How does this sound? (possible car free commuter)

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JoshM

Guest
What I found in 8 years of daily commuting is that the weather is seldom as bad once you're out in it than it looks from inside a warm, dry house. Keep your extremities as warm and dry as possible and you can survive just about anything except gale force winds.

This. The hardest bit of any foul weather commute is getting out the door. Decent overshoes for wet days and good windproof gloves for cold ones were the 2 bits of kit I didn't have but am glad I invested in. They made a huge difference to my comfort levels.
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
This. The hardest bit of any foul weather commute is getting out the door. Decent overshoes for wet days and good windproof gloves for cold ones were the 2 bits of kit I didn't have but am glad I invested in. They made a huge difference to my comfort levels.
But if you say you are always doing it by bike then you don't give yourself the option of taking the easy option then you normally walk out the door and find its not quite as bad as you thought!
 

captain nemo1701

Space cadet. Deck 42 Main Engineering.
Location
Bristol
Never owned (or wanted) a Car.
I've just turned 52, cycle commute a 10 mile round trip five days a week. In fact, cycle everywhere!. Occasionally use buses/trains. try to get some accommodation for Uni on a main arterial route so that you can bus it as an option. I know so many work colleagues who live out of town in commuter sattelite towns and villages, do a 30 mile round trip that take them ages in a car and then spend the first ten minutes in the office everyday moaning about traffic congestion. When challenged, automatic defences come into play saying how much they can't change their lifestyle etc, etc. Heard it all before and now really tired of it.
 
OP
OP
cycle_bug

cycle_bug

thought i had something more to say
I was thinking this morning actually about keeping the car , you know, if my student finance entitlement is what I expect and I can technically afford it.. but there's too many concerns with rust and a lot of technical things I fear can go wrong, taking all my money with them. But not just that, reasonable and normal things such as brakes, tyres.. things even a perfect condition car will routinely need. Plus, If I keep it that absorbs all that extra money of which I'd rather save, spend on cycling gear and doing social things (not drinking!).

Also, last night when driving family members into the city I couldnt help but notice just how many cyclists there are.. on the road.. in the city.. and this is semi-rural Northern Ireland!!!

- One was in full cycling gear and a road bike, passing the A5 road where I start my journey - showing lots of people use that 'busy' road at all times of the day.
- Two, a parent and a child on down the way on a proper cycle path, showing there's even families taking to cycling.
- In the city, there were bikes tied to fences all around.. even in Subway, someones bike propped up against the wall as the owner ordered..fantastic.
- On the return drive, someone around my age on a BMX with a guitar / instrument on their back!

Now, it was a sunny evening with no wind and those people may well have been cycling for pure leisure and nothing more.. but it shows me I'm not alone out there. Cycling is happening here and I should get involved. I cant stress how much I'd rather have been out there than in the car!

It'll be hard getting rid of these doubts about handing the car to my mum. Yes, it deserves some serious thought, and the utmost criticism of both option;- keeping it and replacing it with the bike in - in order to come to the right decision by August 23rd.

I hope [more of] you guys replying continue to do so as this is quite inspiring hearing your stories and answers to the concerns I post.
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
I was thinking this morning actually about keeping the car , you know, if my student finance entitlement is what I expect and I can technically afford it.. but there's too many concerns with rust and a lot of technical things I fear can go wrong, taking all my money with them. But not just that, reasonable and normal things such as brakes, tyres.. things even a perfect condition car will routinely need. Plus, If I keep it that absorbs all that extra money of which I'd rather save, spend on cycling gear and doing social things (not drinking!).

Also, last night when driving family members into the city I couldnt help but notice just how many cyclists there are.. on the road.. in the city.. and this is semi-rural Northern Ireland!!!

- One was in full cycling gear and a road bike, passing the A5 road where I start my journey - showing lots of people use that 'busy' road at all times of the day.
- Two, a parent and a child on down the way on a proper cycle path, showing there's even families taking to cycling.
- In the city, there were bikes tied to fences all around.. even in Subway, someones bike propped up against the wall as the owner ordered..fantastic.
- On the return drive, someone around my age on a BMX with a guitar / instrument on their back!

Now, it was a sunny evening with no wind and those people may well have been cycling for pure leisure and nothing more.. but it shows me I'm not alone out there. Cycling is happening here and I should get involved. I cant stress how much I'd rather have been out there than in the car!

It'll be hard getting rid of these doubts about handing the car to my mum. Yes, it deserves some serious thought, and the utmost criticism of both option;- keeping it and replacing it with the bike in - in order to come to the right decision by August 23rd.

I hope [more of] you guys replying continue to do so as this is quite inspiring hearing your stories and answers to the concerns I post.
I ran a project in Letterkenny and the client was incorporating showers, a drying room and long lockers for suits etc...to accommodate the staff who cycled and ran to work.

Letterkenny is a pretty rural kind of town (albeit a university town I believe).
 
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I'm 20, starting uni in September. I have a car at the minute, costing me like £145 a month. I've probably spent about £900 on keeping it in good shape and running it well too - nothing irrational, just repairs and service. It's expensive. I also had a claim, so my insurance is going to be sky high for another few years.

I have this idea about going car free, which is essentially to give it to my mum. She has had car problems and isn't working so I'd be doing her a favour giving her the car which is well serviced and working order. But I'd still have access to it occasionally and be under her insurance policy on it.

I wouldn't have to pay Road Tax and at best I'd only need to add a little to servicing every so often, either way as time goes on I'll get more accustomed to cycling and the car will become 'less mine', that's one of the main purposes of this plan. Cycling. Going slightly more car free, saving money, and almost phasing out the car but not losing my investment or complete access to this mad car-requirement world.

