It's on days like these.....

[simon.r]

Well, since you have listed the alternatives which were presumably not impossible, it appears that your definition of necessity is the flexible one.

Alternative 1 - Move house. Not impossible. Move house 12+ times in 20 years - still not impossible, but disadvantages fairly obvious.
Alternative 2 - Long commute. Would mean being out of the house for 14+ hours, 5 days a week.Again, obvious disadvantages.
Alternative 3 - Less well paid job. Aside from the obvious drawbacks, issues such as self-esteem come into play.

So, yes, I agree with you again, my definition of necessity is flexible.

I am drawn towards a car-free lifestyle, I can see many advantages. But, in my opinion, without a massive change in the way virtually everything is organised (and I'm not talking about better public transport, more a whole-scale shift in attitudes and expectations of society in general and employers in particular), it is, at present, necessary for some people to own and use cars

 

[simon.r]

You do realise that this is a forum for cyclsts and not a moaning hard done by drivers one?

I don't think any car owners on this thread are moaning about being hard done by?

 

[bianchi1]

I don't think any car owners on this thread are moaning about being hard done by?

Like I said in my fist post...I love my car

 

[Monsieur]

Well...what a load of hot headed bullying cyclists
Since when has owning a car become an issue? I have 3 cars - mine, wife and children's cars.
I work 11 miles away from my house.
I bought my house as its where I want to live, where my children went to school, where my friends were and where I'd like to retire to (I'm 50, same as the OP).

I drive to work as its by far the easiest option for me.
I cycle evenings and weekends for leisure, fitness and fun.
I drive most distances over 4 miles.

I don't dictate to others how they should use their cars and/or bicycle.
I'm also fairly wealthy (through hard work and canny spending) so can well afford to run 3 cars.

I will continue to use my cars and will also continue to use my bikes.
As for cycling through 50mph winds, driving rain and freezing tempeartures...like the OP, it isn't feasable...I don't need to so I don't.

So there

 

[kerndog]

It came at a price though, no pub.

now that's a decision and a choice but most of all a sacrifice.

It would be nice if everyone could cycle everywhere and no one had a car but it's not realistic, in anybody's world, to suggest that it's even remotely possible.Unless you dont mind the already knackered economy completely collapsing.

I agree if you can get away with not having a car (we just got rid of one and replaced it with a road bike) then do it, but suggesting we all should is ridiculous, bonkers, unrealistic and pure fantasy

 

[kerndog]

Did I do any of that?

nope but your attitude and tone suggests that that is what you think.

Oh and you chose to live in a place with no pub so you could only ride a bike and not have an evil killer car.

So did you really move there so you didn't have to use a car or did you move there then get rid of the car once you realised you didn't need it?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

What happened to Brandane's completely uncontroversial (imo) theread in 24 hours?
I'm not reading it all btw just enough to see you got ganged up upon Brandane - something is happening to the @ sign in this forum, I've just noticed ... alas, it just told me I don't have permission to tag people!
Anyhow:
I thought Brandane's observation was entirely reasonable, some life styles need the use of a car.
Even theclaud and Adrian need a car, if not your own don't you need Amazon's delivery vans?
Me, I hate driving so choose not to run one.
Don't really need it, don't really have to cycle either, could take the bus, but I choose to cycle because it's more convenient time wise and of course because I enjoy it.
My 5 mile commute (I'm a bit further out than Rutherglen town) in all weather does not bother me, even after a 14 hour shift: for now, still healthy at 50, who knows what the future will bring. I might need to drive one day.
Then again I don't have to wear makeup or dressy clothes at work, so it's no bother to quickly change into my uniform.
I fully agree that sometimes a car is a necessity for some people, and most businesses too.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Not so windy today but the rain was running out of my shoes as I walked into the office from the bike shed. Having said that, there is something very pleasurable in putting on dry socks and pants after a soaking wet ride.

GC

It did not rain on me today at 7am, but the wind had really picked up at 6 tonight - did not have to push the bike ... just

 

[wiggydiggy]

Tonights ride home is a good example of where the bike, for me, almost didnt cut it. Gale like conditions with gusts of 60-65 mph, multi directional due to many buildings on my route meant I was blown around a lot. Its not that it was too hard, but too unpredictable.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

You cannot be bothered to read it all but do find time to write a lot.

Yes: I had to choose tonight between cleaning the bike and reading all of cc news before getting some sleep in view of tomorrow's 14 hour shift.
I cleaned the bike, now I'm skimming cc

 

[Brandane]

What happened to Brandane's completely uncontroversial (imo) theread in 24 hours?
I'm not reading it all btw just enough to see you got ganged up upon Brandane

Ach, it's only two of them Pat, and they are members of the "school bullies" gang . I am thick skinned enough to take all they are capable of handing out, and more besides. Nineteen years of dealing with the worst that Greenock and district can muster stood me in good stead for these amateurs .

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

I very much NEED my car, as hard as I've tried I just cannot get enough grip on Conti GP4000s' when trying to pull my caravan.....

 

[steve52]

Gods teeth it drives me crazy! i had to ride the long way round just to get some headwind! what dose it think its doing,bloody tailwind blowing me along at a steady 15,mph grrr

 

[kerndog]

Fine, join the list of people who think they can presume to decide what I think.

ok... so what do you think?

 

[wiggydiggy]

Caravan haters should use BBCiplayer to find the excellent documentary on their history (Caravans:A brittish love affair), certainly opened my eyes as to how far removed a lot of modern caravanists are from the early pioneers of the hobby.