Returning to BikeForums, returning to car free
 

Hey all.

I was on this forum a number of years ago under a different username, do not even remember what it was. At the time I was living in DC and was without a car, moved around a bit and got a car again during the moves. Moved to my current place in N. Indiana a few years ago and replaced the car I had been driving with a new car. Fast forward to not too long ago and in the several years I owned the car I had averaged about 1000 miles a year total on it. And then got in an accident while travelling. Car got totaled by the insurance company and I decided to give up on owning a car unless I decide it just is utterly untenable for me.

Currently own just a Specialized Sirrus from '05 or '06 that I've equipped with trekking bars over the original straight bars, but I've got a Workcycles Kruisframe on order, so hopefully I'll get that within the next few weeks and that can take over commuting and in town duties and use the Sirrus for longer rides until I can get a better dedicated road bike. I actually today replaced the bar wrap on my bike, first time I've done it myself, here's hoping it doesn't unwind, the bike store installed wraps I had before started loosening pretty quick.

For living, where I am is actually pretty good, a couple groceries within a couple blocks, work is about 1 mile away and I can easily walk even when I don't feel like riding. My town itself isn't that huge, maybe 5 miles across the most populated areas of town so really it isn't bad getting around on bike. I am unfortunately out of practice on the bike and the winds right now are killing me.

Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself. Hope to stick around for awhile.

Good to have you back, whoever you were! :)

Sounds like an ideal situation to be car-lite or car-free.

Is it also the kind of town where a lot of specialized stuff is pretty far away? is there Uber/taxi/bus service if you need to visit 'the Big City" (or the nearest large town)? Or is pretty much everything you will ever need already somewhere in town?

I haven't lived in a walkable town in along time. Having a good bike in a town like that feels like being Superman--you can get anywhere so quickly, a bike is almost as fast as a car.

I don't envy you (my own life is okay, too), but I appreciate the situation you are in and I am glad for you and glad you enjoy it.

The only drawback? You don't get to cruise by traffic jams and smile at irate drivers. :)

I suppose it depends on your definition of specialized. I don't do much myself that I would really consider requiring specialized stuff. We have a decent movie theater in town (not my thing really, but its there), a number of good local restaurants within easy access and if you want to get to the very far other side of town (still only about 7-8 miles) you can get to a number of bigger chain stores that aren't on my side of town (there are a number of strip malls all right by each other on that side of town). But I've got Walmart, a big home improvement chain, a groceryand most things I really NEED on my side of town within about 2 miles. and downtown is about 2 miles into town and our downtown is pretty decent with a number of small local shops and restaurants down there.

There is a small us service in the area that can get you to a few neighboring towns, and the buses even have bike racks if you need them. Amtrak is one of the stops in the neighboring town, convenient for seeing family who also live near Amtrak. Their schedule isn't super convenient, but its quite inexpensive to ride and not a bad choice when needed.

As for traffic jams, nah, at lights I normally just take a place in line, trying to thread the gap between cars and curb only to have them deal with passing you right after the light turns green just isn't worth the hassle. At least not to me.

Yeah, sounds like you have about everything you would need to live a good life.

Can't take a bike on Amtrak? I'd buy a gun and hold up a train in protest! (Let me know if you are planning to, so I can be on hand to get the exclusive story ... we can both get our 15 minutes ... )

For that i might even consider one of those ridiculous folding bikes. I suppose if the folks at the other end don;t mind you coming, though, they might be willing to pick you up.

Bikes on Amtrak? It depends. Some trains have limited bike spaces on board, others don't. I've looked, briefly, at the two lines that run nearby and, if I recall correctly, one line has spaces for bikes but the other does not. I think the one with bike spaces still only allows something like 6-8 bikes at a time and there is a $40 reservation charge to reserve a space (which is mandatory I believe).

Folding bikes are NOT ridiculous! *stomps feet and harrumphs ;-). My Bike Friday is awesome and millions of Bromptons have been sold.

Really...? :rolleyes: