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Old 11-02-12 | 07:02 AM
  #11  
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Ekdog
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,398
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From: Seville, Spain

Bikes: Brompton M6R, mountain bikes, Circe Omnis+ tandem

Originally Posted by Vampy
Six months and over 600 miles later I can say I am a very happy commuter. I changed not only the way I go to work, but there was a change of mind when I found out that the car is not needed for a couple of miles errand trip.
The main reason to buy the new bike (the main reason I used with my wife, of course) was money. Sure honey, in less than a year the price of the bike will be overcome by savings in gas, yadda yadda yadda, you know the deal. But then real commuting arrived and I saw that if you want to use your bike at night, you need lights, if you want to buy some groceries, you need a basket, if you want to go bigger, or with the kids, you need a trailer. Cleats, shoes, winter gear and so on keep adding up. And then maintenance, flat tires and the likes, so the open question I leave you guys here is:

Do any of you actually rides his bike because of the money?

I'll never go back to the 'car for everything' habits, but damn being healthy and green means spending some cash!
You'd better believe it's cheaper! And there are plenty of Spaniards who've given up on the motorcar--it's not just you. Car sales fell here by 22% last month. The car-centric, American-style transport system is proving to be unsustainable in an economy mired in a depression. Those cars can sit on the lots and rot as far as I'm concerned. We need to bolster our trains, underground systems, buses and, above all, bicycle infrastructure.
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