Living Car Free - Is 53 a reasonable age to be car free?

I am getting ready to sell my car and I always commute to work and do not use my car often. What do you think? Thanks

I'm 54 and I can't see myself selling my SUV. How am I going haul 12 foot lumber from Home Depot as I'm constantly doing projects around the house? :D

I am getting ready to sell my car and I always commute to work and do not use my car often. What do you think? Thanks
53 is a great age to go car free, especially if you don't have young children to shuttle around. Saves money, makes you mentally & physically vigorous, puts you in a youthful peer group, and gets you out of all kinds of ruts. What's not to like?

I am getting ready to sell my car and I always commute to work and do not use my car often. What do you think? Thanks

I'm 53 also, and carfree for years now. I use a bike for virtually all of my around-town transportation. I keep track of my bike mileage, and do about 6,000 miles per year. I ride for an average of 40 to 150 minutes per day. Some of that is recreational riding, as the bike is my main hobby as well as my "car".

Cycling does a lot to keep me fit and young, in spite of significant health problems. Specifically, I had a heart attack at age 45, I have diabetes, and I have quite a bit of arthritis in my neck, hips and knees. With lots of good exercise, I have normal cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose. My joints stay loose and mostly painfree.

What are your concerns or reservations about becoming carfree?

I'm 51 and have been car-free since April 1999, although for the first few years I did it on foot and by bus.

Not much I can add to what Platy and Roody said.

How am I going haul 12 foot lumber from Home Depot as I'm constantly doing projects around the house?

Buy from a lumberyard, not a "home center". Around here, every lumberyard delivers, not a single "home center" does. As an added bonus, all the lumberyards are locally owned and operated.

Not much I can add to what Platy and Roody said.

That's because we're older and wiser.

;)

I'm 54 and I can't see myself selling my SUV. How am I going haul 12 foot lumber from Home Depot as I'm constantly doing projects around the house? :D

Couple of suggestions...plan projects and then rent their truck to haul the stuff home. Find a friendly neighbor and give them some gas money and a 12 pack (been there done that on both sides of the equation) Do you really need a 12' board or can they be cut at the Home Despot and hauled home strapped to a bike or trailer (been there done that too!) Get a BAW trailer (http://bikesatwork.com/), they are up to eight feet long!

BTW I would LOVE to be car free as well as carefree:p and will be hitting the half century mark in 2009.

Aaron:)

I am getting ready to sell my car and I always commute to work and do not use my car often. What do you think? Thanks

I'd guess that this your first attempt at car free so it makes sense to do a dry run. Go 100% without
using a car (now don't cheat or you'll never know) for one month. That should point out if you can
go completely car free or that car-lite might be better for your lifestyle and ability.

A dry run of one month might give you enough info but if still in doubt add another month. Don't
cut the cord unless you're 110% sure car free will work for you.


Best of luck and don't cheat. If you have to cheat then it's car-light for you.

What does AGE have to do with it?

If you are 53 and going carfree sounds like a reasonable idea, the I would say yes...

That's because we're older and wiser.

;)

Oh. I didn't pay attention before when someone said you were a wise guy. :innocent:

I'm 56 and have been car free for almost 2 years. I ride my bike to and from work. If the weather gets too nasty I'll take the bus or train. Twice a month i go to the grocery store and take a taxi home. If I have to go out of town for anything - which isn't too often I'll rent a car. I'm right in the city and most every thing is pretty close by. Plus I live alone so it's no big deal really.

Oh. I didn't pay attention before when someone said you were a wise guy. :innocent:
We got a lot of old wise guys here.

sell the car.

use some of the money to buy a trailer / trike and you can use that to haul big things easily =)

I am getting ready to sell my car and I always commute to work and do not use my car often. What do you think? Thanks


53 is much too young. Wait till you are 54. lol.


It's not an unreasonable way to live. As others have said, try it out and just leave the car alone. Time will tell. For me that has always been the problem. My cars always die of neglect.

http://www.pointhappy.com/gcf/Bike&Trailer2.jpg

I think I have a buyer for my car and I may be car free as early as tomorrow!!! Not to say I may not be in someones car at times so in all fairness I would be car light. I have commuted for years to work I have ridden bikes forever so I think I am ready for the task. I also love bikes and may be almost a bike addict. I have a BOB trailer and a Surly LHT and a Crosscheck as well as a much older singlespeed. I am living now in a small enough town where I am located near to a grocery store and to my job. I am within reasonable distances to pretty much everything. I am glad a forum like this is around to inspire people like myself. Thanks for all the great information.

