forced to go car free
 

Well, let me introduce myself. I've been bicycling for awhile but up until recently its just been a hobby. Recently I crashed my car, and I now can't afford to get another one. I've been forced to pull out the bike to get around but I don't see it as a bad thing. I'll get some excercise, and have some fun while i'm at it. I've learned the bus routes, and I did a tune up on my bike which is a gary fisher mamba thats a few years old but still is in great condition.

I'm looking for a new job right now, so i'll be looking for something close to my home. It helps that i'm only 20 and still live with my mom. I can borrow her car when I need to go long distances. Hopefully i'll come to kmow some of you guys and I won't get picked on too much. :)

Sorry, for the boring intro, but i'm not terribly good at writing.

I see you live only a few miles from Minneapolis and St. Paul and not too far from the RR tracks. Commute routes near tracks tend to be flatter than some other routes. Maybe the Rail Roads are hiring. I know there is a lot of freight traffic in the area, especially east of the river. Hey, commute on one of those hand-cars or a rail bike :D . In bad weather could you use those passages that connect large parts of the downtown areas? I have heard of bike races being held in them.

I actually rode to minneapolis today. Theres a bike route that goes downtown about a block from my house. Your thinking I should become a pro skyway racer? :D Actually trying to find work for a railroad might be good. I know someone who just does loading/unloading and he seems to make a decent living and he has good hours.

Sorry to hear about your car. But I hope you have a great time on your bike!

You should do fine without a car. Have you got a way to carry stuff and do you know how to set up your bike for street riding? Those seem to be the two most difficult problems for newbies.

All right! Your post-auto life has begun. Keep it up! You are already miles ahead of most people. It gets addicting, and will keep you in better health than most of your friends.

Nothing similar in our respective situations, but I was forced to go car-free at one point in my life. That was 20 years ago and I've had an 'ancillary auto' ever since. Living car free may prompt you to explore other areas of cycling such as touring, off-rode, etc. There's a wealth of info on this site in every category. The urban enviornment opens up in a whole different way from atop a bicycle. Enjoy!

As much as I hate mcdonalds I have to say that "I'm lovin it". I stopped on an overpass to watch traffic today. mwhahaha...

Heres my ride. This model comes with the optional peach snapple and laptop bag.

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/3610/bike54vo.th.jpg

Do it every day.

Some days I want to stand on an overpass with a megaphone and laugh at the gridlockers.

You're definitly in a good city for it. There's hardly anywhere here that you CAN'T get to easily on a bike. And the cars are mostly really courteous... You'll find come next winter that they're actually really good about plowing the bikepaths, too. Sometimes, even better than the streets!

I like getting to enjoying the finer things in life... like dropping some rich guy on a carbon fiber trek road bike, and enjoying subway outside.

http://img324.imageshack.us/img324/9...04395gj.th.jpg

When I was first diagnosed with diabetes in August of 2004 I sat down and prayed as to how could get this condition under control. The answer came quick, my car died. I started riding my bike and have been healthier ever since.

Excellent. :)

Exercise and weight loss can bring type 2 diabetes under total control. I know because that's what happened to me. I check my glyco-hemoglobin (HGA1C) every 6 months to make sure the sugar is still under control. I also check microalbumin for kidney function and have a stress EKG every year to make sure my heart is OK. So far so good!