Car Free

[martinwf5]

As anyone on the chat forum gone car free?

We had two cars this time last year, when i started commuting, i sold one, wow i thought, some money !!

enjoyed every minute of the 30 minute commute, until March when the credit crunch kicked in, and i lost my job !!!

Cycling has now taken over my life, with every task or chore there is the bike, wether it shopping, nipping to to post office or just out for fun.

With career prospects looking pretty good, we have decided to get rid of the other car,for some unkown reason, this goes on tuesday, and its back to basics for the family ,

Just wondered if anyone else has been in the same situation?

Martin

 

[User169]

Yep - been car free for nearly 3 years now, although not for economic reasons especially. Just realised that we didn't really use the one we had very much so didn't bother getting one when we moved to the Netherlands. Hired a car for the summer hols, but apart from that we do everything by bike and get things delivered when we need to.

 

[blazed]

Id rather drink a tub of salmonella than go car free.

 

[Hilldodger]

Couldn't do without my Capri, Citron H van and seven motorbikes

But they are my hobby and I do spend six days a week running cycling projects/events.

 

[XmisterIS]

No, I live in the countryside - I'm buggered without a car!

 

[accountantpete]

No - but a tenners worth of petrol lasts 3 weeks.

 

[Mr Pig]

If I left my bike chained up outside a shop around my way I'd come out to a bare frame! And that would have some ned's name sprayed on it!

Naa, we would struggle without a car. The kids go to too many places, their lives would really suffer.

 

[maverick]

No - but a tenners worth of petrol lasts 3 weeks.

Strewth, my lawn mower uses more than that.

 

[jig-sore]

i kinda did it the other way round, i started to cycle commute after having to sell the second car. it was an old mini and needed a lot of work doing to it so it had to go in the end.

i find cycling to work a LOT less stressful than going in the car, but it also seems to wear me out quite a bit. other wise I'd do it every day.

do seem to be spending any "petrol money" savings on stuff for the bike at the moment though, got a new rucksack this week, new shorts and pedals last month . guess this will settle down when I'm fully kitted out

couldn't go fully car free due to the three kids

 

[addictfreak]

We have two still, and although I dont use mine so much I still need to keep it.

 

[Jonathan M]

Ask me this time next year. My driving licence is suspended until then for medical reasons so bike will be my primary form of transport. I'm thinking the first couple of months getting used to being licence-less will be the hardest, although I have a hope that by this time next year I won't want to reapply to the DVLA for it back.

 

[Headgardener]

Never owned one as I am an epileptic and can't drive. Bike everywhere unless I can con my brother into taking me where I need to go.

 

[martinwf5]

Some good posts here,

Although we have four children, all the activites and schools are a stones throw away from the doorstep, the local market is twice a week less than 10 minutes walk even.

Running costs on the car are quite high for what we use it for, local running about , the odd run here and there with the bikes in the back !!

 

[andrew-the-tortoise]

Never owned a car.

 

[Kirstie]

We live in the countryside where there is no public transport and we both have jobs in different places so have 2 cars. However I have substituted 2 days of my (lengthy) commute for cycling and I now really resent having to drive to work! It doesn't actually save any money because the train fare is the same as what it costs in petrol (I suppose it does if you factor in wear and tear on the car), but in terms of my sanity and fitness it is working wonders.