Homer Cooper 

About a week ago my car blew a head gasket. The repairs would exceed the value of the car.
So in order to save money for a down payment I've decided to bike the 3.7 miles to work. I've already gone 3 days averaging 18mins. The goal will be to get it down to 15 mins.

I'm using a mid 90's Schwinn Classic Cruiser. I've got a good lock and lights. Though the rack is in a very secure area.

tandempower

A 4 mile/20 minute commute doesn't sound bad. Is your grocery store near the route? If so, you could easily LCF for longer than saving a down payment for a car. It could be interesting to just keep saving at the rate you are for the down payment, keep the money in a separate account, and see how much builds up before you get another car.

Homer Cooper 

Yep, Already using a knapsack to buy food items at a local grocery. So really the issue would be winter come September. On rainy days I'm able to get a ride from coworkers/neighbors.
made some reductions in bills as well lower Phone/cable bill, Dropped car ins.
Still need to scrap the car, it has New tires so trying to figure an option to make something more off those.

Although given the mild MN winters we've been having I maybe able to push it further. I was cycling till late November and back again in Feb

tandempower

What do you expect your temperature limits to be?

Homer Cooper 

The coldest we got was -34f

Really depends on the conditions of the roads. 19f the other day was fine. roads were ice free. When it snows the plows tend to leave hard packed snow along the shoulders. Even with the wide tires of the schwinn it may be a bit difficult. About 90% of the route is along shouldered county roads.

I've got full winter gear from snowmobiling/ ice Fishing. So I can keep my self warm if needed.

tandempower

So you can bike 4 miles comfortably at 19F? Do you have to change clothes after riding, or can you just take off overclothes when you get to work?

Homer Cooper 

Yep, I put the overclothing on a coat rack or in the Knapsack I store empty in my jacket pocket. boots wouldn't be an issue either.

B. Carfree

It's been a while since I last dealt with a blown head gasket, but unless things have changed dramatically in the past twenty years it's not really that difficult to repair. You just remove all the accessory stuff (take lots of photos) and remove the head(s). It's not rocket surgery and is usually a lot cheaper than the net cost of scrapping and purchasing a replacement.

One word to the wise: do figure out why the head gasket failed in the first place and correct that defect or you will be doing it again.

Roody

I'm in Michigan--not as cold as where you are, but lots of snow most winters. I rode all winter for many years. The first year, I just decided to keep riding as long as I could, one day at a time. By Christmas, I realized I had already survived the worst that was going to happen, so I might as well just keep going. So my advice is: one day at a time. If you hate it, get a car. But you just might get to love it like I did.

And welcome to the LCF forum!!! Even if you get a car, you will be welcome here.

Homer Cooper 

Yeah that was a thought. The likely failure was the Thermostat. I've considered doing it myself as the majority of the cost is in labor. Car has several other small issues that would add up. Its time to get a better car anyway. its been needed for sometime. A car of this year in running condition with the miles it has only sells for around $1500 at most. I will likely be able to scrap it out in parts. Sell the all Aluminium rims. Nearly new tires.


As far as cycling its been fun so far. I've done a weekend run on my road bike getting my 3.7 miles down to 15 mins.
I shall see how long I can go it may very well be into late 2017.

SparkyGA

Congrats on going car free

You'll find you will just get use to living without a car and after awhile you'll not interested in purchasing another car at all. It's absolutely insane how much even the most penny pinching car still costs to operate vs a biking or walking.

18 minutes to ride to work? That's not enough time to even to start getting cold in -40F weather. Buy yourself some high quality winter tyres with studs for the next winter riding season or even look at getting a fat bike.

wipekitty

Cool! Like Roody mentioned, one day at a time - and next thing you know, you're going the whole winter. The folks over on the Winter Cycling subforum have some good tips and discussions. I've started doing more winter cycling just for fun (and to keep in shape), though I save longer rides for when it's 10F or above.

