Hi all, my bike came today and as soon as tomorrow evening I'm planning to leave my car at the work multi-storey and cycle to my girlfriend's house (3.5 miles) and that is essentially going to be the new transport setup. Even if I only do it to/from work most days, that's much more progress than I've ever made in all of the eight years since this first crossed my mind as a possibility.

Smaug1 Ah yes, seen just 'Smaug' when I did that tag. I'm glad to be back. I did at times check into the UK cycling forum CycleChat but never really found it as culturally rich as this site, this site has more of a global feel and until recently with the whole new look (or software upgrade at some point) it had an old internet golden years charm of a forum vibe too. I wonder if there's a way to get the old theme back? Moving closer to work makes sense when you weigh up commute costs over months and years, I see that a lot on here as advice. I can only imagine more so in the US with a continent size of 'driving' range possible. I worked out that over-paying mine with some money I set aside as a house deposit was worth it as it saved me some £3,000 in interest over the next four years as well as the hit I had from taking that money out of its special bonus account. And now I can save that old car payment towards rebuilding it which means in under two years time I'll be back where I was yet still two years of not having car payments. Started watching Dave Ramsey last summer and really changed my attitude towards debt. I can only aspire to be like you with the winter thing. The plan is... stick this single gear, hopefully my fitness catches up quickly and being 29 with luckily no major issues I hope it will. THEN, if I'm still going strong by winter, maybe buy something nice for Christmas you know? I'll have over six months of 'proof of concept' then which I've never got as far as before. I'm thinking my first upgrade / bit of kit will need to be a rack to take the pressure off my back with a backpack. Read on here that no matter how cold it is, backpacks cause a sweaty back so that doesn't sound too fun. Yes, the Tuck is heavy, and basic, but my thinking is... on the cheap side, better a single speed with less issues than crappy doomed to fail bargain basement or no name gear set.. but I might disagree up some of the hills this week, we will see... Not sure where to post my review of it. Living car free... Folding... or Commuting. All apply in my use case I suppose. My girlfriend doesn't drive and doesn't seem too bothered to, but then she lives in the city and everything is close by. I wonder how good the electric bromptons are. her place is small / upstairs flat too, so a full size bike, there isn't even a garden to put one in. A small utility space out the back, might look into a small upright shed if I do invest in a proper e-bike. Rented one out at a national park near here once, absolutely phenomenal was pulling her little girl around in a trailer effortlessly even having a bit of fun speeding along a lake. Cargo bikes interest me most, although the odd person who has a nice expensive carbon framed bike I know (topping out around a grand) thinks I'd be crazy to spend that money on a commuter. But then none of them care about replacing car trips with bike trips either, it's a hobby to them just. Yes, the car payment was a financial and psychological burden to me, more than I realised. I do look forward to renting out some fun cars if I were to get rid of mine, but for now, it is there and that feels nice to have too. As I get older I truly do care less. Some people younger than me are already making a lot more money, but hey, they're all over the country, up early, outdoors, they're working hard for it. They also have more expensive taste in foreign holidays, they drink / smoke and whatnot, they buy designer clothes and upgrade their iPhone so when it comes down to it, they're often broke more of the time than me and managing to save less. It was powerful learning how to live within my means. I made the mistake of upgrading my car along with the modest pay increases I have gotten in the recent years. Hasn't destroyed me but has 'kept me back' I suppose. A desk job is what I like most, given the options. I was building a shed I bought my mum for her birthday this last few days (today was a bank holiday in the UK) and it was fun, like a mega-Lego or Ikea set. But being in the sun, feeling the muscles ache, physical effort - my hands feel rougher all of a sudden - not for me. But that desk job also introduces a level of guilt to me of not exercising enough. Especially days where I'm so wound up / tired mentally from screen time, looking at code, dealing with people at work that I'd not be bothered to go to a gym, or take a walk and I'm a horrible person to be around. I hope cycling to and from work soaks in a lot of that agitation. So glad to hear it's literally delivered on those things for you. I have a cheap enough 'Trespass' branded waterproof / windproof bright yellow over layer from around 2016, I stuck that in the car boot tonight. I need some over trousers for sure. It definitely rains a lot but we've had an odd stint of sunny days this past month. Mother Nature likes to give us an occasional false sense of security, then laugh in our face with rain when we trusted her once more ;-) haha Hoping I can take the bike into the lobby, or failing that ,some remote corner of the multi-story a few levels up where it's just residents of the apartments and office workers. Yeah rowing wasn't for me, I also found all the online fans only really did it as part of a bigger routine or because they actually did row professionally or at a decent enough level.

Leisesturm I-Like-To-Bike Hello guys! I totally get where you're coming from. I was SBcycling and SB1501 when I originally got locked out of this account but thanks to this forums brilliant admins I have regained access to this oldest account from 2015 and plan to stick with it going forward. I never did delete any threads, mind you. I have had this notion over the years and you're right that I never properly progressed - despite some great advice, I'm sure from both of you as well having re-read them recently. There probably has been quite a few threads really.. well I'll stick to this one for now! I'm not sure who Necromancer, but that isn't me! I'd be quite shocked if they're from the same city as me. This time I feel is different, and all I can really do is share the journey on here for anyone who still cares to hear. Here's why:

