Carless??

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Twinks

Über Member
Just wondered how many people on here manage without a car.

Having sold my horse trailer we are now selling the 4x4 needed to pull it. The original idea was to get a smaller car but we are toying with the idea of not bothering and managing without. Haven't been carless for 30 years so feels a bit like having your legs cut off but it should be doable as we both live and work in the same town, can walk, cycle or train to most anywhere we need to go and love walking and cycling anyway. Mostly its about the time it will take to do the things you take for granted, ie shopping and stuff.

Is would be a serious life change but would it be for the better? Any thoughts?
 

discominer

Senior Member
no car since 1982. Funnily enough we survive.
 

iggibizzle

Senior Member
Location
blackpool
I did the same. 17 years of driving through clogged up roads. And cars and car parts were a part of my income too. Then one day decided to sell up and go full on bicycle. Don't miss it to be honest. Will maybe get another but purely to transport my bike somewhere to ride it :laugh:
 

Turbo Rider

Just can't reMember
Nup. Need a car at the moment...kids and stuff...well...I say need...it's just easier is all...but also a heck of an expense...used to have 2 cars though and sold my own when I got my bike, so half way there...only other thing, besides kids being dropped at school would be shopping, but you can get that delivered these days anyway...hate driving as well though. Hope it works out :smile:
 

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
Just wondered how many people on here manage without a car.

Having sold my horse trailer we are now selling the 4x4 needed to pull it. The original idea was to get a smaller car but we are toying with the idea of not bothering and managing without. Haven't been carless for 30 years so feels a bit like having your legs cut off but it should be doable as we both live and work in the same town, can walk, cycle or train to most anywhere we need to go and love walking and cycling anyway. Mostly its about the time it will take to do the things you take for granted, ie shopping and stuff.

Is would be a serious life change but would it be for the better? Any thoughts?

Why not give it a try for a while and see how it works out? You can always get another car if you find it doesn't work for you. The only pain for you I guess is shopping but you can always get a taxi from Tesco or wherever or order the heavier stuff online for delivery. Depends on your lifestyle and how much time you have I guess. I'm always rushing around and have kids to take places so I need a car. Maybe your circumstances are different. If I see someone cycling up Chunal with a trailer full of shopping I'll give you a toot!
 

MarkF

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
Can't wait for the kids to go so we can not have a car. It's primarily used now to ferry my 13 year old daughter about to sleepovers and stuff. Food shopping, for 5, we do on the bikes without any problems at all, less food waste too.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
Had a car since I was 22 or so, but I don't use it much now. Living in a village means that if we didn't have a car, we'd be hiring cars and vans to move stuff sometimes, so I'm pretty sure we spend more money on a mostly-unused car mainly so we avoid dealing with hire companies any more. My attitude would change if there was a decent car club nearby but I don't know whether all the drivers would agree.
 

Saluki

World class procrastinator
Why not go carless, put the money from selling your 4x4 into the bank and set aside. Then if you find that being carless is not the thing for you, you have the money for a wee car right there. Give being carless a go for a month or two and see how you go.

I'd love to be carless but with Hubster on dialysis, it's not practical. Sometimes he gets called to Addenbrookes at very short notice, which is too far for him to ride. We do use our bikes for going to the city etc, commuting to work etc, rather than the car. Happily our car is cheap to run so we feel less bad about leaving it parked in the parking space for days on end.
 

The_Cycling_Scientist

Über Member
Location
Cambridge
I had to sell my car last September due to insurance cost's going through the roof (when a little Saxo of mine decided to try and kill me back in June). it was how I could afford my road bike as I couldn't of afforded to buy one with running a car and a house.
I've survived, admittedly shopping can be a bit of a challenge or getting large quantities of things home but we have a dutch bike with a big basket the other half uses and my bike with panniers. If I really need it we have rucksacks too and her rear pannier to spread things across.. public transport does the rest :smile:
 
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