Update on car-free commuting



R

Robert Haston

Guest
I donated my old car a month ago, bought a trailer, and have entered the
ranks of 100% cycle-commuting (my wife still has a car).

Aside from the expected thousand a year saved in insurance, repairs, and
eventual replacement with another old car (which still is a surprise when
you get it) I have noticed:

I eat more and weigh less - more than I expected an extra 6 round trips or
so would give me.

It was easier than I thought. Caring for both my bike and car and using
both less was a waste.

Just like the weight, I fell an increase in fitness I didn't expect.

I am really doing something for my country (even if I am surrounded by
people who think bumper stickers on your SUV is enough, and "activists" like
myself should be monitored by the Department of Homeland Security)

I am finishing up on my arrangements, which include:

Dual front and rear lights
Spare tire at work
Keeping my spare bike at home ready to go
Extra dry underwear at work, in case I get rained on going in
Overnight bag at work (I often get called for no-notice flights)


I am working on further improvements:

Fenders - my present tailbag caught most of it, but gets very soggy in the
process.
Waterproof tailbox storage.


--
Robert Haston
Satellite Beach, FL
 
I have been car-free for many years.


Doug Goncz
I love: Dona, Jeff, Kim, Mom, Neelix, Tasha, and Teri, alphabetically.
I drive: A double-step Thunderbolt with 657% range.
I fight terrorism by: Using less gasoline.
 
"Robert Haston" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I donated my old car a month ago, bought a trailer, and have entered the
> ranks of 100% cycle-commuting (my wife still has a car).
>
> Aside from the expected thousand a year saved in insurance, repairs, and
> eventual replacement with another old car (which still is a surprise when
> you get it) I have noticed:
>
> I eat more and weigh less - more than I expected an extra 6 round trips or
> so would give me.
>
> It was easier than I thought. Caring for both my bike and car and using
> both less was a waste.
>
> Just like the weight, I fell an increase in fitness I didn't expect.
>
> I am really doing something for my country (even if I am surrounded by
> people who think bumper stickers on your SUV is enough, and "activists" like
> myself should be monitored by the Department of Homeland Security)
>
> I am finishing up on my arrangements, which include:
>
> Dual front and rear lights
> Spare tire at work
> Keeping my spare bike at home ready to go
> Extra dry underwear at work, in case I get rained on going in
> Overnight bag at work (I often get called for no-notice flights)
>
>
> I am working on further improvements:
>
> Fenders - my present tailbag caught most of it, but gets very soggy in the
> process.
> Waterproof tailbox storage.
***************************************

Good for you, Robert.

I went car-free in May of this year and also donated my car.

Life has never been better. :)

Kind regards.

Lewis.

**********************************
 
I'm 31 now and have never owned a car or had my drivers license.
Humans were meant to walk, but in this fast paced society we live in
many cannot afford to walk. So I bike to work.

This topic has been on my mind a lot lately as I am considering getting
a power hub motor from Crystalyte. As lazy as it sounds, sometimes I
just want to get to work with out getting too sweaty or too wet or too
cold.

On that note I plan to have a second wheel for the power use and my
main wheel will be on there for the summer and spring months.
 
It sounds like a good idea to me.

Way too many people get all wrapped up in the human power versus oil powered
argument. The point is why use 200 horsepower when you could use a quarter
horsepower.

Whatever the power, using more than needed is waste, plain and simple.

"Slugger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:311020042137543035%[email protected]...
> I'm 31 now and have never owned a car or had my drivers license.
> Humans were meant to walk, but in this fast paced society we live in
> many cannot afford to walk. So I bike to work.
>
> This topic has been on my mind a lot lately as I am considering getting
> a power hub motor from Crystalyte. As lazy as it sounds, sometimes I
> just want to get to work with out getting too sweaty or too wet or too
> cold.
>
> On that note I plan to have a second wheel for the power use and my
> main wheel will be on there for the summer and spring months.
 
The United States has had it too easy for too long, we have become far
too dependent on vehicles that require power sources other than human
power! And as a result 66% of the population here is overweight with
33% being in the obese range! Now I am not saying that we should
outlaw all private motor vehicles but If everyone that lived within 10
miles of thier place of employment rode a bicycle to work that would
certainly reduce the number of overweight people in this country. And
it would help to reduce our dependency on foreign oil.

Ken
 
live-free wrote:
> The United States has had it too easy for too long, we have become far
> too dependent on vehicles that require power sources other than human
> power! And as a result 66% of the population here is overweight with
> 33% being in the obese range! Now I am not saying that we should
> outlaw all private motor vehicles but If everyone that lived within 10
> miles of thier place of employment rode a bicycle to work that would
> certainly reduce the number of overweight people in this country. And
> it would help to reduce our dependency on foreign oil.

