gerv 

I was reading in the local newspaper that in 2005 in the state of Iowa, the average automobile mileage went down... first time in 20 years! Of course, it wasn't by much and it could go up next year, but in a state where there is no real public transportation and bicycles are for Sunday afternoon excursions, this is pretty amazing. People seem to be driving less.

Me: I've noticed that my car use has dropped by about 70%. I'm commuting to work now 2-3 days of the week and, somehow... I'm not sure why... I suddenly have no desire to get behind the wheel.

Anyone else seeing this? Is it just because of the price of gas? Is it a generational thing?

burbankbiker

What got me back on my bike last August after 8 years away (and 70 pounds added) was gas prices. It started with an experiment where I started noticing that most of my trips were short distances of 2 miles or less. So I started walking everywhere and after 4 weeks my monthly gas bill had dropped from 160 to 48 dollars. A dramatic savings. Only problem was that walking took longer. So I dusted my bike off, put new tires on it, and started biking everywhere. 8 months later I'm still saving tons of gas money, biking anywhere 12 miles away or less, I've dropped back 78 pounds and 8 inches off the waist, and I love biking again. So in a way I should be thankful to the high gas prices. And I feel like I have noticed more people on bikes since the rise in prices but I can't be sure if that's true or if I'm just noticing because I'm back into the obsessive bike mentality of checking out everyone's ride.

gerv 

As you start to break out of the car habit, you notice a lot of places are 12 miles away or less. Work, gym, groceries, restaurants... But I still find myself wanting to take the car to the gym or to the grocery store (both 1 mile away...). I am slowly breaking that habit, but realizing there are a lot of bad habits to break.

genericbikedude

Some female bikers think I'm creepy because I stare, but 80% of the time its their BIKE that I'm checking out, not them... Its OK to objectify bikes, right?

DavidLee

I damn near choked on my tea reading that, thanks!

Roody

I bet you want to drive to the gym and store because they involve carrying stuff.

For new utility cyclists transporting cargo can be a big hassle. But there are lots of good ways of doing this. Hell, besides carrying gym clothes, I've even carried the dumbells on my bike.

How do you currently carry your groceries and gym stuff?

kf5nd

I'm happy to hold my car mileage down to 6000-9000 miles per year, in a town where people easily drive double that.

gerv 

How do you currently carry your groceries and gym stuff?

-------------------------

I carry a lot of cargo to work. Thermos of coffee, change of clothes, bike repair stuff, lunch... I think it's almost 20 pounds. I use a knapsack and a briefcase. I hang both of them off my rear rack, using chain links I bought at Lowe's.

So .. I could carry about 20 pounds of food. Maybe. But to date, I normally just pick up one or two things. I've been thinking about getting 2 large cotton grocery sacks and hanging those off the rack.

For the gym, again, I think 2 chain links from Lowes would work fine with my gym bag.

The biggest challenge --- what takes most time -- is organizing everything to work well. It took me weeks to get a system for commuting to work. Trying to figure out what I needed and didn't need. Then looking around for the best way to carry items with my current bike configuration. Part of that challenge is to figure what is do-able. Often, you think you can't do this or that, so you continue with the old habits, never realizing the possibilities.

DavidLee

That is quite easily the best thing I've read today.

Roody

Me too, good philosophy. Similar to my "Think outside the cage." But better.

gerv 

At school, I minored in Philosophy and have never looked back ;-)

Anyway, I noted another article on this topic. Says that more than 59% of Americans earning less than $50,000 have significantly reduced their driving. The article thinks they are waiting for some hybrid revolution. But maybe their habits are changing.

https://news.yahoo.com/s/space/200604...antsahybridcar

burbankbiker

The beauty is that they might be waiting for some hybrid revolution but while they wait they're habits will most certainly change and they'll start to realize how much they don't need a car as often as they think they do.

folder fanatic

Who needs to wait for a hybrid car when simple change of driving habits, and use of a bike intermixed with public transit when available is already here and waiting for use?

RobbieIG

Regarding driving the gym, a little anecdote that happened to me yesterday:

I biked to my gym, get in, change, warm up and hop on a treadmill. I got one of the good ones by the window where I could watch the sky turn from dark and grey to darker and gloomy. I love Oregon. As I am observing the scenery, there is an Acura sharking for a parking spot in front of the gym. They wait with their hazzards on for a while, then drive off. People and cars come and go, and low and behold, the Acura returns. Again there is waiting and hazards, and again they drive away. Again people and cars come and go, and again the Acura returns. The driver just keeps missing one of those spots right outside the gym. They kept doing this for the full thirty minutes I was one the treadmill. I think I saw them get a spot as I was going to the weight room.

