I feel like I need to make the decision of staying LCF or buying a car.
 

:cry:

First option I have looked into, freight style bicycle Bullitt with Bionx around $6100. This option will allow me to do 85 - 95% what I would use a car for (work, school, projects, commuting and possibly in an emergency.)

Or

Buy a used car, I will need to learn to drive. $50 Permit, --> $400 for driving lessons (it reduces insurance costs), $80 for ODL,,, insurance, gas, car $3000, maintenance/ up keep and possible fixes. I estimate around $10,000. (this can do everything I'd use transportation wise, sadly)

I live in Portland, Oregon and test drove the first option along with one that had shimano sTEP. So it is pretty bike aware and somewhat friendly and I already commute via bicycle 95% of the time. I pretty much understand the ups and downs of owning a car, but I was hoping someone can help me with the ups and downs of the first option. Is a Bullitt with bionx a good option, or are there others that I should look into?

BionX is a great set up, if you want some assistance and still pedal like a real bike... :thumb:

Another bike with really low gearing and a utility trailer?

I'm not at all sure why a $6100 bike is the only bike that will work for you. What will it do that a $500 bike won't do? What kind of "transportation needs" do you have?

Carrying a bulky backpack (80L) about 45Lbs plus another 30lbs bag on a regular basis.

As NoOneMad mentioned, a bike and a trailer would do the trick. Of course, if you have the six and a half grand to go in style, why not? :thumb:

A touring cyclist would carry that sort of load all the time.

You say that you commute by bike 95% of the time, but what are the realistic additional duties you think you need such an expensive freight-style bike for? And what sort of emergency are you talking about?

I spent over a decade without owning a motor vehicle, and used my touring bike as my packhorse, and when that wasn't sufficient, I used a trailer of one sort or another to lug around larger (or should I say) bulkier loads over terrain that, judging from what I have seen of Portland, was steeper... and I didn't use power assist.

On your doorstep is Bike Friday, and they have a design that is intended for heavy-duty use. Look them up and see if that bike meet your needs. I don't have a clue on cost, though.

If you are starting from a base with no driving licence, and you've listed the costs, even with the $6,000 bike, you seem to be leaning towards a more expensive proposition in the motor vehicle.

I's a good idea to learn to drive, even if you don't buy a car. That way you can rent a car or a truck on rare occasions. That's humungously cheaper than owning a motor vehicle you only rarely use.

BTW - what bike do you have now?

A cargo bike with an e-assist may cost you more to acquire than a used car, but it's probably going to pay for itself within the first year. Car insurance/gas/maintenance gets expensive, very fast. It sounds like you've already run the numbers, so good on you!

About the only downside to a car, relative to the setup you test-rode, is dealing with rain. Your city seems to be bike-friendly enough that it shouldn't be a problem finding rain-friendly clothes, and taking routes where cars won't splash you. You can even take a passenger or two on a Bullitt, right? :)

(Personally - if I lived in such a bike-friendly city, I'd prefer to spend a few minutes drying myself / changing clothes after rain, than spend thousands of dollars a year maintaining a car...)

I need to be fast. 5+ miles less than 30min with load.



I will check out Bike Friday.


I do plan on learning to drive, that's for sure.

I have two bikes a Fuji silhouette and a BD SST AL. The fuji isn't in its best condition to carry or pull a load, no way in hell I am pulling a trailer with the SST AL.
I was riding the SST AL with the pack on my back, that is until I realized people think I am probably a homeless person and get stuff thrown at me, yelled at, even cut off all from motorists. Yes, I am following all the rules of the road! I bought a new phone so I can call 911 faster to report those people but I just didn't feel safe and right now I am using the bus to get around with my pack. (I hate it!!!) Having trailer was an idea, but as I typed this I realized I probably will get the same reactions from motorists.

Yuba Mundo Cargo Bike
+ Hill Topper Electric Bike Kit, Electric Bike Batteries: Electric-Bike-Kit.com

=$1300 e-bike with an 8-mile range, $1500 for a 20 mile range.

I ride a long haul trucker and frequently pull heavy loads with a trailer such as a case of wine plus groceries. A 10 mph pace over hilly terrain is pretty comfortable and about what I average with that load.

