tsl

Wrong. You made a change in geography. The next step is a change in lifestyle. Those are hard.

OTOH, you may have a fear of being unable to replace the truck if need be. Put the $$ in a CD or something for six months to a year. You can still get to it in an emergency, but it's out of reach for impulse buying. The daily savings on fuel, insurance, repairs and parking can go towards the plastic payments. The Brompton can be a reward for a year car-free.

On your other questions...


What if the perfect job opens up out of range of me or public transportation?

There is no perfect job, so forget that part.

I made a career change just over ten years ago, shortly after becoming car-free, which helped facilitate the change. I waited through a couple of knock-around jobs until the something better came along.

I just had faith (not necessarily the religious kind, but it that's your kind, that works too) that sooner or later someone would quit, get fired, get promoted, move, have a baby or something and a nicer, better job would come along. I just had to be patient and stay alert to possibilities. Meanwhile, the dot-com bubble burst, we had the recession of 2001-03, planes flew into buildings, and we went to war. It began to look like I had made a wrong decision.

Then my current job came along, right out of the blue. I was looking for the next book in a series I was reading, and right there on the front door of a library branch I'd never visited before was a "Help Wanted" sign. I got the book, put in an application, and they called me for an interview before I got home. It's the best job I've ever had. It's not perfect, BTW, but it's damned good, and I'm happy with it.


What if my bike gets stolen?

You have three. Use another. I've had one stolen. It's not fun, it can be wrenching, but I had two others so it had no effect on my mobility.

Better yet, make sure you have good locks, use them rigorously. And, on the bikes you use most often for transportation, "harden" them against component pilferage.


What to wear in the rain and 40F temps.

Understandably, coming from Florida that's a big concern. In reality, it's less of a problem than you may think. Ask people who ride in Portland. Pay attention to the answers. Watch what people riding around in Portland wear. You'll figure it out. You'll make mistakes--probably in the direction of wearing too much. (It's easy to forget how much heat we make when cycling.) You'll live through the mistakes and have good stories to tell and good advice to give to others.


What if I hurt my (knee/foot/ankle) and cannot ride for 1-6 months.

Use public transport, or cash in the CD you kept for emergencies after selling the truck.