I-Like-To-Bike

I see. It takes a mental health professional to make a bold statement that the previous poster "might be wrong" about the cause of depression and might be wrong with his recommended cure.

I agree that anyone seeking advice or help with mental health issues seek out professional help and ignore advice from Internet-Know-Nothings like the plague that they are.

Artkansas 

Since you are recommending a Witch Doctor, apparently they have helped you. Please provide us with a recommendation for a qualified WD.

I-Like-To-Bike

I think the equivalent to voodoo medical (as well as economic) advice can often be found on this list from the usual suspects, though some of our PC-driven pals "might" find some of it a little shaky if really pressed.

Roody

College3.0,

I'm really sorry that your thread was taken over by somebody who has no manners or respect for others. It's too bad that one person is allowed to make the forum experience unpleasant for all the decent people who want to post here. Let's all work together to get it back on track!

Without trying to say anything about health diagnoses, certainly exercise and stress reduction are two excellent ways to feel better. You mentioned that not having the car would reduce your stress, so that's something to keep in mind. I find that i'm less stressed without a car both for financial reasons, and because I feel that it's a load off my mind to live more simply. Expensive possessions are more a source of anxiety than most of us realize.

Bikeforumuser0019

I appreciate your thoughtfulness in saying something. But no worries; I've spent time in online forums before.

For the record, I am not opposed to alternative thinking about healing and non-Western medicine. (nowadays they say Integrative Medicine.... I think the concept is a good one although I'm not crazy about the term.) Although witchcraft would not be my first choice, not all healing methods based on principals outside of science are witchcraft.

It's one of the reasons I want to set myself up for success with this bike/commuting idea. It's far cheaper than health insurance, and I relate to my car as more of a source of anxiety, like you mentioned, than a convenience.

This is the most astute thing I've read today. I completely agree, and try to help people I love and care about realize this whenever I can. I believe there is a healthy place between total complacency and total conspiracy theorist: where people will start to realize they give away a frightening amount of control over their bodies and souls in exchange for perceived safety and comfort.

Peace,
jessica

tandempower

This is not a medical forum so nothing I said should be taken or intended as medical advice any more than suggesting eating soup when you have the flu will help. In reality, the mind is very complex and depression goes beyond physiological causes and symptoms due to habitual thought patterns that keep negativity persisting even when the person is feeling good (I'm guessing you're an expert on persistent negative thought patterns, ILTB).

Anyway, I have heard that oxygen deficit can cause depression-like symptoms. Things like slouching and smoking reduce the rate of oxygen intake, which prompts an adrenaline response, i.e. stress. Exercise obviously stimulates increased breathing, but less vigorous breathing exercises like yoga, stretching, sitting/standing straight instead of slouching, etc. can help as well.

tandempower

Realizing this is a big step toward staying committed, I think.

Thanks for the positive response! We need more of those around here on this forum. Caring about others is a great way to increase one's positivity generally, though you have to be careful not to let them get you down when they chew up your good intentions and spit negativity back at you in return. it's really not that hard to dismiss such negativity, though, when you realize it's due to mental habits and thought patterns that people are largely unaware of and poised to get defensive about when faced with awareness of them.

This reminded me of a quote from the movie, 12 Monkeys: "Cassandra in Greek legend, you recall, was condemned to know the future but to be disbelieved when she foretold it. Hence the agony of foreknowledge combined with the impotence to do anything about it." Fortunately, when it comes to car-free living, we're only somewhat impotent, since we have the freedom to park (or sell) the car without first having to convince everyone else to do so as well. Granted, the more people do it, the easier it gets to make the choice, so thank God for every soul who gets blessed with the foresight to take the initiative sooner rather than later.

chewybrian 

I had not heard about the oxygen connection before, but it does reinforce the value of exercise as one treatment option. I would add one more:



And, no, I'm not a doctor; yada yada yada...