FWIW, my family has done just fine in western Wisconsin for 3 years now without a motor vehicle. Not as cold as where you are, but we have occasional excursions to -20 F and quite a few of those hey-you're-gonna-get-frostbite advisories. That said, we live in town; I can definitely see how a car would be helpful if you live out in the country.

cooker

That's pretty cold.
Is there a public transit option?

tandempower

I would love to experiment with cold outdoor living/commuting more. I always wonder how important body fat is to keeping warm. I have almost none and I'm a vegetarian so when I hear about northern winter diets consisting of things like duck fat, I wonder whether warm clothing would really be enough for me or would I need to triple my butter consumption or find some other drastic way to increase fat-intake.

wipekitty

I think you'd be just fine - I have little body fat, and few issues with cold commuting since I got my layers dialed in. We do find ourselves consuming more cheese and carbs in the winter, but it might be a comfort-food thing more than any biological necessity.

FWIW, my household's diet is mainly vegetarian (though not vegan). I'm really the only one who eats meat - red meat - a few times a month for a medical condition that nobody really wants to hear about.

wolfchild

Eating fat was the most important thing amongst Eskimos and Native Americans who lived in cold northern climates. When an animal was killed for food, all the fatty portions of that animal were the most highly prized food items...Fat animals were always preferable to lean animals....The same goes for Europeans who live in cold Northern Climates, animal fat and fat from animal milk, such as butter and cream is a big part of their diet.
None of the people who lived and survived in cold Northern parts of the world were vegetarian...Vegetarianism is a fad which has invaded our modern society and is making people weak and sick.

winston63 

I can tell you that I've lost significant weight over the last couple of years -- almost 50 pounds -- and I get cold so much easier than I used to! It's wonderful to be not carrying that extra weight, but man I freeze in any kind of cold weather and I have to layer pretty good if I'm riding in the cold.

winston63 

I started out in a similar manner: I'm not fully car free, but 90% + of my trips in the last couple of years are by bicycle and I've been able to save a significant amount by minimizing my driving. It's absolutely astonishing how much it costs to regularly operate a vehicle, even one that's fully paid for.

I think You'll find that cycling as a lifestyle is largely wonderful and much more pleasant than driving everywhere. Now when I have to drive I find it's horrendously aggravating, inconvenient and annoying. Which is in complete contrast to cycling, which always feels liberating and enriching.

I-Like-To-Bike

Duck fat?
I can only wonder where you heard about northern winter diets consisting of things like duck fat.

wolfchild

There is a food called Schmaltz which is usually made from pig fat or chicken fat or goose fat and is very popular in Eastern Europe and Northern Europe. People from various Eastern and Northern European cultures have been rendering fat from all kind of different animals and using is as food. My own grandma use to do it all the time long time ago.

Rollfast

Ain't no gators there.

tandempower

What about Hinduism and other culturally vegetarian societies? But regardless, why am I not 'weak and sick' then? I am actually exceptionally strong; I can do pullups in the teens and pushups up to about 50, if I want. I also used to think I could build more muscle if I ate meat, but then someone told me that the biggest 'beefiest' animals in nature are herbivorous, such as bulls, rhinos, elephants, etc. People will argue that those animals have different digestive systems, but the fact is there are plenty of beans, seeds, nuts, etc. to get proteins. Cholesterol you can get from dairy. B vitamins are the only thing we can't supposedly make for ourselves with our bodies, but I went years without taking supplements or drinking Powerade and never felt lethargic or weak.

Anyway, this is a deviation from the thread, and I suspect one that you're picking at for the sake of stirring up bickering, so if you want to start a thread in P&R about the benefits and drawbacks of eating meat, I might participate. Otherwise, don't turn one comment response about transporting meat car-free into a discussion about how vegetarianism is an unprecedented modern cultural phenomenon that leaves people sick and weak.

tandempower

I think it was a youtube video about some city that sells duck fat milk shakes, but maybe it was people I was talking with in person. I can't remember exactly, but the idea of a duck fat milk shake is definitely unforgettable. It would be like having down fat cells! Maybe not as warm as the classic whale blubber that kids used to be fed back in the olden days before Sea World and Star Trek IV brought love for whales, but warm. . . Ahab knew.

I-Like-To-Bike

Yeah, sure, duck shakes, duck soup, talk like a duck, or maybe it was a screenplay you were dreaming up, whatever.

Roody

I don't think one word of this post is actually true.