This is all good news. I don't know your financial situation but use the extra money and start saving. We may not have social security in the future so your savings may have to last you.

I think I have a buyer for my car and I may be car free as early as tomorrow!!! Not to say I may not be in someones car at times so in all fairness I would be car light. I have commuted for years to work I have ridden bikes forever so I think I am ready for the task. I also love bikes and may be almost a bike addict. I have a BOB trailer and a Surly LHT and a Crosscheck as well as a much older singlespeed. I am living now in a small enough town where I am located near to a grocery store and to my job. I am within reasonable distances to pretty much everything. I am glad a forum like this is around to inspire people like myself. Thanks for all the great information.

Hell, you're in much better shape to be carfree than I am. All I have is a couple cranky old MTBs and a backpack with duck tape on the bottom. :D

Seriously, you've thought it through and prepared admirably. I won't even say "good luck" becaule I don't think you'll need it. So I'll just say "have fun!"

:giver:

This is all good news. I don't know your financial situation but use the extra money and start saving. We may not have social security in the future so your savings may have to last you.

We'll have Social Security. But we might not have 401ks and pensions.

Commutenow, I'm 53 too and use my car rarely, typically 1 or 2 times a month when I need to leave the big megalopolis where I reside and work. Or to visit my age 85 mother about 4 times a year over in Arizona. So that might be car lite compared to most households. Car free vs Car lite depends on what alternatives (besides walking or bicycle) are available to you. In many medium to large cities, people that don't own cars are able to join a car share club for those occasional times when a car is needed. Or some people do an occasional weekend car rental if they want to get out of the city for a few days. I might consider this option because Enterprise opened an office close to my neighborhood. Car free or car light, it's all good. There's no exact rules, nothing to prove, either way is a vast improvement over the typical vehicle centered household.

53 here too.

Never too old to get married again.

Never too old to ride fixed gear.

Never too old to travel around the world cycle-touring.

Never too old to improve your llifestyle to increase your life.

Never too old to go free of car ownership.

Like Roody, I had a heart attack in my early 40s. It was after that I took up cycling. It's paid for all sorts of things that I would have struggled to pay for if I had kept motor vehicles.

It's a very liberating feeling.

Don't sweat the idea that you might cadge a lift from someone fairly regularly, or rent, or use motorised public transport.

We'll have Social Security. But we might not have 401ks and pensions.

I am wondering...on another forum I frequent someone posted the following:


The Social Security Bill was signed into law by FDR on August 14, 1935. The first Social Security check was paid to Ida Mae Fuller on January 31, 1940. That check was for $22.54, the cost of which was split out to 42 people paying into the system.
Today, the cost of each Social Security check is split out to just four people paying into the system, and that number is getting smaller.

Chain letters just don't work very long. Social Security is a "pay as you go" chain letter.

Any investment to create income must have "investment over time" in the equation, or it is doomed to failure at it's inception.

Food for thought. I also just how solvent the US goverment really is with their current rate of billion dollar buyouts at taxpayers expense? I don't know about you all, but the last time I checked my "share" of the deficit (http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/) was over $33,000.:notamused:

Aaron:)

Car free is more about reason than age.

Commutenow, I'm 53 too .


53 here too.



There sure are a lot of us! But I believe more babies were born in 1955 than in any year before or since. (in the developed world.)

http://www.pointhappy.com/gcf/Bike&Trailer2.jpg


What kind of trailer is that!!:eek::eek:

I like it!!!!:eek:

What kind of trailer is that!!:eek::eek:

I like it!!!!:eek:

Looks suspiciously to me like the new extruded aluminum frame Bikes At Work (http://bikesatwork.com/) trailer. My guess is it's the Model 64AW.

Make sure you checkout the Utility forum and the following photo album for ideas on carrying loads

www.flickr.com

do a search for "xtracycle"

and then hit "pool" for an array of pictures.

12 ft long pieces of lumber is possible with a "utility" type bike.

Coincidentally I'm 53, been carless for about four years. I'm in DC which certainly has its problems but over all conducive to living car free. It's really all about location and not age; work, food, entertainment obviously are the big drivers. A few months ago when a friend vicariously supportive of my chosen 'lifestyle' offered me a ride, very out of his way, I had to decline realizing that 'hey, I'm doing this entirely by choice and shouldn't burden others while otherwise getting all the benefits.' The biggest mindset is embracing riding in the rain and enjoying spending money, otherwise spent on auto insurance, maintenance, etc., on good gear. Most important is finding that pedal pressure that feels good when you're pulling a trailer full of a weeks provisions while your neighbor is opening the hood of his car and wondering 'what's wrong?'