6 Ways Dogs Help People With Depression

Pets for Depression and Health

jfowler85

If it's an easy seller, you might get a nice deal from a stealership. I know the OP isn't trying to get a new ride, but recently I traded a 3rd gen Cummins Ram for a new Passat. The Cummins needed a lot of front end work resulting from salt damage over the years...needed a trac bar, bushings, tie rods, pitman arm, idler arm, possibly a new steering box, discs, brake lines and hoses, and the $2000 injection pump was on its way out. Also, it had rust bubbles starting in a few places and paint rubbed off from hauling cargo across the country a few times. Shopped it around on CL for a while, then offered it for a trade in and the dealer offered me $4000 more than the highest private offer, then let me talk him up another $500, sight unseen. I signed for the Passat that day and they never saw the truck until I dropped it off 3 days later.

Coluber42

I've never owned a car, so I've never had to sell one and can't help you there.

But it sounds like you actually have a number of good options for getting to work, and you'll probably end up using various combinations of them. You could walk to the train station sometimes for variety, if you want more exercise or if variety is what you want. If you want incentives to bike the whole distance, see if there are places in between that you might like to stop at. Maybe a cafe, or a grocery store or somewhere else wherre you can run some sort of routine errand. If it's halfway in between, you can't really take the train.

Roody

I don't know all the reasons why animal companionship makes people feel better. I know that pets can be truly inspiring. Our current little dog is always happy whenever somebody is nice to her or gives her something. If you even say hello to her, she does a little happy dance around you. This quality has been such a great help to me with the health problems I have been facing this year. I feel good when I make Princess feel good.

Even when she's not around, I try to be a little bit more like her--especially to show other people, whether family members or even nurses in the hospital, the happiness that I feel when they do something nice for me. I might not be able to do a happy dance, but a big forced smile makes them and me both feel better!

chewybrian 

Yes, it is complex. One thing I notice often is how differently people treat me when my dog is with me (which is most of the time). People approach and talk to you, smile, or at least show no signs of nervousness. People who don't know you instinctively trust you when they see the dog trusts you, and probably with good reason on balance. For example, owning a dog really is a 'chic magnet'-> What are the Health Benefits of Owning a Pet .

Having a dog also forces you to look at things through their eyes, which helps you do the same for other people. I think a big part of depression is a focus too much on yourself. The more you appreciate the problems of others, and can help them, even in small ways, the smaller your own problems seem.

The dog will drag you out for a walk when you otherwise might sit around the house all day. And, of course, once you get out there, you usually feel better than if you had done nothing.

There are many reasons pet ownership can benefit people with or without depression. They might not be for everyone, but dogs rule!

Bikeforumuser0019

Hello Roody,

I was just considering again this morning how I might go about selling my car..... I'd be pleased to hear what you've learned from your experiences. I really like Craigslist, and have used it to sell and acquire many favorite things.

My car still has a loan, and therefore a lien I guess. I'm not super savvy about such things, I just know that the title needs to go with the car. Otherwise, I've always worked through a dealership to get/sell vehicles. Any tips or suggestions, pointers, lessons learned the hard way, would be helpful.

Thanks!
Jessica

Roody

It's really pretty easy. Set your asking price first and make it higher than what you really think you can get for the car. Check Kelly Blue Book. Craigslist worked well for me. I did a real good job of cleaning the car inside and out. I tried to do as good as a professional detail shop would have done. I guess that can make a difference in the price. I also got together all the maintenance receipts that I could find--especially to show new parts that had been added.

Be firm with people. They will try to take advantage of you and waste your time. Personally, I would rather lose a couple dollars but sell to somebody who isn't a jerkwad. You kind of have to let them test ride it. I went with them on the test ride after making sure their DL was valid. That was probably the worst part of the whole thing for me. One guy wanted to take it to a mechanic. I said the mechanic could come and look at it, but if somebody else bought it in the meantime, i wouldn't hold it for him. I didn't feel bad doing that because I knew I was being honest about the condition of the car. Then other people came to look at the car, and the guy decided to buy it without the mechanic's approval.

I guess every state is different about the title. I went to the Secretary of State office (our name for DMV) with the buyer to sign the title after he gave me the cash. But I don't think it was necessary to go with him. We could have just done it at my house. Check your state DMV's web site. Hopefully they have a FAQ about transferring titles. I know mothing about selling a car with an outstanding loan, but I don't think it's very difficult.

Make sure you get cash. Never take a check. Although a cashier's check might be fine if you know about them.

