Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Living Car Free
Reload this Page >

Ways to make car-free life more efficient

Notices
Living Car Free Do you live car free or car light? Do you prefer to use alternative transportation (bicycles, walking, other human-powered or public transportation) for everyday activities whenever possible? Discuss your lifestyle here.

Ways to make car-free life more efficient

Old 03-08-11, 08:25 PM
  #51  
gerv 
In the right lane
 
gerv's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Des Moines
Posts: 9,565

Bikes: 1974 Huffy 3 speed

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 44 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times in 6 Posts
Originally Posted by anastrophe
In my area (where there's lots of farming) the local food movement has gotten big. This is great for many reasons but for me, the best is that I can get good local stuff delivered. There is a CSA and a dairy farm both that will deliver to your house. Vegetables and milk are both bulky and heavy, since we started doing this I have stopped bringing the trailer to the store.

It's more expensive but hey, these are the luxuries I get for not babysitting a car. And many of my neighbors on my street get it, so I liken it more to a bus (still uses gas, but doesn't make individual trips for each passenger) than having your friend drive you places.
Interesting... delivering produce is a great idea. I don't see it here too often and it makes buying local more of an ordeal. Frequently you can buy in bulk but you generally have to make a long trip to a farm or try to meet the farmer at a parking lot somewhere where they are distributing to a number of clients.
gerv is offline  
Old 03-09-11, 09:59 AM
  #52  
anastrophe
practically invincible.
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: New Englander
Posts: 221
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Roody
Also taxis are cheaper, and the hospital is probably closer, so you will only need 4$ or 5$ for taxi fare.
In the small towns I know there aren't any taxi companies. And there isn't a hospital for like 50 miles. I don't know what rural areas you've ever been to!
anastrophe is offline  
Old 03-09-11, 11:13 AM
  #53  
Kimmitt 
Senior Member
 
Kimmitt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Long Beach, ca
Posts: 952

Bikes: RadRunner Plus, Kona Dew Deluxe

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
You cannot beat the xtracycle for groceries. It's basically a car.
Kimmitt is offline  
Old 03-09-11, 01:50 PM
  #54  
Roody
Sophomoric Member
 
Roody's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Dancing in Lansing
Posts: 24,221
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 711 Post(s)
Liked 13 Times in 13 Posts
Originally Posted by anastrophe
In the small towns I know there aren't any taxi companies. And there isn't a hospital for like 50 miles. I don't know what rural areas you've ever been to!
I was thinking of a town with a couple thousand people. They usually have a small hospital and a cab service, at least in the Midwest.
__________________

"Think Outside the Cage"
Roody is offline  
Old 03-10-11, 05:38 AM
  #55  
wahoonc
Membership Not Required
 
wahoonc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: On the road-USA
Posts: 16,855

Bikes: Giant Excursion, Raleigh Sports, Raleigh R.S.W. Compact, Motobecane? and about 20 more! OMG

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times in 14 Posts
Originally Posted by Roody
I was thinking of a town with a couple thousand people. They usually have a small hospital and a cab service, at least in the Midwest.
Around here (Deep South) the break point for small towns with emergency medical cares seems to be around 6k, but the towns are not as spread out as they are in the Midwest. Taxis are a crap shoot.

Aaron
__________________
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(

ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.

"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"
_Nicodemus

"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"
_krazygluon
wahoonc is offline  
Old 03-10-11, 03:12 PM
  #56  
zoltani
sniffin' glue
 
zoltani's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Seattle
Posts: 3,182

Bikes: Surly crosscheck ssfg, Custom vintage french racing bike, Bruce Gordon Rock & Road

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
My own two feet have become my grocery getters since the new apartment has 4 grocery stores within walking distance. I'd feel silly biking to them.
zoltani is offline  
Old 03-10-11, 03:12 PM
  #57  
Roody
Sophomoric Member
 
Roody's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Dancing in Lansing
Posts: 24,221
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 711 Post(s)
Liked 13 Times in 13 Posts
Originally Posted by wahoonc
Around here (Deep South) the break point for small towns with emergency medical cares seems to be around 6k, but the towns are not as spread out as they are in the Midwest. Taxis are a crap shoot.

Aaron
These are definitely things you would want to research before you uprooted and moved to a new town!
__________________

"Think Outside the Cage"
Roody is offline  
Old 03-10-11, 07:18 PM
  #58  
wahoonc
Membership Not Required
 
wahoonc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: On the road-USA
Posts: 16,855

Bikes: Giant Excursion, Raleigh Sports, Raleigh R.S.W. Compact, Motobecane? and about 20 more! OMG

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times in 14 Posts
Originally Posted by Roody
These are definitely things you would want to research before you uprooted and moved to a new town!
I research them and I have no plans to move any time soon...