10 miles is a bit far for an unfit person to start commuting by bike.
But 5 miles, or even 3, would probably still make quite a difference.

The main fly in the ointment in the UK, which also has a car culture
rather than a bike culture, is that a car is the hardwired default for
people as transport. They use a car without thinking about it, "I'm
going down to the shops, where's my car keys?". It isn't so much bikes
have been rejected, they're not even considered. I'm not sure how to
push bikes up in peoples' consciousness, in the UK they're considered
the domain of eccentrics and people that can't afford cars.

Another problem, related back to 10 miles being a fair distance for a
first time bike commute, is many people have decided to live at a car
commute distance from their work, which makes anything else
intrinsically harder.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
"live-free" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The United States has had it too easy for too long, we have become far
> too dependent on vehicles that require power sources other than human
> power! And as a result 66% of the population here is overweight with
> 33% being in the obese range! Now I am not saying that we should
> outlaw all private motor vehicles but If everyone that lived within 10
> miles of thier place of employment rode a bicycle to work that would
> certainly reduce the number of overweight people in this country. And
> it would help to reduce our dependency on foreign oil.
>
> Ken

I'm not sure you can link the two issues like that with reasonable accuracy,
while I'm sure many people drive when they could walk they've been doing
that for decades but you can also factor in a few other things that weren't
around a few years ago like video games or the internet etc. All I can say
is my weight problem a few years ago had EVERYTHING to do with computers,
video games and the internet, definately wasn't a car :)
 
Peter Clinch wrote:

> live-free wrote:
>
>> The United States has had it too easy for too long, we have become far
>> too dependent on vehicles that require power sources other than human
>> power! And as a result 66% of the population here is overweight with
>> 33% being in the obese range! Now I am not saying that we should
>> outlaw all private motor vehicles but If everyone that lived within 10
>> miles of thier place of employment rode a bicycle to work that would
>> certainly reduce the number of overweight people in this country. And
>> it would help to reduce our dependency on foreign oil.
>
>
> 10 miles is a bit far for an unfit person to start commuting by bike.
> But 5 miles, or even 3, would probably still make quite a difference.
>
> The main fly in the ointment in the UK, which also has a car culture
> rather than a bike culture, is that a car is the hardwired default for
> people as transport. They use a car without thinking about it, "I'm
> going down to the shops, where's my car keys?". It isn't so much bikes
> have been rejected, they're not even considered. I'm not sure how to
> push bikes up in peoples' consciousness, in the UK they're considered
> the domain of eccentrics and people that can't afford cars.
>
> Another problem, related back to 10 miles being a fair distance for a
> first time bike commute, is many people have decided to live at a car
> commute distance from their work, which makes anything else
> intrinsically harder.

Or you could live in a place where three of the five bridges are
Interstate Highways that prohibit non-motorized traffic, a fourth that
has the sidewalks blocked off during a long construction period (and
drivers than would likely run over a cyclist taking the single lane),
and the final option being a swing-span on a military base that opens
every time a barge goes through the locks.

--
Tom Sherman - Curmudgeon and Pedant
 
In article <[email protected]>,
Robert Haston <[email protected]> wrote:

> It sounds like a good idea to me.
>
> Way too many people get all wrapped up in the human power versus oil powered
> argument. The point is why use 200 horsepower when you could use a quarter
> horsepower.
>
> Whatever the power, using more than needed is waste, plain and simple.
>
Also 1 ton vehicles aren't necessary to move one person.
I always liked this thing:
http://www.go-one.biz/ukindex.shtml
 

> >I always liked this thing:
> >http://www.go-one.biz/ukindex.shtml
>
> Hmm, yes, but I think the good people at Leitra might take issue with
> it being a new type of vehicle :)
>
> Guy

I never said it was new type of vehicle.
I just rather like it.
It can be configured with a power assist due to the extra weight.
 
Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> On Thu, 04 Nov 2004 08:39:02 GMT, Slugger <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I always liked this thing:
>> http://www.go-one.biz/ukindex.shtml
>
> Hmm, yes, but I think the good people at Leitra might take issue with
> it being a new type of vehicle :)

Moreover, the claim that it's the "first carbon fiber Monocoque chassis
outside of Formula 1 racing!" is this: Clearly Bollocks.

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
World Domination?
Just find a world that's into that kind of thing, then chain to the
floor and walk up and down on it in high heels. (Mr. Sunshine)
 
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