Living Car Free - Working my way into "car-lite"

I just started cycling a few weeks ago, with the idea of getting in better shape (Im well into clyde territory) as the primary goal. It came to me to start bike commuting to work, which I do 3 times weekly.

My fiance has a 99 Civic, (she averages 32 MPH Hiwy/27ish city) and I've got a 01 Chevy Tracker (22 MPH Hwy/19 City). She drives to school/clinicals, but will consider biking at least part time (and likely more during the spring). Ive increased the amount of time between oil changes (and more importantly, gas fillups) just by focusing more driving on her vehicle, and organizing my time on the road better. Smaller errands I try to do on the way home from work on the bike. I dont have a rack yet, but plan on getting one.

We're likely to be moving to Marquette Michigan or a similar locale next year, and I hope to be rid of the car payment on my truck, at which time I can reduce insurance and perhaps sell it altogether. I may keep it for emergencies (its 4WD and where we will be is 100+ inch/year snowfall), but drive it far less.

Im excited about this from a health, environmental, and moral standpoint. Should be a lot of fun.

Yeah, it's pretty fun. I've got a car that does 12mpg and managed to keep from filling it up for two months by putting about 50 miles per week on the bike.

I'm down to 2 fillups per month (used to be 4). I like it because my 5-year, 60,000 mile warranty might actually make it to the full 5 years now. Also, because more of my local trips on on the bicycle, the fuel economy on my car is increasing because a greater percentage of my car miles are highway driving.

Marquette will be a challenge, with two or three hundred inches of snow. I'm not saying you can't do it, just that it will be a challenge.

OTOH, who wants to drive in that kind of climate?

I just started cycling a few weeks ago, with the idea of getting in better shape (Im well into clyde territory) as the primary goal. It came to me to start bike commuting to work, which I do 3 times weekly.


I started out 3 years ago with an aim of doing 2-3 days a week between home and work. But, as time passed, I started to notice that I was grumpier on the days I was driving to work. Pretty soon I was up to 4 days, losing about one day a week to weather. Over time, I invested in some rain gear and lights and all the essential gizmos, and... nowadays... I go month after month riding every day.

If you can't do it in winter or even if you would like to take a break, there might be some bus route options that would work. Or maybe carpooling.

If I lived where there was 100+ inches of snow, I'm sure I could ski to work some days. ;)

If I lived where there was 100+ inches of snow, I'm sure I could ski to work some days. ;)

Actually, Marquette MI is one place where ski-commuting might be feasible. It's a great center of Nordic skiing in North America.

My wife and I have been talking about sharing a car for a long time and now we're finally able to do it since I live close enough to my work, she drives to her work and I ride to mine and pretty much every other time we're together so it should work out pretty good. It will be nice to not pay for the extra gas, insurance, and to not make the extra pollution from a second vehicle.

Once you have a city pinned down, you can use online mapping tools and mass transit websites to pin down where you'd like to live. When everything you need is close by, it is a lot easier to cut down on car use. Online mapping sites can often be useful in an area you know well... if they're telling you about a business you've never seen, it can be worth walking or biking over to take a look. It might be a software error, but sometimes it turns out a useful business is much closer than you'd thought.