vacation when I can take as much time as I want with it!

(my half century turned in to a metric after I had to backtrack. I am totally stoked about my great day, but exhausted.)

Cycling is such an integral part of my life that I often do it without even thinking about it. So far my bike has seen six weekend "tours" this year already, and several other day trips too numerous to mention here. This Saturday I'm lining up 250-odd km in Northern NSW through some of the best riding available on mainland Australia. I haven't even thought about Sunday yet, but I might just head for the beach if it's warm enough, or find something else to do.

Why was that?

During the years I was car-free, I commuted to work by bicycle and ran my errands on foot (the grocery store, etc. was very close to where I lived) during the week .... and then spent my entire weekend out on my bicycle somewhere, just for fun.
I'm not sure. When I sold the car I was doing 20 miles per day commuting so I was getting the fun during the commute. Now I'll take the long way home sometimes since my commute is about 2 miles. I don't see the distinction between transportation and fun any more. Like in my description of last Saturday, pedaling to the bank was transportation, then what about going to the coffee shop or the lake? Going to the bank was just as fun as riding along a busy road to the lake, then stopping at the grocery store? Was the part from the lake to the huge parking lot fun then crossing the parking lot transportation? Or did the fun end and the transportation begin when I thought about swinging by the grocery store? But the fact is the fun didn't end until after I cleaned the mud off the bike and put it away for the night.

I'm on a one week vacation at the moment. Purchased a Bike Friday Tiket a few days ago, and am trying to see what places I can wheel it into around my home town.

Today, I'm going to see if I can bring it on the bus. If I get away with it, the sky's the limit for cross town commuting without a car. The busses do have bike racks up front, but with the price of gas they are always full. Hopefully with the Tikit it frees me up from having to wait for the next bus with an open rack.

Tomorrow, I plan on taking it on Amtrak to a city called Ann Arbor. This is a community that cares about cycling and strives to promote it as a part of public transportation. I just want to spend a day of my vacation there, and bum around on my bike.

So basically no special places.
:thumb:
I would suggest a bag or cover of some sort for bus riding. Brommie makes a drop over cover that stuffs up under the seat. You fold the bike, throw the cover over it and it becomes a package rather than a folded bike. Under the radar so to speak.

Aaron:)

This weekend the bike and I are sticking close to home. Friday a ride with the club, work Saturday, and Sunday lead a ride for the club.

Now later in the month, the bike and I are spending a week in the Rideau Lakes region of Eastern Ontario. Last year I took two bikes--road bike and a hybrid for off-road. This year I'm taking just the Portland and its second wheelset with the cyclocross tires mounted. (This is the wheelset that wears the studded snow tires in winter.) The plan is the same as last year--alternate days between paved road metric centuries (road wheelset) and poking around on the dirt roads (cyclocross wheelset).

Then five days after that, we're taking the train to Denver where we'll ride the Front Range of the Rockies for a week.