My father is 62, and is "car lite" in North Dakota. He has a truck, but he only uses it to go hunting. He commutes to work and to the grocery store by bicycle. He's been commuting since he was young though, so he's in above average shape for his age.

Maybe you could try not using it for a month before you sell it, and see how difficult / easy it is?

We-my wife and I- went car free last summer. I am almost 52, and I've been heading in the car free direction for awhile. I, too, do a fair amount of woodwork (did it as a profession for over 20 years). I have hauled a good amount of wood with my bikesatwork trailer, and enjoy doing so. When we sold the (small) pickup, we became Zip Car members, and have used a Zip Car 3 times in the past four months. I could use a Zip Car pickup to get wood (or whatever), but haven't as of yet. Unless one is really strapped for cash, I would suggest setting up the CF lifestyle and THEN unload the car. The proceeds from the sale and the insurance refund will become "found" money.

In no particular order:

If I HAD to drive to work, I wouldn't work there.

We had already developed a routine of shopping with our bicycles. I typically use my smaller BOB trailer for this.

We never drove downtown anyway. That's what buses are for.

When I walk away from a bus, a Zip Car or my bicycle I am DONE. There is no fuel, insurance, or huge service/repair bill looming in the future. This would also include delivery fees, should I need/want to have a large load of wood delivered.

You don't realize how much you worry about the stupid car until you get rid of it. This alone is worth going car free.

Oh-and all of the above doesn't involve car payments. It was paid for. Car payments are obscene, and I strongly suspect that most people can't afford the cars they drive.

The proceeds from the Great Car Sale bought, among other things, a very efficient wood burning fireplace insert for our house. We are looking forward to lower heating bills this winter. The proceeds are also going to the "Pimping My Wife's Ride" fund, as I trick out her Electra Amsterdam.


Tony

I'm 54 and car-lite. Been that way since June, when my son got his license. I'm trying to be as close to 100% as possible. It makes for some interesting and precarious loads sometimes, when I come back from the hardware or grocery store, but it sure feels good. I live in a dense traffic area, and wish there were a lot more cycles and a lot less cars on the road. I plan on buying some good fenders in the next month or so. Any pointers to good websites for these?

One thing I discovered this year, is taking the bike on the train to explore or do errands in further away places. Spent Wed up in San Francisco and had a great day of trekking.

I'm 54 and car-lite. Been that way since June, when my son got his license. I'm trying to be as close to 100% as possible. It makes for some interesting and precarious loads sometimes, when I come back from the hardware or grocery store, but it sure feels good. I live in a dense traffic area, and wish there were a lot more cycles and a lot less cars on the road. I plan on buying some good fenders in the next month or so. Any pointers to good websites for these?

One thing I discovered this year, is taking the bike on the train to explore or do errands in further away places. Spent Wed up in San Francisco and had a great day of trekking.

Depends on what you want. Decent quality and good customer service? I would suggest Planet Bike (http://ecom1.planetbike.com/fenders.html). I have several pairs of their fenders and cannot recommend them highly enough. I called to ask about getting a few extra bits and pieces to replace some parts I had misplaced...they sent them out immediately for free. If you want fancy fenders Velo-Orange (http://velo-orange.com/fenders.html) is the place to go. Again, excellent customer service and things you won't find just anywhere.

Aaron:)

Depends on what you want. Decent quality and good customer service? I would suggest Planet Bike (http://ecom1.planetbike.com/fenders.html). I have several pairs of their fenders and cannot recommend them highly enough.
Aaron:)

Got the Planet Bike "Hardcore ATB" fenders this week. They look good, and the mudflaps will look right at home on my Hardrock. Can't believe I'm saying this, but can hardly wait until it rains!

What does AGE have to do with it?


Didn't Tina Turner sing a song on that order?

Looks suspiciously to me like the new extruded aluminum frame Bikes At Work (http://bikesatwork.com/) trailer. My guess is it's the Model 64AW.

Give the man a prize. Exactly right. Though I added the plywood floor to make it more useful.

56 here Going car free eventually but for the time being I own an 82 VW Westfalia that gets used maybe once every 1-2 months. Mostly? It just sits. I have to admit Key West is about THE perfect place to be car free.