It's probably a good idea to have a friend with you when you show the car. Mostly for your own security, but also because sometimes you might get a little flustered or nervous and make a mistake. Also, a friend can keep an eye on the potential buyers and maybe pick up some good information to help you make the sale.

Please let me know if you have any other questions. And I'm sure that other forum members can fill in the gaps if I forgot something or made a mistake. Good Luck!

Bikeforumuser0019

Dang I'm so ready to get started..... the new job and commuting on my bike. I took the bike for one ride about a week or two ago.... and since then both tires went flat. So I'm having a friend (who commutes by bike) look at it with me tonight and teach me how to take the chain off and remove the back wheel. I'm flipping riding my bike tomorrow rain or shine. I'm getting really excited by reading threads in the commuting forum. I can't sit on my hands much longer, I'm afraid my enthusiasm for this will be gone! It's just how life is for me.... have to strike while the iron is hot. I wanna get outside, I'm ready to feel good.

These are all really good tips for selling the car. I may ask the dealership what they'll give me for it, just to see what they say. My second option will be to sell it to someone in my church (if anyone is looking for a car). Things like that change hands in my church all the time. Then I think I'll pursue craigslist as another option if neither of the first two pan out. Honestly if I break even, I'll be very happy. No car payment, no insurance, no gasoline, no license/inspections/repairs.

Does it sound ridiculous to make "fenders" out of a couple of pieces of flat plastic or plywood ?? If I'm going to ride anywhere in the rain, or on wet streets, I should have fenders. But until I can buy something a little more elegant I'd like to know if I can get away with anything I already have in the basement or garage.

stay groovy
jessica

Ridefreemc

Your dealership will not even be close to what you'll get on your own. I am ALWAYS disappointed when I involve a dealer.

As far as fenders, they are awesome!

chewybrian 

Hey, Jessica,

You can invest in some better tires and eliminate most flats:

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...ll-ruffy-tuffy (just one example)



Also, don't forget that you have to top them off every week or so, as they will all slowly run out of pressure if you don't (and you get more flats when the pressure gets too low, not to mention having to work harder to get around).

You can probably manufacture fenders, but it doesn't seem worth the effort to me. Fenders are a great idea, though. You can get some boss fenders for about $60 at Velo Orange (great site),

or some cheap plastic fenders at many bike shops for $40 or so.

VO Zeppelin 52mm Fenders 700c - 700c - Fender Sets - Fenders, Accessories, Hardware - Accessories

Have fun. Increase your distance slowly and there is pretty much no limit in the long run. I was big, heavy and out of shape and worked my way up to a triple century on my best day. Small gains can add up to something big if you love it enough to keep going.

ro-monster

You may want to get a new set of tubes. The rubber does degrade with age, and that could be why they don't hold air very well. They are very inexpensive. But, as has been noted above, even the best tubes do lose air gradually. You'll need to check your tire pressure at least once a week, maybe twice a week. If you can possibly afford it, buy yourself a quality floor pump with a built-in pressure gauge. It makes things much easier.

Also, be sure to get some chain lube and use it (and wipe off the excess with a rag) about once a week. Your bike will require a lot more effort to ride if the chain is dry.

Bikeforumuser0019

Hey Man! Thanks for chiming in..... I really like the boss Velo Orange fenders! Maybe those can be my reward when I finally ditch my car.

A neighbor and friend from church helped me go over my bike last night, he is a commuting cyclist himself and he showed me about the tires, how inflated they should be and how to remove the chain and back wheel (which was so much easier than I expected). and he also mentioned that he cleans his chain with detergent (I think he said he uses dish soap and water) before then re-applying oil to the chain. Should I go to a bike shop and get specially made oil for bike or will some oil from an Auto parts store also work?

His bike is very nice and clean, and he rides it every day even if it rains.... so I guess he knows what he's doing! His bike is a Kona Jake the Snake, if any of you were wondering. That doesn't mean much to me except I can tell he's got a lot of nice looking components on it.

I went for a quick ride last night (my friend also helped raise up the handlebars about 1 1/4".... much better!) There's a ton of rain in the forecast today, but tomorrow will be a bike day!

Thanks,
Jessica

Bikeforumuser0019

Thanks for your response,
I did have a friend instruct me on how to clean and lube the chain. Right now it's on the gunky greasy side rather than dry, so I'll get some detergent and oil for it as soon as I can for a cleaning.

