Living Car Free - Im 14, and I barely need to be driven anywhere

Before I got into biking, my parents would drive me most places. My Jazz lessons, school (or the bus), friend's houses, school sporting events the list goes on and on. But once I got into biking I have been able to bike most everywhere i need to go.

time and time again, im surprized by how quick, easy and painless it is to bike. Ive biked places that only months ago i thought was beyond my reach if i didn't have a ride.

Ive learned to LOVE biking, because I don't have to rely on my parents, i get a lot of excercise, and biking is sure a lot more fun then sitting in a car;)

Even once I am able to drive (1 more year:):) ) I still think I will bike most places i can, and will continue to the rest of my life

Great post...you live in a great place for biking!

Are you ready for the rainy season?

I have lights (is dark when i leave for school)

and a raincoat i can wear
My bike already has fenders, so i'm good there

the only thing keeping me out when it's raining is my laziness =P

I hope so.
I simply decided to forgo the temptation altogether: I don't have a driver's liscence, although I'm more than capable of driving a car. Its simply unneccessarry, expensive expenditure. I can get anywhere in town in less than an hour, and getting to other cities is easy with the bus system.
Bicycling is the freedom of a car without cost or obligation.

In short, its the best way around.

Props for the avatar.

My last post referred to your first, rather than the raincoat statement.

Fenders, 35mm, would be a very intelligent investment for rainy weather.

I'm not ready for the rainy season, which starts the day after tomorrow.

I don't know what to do.

I'm broke.

I'm kind of screwed.

go to REI during their "garage sale" thing. I found a bike rack (normally 40.00) for 8. It was in perfect condition, the only reason it was there was that it was used.

I've seen fenders there before. Or you could check craigslist or something

True. I'll check, although I expect nothing.
We'll see...

I have lights (is dark when i leave for school)

and a raincoat i can wear
My bike already has fenders, so i'm good there

the only thing keeping me out when it's raining is my laziness =P

Good for you on the fenders and the lights. Remember that here in Seattle it will not only get rainy but also *cold* and rainy from December through February. Your raincoat is a great start, but you'll need to find a way to keep your head, hands, and feet warm and dry.

Best of luck - I rode to work all last winter and didn't miss very many days due to weather.

Before I got into biking, my parents would drive me most places. My Jazz lessons, school (or the bus), friend's houses, school sporting events the list goes on and on. But once I got into biking I have been able to bike most everywhere i need to go.

time and time again, im surprized by how quick, easy and painless it is to bike. Ive biked places that only months ago i thought was beyond my reach if i didn't have a ride.

Ive learned to LOVE biking, because I don't have to rely on my parents, i get a lot of excercise, and biking is sure a lot more fun then sitting in a car;)

Even once I am able to drive (1 more year:):) ) I still think I will bike most places i can, and will continue to the rest of my life

That's great. My story was similar. I commuted to school, rode to my friends, football games, christmas shopping. Driving was good for girlfriends, but that was about all. When I moved out from my Dad's I still didn't have a car, but I found a good place and moved out on my own with only a bicycle for transportation.

In the years since, I have had several cars and a motorcycle. The ones that weren't stolen or wrecked all seemed to die from under-use. My current one sits in the parking lot. After 3 years it's still on the tank of gas I put in it while driving home.

Of all the things that I've done in my life, using the bike for transportation was the best decision I've made, bar none. It still pays big dividends. Don't let the bike get away.

PB, I too at fourteen was riding my bike practically everywhere, and when my parents did drive me somewhere, it was usually to get to a family gathering.
I still can remember the confused look on my parents' faces when I was sixteen, and I showed little enthusiasm in getting my driver's license.

I've never been to Seattle, although I understand that there is a strong bicycling scene there. However, on Another Board, someone said that she lived there and wouldn't bike because (a) too many hills and (b) too many crazy drivers.

Could someone give an unbiased description of the terrain and traffic conditions there?

I live in Seattle, and bike all over the place. I don't find the drivers to be bad at all, and the highest hill in town is 500 feet. I climb it almost every day. It's not that bad.

