rockthisworld93

Hey everyone Im new here. My name is Nick I am 25 years old from Rhode Island. I bought a bike and commuted 8 miles to work and it was so great I want to sell my car and focus on my love of biking. With many health, enviormental, and economical advantages to a carfree lifestyle I have been set on doing this for awhile. I have a few questions. Does anybody bike year round regardless of the weather? And what is the best bike maintenance steps I should take everytime I ride or once a week, a month etc? And did anyone face any challenges without a car? How did you overcome them? I cant wait to meet some friends on here!

Matt74

cooker

I don't bike year round but I live in a transit friendly area so I use bus/subway on non-biking days. Is that an option for you?

Also this advice is often given here: Park the car for a while before you pull the trigger and sell it, and see how it goes.

Also you may benefit from having two bikes so if there is a serious problem with one that'll take a day or two or longer to get fixed, you won't be stranded.

tandempower

Yes, keep up the vicious cycle of paying registration and insurance until you can no longer justify it by the amount of use you get out of the vehicle. Then, when you finally give up that vicious cycle, you will be able to afford more of this 'delicious cycle:'

Riveting

Not sure what part of RI you'd commute in (downtown Providence vs rural Coventry), but cycle commuting 8 miles on a snowy day in any New England town will be tough. Before getting rid of the car, I would recommend that you first attempt an all winter commute and see ho many days you decide to not ride. But if you're committed, get rid of the car now, and just use some of the car savings to Uber yourself to/from work on those nasty days where the New England ice is too much for the bike.

I lived in the northern RI area and tried to commute (9 miles one-way) every day one winter. The typical 5 F low temps in the morning are doable for 30 minutes with the right windproof gear from top to bottom (~$500 worth), and black ice is barely noticeable with studded tires (~$120), but snow and frozen slush, and ice buildup on the drivetrain, derailleurs, and mechanical brakes can be brutal, (but maybe you can get away with riding Single Speed, with hydro disc brakes). Also weigh in the the greatly increased risk of riding beside drivers who are significantly nervous and challenged in the snow to start with, and need to drive over the heavily slushy/slippery center line in order to pass you, because you can't ride on the shoulder because it's full of snow. Stay safe.

rockthisworld93

From Johnston to Lincoln. I used to live in Coventry. I can always buy another car in December if I feel like the winter is hard. But also there is uber, and if need be my girlfriend has a car that I can always put gas in and use. Im trying to better my health, the enviorment, and my pocket.

noglider 

I ride in most weather but not all weather. Sometimes I look outside and say forget it. My alternate mode is the NYC subway, not a car. I don't own a car. Define your limit as to what you're willing to ride in. Generally, I avoid riding when there is slippery stuff on the ground such as snow or slush. We have a lot of slush here after a snowfall. You may want to have a limit of, say, 25°. That's what mine is, but it varies from time to time. As I ride more miles, I get tougher to weather. And I'm always refining my clothing for each situation.

You'll need alternatives such as public transit, getting rides from friends, etc. You have to plan ahead more when you don't have a car. For instance, I keep spare clothes at work. I have a complete change, in case I arrive drenched, so it includes shirt, pants, underwear, socks, belt, and even shoes. I often have two or three shirts at work. Plan the food you'll carry, too. And have the tools you need to fix a flat tire. If you keep your car, you can save a lot of money by reducing the insurance on it. It would not be insane to keep it even if you rarely drive it.

One thing that surprised me when I started commuting longer distances on bike is how much more food I eat. For a while, the fuel cost was greater than gas! That's because fossil fuel is underpriced. There are 31,000 calories in a gallon of gas, and it costs less than a loaf of bread which probably only has 500 calories in it. The problem is, cars use a lot more calories per mile than a human does.

CliffordK

Oh, from the state you can walk across in a half hour.

I have been car-free for a couple of years now. I do just about everything by bicycle, and ride year-around. We get some cold weather in the 20's and 30's, but very little snow and ice. I can work my schedule around any dangerous road conditions (don't have to ride when snow is out).

I don't have public transport as an option.

Different people treat car-free differently. I do most of my utility hauling by bicycle. Others will do commuting by bicycle, but hire/borrow help for hauling large stuff.

Good luck, and it is possible, in the city, in the suburbs, or out of the city. But, also be realistic with your goals.

travelinhobo

I'm car-free 14 years last month. Some of these 14 yes I have lived over seas, but no matter. If you live near a supermarket, it helps (you may not always be in the mood to ride) or wherever you frequently go. Rear rack is essential. Lighting for nite riding is essential. Eyewear for nite riding is essential (especially if it gets windy). Don't worry about tools. You get them as repairs creep up and just b/c you're car free doesn't mean you can't use a bike mechanic. Some maintenance is so infrequent that unless you're mechanically minded, it may be easier and cheaper to take it in. Keep the chain in good condition. Welcome to our world.