I find demographics interesting along with quite a few other things. My having to travel for work introduces me to many differences in demographics and living conditions around the US. It also gives me a feel for places I would consider living and places I am not interested in ever seeing again.

Aaron
__________________
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(

ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.

"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"
_Nicodemus

"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"
_krazygluon
wahoonc is offline  
Old 03-11-11, 01:52 AM
  #59  
bragi
bragi
Thread Starter
 
bragi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: seattle, WA
Posts: 2,911

Bikes: LHT

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
Originally Posted by wahoonc
My having to travel for work introduces me to many differences in demographics and living conditions around the US. It also gives me a feel for places I would consider living and places I am not interested in ever seeing again.

Aaron
I'm curious: based on your observations, which places do you like well enough, and which ones do you like less?
bragi is offline  
Old 03-11-11, 04:36 AM
  #60  
wahoonc
Membership Not Required
 
wahoonc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: On the road-USA
Posts: 16,855

Bikes: Giant Excursion, Raleigh Sports, Raleigh R.S.W. Compact, Motobecane? and about 20 more! OMG

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times in 14 Posts
Originally Posted by bragi
I'm curious: based on your observations, which places do you like well enough, and which ones do you like less?
The Midwest has excellent infrastructure for the most part, both cycling as well as general in the small towns. The winter weather leaves a bit to be desired for my southern blood. The towns are quite often laid out on a grid (at least the older parts). You have vibrant cycling in places like Minneapolis/St Pauls, Madison, Iowa City and Lincoln, NE. I am sure there are many more. And regardless of what you may think Iowa ain't flat! Some areas are economically depressed, but the infrastructure is still in place. I liked some of the midsized towns in Ohio, but there is little to no economic activity there right now and they are taking a beating financially. Circleville, Akron and Mansfield are the ones I worked in.

The west (CO, AZ, NM) is catching up fast and has decent weather, winters in the areas I have worked have been dryer and not as severe as IA, MN or IL. Denver is really investing in their light rail system and it will soon be much better for getting around the greater Denver area. They also are taking cycling seriously, they have a bike route that runs to the airport...not that I would want to ride that far out.

Deep South has no cycling infrastructure to speak of, but the weather (if you can tolerate heat and humidity) is usually suitable for cycling year round. The small to medium sized towns are hit or miss for transit, you have to pick and choose carefully. The one about 25 miles from me, where we had a retail store for 5 years, was about 10k, it had everything you needed...except access to interstate bus or Amtrak. For that you had to drive 30 miles, otherwise it had everything else. The larger town just to the south of where I live has 4 Amtrak trains a day as well as Greyhound/Trailways service. But the town itself is not particularly cycle friendly, and the local bus service is a joke.

The PNW has a lot going for it if you can handle the gray drizzle...I don't like it I am a solar powered person.

I haven't worked in the NE other than in the Lancaster, PA area. That was interesting. The non motorized infrastructure is hit or miss depending on the exact town. Lancaster has a tolerable bus service, access to multiple Amtrak trains a day that will get you to Philly in just over an hour. Head an hour north and that starts to fall away. I spend time in Boston and found the transit system to be very good compared to what I normally see. I know housing is much more expensive up there, but if you live in some of the smaller towns further out it may be acceptable. Then they have snow...and more snow...But in the spring, summer and fall you can grab a train and do tours all the way up to Maine.

DC area drives me crazy. Some areas are okay others are dysfunctional.

Just a few observations and generalizations. If I had to go car free today, I would try to do it from where I live because I am most familiar with that area. If I had to choose a part of the country to live in besides where I am now? Boston or Colorado (Denver area most likely)

Aaron
__________________
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(

ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.

"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"
_Nicodemus

"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"
_krazygluon
wahoonc is offline  
Old 04-06-11, 02:35 PM
  #61  
jawnn
Full Member
 
jawnn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 456
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 19 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I’m an art bum and don’t worry about appearances, but I do all my shopping on days that are not totally miserable and seldom go any where at night. If I could afford a car I would probably build a pedal electric hybrid.
jawnn is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
ypsetihw
Commuting
14
03-15-16 01:06 PM
alathIN
Commuting
19
08-18-14 07:42 PM
veggie
Commuting
37
10-22-12 03:24 PM
hhnngg1
Commuting
14
06-13-11 09:43 AM
Dundin
Touring
11
03-30-11 04:34 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.