Cycling would be how I commute. I'd be in uni 3 days per week, for around 3 hours at a time. The distance from my home to uni is about 8 miles and theres only hills on the return journey. After 2 miles, there is a good flat cycle path at the edge of a river. I cycle this maybe once or twice every fortnight now as a leisurely ride, some times easier than others. Mostly in good weather - though I have been caught in heavy showers, still never put me off completely.

People on CycleChat have already told me because I'm 20 and have no problems I should be able to cycle 14 miles like nothing in not very long. I'm aware that with the right, maybe even costly gear I can cope with the rain, I remember being stuck in a shower thinking "I feel warm. If only I had a waterproof jacket and not a big coat". I do enjoy cycling and this would give it a bit of purpose, my favourite cycling is utility and commuting. I'd rather read about how peoples commutes went than read about winners of cycling races etc.

In reality, people tell me its stupid: "you need a car" , "it's a step back like being at school, driving your parents car"...

To me, I want to save money, enjoy a hobby, not lose my investment in the car completely all the same..

Your thoughts,
cycle_buy

I am genuinely struggling to work this one out. Perhaps you meant "uphills"?
 

martinclive

Über Member
Location
Fens, Cambridge
Spending money on maintaining cars is a necessary and painful evil
Spending money on your bike and cycling clothing etc is a joy

+ Cars will always cost you more than you think

I am 52 - started cycle commuting 4.5 years ago doing 30 miles round trip. Lost weight, got fitter, made friends etc etc and now get grumpy if I have to drive

Leave locks at work (Uni) and spare clothes etc if you can so you carry as little as possible

I have no showers here but advice above about showering night before or morning is spot on - quick wash in the disabled loos (please don't judge me) baby wipes, deo and spray if necessary

Enjoy - it's great out there!
 
OP
OP
cycle_bug

cycle_bug

thought i had something more to say
Okay guys, so today I cycled from home to do some shopping at Tesco, half a mile or less before my uni. This is the route I'd be taking three days a week.

https://www.strava.com/activities/605073123

What do you think of the elevation and speed and times etc? I was kind of pushing myself today, but I felt the power there to burn.

Saw some motorbikes taking up the cycle lock stands :-/
 
You'll be fine! Just get out and do it!! Speed is easily fine, it'll improve as you do it more often. Elevation is almost non-existent compared to many here.

I'm currently doing a 40mile round trip for my commute about 3 days a week. The fitness comes pretty quickly and even the bad days are better than a car.

Got a new car recently but the bike is still 200 miles ahead in the same time frame.
 

biking_fox

Guru
Location
Manchester
One thing about cycle-commuting. You need a reliable bike. It doesn't have to be fast, light or expensive, just robust and reliable. It has to work. Everyday. Because realistically you aren't going to fix it until weekends. Strong wheels, decent spokes, thick chain, marathon plus tyres, mudguards, rear rack, bright lights (and spares and spare batteries). Ideally hub gear and disk brakes. And probably still a 2nd bike for those times when it's being serviced.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
Strong wheels, decent spokes, thick chain, marathon plus tyres, mudguards, rear rack, bright lights (and spares and spare batteries). Ideally hub gear and disk brakes. And probably still a 2nd bike for those times when it's being serviced.
Dynamo lights do away with battery messing. I'd go for hub brakes (more reliable) and rim brakes (more bodgeable, preferably V or caliper rather than canti) over discs too. Second bikes are good - or even more. I've currently got three bikes out of use (rear bearing, rear puncture, headset creak all happened in quick succession) but I've got to fix one today because neither the road bike nor the folding bike are really suitable for lugging the amount I need to buy at market. :sad:
 
OP
OP
cycle_bug

cycle_bug

thought i had something more to say
Well guys, determined to press ahead. Did the journey (and then some) on Friday, Saturday and have had no major problems other than the odd car passenger shouting out the window..

The main road (A5) is scary, but not as scary as I'd imagined. It's phenomenally faster, and one mile shorter. Much more flat, no more scary corners and intense hills on the home journey.

In regards to my car, I've been pressured into keeping it by the parents, girlfriend and anyone else who I've bounced the idea off. They have no doubt that I can cycle each and every day, but due to my investments in the car they think I'm silly to give it up over what is a minor spot of rust. I was also told it'll have no problem passing the MOT due to that for years yet. In order to avoid big expenses (and so I can spend my disposable income on my bike!) I'm putting away £20 a week at uni into a fund to fix it when it goes wrong. My insurance is also set to go down to around £100 a month, possibly less if I half my mileage to 6000 (or less thanks to the bike). So it stays, but is only for journeys beyond the city (<20%) and I reckon it'll need much less repairs if its moved less.

Anyway, less car, more bike...

I'm off the bike until Saturday as the chain has developed a nasty sludge, which I'm fixing on Friday after getting some advice from the mechanical section.

I have also fitted a pannier rack which arrived from eBay - now for bags, but a member on here is helping with that! They disagree with my current mudguards quite a bit, and I was going to throw both away to buy a 'good' mudguard set and a 'good' pannier rack but it turns out most have the same lousy mudgaurd stays that you have to cut and its impossible for me as an online shopper to ascertain compatibility of the two parts..

Cycling is such a joy. The freedom, the low cost, the exercise, the fresh air and the sheer simplicity. In the future I will probably live in my city or in another city and it is then I could probably survive car-free, only renting a car for business trips and road trips. Hope to get at least two years out of my Raleigh Hybrid but if it goes well I could keep it longer. I must prove to myself I will keep up this serious cycling before investing in a two wheeled Ferrari :biggrin:
 
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