COBikeLover

Denver Colorado metro biker 24/7/365 for many many years. It is much easier to do here than where you live for the main reason of humidity. I personally wouldn't want to do it on the east coast, especially north east, just based on how cold it makes your winters. I couldn't imagine having to bike through those brutal freezing winters all the time, year after year. Not saying it isn't done, and done frequently, just not for me.

In Colorado, public transportation here is amazing! You can take your bike literally everywhere with bike racks on all public transportation and now our new trains. The other main thing is that Denver metro is totally geared towards outdoor lifestyles so you can virtually bike anywhere throughout the metro area because of the amazing path system here. It is extremely elaborate and not like any other I have seen. Total bike friendly place and wouldn't really want to live anywhere long term that is not as bike friendly as here if given a choice.

The benefits of bicycling everywhere is simply that I am in amazing shape compared to most of the population, especially folks my age (late 40's). I look at other people and constantly think they have no idea what they are truly missing, while they are looking at me probably thinking, "poor bastard on the bicycle..." You just naturally start taking care of yourself in all capacities and generally care about your health and intake much more than other folks. I climb/bike/hike combined a lot here and often get to places that most other humans will simply just never see on their best day, and I see it on a regular basis. There is something about being able to get to the top of a mountain with bike in hand and looking down on the world and realizing sometimes there is just no place better to be! Serendipity of bicycling so long is that you just naturally start to become healthier in every capacity...it just becomes the norm for your spirit. That is coming from someone that has struggled with weight, strength, and insecurity problems about themselves physically for most of their life. I was the runt in everything I did...now I am probably in the top 5% physically out there. I am not saying all this in pride...only because of your questions and self reflection realizing these things and suddenly happy. Pride is when you get to the top of the mountain, make sure nobody is around that can see you, and then beat on your chest like a monkey thinking subconsciously metaphorically, "me cave man climb to top of mountain, feel strong, and proud! Cave woman would be proud too!" Boys are still boys and it happens to me when the humility of the entire thing is not stronger, or other times when I am in tears and thanking God I can literally do something like this today.

Educate yourself as much as possible...period. Watch youtube videos, subscribe to a few channels of people who teach well and you are comfortable with, and just let time take its course. Just tune in to a video every once in a while, even if it is something you don't need to learn at the moment, and it will all become natural to you over time. Don't be afraid of anything, and don't take other's advice "so seriously," unless they tell you to take it seriously. You will figure out what is important as time goes on by all the "buzz words" that stand out over time and what your own body gets dialed into. Obviously the two biggest that come to mind is learn about tire maintenance and chain maintenance. Getting a bike stand to work on your own bikes will motivate you to learn the rest by just getting your bike up on a rack, playing, and learning.

Ask as many questions as you can, even when you feel stupid, people putting you down, or walking through the land mines of opinions and cruelness. Don't stop asking questions until you fully understand something regardless of the obstacles or who you piss off in the process, unless you need to take accountability for some wrong action on your part. Question everything and don't take "no" for an answer until you realize the truth is "no" for yourself. Always think outside the box when you can, and if you can't or don't know how, then keep thinking about it until you can. I would tell this to any kid about anything today.

Shopping and injury is the biggest difficulty. Shopping you learn to work around and just make more trips. Sometimes that is a journey and fun project alone. Totally sucks when it is really cold. I don't deal with rain here hardly ever. I don't miss the rain, don't even like it all that much outside of all the green it brings. But I would rather the trade off of dry climate and being outdoors all the time, versus humidity, crotch rot (which if you suffer from in humidity, then biking would literally be a nightmare without a car and something you need to be aware of for men), bugs, and having water splashed in your face, and having a "chill to the bone" all the time is not fun to me. I haven't lived in a wet climate and relied on bicycling as main transportation so my opinions on this subject are "heavily" influenced by dry climates.


Injury is the absolute biggest nightmare if you don't have support around you to help if this should happen to you. If you have family/support/etc... that can help you through these times, then it probably is not a factor. However, if you don't, life can be a nightmare during this time and something you need to not only think about, but plan for as well. Again, public transportation is awesome here and even on crutches freshly injured, doable. But if I didn't have the public transportation here that I have, this would be a serious concern especially as someone ages.



Personally, I would focus more on opportunity to educate and utilize the knowledge available than looking at if from social opportunities, but that is just me. Expectations are often just obstacles to the true serendipity of your journey. Critical thinking is one of your best friends when navigating the world of forums and the like more than being able to identify personalities and look for friends IMO.

And then the last thing I would say to this is simply the truth...it is a "hard" lifestyle for the first couple of years until you get use to it. There are times where you just simply hate it beyond anything you can imagine. Every single time you run out of something, you have to run to the store via bicycle. The first couple of years I may have hated that. At my age and how often I do it now, that is something I don't mind at all. Most normal folks couldn't imagine having to get on a bicycle to run to the store for everything or anything. Tugging a bicycle around with you everywhere sometimes is also problematic, and if you have any decent equipment on your bike, leaving stuff locked up outside always weighs on your conscious if you don't have the luxury of replacing things if they were to be stolen easily. The flip side to "tugging" your bicycle around everywhere is that I can simply walk outside a door and drop off into the most beautiful parts of the world in just a few minutes from virtually anywhere I am.