Maybe you could put a sign on the pack that reads, "don't hate strength," "don't hate effort," or something to that effect.

So you're carrying around 45 lbs daily plus another 35 lbs 'frequently'?? Perhaps you can pare that load down a bit?

Oh, and motorists (people no matter what their mode of transport) will likely yell/talk about you now what bike and/or gear you're using.

I don't have a horse in this race either way, but I'm curious about what is changing in your situation that's driving this reevaluation, and what comprises that 75 lb load you're carrying everyday... you don't have to answer if you don't want to. :)

While you may start out with a slower travel time, 30 minutes for 5 miles is totally doable without an electric bike.

How about putting a sign on your back which says..." I saved millions of lives by being car-free"...

Please excuse wolfchild - he recently started driving and it has made him mean. Take heed, ben4345 - all the more reason to stay car-free!

There is a grocery delivery service here in NYC that uses Yuba Mundo bikes with electric assist. They go like bats out of hell, carrying lots of cargo very quickly.

I tried a pedal-assist bakfiets a few years ago. I was very impressed at how the system kicked in only when I needed it.

The front loading bikes look like more fun. I see them around here, too.

You've received lots of good advice here. Learn to drive. (You said you will.) You can spend less, but if you want to spend that much, you'll have a blast. Just don't get it stolen. You're lucky you live in Portland where you can contemplate stuff like this. I gather in Portland, you won't be looked at as a weirdo as you are in other places. Cargo bikes are gaining here, too, as are e-bikes and pedal assist bikes. I love these trends.

If you need an electric bike that cost $6,100, you're better off with a scooter. You can buy a good one for half that price, insurance is less than a car and you don't have to worry about recharging.

What are your public transit options in Portland? You know they have cartogo and Zipcar in Portland right? If every cab ride cost $50.00 dollars, you can afford 200 rides with 10K!! Find out how many times a month/year you need a car and factor how much it would cost to use ZipCar, Rent a car or call a taxi as alternatives.

Slowness, weakness, and fear of traffic go away with experience and knowledge, not with spending lots of money.

The o.p. doesn't even know how to drive yet? I drove for 35 years in NYC without a single accident and in 8 years in Portland have had two. Neither of them my fault. Get the license o.p. and put a few hundred miles under your belt before you start running the numbers. Or better yet, quit while you are ahead and forget that you even thought about car ownership for even a New York minute. I am 58 years old and can pedal a Bob Yak trailer loaded well past its weight limit (70lb) up any hill in Portland. No one NEEDS a car, but the economy would crash and burn if that truth ever got out.

I was just up in Portland a couple of days ago, deliberately hitting a few hills, but it is a good reminder that there are lots of hilly places in the city.

So, is your commute flat or hilly? I would think that would be one of the big determinations if you need some kind of motor assist.

Are your loads compact or bulky?

For me, a small backpack is handy for small things. If I expect to carry mid sized loads (up to 100 pounds or so), I just snag an ex-kid's trailer. Although a small cargo specific trailer would be nice.

For larger loads, I have a home-made cargo bike. I've carried up to 100 pounds on the bike, but I typically just use it to pull my heavy hauling trailer which can haul as much as I can pull (up to about 500 lbs or so). I don't go real fast pulling 500 lbs, but I have a couple of moderate hills that I'll pull it over. I NEED LOWER GEARING!!!

I very much dislike driving and parking in downtown Portland. So, a bike can be very handy there. And in the inner city, the bike is just about as quick as a car. But, the bike is somewhat limited with distance. 20 miles each way can get quite far in Portland, but any further, and a car is definitely nice.

If they don't need a car, they don't need a license either. Like the OP, lots of people lead happy lives without ever learning how to drive. I drove safely for almost 40 years years, and am much happier now that I no longer do it. My license expired about 4 years ago and I have no intention of ever renewing it.

I meant they should learn to drive and obtain a license so they could make a decision from a place of experience. Or not. Even if you do not drive a license is a useful thing. Many employers will refuse to interview a job candidate who does not have a license even if the job requires no driving. And lots of bureaucratic processes and purchases can be completed in seconds by waving a drivers license under the nose of the functionary. Without one you need to find a Passport or Birth Certificate. I don't know about you but I would be stuck producing either of those.