- Now I can avoid that 1.7 mile stretch of road and for all intents and purposes, move in with / stay with my girlfriend who lives right in the middle of the city. I'm 29 and still not moved out so there's two birds with one stone too by 30...
- Unlike 2016-2019, where I work now is one location, since the P-word, working form home is also more realistic in the future too. Back then my jobs were farther away, multiple locations and places with even less cycle infrastructure (try 9 or so miles with no dedicated path!)
- I've actually just bought (and today received / taken for a quick spin) a bicycle again that's at least free of rust, reliable and fits into my car! It's also cheap enough that I haven't had to invest so much that it'd impact me financially if I didn't realise this idea (yet again)

In addition to the 'barriers' for cycling... I've uncovered a tonne of 'barriers' to driving, car ownership and a life of just continuing how I have been. Despite it being the most convenient, accepted and viable route that I and everyone around me does;-

- I love cars, but they are pricy, they make you lose sleep when they are outside subject to damage and abuse (be it innocent kids damaging them or malicious people), I've lost a tonne of sleep, ruined good days with my partner stewing over some silly damage to my car or bad repair job that I paid a lot of have done right, only to have collateral damage done with an entire dispute to follow, such as bodywork repairs... that's a headache. It ruins my love of cars.

- Cars also never stay perfect. Stone chips. Cracked windscreens. Scratches from washing them. Damage happens, this is reality. Sometimes it annoys me but that will never change, putting big money into paint correction, alloy wheel refurbs... I've contemplated it. It's more money for still not much improvement and frankly, I'd put the money in but if my car gets written off tomorrow my fault or not, I won't get the £500+ for a paint correction, or even set of new tyres which is a 'need', that's all lost money. It bothers me too much.

- Road rage. Arguably I've never been the best mentality wise for the road. My reactions are quick. I'm quite aware. I have the capacity to be a good driver but the mentality that makes me actually, probably better off giving it up. Or minimising my time on the road as much as possible. Thankfully I don't need to be on the road as I don't have kids of my own, my girlfriend and her kid get by without a car for need things. Although mines has been nice to have (and so far, it's going nowhere) I think using it seldom, or if it did go, hiring one for the benefit of all of us is my best bet. I have tried, honestly, and it's too easy for me to get pissed off and make a move that could get me into trouble, or more likely, just rub people the wrong way which is never a good thing is it? I'm not giving up but for years I've tried, and done alright, then sooner or later, some lousy stupid experience that I feel awful for or something that irritates me irrationally. Don't get me wrong, it's not like the movie 'Unhinged' but as my brother often says, it just takes that one person having a horrific day or with nothing to lose.

- In 2018 we lost our dad to stomach cancer, he was 55 at the time. This year, this past month, also found out our mum has progressive aphasia (essentially dementia) at 58 despite both of them, prior to the illnesses seeming fairly healthy with no issues. My dad did drive trucks and didn't really look after his health in fairness which probably didn't help. How much of both those issues may genetically be passed down, who is to know? But the best thing I can do while I'm relatively young and healthy is to make my lifestyle healthy in a permanent way that works. Not the rowing machine which was short lived, or gym memberships or notions of Apple Fitness but something that fits. I think cycling can address it to be honest, or at least hopefully help me be in the healthier side of the odds.

- Life has gotten harder. I'm studying programming as well as working in a role now with my long term employer and I do enjoy it, but it's challenging. I enjoy studying but it's also challenging. Being between my partners (with her kid) and at home with my mum who's been getting worse this last year and a half even before the diagnosis. Then the pressure of studying. It's easy to feel frustrated and going between places has it's own challenges - be it home, my girlfriends or work. Cycling at least offers a buffer between them places. I'll be a bit more tired / flooded with endorphins and I truly hope that make me a bit more resilient and pleasant in all situations.

- I'm turning 30 and my desk job has me sedentary. That might be good and well as it's always been but I already can feel that I'm not an early-20s person anymore. Think I've mentioned it a few times since being back on here but little things like being a bit more tired easily, feeling my joints, feeling muscles I've not used in ages when doing DIY things from time to time to time. In fact, during DIY is when I most feel my limits. At least some of it is just not using the muscles or exerting myself half as often as I could / should be. My life and job doesn't require me to. But that's besides the point. Office work, car commuting, they might be comfy but they're not good for posture, for fitness and for me, mentality! Cycle commuting again balances this without demanding forging an interest in going to a gym or going for a run for a runs sake. This is something I'll feel better about life / myself / taking control of my health if I do into my 30s and beyond. Hopefully before the inevitable ageing things come in. I've seen it with my mum in particular, how just not bothering to go out and exercise sort of makes you more fragile and maybe even less healthy overall.. I don't want to do that if I get a choice into it when I get older. I'm not in my 40s.. 50s yet but someday I will and it will probably only be harder then. It was a decade ago already I posted on here, was coming at this from someone 'turning 20', another interval like that, and I'll be 'turning 40' and that sounds horrific! Hahaha

- Living within my means and just simply not having car expenses is a bonus. I can afford to own and run one just fine if I wanted to. If I had to buy a house - on my own single income - I'd not be able to afford car finance and a mortgage. I'm lucky I don't need to worry about that now, but it's nice to know I'd be able to save and afford that if things changed. Versus putting money into something that is not an investment or advancing my life frankly.

This has turned into quite the essay, but I enjoy sharing perspectives / reading perspectives on here. It's why forums > social media sites at large.

If you're still here.. well, you probably think it's just a repeat but watch this space. At the very least, I'm giving it a try - as soon as tomorrow.