Welcome back! Sorry to have lost you to The Dark Side for so long. It happened to a lot of us, I think. We rode bikes as kids, then strayed from them when having a car seemed cooler.
Originally Posted by
SB739
Hey there! I recently got back in to my old accounts (both SBcycling and this one!). Here's the answer after a very long time... (are any of you still here?!)
I'm still here; been here many year. Did you miss me?
I don't think this is even my original account; I seem to have lost that one during a software upgrade...
Originally Posted by
SB739
I didn't really stick with cycling. I persevered with my old Fiat Panda during university then when I graduated and had a better job, I bought a nicer car.. then a nicer car... then a more reliable car... then a more reliable and nicer car... many finance agreements later (finally now PAID OFF!!!) on the final year of my 20s I am once again considering cycle commuting and a life of cycling.
I've decided that once my car is paid off, I'm going to really think hard before taking on my car debt again. (assuming it's stays reliable)
4 years ago, I moved closer to work, in the same city. Now I bike commute almost every day, even in the bitter cold in the winter. Rain stops me sometimes. (As long as I have the car, I may as well use it when needed, right?) There in Northern Ireland, you'll be glad for the fenders.
Originally Posted by
SB739
Things are now just in place...
- No more paying monthly for a car and feeling guilty if I pay for it but don't use it... I can simply get rid of it any time now or leave it sitting. I'll still need to pay insurance but £30-£40 a week saved on fuel if I don't use it.
- I now partly live with my girlfriend in the city, so that 1.5 mile stretch that was always a barrier, is no longer a barrier. I don't need to go on a road whatsoever thanks to our decent in-city cycle lanes and greenways.
- I have the money to invest in quite a nice e-bike now, particularly if I were to get rid of my car long term but as it stands, I've bought a very inexpensive single speed folder (to fit in the back of the car when needed) to hopefully ease me into cycling.
This is a great plan. That Tuck you got is a basic folding bike. On the heavy side, with older components, but hopefully reliable. The folding hardware looks just like that of my Schwinn Loop; very clunky and with some play, but functional. I just LOVE folding bikes, for the reason you stated and many others. (we have
a great Folding Bikes subforum here, by the way)
Originally Posted by
SB739
The plan is... should I stick it now in the summer, and as the light / temperature drops back into Autumn and Winter... I'd love to be waking up on Christmas morning to one hell of a Tern or something similar. But no big decisions like parting with the car until the notion is proven to be practical and enjoyable. Just in case.. you know.
If you're going to spend the big bucks, Brompton is the way, for a city-dweller. The fold is more compact, quality is higher, they're made in the UK, the dirty parts are inside the fold and they roll on little wheels when folded. Here in the USA, we're starting to see Brompton Renewed shops, where we can save several hundred dollars vs. new and still have their warranty. Their main technician even participates in the aforementioned Folding Bikes subforum here. May I recommend a G Line, with the larger wheels & tires, to better smooth out bumpy roads and cobblestones... It costs as much as a nice used car, but upkeep will cost a lot less.
To me, the ultimate situation would be to share a hatchback-type car or SUV to share with the spouse when needed, and folding bikes for the day-to-day transportation, and an electric cargo bike to need the car even less.
eBikes are a game-changer, by the way. Suddenly, weight is not as important and sweating is not required, even on a hot day.
Originally Posted by
SB739
I have had the following realisations too in recent years, because the notion of cycling never fully left me. Particularly in times of trouble with cars (repairs, warranty debates, even one insurance claim last year) the absolute headache and uncertainty over many factors spoils my otherwise love of car ownership, driving and maintenance (which I 90% do myself and enjoy)For one, there's an Enterprise car club or just flat out rentals. I'm over 25 now and driving over a decade so I can hire a car - maybe a fun luxury or fast car - for a day or two. Carrying big things - well I've owned some big but still not practical cars, you still can't fit many big items in them due to openings, support beams... and when I HAVE fitted things in, like a bookshelf, I found permanent damage on the door cards or head liner sadly. Turns out... Enterprise can rent me a VAN ... of many sizes. So even those one offs like moving a lot of rubbish or furniture, are STILL better served without 'a car' as it were.
Yes. I don't really have car troubles, but now and then, I feel like: "I earn good money, why do I feel like I don't have any discretionary? → Oh, $630/mo car payment, $100/mo insurance + gas, maintenance, etc." With the money I'd save by not having a car, I'd easily be able to rent one a couple days a month if needed. Heck, our local home improvement store rents trucks and vans for $25 for an hour.
Originally Posted by
SB739
Many around me don't drive themselves so they can't really point the finger at me if I no longer someday have use of the car... after all they could equally go get a license and a car, right?
As you get older, you'll care less about this finger-pointing about status symbols.
Originally Posted by
SB739
My career is quite good now I've done what I should have done a decade ago, programming. But this extra time at the desk, the mental frustration at times... has caused me to be quite irritable and driving doesn't blend well with that. I am very much looking forward to the health (posture, mental health, fresh air, daylight) benefits as well as any bonus financial benefits of cycling. As well as a hobby hopefully more fun to get into like maintaining and seeing where I can go with my bike . As I turn 30 I also, whilst thankfully having no real medical things to complain about so far, do feel differences now in how much I can throw myself 110% into something mentally before getting tired... or physically now, unlimited energy has turned into a 'fair usage limit' of energy, quite a high one mind you still, but I can see that as life goes on, if everyone older than me is to be believed, this sort of levelling off and eventual decline of physicality will happen...but I look at active people who are even older, and they somehow escaped it - by USING their bodies and minds. This whole combination of benefits, addressing factors of getting busier, and older, sounds so much better than the gym.
You're on the money here, too. Since I started bike commuting, I have more energy all the time, hardly ever get sick and my desk job is a lot more bearable. I even often go out at lunch on my bike to burn some more frustration and get some more fresh air. When I go a couple days without riding, I feel the frustration building up inside me again. One thing I will suggest to help with your success is to invest in some decent, breathable rain gear. I hear it rains a lot there, so if you're going to stick with the bike commuting, this will be critical:
- Jacket
- Pants
- Overshoes
- Rain cover for your bike helmet (this will also help during the winter)
Originally Posted by
SB739
I bought an expensive Concept2 rowing machine a few years ago to address a bit of strength and cardio - at home - all seasons to take care of fitness for a sedentry lifestyle. Only to find it didn't quite stretch and workout as many muscles as I hoped, nor was getting sweaty in my small room or having to come home to do that for a while, much fun. Contrast this with new cycle / greenlanes being built to connect my city ... walks in the park from time to time on days off. I have this overwhelming 'gosh I'd like to spend more time here'. Cycling through them to get to work is the perfect, regular, excuse, right?
I did something similar, bought a Total Gym machine. It just sits and sits. Even though I bike, I should still use it to keep the upper body muscles in shape, but somehow, I just never think of it. I want to get OUT.
Originally Posted by
SB739
This was a bit long, but to anyone still reading, hope it's been good to hear an update. I'll be sure to stay active on here to let you all know how it goes
Yes, do keep us posted.