There's a whole generation of Baby Boomers that grew up the same way.

amirite?

time and time again, im surprized by how quick, easy and painless it is to bike. Ive biked places that only months ago i thought was beyond my reach if i didn't have a ride.

After a few years of riding pretty much everywhere (and over a year of car-freeness) I still have this feeling. It's very liberating. I love it and hope it never goes away. :)




biking is sure a lot more fun then sitting in a car;)

You said it all right there. There are a few things I miss about having a car, but nothing even resembling importance. Probably the thing I miss most is the musical capability of a small enclosed space.

Unfortunately, here in Charleston, kids don't bike much. Parents are afraid that if they let their kids out of their sight for 5 minutes, they'll be kidnapped, sexually abused, or run over.

The schools don't have bike racks. I don't know if riding to school is forbidden (as it is in Charlotte, NC), but it is certainly not encouraged.

Adulthood is all about independence and it sounds like you are already ahead of the game, good job. Throw a job or volunteer in the mix if you don't already have one and you will pretty much be there.

I've never been to Seattle, although I understand that there is a strong bicycling scene there. However, on Another Board, someone said that she lived there and wouldn't bike because (a) too many hills and (b) too many crazy drivers.

Could someone give an unbiased description of the terrain and traffic conditions there?

hilly? yes, but most of them are only 200-400 feet.. of course there are some steep streets around here (up to 22%), but mostly it's in the 5-10% range.

crazy drivers? those are everywhere, and seattle is no different. although in the city i think drivers do give you room and all that good stuff.

PB, good for you for starting the car free lifestyle early! like Benge said, you're in a great place for it.

Adulthood is all about independence and it sounds like you are already ahead of the game, good job. Throw a job or volunteer in the mix if you don't already have one and you will pretty much be there.

At 14 he's a little young for a job, but I suppose he could run errands for people on his bike, especially if he got some good panniers and a trailer.

At 14 he's a little young for a job, but I suppose he could run errands for people on his bike, especially if he got some good panniers and a trailer.
What? At 14 I had had a paper route for a couple years. Friends mowed lawns or worked at grocery stores bagging groceries, and girls baby sat at that age. A bike gives a non-driver more options for work.

One other thing: I really thing riding a bicycle is great training for driving a car. You develop a sense of traffic flow, what to watch out for, etc. Neither of my sons ride a bike and they're pretty scary to ride with when they drive.

I tried to get my 17 year-old daughter to ride her bike to school. It's only 1.5 miles. She takes the bus. She lives with her mother, so I can't force the issue.

hilly? yes, but most of them are only 200-400 feet.. of course there are some steep streets around here (up to 22%), but mostly it's in the 5-10% range.

crazy drivers? those are everywhere, and seattle is no different. although in the city i think drivers do give you room and all that good stuff.

PB, good for you for starting the car free lifestyle early! like Benge said, you're in a great place for it.

It's nice living in Seattle, but some of the suburbs can be absolute cycling nightmares; I grew up in the Renton highlands, a classic "great place to raise a family". Aside from a little trip around the subdivision, riding anywhere meant negotiating shoulder-less 35 mph arterials with traffic weaving at 45 and 50. It's just not safe, and there's nothing in the way of cycling infrastructure aside from a couple worthless recreational paths. Ehh, I'm glad I got out of dodge.

It's nice living in Seattle, but some of the suburbs can be absolute cycling nightmares; I grew up in the Renton highlands, a classic "great place to raise a family". Aside from a little trip around the subdivision, riding anywhere meant negotiating shoulder-less 35 mph arterials with traffic weaving at 45 and 50. It's just not safe, and there's nothing in the way of cycling infrastructure aside from a couple worthless recreational paths. Ehh, I'm glad I got out of dodge.

A suburb with shoulderless 35mph arterials? That sounds like a perfect description of where I ride, in an exurb of Cincinnati.