Also, I did pick up a couple of spare inner tubes. My friend who helped me said to air up the tires, and wait a week and see if they loose a normal amount of air, or an excessive amount, then decide whether to put the new tubes in. I do need to pick up a pump with a gague, that is a good suggestion. Do you carry a bike pump with you when you ride? Or just have one at home/at the office/etc?

Thanks,
Jessica

Ridefreemc

If the tubes are at all old I typically would put the fresh set in and keep the others as spares. Tubes don't go slowly, they go out/bad the farthest away from home

Roody

I found an Instructable for DIY fenders. There are probably more instructions on youtube videos and elsewhere online. You can look at some of these and decide if it's something you want to tackle. Personally, I don't even like to mount fenders the first time after purchase, let alone make them.

Maybe you can just keep your eye open for discounted fenders, online and at bike shops and co-ops in your area. You can get along OK without them for a while--just don't wear your good clothes on rainy days.

ro-monster

I have a floor pump at home for regular maintenance, plus a small hand pump that is part of the toolkit I carry when I ride. The portable pump is only for fixing a flat on the road; while it would work for maintenance, it's far less convenient than a floor pump. Many people prefer to carry a pump that uses CO2 cartridges for emergency repairs instead of a hand pump.


If I'm just running errands within a mile or two of home, I don't bother to carry a repair kit, since it's easy to walk home if something breaks. The only flat I've ever had happened within a mile of home.

tandempower

I can usually go weeks without pumping up my tires. I have a pump with a gage built into it but I've noticed that if I can feel any give in the tires when I squeeze them as hard as I can with my fingers, then they can use a little more pressure. If you're running better quality tires on really good rims, you can probably pump them up much harder. BTW, I'm talking about 26x1.5 or 700/32 size range. I usually pump up my around-town tires to around 65-75 psi, whatever the maximum pressure rating on the sidewall says. Then when I squeeze it and feel some give, I go to pump it up again and the gage usually reads around 45psi.

The more you do your own bike maintenance, the more intimacy you develop with the machine. You notice when parts need lubrication the same way you notice when your hair is dry or greasy. You can feel the pressure of the tires in how the bike steers or how it feels going over bumpy surfaces, curbs, etc. You feel the need to lube a chain, change pedals, lube wheel bearings, pump up tires, etc. the same way you feel the need to re-tie your shoes to tighten the laces or adjust a belt after a meal or when you haven't eaten for a while.

Although it is possible to develop this level of intimacy with a motor vehicle like a car or truck, I don't enjoy it as much with a motor because it feels false to me. If the engine is powerful, I feel powerful but in reality the power isn't mine, it's my engine's. With a bike, the tension of the chain as you pedal, the tension between the chain and the gear rings, the compression of the tires against the road, torque on the bearings as you pedal, they are all happening at force levels in tune with the force levels you're accustomed to experiencing in your joints and muscles. In that way, the bike is a machine but it's more of an extension of your natural body than a motor vehicle that is operating at very different levels of force and energy.

Stucky

^This!
(Only downside: When they die.....)

OP, you are on the right track, as it sounds like you wisely want to avoid the system which has failed to help (and even harmed) so many.

My sister was not so wise. She chose to use the qualified, credentialed professional head-shrinkers....and now, after 30 years of prescription drugs and various "therapies" has been rendered an emotionless shell of the person she used to be. The therapies and drugs apparently "work" not by rectifying the cause of one's problems; or by changing the way one thinks; but rather by dulling one's emotions, so that they are no longer bothered by the errant problems and thoughts. And the scary things is: Now we are seeing CHILDREN en-mass being inducted into that dysfunctional system from a young age; often for what is merely a discipline or dietary problem- and being kept on drugs virtually their entire lives.

If I were you, I would avoid that system at ANY cost. Of course, they probably have my sister down as someone who has been "successfully managed and treated"-but the reality is, they have created someone who is totally dependent upon their system; and who has only been "neutralized", rather than cured.

Look at Marilyn Monroe- She was not only treated by Anna Freud (Sigmund Freud's daughter); but even lived with her. And we all know how that turned out!