If you are a family person, I wouldn't recommend this way of life. I couldn't imagine doing all this with kids, but some folks do it.

If I had a car, I would be concerned that I would get lazy and utilize it more over time. Then again, if I had a car, I would probably just put my bicycle in the back of it and use it to get me and the bike to other places of the world I currently can't reach or see and use it for that more for that anything else. That is the only reason I really want a car now

The other side of it all that I hardly ever hear anyone speak about is that the more you bike, the more time you spend in your head, the more of an isolating world it can be in many ways. Personally, I am OK with that. But others might not be after some time doing it and looking back, but I really don't know that for sure.

It is an acquired taste for sure but one you won't understand until you have been doing for a long time. You will also be abnormal to mainstream folks for many reasons you will only understand after you live like this for a while...but they have also become abnormal to me

Jim from Boston

Making changes to my life
FYA, I previously posted to this thread on the Living car Free Forum, “New to Forum. Thinking of Going Car Free”

noglider 

That's a very nice post, @COBikeLover. I'm in NYC, and I have the best commute. It's 6.5 miles each way, all along the Hudson River except for four blocks in light traffic. The river path has bike-and-pedestrian sections and bike-only sections, and there are no motor vehicles. My daughter recently moved to Arvada. When she lived in Denver, she used her bike to commute a fair bit. I'm not sure what she does now. I think she takes trains and buses a lot.

COBikeLover

Born and raised in NY...Long Island. My first mountain bike was learning how to ride in and out of traffic through NYC, riding around Central Park, etc... If you can navigate NYC traffic, you can ride anywhere in the world! We use to skate (roller blade) in and out of the streets of NY more than bicycle though. I couldn't imagine having a descent bike or my Brooks seat sitting outside anywhere there for very long. I honestly don't think I could, and definitely do not want to, do NY weather year round. I have been in cold there that I have never been in my life before. Been so cold there you "sniff" and your nostrils stick together from being frozen and humidity. Never mind the rain, and then brown snow that sits around for what seems like forever. My last year in NY, which was a very long time ago, it rained 17 consecutive weekends in a row. My last time in NYC it was the hottest recorded temperature in NY's history. We were at Yankee stadium and the heat index on the field was 128 degrees. I never felt humid heat like that before. It was awful! The umpire was taken off the field with heat stroke towards the late innings. Rain back there is completely different from what most people comprehend also. Getting stuck in a NY downpour would be the complete end of your day psychologically in every respect if you are caught of guard or no shelter close by. Not to mention that NY drivers are just lunatics in general. It took me years and years to get that NY driver out of me. Seems to pop back up out of me the second I am back in NY though.

I miss being able to go ride in the "woods," food (especially Pizza and bagels), and the water sometimes. Outside of that, don't miss much of anything else. I am too far removed now, and probably spent too much time with hippies outdoors throughout my life I guess.

As for Arvada...they are opening up a new "G Line" train directly to our front door. Been plagued with technological problems for years but when it opens it gives a straight shot to down town faster than the rest of the trains. The trains out here are actually "light rail," and not really high speed trains like in NY. But the new one opening here in Arvada is one of those high speed trains and much faster than the light rails. It looks similar to what they have on the Long Island Rail Road. Between the light rail and all the access to trail heads like Clear Creek and the foot hills, it is one of the best places to live and bike...although it is rapidly changing and gentrification is happening terribly everywhere in Colorado. Our housing crisis is one of the worst in the country as a result, and real estate here is through the roof. Most folks won't be able to live in Arvada, never mind metro Denver here pretty soon. You need to make $24 an hour to afford a two bedroom apartment in Denver metro now. "Federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour, which is lower than the 2018 Colorado state minimum wage of $10.20..." if that gives you an idea of how bad it is. Colorado is drastically exploding, getting too crowded, and gaining all the feelings of the "big city" feel that it never had when I first got here 25 years ago. I think about moving up into the mountains all the time to get away from it all, but gentrification has happened everywhere here and even the cost of mountain town living has skyrocketed and made most places completely not affordable. One thing I will say about public transportation out here though is it is one of the best in the country, and it is all geared towards taking your bike with you anywhere you want to go. There literally isn't a place I can't get to between bike and RTD now. Even straight out to the airport you can train yourself and your bike the entire way now. I have never seen a city better setup for biking...anywhere. From the first day I got here I absolutely fell in love with their path system here and it has only gotten better in the 25+ years. Wish more cities would follow.

noglider 

Life is sweet in Colorado. We visited my daughter a couple of summers ago. We have a weekend home in upstate New York where life is very different. I fantasize about retiring there, though my wife isn't as enthusiastic about the idea. We will see where life leads us.

Gentrification is happening in many places wherever the job market is decent. I hope we solve this problem, because it's clearly not sustainable. The disparity of wealth may be more pronounced in NYC than anywhere. It's frightful.