Anyways, I'm 17, have my license, and drive maybe once a month. I have never seen a single cyclist within three miles of my house, but i do recall thinking someone was "crazy" for riding a bike to soccer practice just a few years ago (When I lived in upstate NY).

I've never been to Seattle, although I understand that there is a strong bicycling scene there. However, on Another Board, someone said that she lived there and wouldn't bike because (a) too many hills and (b) too many crazy drivers.

Could someone give an unbiased description of the terrain and traffic conditions there?


Well i don't actually live in seattle, i live a little ways north of it in a suburb. In seattle itself, the biking is pretty good, but in the suburbs it varies a LOT. For example Kirkland is a great place to bike, but Shoreline is pretty bad. It depends on the suburb


And as for the job/community service, next year I will have to do community service and so i'll probably choose something i can bike to. I don't have a "job" per say, but i do go work at my dad's office sometimes and do odd jobs like taking care of houses when people are gone.

I biked all the time when I was your age but all but stopped when I got my driver's license. Don't do what I did! The difference between us is, you already seem to view the bicycle as a tool, whereas I viewed it as a means of recreation. Yes, I rode it to get places, but that was because I had no choice. Then I got my license, got "into" cars, became poor, fat, out of shape, and miserable because of it, and finally rediscovered cycling. Currently I'm 29 and just now getting to the point in my thinking that you are already at. You are ahead of the game, believe me!

I tried to get my 17 year-old daughter to ride her bike to school. It's only 1.5 miles. She takes the bus. She lives with her mother, so I can't force the issue.

I feel bad for you/her, brother.

1.5 miles and she's taking a bus?

How sad, how sad and pathetically american.

Not to insult your daughter.

But, bummer for kids these days. (Says a 19 year old...)

-Banjo

I biked all the time when I was your age but all but stopped when I got my driver's license. Don't do what I did! The difference between us is, you already seem to view the bicycle as a tool, whereas I viewed it as a means of recreation. Yes, I rode it to get places, but that was because I had no choice. Then I got my license, got "into" cars, became poor, fat, out of shape, and miserable because of it, and finally rediscovered cycling. Currently I'm 29 and just now getting to the point in my thinking that you are already at. You are ahead of the game, believe me!

Better to realize late, than never.

Not to mention you own an incredibly beautiful bicycle, besides.

And you're not even ancient, although twenty-nine isn't dashingly young, youre still relatively young.

Definitely better now than never, or too late.

Before I got into biking, my parents would drive me most places. My Jazz lessons ...

Even once I am able to drive (1 more year:):) ) I still think I will bike most places i can, and will continue to the rest of my life

As a parent of a teen, I think this is fantastic! And the jazz lessons are very cool. I'm still trying to learn that stuff!

I feel bad for you/her, brother.

1.5 miles and she's taking a bus?

How sad, how sad and pathetically american.

Not to insult your daughter.

But, bummer for kids these days. (Says a 19 year old...)

-Banjo

I know. She's been on 11-12 mile rides with me, so she's physically capable, but too lazy. :notamused:

What? At 14 I had had a paper route for a couple years. Friends mowed lawns or worked at grocery stores bagging groceries, and girls baby sat at that age. A bike gives a non-driver more options for work.

Baby-sitting or lawn-mowing for friends/relatives is one thing, but in some states you aren't allowed to have a job job (that is, a regular paycheck, taxes taken out, etc.) until you're either 15 or 16.

Baby-sitting or lawn-mowing for friends/relatives is one thing, but in some states you aren't allowed to have a job job (that is, a regular paycheck, taxes taken out, etc.) until you're either 15 or 16.
Yes. Some kids volunteer when they're too young for a work permit then when they apply for a job job they have some references that look good- they know how to show up on time and not do anything too stupid. Also, some kids do the same things that illegal immigrants do. If an undocumented person can get a job so can an underage kid. In one radio shack I visited the owner didn't want to open on Sunday so this 14 year old geek kid made a bargain- let me sell stuff on commission on Sundays and you don't have me on the books. The kid sold me a nice shortwave radio. The same tactic might work at a bike shop for a young bike enthusiast. Then when the kid gets legal age the kid has some leverage for a decent wage.

