Many of you know that I'm jobless and have been for some time. I just recieved word that it will take $1500 to get my car back together. It will run but leak constantly for much less. If I had $1500 I would not spend it on the car because the car isn't worth that much. I would rather get that Olympic that I've been craving for some time if I had the money but I don't, so i won't. Rather I'm contemplating going car free. Surely this will be a challenge as this city is not known to be cycling friendly. I've heard that it turns cycle commuters into Hummer drivers. We've got a few really big hills here in town, actually 7, just like Rome. If I do this it will hurt. If I do this I will question it every day. If i do this I will get stronger. If I do this I will be able to whip all of your asses in a race.

Consider how you use your car. Now consider how you use your bike. Can you do things on the bike that you normally do with your car? Most likely...it'll just take a bit longer. Take mass transit or a cab for errands too big for your bike. I wish I could go car free but at the moment I need my car. If I lived in a big city and never had to venture out of it, I'd go car free. If I was single and had no kids I'd be car free. And only rent a car for holidays and travelling.

Consider your needs rather than whether you need a car. If you need to get to and from work check out something like this: https://www.erideshare.com/carpool.php?city=Cincinnati

If you need to use a car occasionally, you could try to organize something in Cincinnati with agencies like:
https://www.flexcar.com/
https://www.zipcar.com
https://www.carsharing.net/

Doesn't look like there is anything currently operating in Cincinatti.

Or sit down and do the math. It's often cheaper to rent a car or take a cab than buy, licence, insure, store and feed a car if you only need it occasionally.

Unless the info on this page is BS, Cincinnati looks like it as least heading to being more bike friendly
https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/transeng/pages/-6807-/

I went car-free back in December. I wasn't driving the thing very often MONTHS before that.

I haven't been happier since.

I live in a city that's pretty bike-friendly (austin, tx) - but before this, I was living in Norfolk, VA area - quite possibly the worst cycling area in the US in my opinion.

The thing that has helped the most with car-freeness is a trailer. I bought a BOB, but you can easily build your own. And although I don't pull it with the fixed - I know a guy who does (his own design). It gets big stuff that I can't fit in the messenger bag anywhere I want.

Even without the trailer, you can put a ton of stuff on your back. Here's a friend of mine transporting another bike with his messenger bag - works like a champ.

https://www.oldskooltrack.com/files/j...nds.frame.html

man, i was car-free for a couple of years but now we have one between the two of us.

i can tell you this: if it were up to me, i'd sell the car in a minute. pay off a few bills and dump the rest into something steel, custom-built and lugged.

i look back on the carfee days with great fondness, especially when i make car payments, fill up the tank, or drive anywhere. especially when i drive anywhere that i could have ridden.

just do it; a great weight will lift from your shoulders. but, you still won't be able to whip my ass.

I've been car free for a while. I got rid of my old mustang in january. It sucks having to rent a car when i want to go to the track to just mess around though...and race car rental is COSTLY...even without hiring a crew for the day

I think renting the itb mustang I rented was about $380 for the day....then the fuel costs...it was pretty nasty...I might just buy an 86 4-banger stang to turn into an ITB class car and rent a truck and car trailer for the days I wnat to run...it would be far cheaper.

EDIT: back on topic....rack and panniers...they will be your best friend on this..buy them, hug them, cuddle then, name them george....seriously...without panniers things like groceries is either a few days at once or a painful trip. Make sure your heels can clear them though. I have to add a couple inches to my rack for mine to fit right...might just make a special mount bracket out of billet or something that uses both frame mounts to keep it stable...that should allow me to back the rack up by a few inches, as well as make it sit higher, since I like turning lean, and i'm afraid loaded they might touch ground.

Then get a good comfy saddle...I mean it..and grips. On those daily commutes, you will feel it if you made a bad choice.

car racing aside...I guess when I feel the need I'll hop on my motorcycle (when I get it in proper order, which shouldn't take too much) CBR 600 F3 VROOM!!! I'm starting to think I have an affinity to 2 wheeled locomotion.

a trailer would be super cool..in fact, Ive got a great one for sale..lemme know if interested...

its the www.bikerev.com one, the basic one...

Ill cut you a deal, since I was an old Buckeye Stater myself..

lemme know
randy

Nice...fisrt motorcycle to terrify me was a CBR900....I was the victim....holding on to the driver for dear life.

He said he was only going to be hitting the track slow....120mph with a leather bomber jacket, levis and a helmet is freaking wrong when you didnt even have a car that could go that fast yet....I made sure to get back at him later that year...it's called firecrackers in the fake birthday cake

No trailers for me yet...unless you count the one I live in. just kidding.

don't be ashamed dude..i lived in a nice singlewide when i went to school at cumberland college, 3 hours south of you on 75...