Attempting to go car-free
- Thread starter Andrew_Culture
- Start date
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mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Any learning or discoveries or surprises?That's awesome
Week one of no car done already
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Physically its easy to do anywhere, seeing as half the population don't own a car. Its the willpower and wherewithall to do so that most car drivers lack. After a few years of car ownership most car drivers adapt their lives to suit the car, not the other way around.
With internet shopping, supermarket home deliveries etc its easier than ever before, but Andrew is still to be applauded for the attempt. Less danger, pollution, congestion, road capacity and repairs, drain on strategic resources... Environmentally, socially, and patriotically speaking he is a hero. I am awaiting word of his experiences with great interest.
With internet shopping, supermarket home deliveries etc its easier than ever before, but Andrew is still to be applauded for the attempt. Less danger, pollution, congestion, road capacity and repairs, drain on strategic resources... Environmentally, socially, and patriotically speaking he is a hero. I am awaiting word of his experiences with great interest.
T.M.H.N.E.T
Rainbows aren't just for world champions
- Location
- Northern Ireland
The savings I think,roughly £250 a month. I commuted by motorbike for many years before learning to drive so can do without a car (of my own anyway)
I gave up the motorbike for a cage after getting fed up of daily soakings, but thinking about it this week I have multiple sets of cycling kit and spare shoes - I really could have done the same for bike gear... Never thought of it at the time
I'd be open to another moto if the right one appeared at the right £
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OP
OP
Andrew_Culture
Internet Marketing bod
- Location
- The People's Republic Of Suffolk.
Good luck with going car free Andrew. We gave up our car nearly 2 years ago and have never looked back. I get a monthly bus ticket that costs less than I used to spend a month on petrol. If you are cycle commuting it will be much cheaper.
We found that buying a trailer for the bike was a good option for lugging stuff around and large shopping trips. It carries about the same as the boot of a small car.
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It is such a relief not to have the unexpected costs you get with car ownership, having to spend hundreds of pounds at a time. However we have found that we are spending quite a lot on bike stuff.
Brilliant! In the short term I think an MTB and a trailer is going to the answer, I'm having no joy finding a used cargo bike.
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
When choosing a trailer I recommend one that either bolts to the rear axle or (better still) clamps to the NDS chainstay, these have very little effect on the bikes stability/handling. I've taken mine to 40MPH+ with no problems (downhill on a dual carriageway that had no junctions)
He is not really going car free though, he is just trying to save money.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
The motivation doesn't interest me - the action does.
But to go car free when all it means is getting rid of the one you own and then borrowing one instead is not really going green. I, like you would like to see less car miles done and certainly smaller cleaner cars being used.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Still less road miles covered in a motor vehicle, and that is all to the good
D
Deleted member 1258
Guest
I was car free for over 30 years, I've had a car now since 2012. The car is convenient and makes life easier, being car free means a bit more planning and a bit less convenience.
briantrumpet
Legendary Member
- Location
- Devon & Die
Absolutely agree about people adapting their lives round the assumption of car use. The mixture of things I do as a musician in Devon would be impossible at times without a car (either owned or hired, or shared), though my life wouldn't be impossible, I suppose it would just be less interesting and poorer. Even if I gave up my car, I'd need lifts from friends, or for them to carry stuff for me while I cycled. Such is the peripatetic life.
I'm on the low end of mileage, and do so both because I like cycling as much as possible, but also because it saves me time and money (my 19-year-old car did just 4,000 miles last year which cost me £1000 all in). Happily my saving money does also reduce my carbon footprint in that respect (though I screw that up by flying to Paris a few times a year, albeit after cycling to the airport).
We are car free because we live in central London.
What would make it easier is some decent bike and trailler storage options. We live in a flat and can get a parking space for very little money, which we could use to store a car, but if we tried to keep bikes or a trailler in it then they would be stolen in about 5 seconds.
I'm quite tempted to get a parking space anyway and drill a whacking great ground anchor into the road. I'm not sure the council will be too happy when they notice though!
What would make it easier is some decent bike and trailler storage options. We live in a flat and can get a parking space for very little money, which we could use to store a car, but if we tried to keep bikes or a trailler in it then they would be stolen in about 5 seconds.
I'm quite tempted to get a parking space anyway and drill a whacking great ground anchor into the road. I'm not sure the council will be too happy when they notice though!
I reckon you should have a budget of £500 (money saved on car) + £900 (money saved on insurance) + £200 (money saved in first month) which ought to get you something nice. But perhaps that's not how it works in the real world
If the 5yo has their own bike, have you thought about a Followme or something like that? £200 to effectively bolt their bike to the back of yours (and its easily removable so they can ride under their own steam and then attach to yours when tired)
Are you on Facebook? The "Family Cycling UK" group may have some ideas -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/641173915998956/