I know. She's been on 11-12 mile rides with me, so she's physically capable, but too lazy. :notamused:

Are you sure it's laziness and not fear of ridicule by her peers. Fear of being laughed at is a very powerful motivator, or in this case demotivator, for teens. Either way it's too bad.

I used to ride my BMX bike to school as a teen. I now look back on that with fond memories and I'm convinced that I wouldn't rely on my bike as much as I do today if I hadn't gotten a start on 2 wheels at a young age. Thanks goes to my dad for that one!

Congratulations on your cycling lifestyle! You're way ahead of the curve. I bought my first quality road bike at 16 (a Peugeot U08) and was much more proud of that than I ever was of my first car.


Well i don't actually live in seattle, i live a little ways north of it in a suburb. In seattle itself, the biking is pretty good, but in the suburbs it varies a LOT. For example Kirkland is a great place to bike, but Shoreline is pretty bad. It depends on the suburb

I ride from UW up through Shoreline fairly often, sometimes into Edmonds, and it's not too bad. The arterials aren't fun riding, but there are a lot of side streets with little traffic you can use to get around. I do most of my riding at night, though.

Are you sure it's laziness and not fear of ridicule by her peers. Fear of being laughed at is a very powerful motivator, or in this case demotivator, for teens. Either way it's too bad.

I used to ride my BMX bike to school as a teen. I now look back on that with fond memories and I'm convinced that I wouldn't rely on my bike as much as I do today if I hadn't gotten a start on 2 wheels at a young age. Thanks goes to my dad for that one!

The bad stigma of bicycles being for the poor or unsuccessful in our society is definitely present in high school, where (in my recent experience) genereally, only the nerdy and "uncool" kids ride bicycles.

I never had a road bike then, and I'm glad for that, considering it'd've been far too much of an attention getter. All the bikes high school kids ride are dorky mountain bikes, which also doesn't help the situation.

Ive been car free about 7 months and must say it feels great biking everywhere I need to go, it beats walking by a mile.

Back in HS I used to drive, and part of it Im sure was the social stigma of riding a car. Another part of it could have been the 800ft vertical elivation change, which was just daunting at the time. I used my bike a lot even after I had a car, till it was stolen and I became car dependent.

Overall biking is cheaper and a bit more fun, Im not going to say driving wasnt fun, but it was a helluv a lot more dangerous, at least the way I usually drove. Ive done the motorcycle thing too and its a blast, but I feel most connected to the road on my bicycle. Im slowly building my stable ('75 motobecane fixed & '06 Boulder [beater]) and loving every minute Im out on the road/trails.

If all the kids in this country rode bikes everywhere there will be less health problems in the long run.

If all the kids in this country rode bikes everywhere there will be less health problems in the long run.

That'd be wacky.

Are you sure it's laziness and not fear of ridicule by her peers. Fear of being laughed at is a very powerful motivator, or in this case demotivator, for teens. Either way it's too bad.

I used to ride my BMX bike to school as a teen. I now look back on that with fond memories and I'm convinced that I wouldn't rely on my bike as much as I do today if I hadn't gotten a start on 2 wheels at a young age. Thanks goes to my dad for that one!

Hmmm.... she's coming over this weekend, maybe I'll have to talk to her a bit and find out more. Her reasons she mentioned before were difficulty in hauling books (I put a rack and panniers on her bike for her).

PB, I started bicycling seriously when I was your age, and I biked everywhere too. I grew up in the southern Santa Clara Valley in California, so the weather was never too bad. My trip to school was only 4 miles or so, and I don't think I rode the bus more than a handful of times for all of high school. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 18--I just didn't see a need for one.

I teach HS now, and my students are just *shocked* that I would bike 8.5 miles to school. "Don't you have a car?" they'll ask. Some of them get it, but most don't.

