Living Car Free - Starting to dump the car.

I've read lots of posts on here and I've been slowly switching car rides for bike rides. Here's my situation that keeps the car around a bit.
I have two jobs, one is 7 miles away from my current apt (ride my bike for that one) and the other is 25 miles away (work two days a week and drive there).
Another thing that keeps me from riding full time is rain and mostly Buffalo's cold, long winter. It's June 4th and I woke up to 45 degrees out. It's a cold town, haha.
My only bike at the moment is a fixed track bike without racks. I'm going to be getting pclips/rack set up until I can afford a hauling specific bike.

I enjoy less and less the car ride and enjoy more and more the bike ride. I'm sure many of you have had a similiar situation. How was switching to a car free life?
Anybody else in 4 season areas without bus transportation to all corners of the city?
Any suggestions?

Any suggestions?

Keep experimenting with bike transportation and see what works for you.

get a rear rack for the bike, & put your bag(s) on there. It'll make it a much more comfortable ride.

I have no idea what your situation is because there just is not enough information. However, my first thought would be to ditch the job 25 miles away or move closer and ditch the other one. There are tons of things you can do but it all depends on you.

I'm four season commuter and the bus service sucks so I've ridden even when it's below zero.

The seven mile commute shouldn't be a big deal, even in the winter. Twenty five miles in the winter can be a bit much. Any other time of the year, it's mostly about how much you enjoy riding. There's no shame in driving.

I've done up to 28 miles R/T in the winter for one job that I worked at and I really wished it was half that.

Anybody else in 4 season areas without bus transportation to all corners of the city?
Any suggestions?

I ride four seasons in Michigan. I have bus service but don't use it much. I'm not sure a track bike is the best choice for the 25 mile commute. A comfortable road bike might be more suitable. Gears and a more comfortable posture would help a lot, IMO.

I have no idea what your situation is because there just is not enough information. However, my first thought would be to ditch the job 25 miles away or move closer and ditch the other one. There are tons of things you can do but it all depends on you.

This seems like a reasonable train of thought. You don't want to add expensive equipment ( a car..) so that you can work a couple of days a week at the remote site. You net gain will probably be negligable.

If you didn't have the car and its extra expense, maybe you wouldn't need the second job.

Are you attached to Buffalo? If not, there are liveable cities farther south.

This seems like a reasonable train of thought. You don't want to add expensive equipment ( a car..) so that you can work a couple of days a week at the remote site. You net gain will probably be negligable.

If you didn't have the car and its extra expense, maybe you wouldn't need the second job.

This is good advice...calculate the TOTAL cost of the car vs the amount of money you are making at the 2 day a week job. If it costs more than the job pays and the job is not critical to your career path you will have an answer.


Are you attached to Buffalo? If not, there are liveable cities farther south.

Define "liveable":p

There are many, many cities all over the country that are cyclist friendly, weather, roads, people and infrastructure. Choose somewhere you want to live and start checking it out. Everybody is going to have different criteria for their lifestyle. Some of my parameters are an Amtrak station and a brew pub:D

Aaron:)

Once you build up to it, 25 miles isn't that far, but I agree the Buffalo winters might be a bit much. Not sure I could stand it as I have gotten soft since I got out of the army.
But, you know, if you just gear up with good cold weather gear, good rain gear, you might be able to find a combination that works well.
Good luck

Thanks for all the info and recommendations. As far as the jobs, I live 25 miles from the city of Buffalo. I moved closer to the job that I work at the most, unfortunately there's nothing to do out in the suburbs/rural areas, ha. The 2 day a week job is what I wish I could be doing as a fulltime job. Unfortunately there's not that much money in the piercing industry in Buffalo. I most likely will be building a road friendly/ longer ride friendly bike also...

If I were you, I'd move into Buffalo proper, ditch the car and be happy. Long commutes should be avoided at all costs, IMO. Or, if you're not super attached to where you live, move to the west coast. The left coast has a very bike-friendly climate (little or no snow), and many of its citizens like needles.

What is your regular job, BTW?

My regular job is a snowboard shop manager and during summer: the owner of the boardshop owns a concrete/inground pool company where I design 3D custom pools and chase permits and stuff.

mostly Buffalo's cold, long winter

That's no reason to take the car. Check out the winter biking forum and get yourself geared up for it. I ride year round in Anchorage AK as do a lot of other folks. The barrier is mostly mental. A seven mile commute is easily done unless it's a true blizzard. Temps above -10 f. are fine with the usual fleece. Dress like you would skiing. It only gets really bad at -20 f. or below. You generate your own heat on the bike and only get into trouble if you're dumb enough to wear cotton or forget your gloves. Fleece and wicking fabrics are the key.

In cold rains, obviously, you just wear a shell. I prefer to go with shorts or bibs in the rain because the water is much less of a problem if it is just on my bare legs. In fact it acts to cool them off a little and keep them functioning.

Just remember you need to drink during the cold, too. You're sweating up a storm even if you don't realize it, and losing a lot of moisture to cold air evaporation. On longer rides I will bring a little a little backpack stove so I can make a warm broth to drink. But sometimes you just have to force yourself to gulp down the cold stuff.

On longer rides I will bring a little a little backpack stove so I can make a warm broth to drink. But sometimes you just have to force yourself to gulp down the cold stuff.

How do you keep the liquids from freezing on longer rides in seriously cold weather? Anything better than a heavy thermos container that takes two hands to open and close and requires pouring into another container?

I just keep the canteen on the inside of the backpack against my back. As long as I keep riding I haven't had any major freezing problems. I've never used a thermos. If you are actually in a remote area overnight like the Invitational that goes on the Iditarod trail then you melt snow on a backpacking stove.

I just keep the canteen on the inside of the backpack against my back. As long as I keep riding I haven't had any major freezing problems. I've never used a thermos. If you are actually in a remote area overnight like the Invitational that goes on the Iditarod trail then you melt snow on a backpacking stove.

Thermos bottles are handy. The Nissan model seems to work well. They make one with a handy snap on carry strap.
Even here in relatively warm DC I've had water in the bottle cage on the downtube freeze up on a winter ride. I think the temperature was in the mid 20s that morning.

My regular job is a snowboard shop manager

Think of it this way when the weather is bad. If you were up on the slopes snowboarding, would you Ride or sit in the lodge?