Giving up motorised transport in favour of biking it everywhere

[Andy in Germany]

Great post Andy.

Your words reminded me that changing our mode of transport is never as simple as just substituting one vehicle for another. It involves adaptations in most areas of our lives.

For me going from car to bike/bus/train involved:

Getting groceries delivered.
Accepting that trips to the coast would need to be planned.
Paying much more attention to the weather forecast.
Getting some really good clothes.

If I lived out in the country that list would be much longer.

In return I have saved a fortune, I'm healthier, a long list of headaches has disappeared and I'm much happier.

So I understand that changing is best done gradually, and in this car-obssessed country is not practical for everyone.

Thanks. I find it interesting that people see it as "car=easy" vs. "Bike only=difficult. There are many inconveniences that come with car use, primarily financial, but people seem to ignore them as part of everyday life.

 

[All uphill]

Thanks. I find it interesting that people see it as "car=easy" vs. "Bike only=difficult. There are many inconveniences that come with car use, primarily financial, but people seem to ignore them as part of everyday life.

Absolutely.

I was in a conversation recently with a group of fellow volunteers.

The conversation was about the hell of traffic jams, lack of parking, horrible traffic wardens, cost of fuel, nightmare roadworks and so on.

When I suggested cycling instead the reaction was interesting - not safe, what if it rains, couldn't pick up a loaf of bread etc, etc.

I seriously think some people would rather moan than try something different.

 

[ColinJ]

I find it interesting that people see it as "car=easy"...

Some people take it to ridiculous extremes...

I was telling Littgull on today's ride about someone who lived at the end of a local terrace of about 10 houses. At the end of the street there was a corner shop. Every day, a man used to walk out of his front door, get into his car and drive to the shop. He'd get out of the car, buy his paper/cigarettes/crisps/whatever, then get back into his car and reverse back to his house!

 

[travellingwest]

Absolutely.

I was in a conversation recently with a group of fellow volunteers.

The conversation was about the hell of traffic jams, lack of parking, horrible traffic wardens, cost of fuel, nightmare roadworks and so on.

When I suggested cycling instead the reaction was interesting - not safe, what if it rains, couldn't pick up a loaf of bread etc, etc.

I seriously think some people would rather moan than try something different.

Interestingly, I get this from customers at work who are constantly surprised I now cycle to work everyday. In fact, I am asked almost daily by someone if I came on the bike, as if they are hoping that one day i'm going to give the bike up and revert back to car use! I haven't given up the car, I've just chosen a different method of transport to work.

However, on the flip side, I do seem to have encouraged my colleagues to either dig their bikes out or buy a bike. They've seen me cycle to work pretty much every shift since Xmas, through some horrid weather I might add and now the spring is springing, they are encouraged to get on two wheels themselves.

 

[ianrauk]

horrible traffic wardens

This moan from car drivers really boils my piss. I have a colleague at work who is always moaning about traffic wardens. I say to him everytime, it's simple. don't park where you shouldn't. He really did say "Then I'll have to park a 10 minute walk away" and he was serious.

 

[Andy in Germany]

This moan from car drivers really boils my piss. I have a colleague at work who is always moaning about traffic wardens. I say to him everytime, it's simple. don't park where you shouldn't. He really did say "Then I'll have to park a 10 minute walk away" and he was serious.

I hear this about speed cameras as well. Drivers are always complaining about them, despite the obvious solution.

 

[Windle]

This moan from car drivers really boils my piss. I have a colleague at work who is always moaning about traffic wardens. I say to him everytime, it's simple. don't park where you shouldn't. He really did say "Then I'll have to park a 10 minute walk away" and he was serious.

I've never understood this either, traffic wardens should be heroes ~ people moan about sh;t parking yet they treat traffic wardens as the enemy. They don't bother me, I don't park like a tw#t. Every town should have an army of them, just think of the revenue they'd rake in for the local authority and what they could do with that money, such as fix potholes.

 

[presta]

My cousin used to be a traffic warden, the local shopkeepers used to ply her with coffee so that she wasn't outside ticketing the customers' cars.

 

[Elybazza61]

We have been carless for nearly ten years now and only miss it very occasionally mostly not being able to get to some Plant Nurseries.
We are lucky that were we live has a station from which you can get to virtually anywhere in the country;we always walk to get shopping, again we are fortunate to have three major supermarkets (and a an Aldi!) and a lot of charity shops to get quality second hand stuff(mostly clothing).

 

[All uphill]

I have the rail card, but unfortunately I can't afford first class!

Do you know about Seatfrog?

You can bid for upgrades to first class. Our son uses it a lot. Sometimes he gets an upgrade from Manchester to Taunton for as little as £12.

 

[ColinJ]

Do you know about Seatfrog?

You can bid for upgrades to first class. Our son uses it a lot. Sometimes he gets an upgrade from Manchester to Taunton for as little as £12.

Thanks, that sounds interesting... I will take a look at it later!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

only miss it very occasionally mostly not being able to get to some Plant Nurseries.

You mean plants from a nursery?
Many times I have bought the usual sets of 6/12 in a tray, I've put them in my panniers no problem.
Bigger plants too.
I carry a small plastic bad in my panniers to protect them from water leakage, in case I want to impulse buy plants

 

[annedonnelly]

You mean plants from a nursery?
Many times I have bought the usual sets of 6/12 in a tray, I've put them in my panniers no problem.
Bigger plants too.
I carry a small plastic bad in my panniers to protect them from water leakage, in case I want to impulse buy plants

I was at a demo last night organised by our gardening club - planting up hanging baskets, etc. I was rather pleased that I didn't win the raffle as getting a fully planted basket or terracotta pot home on the Brompton would have been rather interesting.

 

[wafter]

i looked into public transport but as i work shifts they dont run at the times i need and go no where near where i work . I did work out if i was on regular days i could walk a couple of miles to the village catch a bus into town then catch another bus home .This would take a good 2+ hours each way for a 10 mile direct route by cycle or car.

Yeah, sadly I think unless you living inside a city on a direct route, for most bus services are usually too long and convoluted to be viable.

 

[Moodyman]

I've never owned a car, so for me the "comparison" would be the other way around. I'd have to make a lot of adjustments, primarily to having a much smaller bank account.

After that I'd have to learn how to buy and insure a car, legal requirements like testing them and organising myself around petrol stations and the need to fill up. I'd also have to organise where to park the thing when I'm not using it. Also, I'd need to learn to park in a parking space. Then I'd have to learn what all those lights on the dashboard mean and which ones I need to take notice of, and how much it would cost to fix them.

I'd have to re-learn my way around my local town and how to commute to work without all the useful shortcuts and lovely old backstreets and pedestrian areas: I'd have to factor in extra time to walk from wherever the local car park is to where I actually need to go, instead of locking my bike up practically in front of the door.

Finally, I'd need to find the local gym, and pay for membership to use their machines, and organise a couple of visits a week because otherwise I'd turn into a hobbit, so that's more time wasted and more expense...

And then I wouldn't be able to just stop when I see something interesting or want to take a picture...

That all sounds incredibly expensive and inconvenient, so I'll stay car free...

I’m at that stage in work/life where society expects me to have a premium German chariot. And whilst I have the wherewithal, I just can’t do it for the same reasons you mentioned.

I’m (un)fortunate to live in a large urban area so amenities are accessible by bicycle and public transport. And, I WFH half the time.

Your point about re-thinking the local area is pertinent. On the occasions I drive, (borrow wife’s car) I have to re-tune (mentally) the local map from cycling to driving.