virtuesplea

I've been seriously considering getting rid of my car for the past year or so. I live in a pretty small town, and the great majority of my driving is less than five miles from house to destination, including my work, which is a staggering </sarcasm> three miles away. I already rode my bike to work most of last summer/fall, so I've dealt with the worry about smelling, traffic, etc.

I do have a few worries about living without a car, so I'm going to try going car-free for the month of March and see how well I deal with it, before actually going through with selling the car.

The only potential problems I foresee are weather, and my pets.

I have two dogs and two cats. My vet is across town, but, according to Google Maps, there are a handful of vets (with good reviews) within 1.1 and 1.4 miles of where I live. Walking the dogs to appointments for shots shouldn't be a problem. The cats, more so. Also, my dogs are both large and go through a lot of food. I buy the 35-50 lbs bags of dog food, which are obviously not going to fit into panniers. I would assume that a trailer would work, both for transporting the cats and the dog food. I know from experience that drivers in my area don't give much extra room to bicyclists, and much of my town has signs posted warning bicyclists to stay off the sidewalks. So I am uneasy about using a trailer that would increase both my turning radius and the width of my bike. Any advice, ideas, etc?

As for emergencies with the pets, I have no problem calling a cab or a friend/family member.

How do you guys deal with rainy days? Splash from cars, keeping packs dry (I carry two laptops for work in a backpack), keeping yourself dry, etc?

Any other hints or suggestions are more than welcome.

Thanks!

crazybikerchick

Pets:
- For food I can buy 20 lb bags of cat food either on my back in a large backpack, in a milk crate on my rear rack or in a trailer. (could probably also try bungeeing the bag to the rack but I don't want to risk the bag tearing)
- I would think 50 lb bags you would want to either have delivered, buy when you have access to a vehicle (whether a friend or a taxi) or use a trailer
- A trailer doesn't add too much to your profile but you probably won't want to do tight squeezes! I know it sounds counterintuitive but if cars do not give you enough room ride out *further* from the curb. It sends a clear signal they cannot just squeeze by you, and (use a mirror) if they don't move over further you have space to manoeuver
- For vet visits I use a local vet in walking distance and carry the cats in a carrier. If heavy you could also put the carrier inside a child bike trailer or you could pull it on a wagon of some sort.

Heavy rain:
- A good waterproof jacket, fenders on the bike, waterproof overpants (to deal with car spray), a helmet cover, and booties (cheap solution: plastic bags between socks and shoes will keep your feet dry)
- There are waterproof covers you can buy for panniers but if you live somewhere where there's lots of rain you probably want to look into Ortlieb panniers!

Do you have a plan for how you will get out of town when you want to - do you have access to bus or train service, or is there a car rental agency in town?

virtuesplea

I live in Delaware, and our transit system's pretty non-existent, or at its best spotty, especially in the middle part of the state. Because of my job, though, I ride for free! As for getting out of town, day trips, I take with friends, and I haven't had an actual vacation in six or eight years. I plan on taking a couple long weekends this summer, and taking short-ish bike trips, camping, and building up to a longer tour next year.

Someone else sent me a message about Xtracycle and, in particular a cargo bike called the Big Dummy. The prices I saw for a Big Dummy were a little steep for the moment (although I do plan on buying a much nicer bike than my current one if/when I do start the camping trips I mentioned above), but the Xtracycle looked like it wasn't too overly expensive. And I'm looking on craigslist for trailers . . . if I can find one cheap, I can see how comfortable I get with it without spending too much money.

mijome07

Take a look at this.

bikinpolitico

Couple of thoughts:

- If you are having doubles, try parking your car inconveniently far away at a friend's house for a month before you get rid of it. My mother did this before going car free. It helped psychologically to know if there was an emergency or the decision just wasn't working out, she could get to her car. You'll probably find you'll be happier without it.

- Is there carsharing in your area? If not, is there a neighborhood outlet for a traditional car rental? Having access to a car when you absolutely need one really helps and is way cheaper than the hassle and expense of ownership. You'll probably only need one once a more or less the longer you go car free. Also, some companies allow you to transport pets if they are in carriers.

- A cargo bike is a good way to go, especially if you are completely car free. If you are only going to have one bike, the Xtracycle is probably the best option. I think its the most nimble of the cargo bike options and rides the most like a regular bike when not loaded down, plus they take up the least space of your choices. If you have the room and a second regular bike, a bakfeits or Madsen is going to allow you to haul more stuff. Also if you do go Xtracycle, you'll probably want to get a trailer to allow you to haul your pets.

bikinpolitico

The Big Dummy is a unified frame from Surly that accepts Xtracycle components. It is a good choice, but not the only one. The Free Radical Kit from Xtracycle allows you to convert most 26" and 700c bikes to an Xtracycle cargo bike. They run about $500 for the basic kit. If you currently have a decent bike you want to turn into a cargo bike, this is an economical way to do it. I did this with a Trek 7200 I wasn't riding anymore, and now I love it. (More about the conversion here and here.)

If you don't, I'd also look at the Kona Ute, Yuba Mondo, and Madsen. These are bikes built specifically to be cargo bikes and will be the same price or cheaper than buying a new regular bike and doing the Xtracycle conversion.

patc

I use a Wike flatbed for groceries (in plastic bins) and other cargo - capacity is 125lbs, though I doubt I've ever had more than 80 in it. For most shopping I use two pannier bags and my messenger bag. I find most motorists give me far more room when using the trailer!

On rainy days I use a cycling jacket, rain cover on my helmet, and (when I can be bothered) nylon pants. Much of the time I let myself get wet, and just change when I get to work. You can get waterproof backpacks and other bags, but I also keep a few white kitchen garbage bags handy - in a torrential downpour, I wrap my laptop in one before putting it in my messenger bag. My camera bag has an "all weather" shell that pulls out form a pocket. I also keep a small towel in my bag, just in case.

Ask you cab company about pets - ours allows pets in carriers, if you notify them when you call for the cab. You may be able to train them to ride in a trailer, and most dogs can just be walked to the vet (mine considers it a special treat).

gerv 

I have a cat and she goes to the vet about once a year. She doesn't like to ride in cars. In fact, she really hates driving.

Have you considered taxis to transport your pets? Bike Trailers? Could you walk to the vet? I really think this is a non-issue.

Talk it over with your pet.

Artkansas 

My ex and I had Jack Russell Terriers.

One time one of them was in need of a quick trip to the vet and couldn't walk. I took my big backpack with a drawstring pocket and wore it on my front and put the dog into it and then walked to the vet. The dog loved it because he realized that for once, he was getting to be like the "big dog", and he hung his front paws over the top rim of the back pack and surveyed our route. He was distressed however to learn where we were going.

virtuesplea

After hearing from others who already have dealt with the issues I thought might be a problem, I feel much better about going car-free. The idea of leaving the car at a relative's house is excellent.

Both my dogs are also up for their shots, so I'm going to use that opportunity to visit one of the closer vets. And I'm sure my dogs will love the extra walk, and the vet visit (yes, they both love the vet, even after I got them neutered)! They're 65 and 80 pounds, so I don't think I'll be carrying them around, but I'm also going to give training them to ride in a trailer a try. If nothing else, I'm sure it'll be entertaining.

And I'm now on the lookout for cheap-ish panniers and a small trailer. I figure that'll give me more ability to carry larger items, and a chance to figure out which I prefer.

wahoonc

Good Luck with your lifestyle change There is a wealth of information on this forum, but it can be hard to find by the dysfunctional search function so feel free to ask.

Aaron