wipekitty

Great point...
I imagine that by the time my body deteriorates to the point that I can't walk or bike, I probably won't be in shape to drive.

My 92 year old grandma finally hung up her license a few years back. Her apartment complex has a senior bus that takes the residents out to do grocery shopping, get their hair done, etc. They don't take them to the liquor store, but my uncle hooks her up when he visits!

Mobile 155

In the true sense I can't see myself as car free because my wife doesn't ride a bike. All doctor's appointments, hair appointments and shopping trips require that I drive her. If I didn't drive her someone would have to be it taxi, or some car/van service. If it were just me maybe till I got where I couldn't ride. I had planned that if I ever got so I couldn't balance on a diamond frame or two wheels I would get a Cat trike. If I couldn't pedal anymore then I would be in the same boat my wife is in now. Someone would have to drive me. I know some have reworded the definition of car free so that riding in a car not owned by you is car free. I see it much as bumming a smoke from someone and calling yourself a non smoker. But by the new definition I guess I could be car free all by myself and get a ride from friends and relatives if that time ever comes.

Dahon.Steve

I think the OP was talking about all those who are bike dependant not being able to cycle the rest of their lives. This will be true for many on this forum including myself. Alot of us do not know if our health will hold out and for how long.

However, the majority of those who are carfree are not bike dependant but bus and rail dependant. The bike centrist on this forum represent a small minority of those who are carfree nation wide. Therefore, it's more important to have easy access to public transit than own a vehicle going into your senior years.

Quite frankly, I would hate to support a vehicle living on Social Security. With the cost of motoring going up each year, you better have a lot of money saved up for this added expense. Quite frankly, if there comes a day I could not ride the bus or board a taxi, I'll enter a nursing home and not an auto dealership.

B. Carfree

It's a pity they're out of business and in bankruptcy liquidation. It all came to a halt just before halloween. Another cemetery is taking care of their customers, but I doubt if the bike hearse is still in use.

We seem to get a lot of these news release/propaganda green/bikey things here in Eugene that last a season and then disappear. The city put out a lot of fanfare about a bike cart that was going to be used along the Willamette river paths by maintenance staff. That lasted about six weeks before it was put into permanent storage. It seems none of the permanent staff would give up their city-provided pick-ups.

Roody

I would love doing trail maintenance on a bike. It would really be a dream job for me, once I got used to the pay cut.

Mobile 155

Maybe, but this is after all a "Bike Forum". It is not a bus forum or walking or train forum. When looking for a discussion about biking and transportation I don't think we typed in Taxi, Bus, Train or walking forums. More than likely if you were to poll the whole Bike forum community you would see who the real minority for these forums are. I for instance am a cyclist first and a motorist second. If I didn't ride a bike I would never have come to this site. I haven't been on a bus or in a taxi in 30 years and if mass transit were my my prime interest I would never have visited a cycling to site to learn how to walk, ride a bus or take a taxi. what we do come here for is to discuss car free cycling. Mass transit is a side discussion as it relates to adding options to riding your bike. Take the bike away and it simply doesn't relate to most cyclists. So yes, Bike forums is and should be Bike centered.

gerv 

Although quite a number of us use public transit as a backup for our cycling activities. I suppose there are some here who do more public transport than cycling.

Since so many discussions here get side-tracked on car issues, it's nice to here from the public transportation users.

gerv 

Well, that's kinda nice of your uncle. I imagine having the occasional martini is a great way to pass the time.

Mobile 155

Yes, it might be if the term Bike centered wasn't spewed forth as if it wasn't a bike forum. Cars have car sites maybe there should be a mass transit site? Might not find it in bike forums I guess. But here is my take anyway. Pay your money and ride the bus. End of discussion unless you care to add the don't make eye contact and pretend you are reading that some have suggested here. Call a cab, pay your money and sit on you fanny and let the driver drive a Taxi, end of discussion. There is a reason Pedestrian has become an adjective. At least cycling is still a Physically active form of transportation and I for one love cycling. If someone doesn't like cycling why come to a bike forum? And I will include Mass transit in support of cycling or trains in support of cycling but Taxis are simply cars someone else drives. You just pay for it by the hour or mile. Still car centered.

Dahon.Steve

+1

Many of the questions and comments on the forum become quite difficult to answer for those dependant on bicycles. The OP posted a difficult question on our ability to cycle the rest of our lives bringing our own "Motality" into question. There is no easy answer because no one will know the state of their health 25 or 40 years from now. I think it's safe to say many of us will have to give up cycling at one point in our lives. However, it does not mean we will be forced to buy a car.

Roody

I think we should try to be a little reasonable or flexible. Many--probably most--carfree people use public transit and cabs at times. You would have to be quite the purist to always shun them. I for one would never live far from a good bus route. Sometimes I have gone months, maybe years, without riding a bus. At other times, due to injuries or scheduling conflicts, I've used buses on an almost daily basis.

BTW, I recently saw media reports of a study that showed that regular transit users are 5 or 6 pounds lighter, on average, compared to car commuters.

mister

This is exactly what I was thinking. Do you think that you would get a car in the twilight years of you life if you are unable to ride a bike anymore? Is anyone planning and preparing to be near reliable mass transit?

To me, it seems like being car-free and using a bike to get around would be more challenging as one ages into their 70s and beyond. Maybe it's like someone else said, hopefully by riding more now, you will be able to ride as you age more.

Ekdog

I see lots of elderly Dutch people cycling in Portugal. Some of them have gone over to pedal assist ebikes. I could see myself on one of those in fifteen or twenty years.

ironwood

I'll be seventy three next month, and age is not a problem. I got a car because it is becoming more dangerous to ride on some roads, and there are places to go and things to do that are easier with a car.