I know there was parking available about 2 blocks away.

swwhite

This past weekend we needed a bottle of spaghetti sauce for dinner. First solution to mind, buzz to the grocery store a mile away, in the car. Second thought, that is vastly inefficient (with respect to fuel use, at least), let's use the bike. So I dumped out the Ortlieb messenger backpack and rode to the store, got a messenger bag full of stuff, and rode home.

Now, what I find interesting, the ride time to the store was seven minutes one way. The rest of the time for the trip would have been the same no matter what method I had taken to get there. The travel time only was about 14 minutes. Had I driven, I can't believe I could have done it in less than two minutes one way, with stop signs, etc. So, the time DIFFERENCE for bike versus car was only about ten minutes for a two-mile round trip. What is an extra ten minutes wait for a bottle of spaghetti sauce.

It SEEMS like the ability to buzz about by car is so efficient, but in many cases it is not all the much better.

Lamplight

I don't know about others in my area, but I'm using about half as much gas now. In fact, about the only time I drive is commuting to work, and that's only because I work 31 miles from my home. I used to LOVE driving and in fact, I have a class A CDL and when I started at my current employer I was a delivery driver. Needless to say that got old very quickly, as did all other driving. I envy those of you who live close enough to your work that you can bike there. Physically I could probably bike to work, but it wouldn't leave me enough hours in the day to sleep properly! Hopefully that will change before the end of the summer!

gerv 

The gym example -- particularly the one RobbieIG provides -- is probably better than the grocery store. I see so many people drive to the gym, run around an indoor track for 10 minutes to warm up, then start lifting weights. In fact, I've done it myself and credit it to the power of habit. Bad habits.

For the grocery store, you really need to change your buying pattern to make the bicycle work. Buy less each time, make more trips. You would probably have to adapt to the buying style you see in larger North American cities and Europe. Most folks just buy enough for the evening meal. Over time though you begin to buy only what you really need... perhaps another way to prevent over-eating.

burbankbiker

When I started biking everywhere to save gas money I performed an experiment where my wife and I went to the office supply store, the gym, the post office, and the grocery store. She drove. I biked. It was about 10 miles in total. Every location we left at the same time and ARRIVED at the next location in sync. The driving and biking were the same. What time she gained through the accelerator pedal, she lost in red lights. Plus, I could walk out of the store and jump on my bike (front row parking space) while she had to walk to the parking lot, start the car, and back out, etc.

The only time she beat me was on the way home from the last stop - the grocery store because my bag was filled with the purchases and I was biking up hill. But even then, it was less than one minute between our arrivals.

Yeah bikes.

oilfreeandhappy

You should start a thread on this one. You'd probably get some interesting responses and pictures.
Check out this creative solution that I saw today.

Roody

My version of this experience happened soon after I started riding (but had already been carfree for years). I was going to put my bike on a bus bike rack so I could travel with two friends who didn't have their bikes with them. The rack was full, so I rode my bike while they took the bus. I barely beat them to the downtown bus station. The rack on the second bus was also full, so I rode on, passed their bus (don't you hate passing busses?) and beat them to our destination by at least 10 minutes.

Since them, I have never ridden a bus when I could ride my bike instead.

heywood

naa...i love biking to the grocery store..use a car once a month to stock on real big stuff but a bike with good saddle bags can handle most daily needs..I love zipping into the store adjusting my load and whipping out again in the time it takes "soccer mom" to park her SUV....hee..hee..

chicbicyclist

I really love expanding my basket, and then putting the bag full of grocery in a paper bag and whizzing away. I would buy flowers to accent the look, but I don't really like them. Maybe I could use french bread instead...

gerv 

I like the trip to the grocery store. Especially if it's evening, weather is good.

But, on the practical side, before I leave, I have to figure out " is this grocery list going to fit in the available bags I can hang off my rack?" If not, maybe a small bag off the front. If it gets beyond that... maybe I'm eating too much!

oilfreeandhappy

I biked to the grocery store yesterday. Wow, that gallon of milk sure was heavy, especially with the bunch of bananas. If I keep doing this, I'm going to need a pull cart.

chicbicyclist

Just get a basket, you two