When I give my yearly talk about the summer science internship program at UW Madison, many of them say they have to work for the summer, and they have no way of getting to the UW from the east side of Madison. It's about 4 miles, and I suggest that they bicycle there. "What? Nobody bicycles anymore!". It's kind of sad, especially since Madison has one of the nicest networks of bike paths in the country.

Hmmm.... she's coming over this weekend, maybe I'll have to talk to her a bit and find out more. Her reasons she mentioned before were difficulty in hauling books (I put a rack and panniers on her bike for her).

Good luck to you! Hopefully you can work something out. Let us know how it goes.

Well at my school no one makes fun of me for riding my bike. I do get a lot disbeleiving "why the hell do you do that?" comments, but that's just because the people are lazy ;P

and of course biking is helping me to get in shape for basketball. I may try jogging to school next week...

My last post referred to your first, rather than the raincoat statement.

Fenders, 35mm, would be a very intelligent investment for rainy weather.

I'm not ready for the rainy season, which starts the day after tomorrow.

I don't know what to do.

I'm broke.

I'm kind of screwed.
Coroplast fenders,

http://www.google.ca/search?q=coroplast+fendes&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=com.ubuntu:en-US:unofficial&client=firefox-a

The election is only 3 days away, you're golden.

Hmmm.... she's coming over this weekend, maybe I'll have to talk to her a bit and find out more. Her reasons she mentioned before were difficulty in hauling books (I put a rack and panniers on her bike for her).
Subtlety is called for, a direct question may get a dismissive/evasive answer.

But definitely, Good Luck!

Subtlety is called for, a direct question may get a dismissive/evasive answer.

But definitely, Good Luck!

Actually my daughter is pretty open to talking with me. I have a good relationship with her.

After talking to her tonight, apparently the issue is more with getting up on time and laziness. She's actually been missing the bus, and having her mother drive her. She really has no motivation to change this either. :twitchy:

She's not worried about what other people think. She's okay with being different. I think she gets that from me. :)

So anyway, I have an answer... even if I don't like it.

Well at my school no one makes fun of me for riding my bike. I do get a lot disbeleiving "why the hell do you do that?" comments, but that's just because the people are lazy ;P

and of course biking is helping me to get in shape for basketball. I may try jogging to school next week...

It's refreshing to see somone at his age bicycling to school. I could never have imagined bicycling anywhere but around the block at his age. Kids at his age are usually into Xbox or games on the net. He's a rare bird indeed!

Before I got into biking, my parents would drive me most places. My Jazz lessons, school (or the bus), friend's houses, school sporting events the list goes on and on. But once I got into biking I have been able to bike most everywhere i need to go.

time and time again, im surprized by how quick, easy and painless it is to bike. Ive biked places that only months ago i thought was beyond my reach if i didn't have a ride.

Ive learned to LOVE biking, because I don't have to rely on my parents, i get a lot of excercise, and biking is sure a lot more fun then sitting in a car;)

Even once I am able to drive (1 more year:):) ) I still think I will bike most places i can, and will continue to the rest of my life

You rock! :thumb:

I ride my bike most of the time, and take the bus when I'm tired or carrying my camera.

Rock on. You now know freedom before many of your schoolmates.

I ride my bike most of the time, and take the bus when I'm tired or carrying my camera.

What kind of camera? A film/video camera, or a film camera?

My mountain bike (not my road bike) is set up for carrying substantial things.
I can sit my girlfriend on the rear rack when its set up as a seat and take both of us places, or
(I was a film student for several years) actually had a setup to carry VX cameras comfortably.

Think "milk crate+shaped foam." It's like building a camera case into the bike.

The bad stigma of bicycles being for the poor or unsuccessful in our society is definitely present in high school, where (in my recent experience) genereally, only the nerdy and "uncool" kids ride bicycles.


This is why I love my school, and Seattle in general. I'm good friends with five or so kids who ride to school every day, and I know most of the others by name, or at least recognize them from classes we had together. I see every type of person and every type of bike being ridden. Hybrids, mountain bikes, road bikes, both new and old. It's so cool seeing so many people riding, and I have never had anyone so much as look at me funny once they found out I ride to school.