baldilocks

So I am no where near car free. Before everyone got there own cars, I was car light. Partially because I live 2 miles from my job and because I love riding my bike. Today I spent 600 dollars on my wife's van repairs. I could have easily bought a Trek Marlin from my LBS for $600. It was a over priced alternator and belt placed in a labor intensive location. (they had to remove the passenger tire and I believe the front axle to get to it.) I can remember when alternators were easy to replace. Last year, I had to put a transmission in my truck for $3000 which would easily bought a Surly Ogre. What is the last car/truck repair that could have bought you a bike, did you think about it and what would you have bought with it.

Machka 

Rowan and I have something in the neighbourhood of 21 bicycles.

Yes, we do have vehicle repairs now and then which could buy us another used bicycle or inexpensive department store bicycle ... but we've got something in the neighbourhood of 21 bicycles. How many more do we need?

SamSpade1941 

I roll car free and have now for a year. I own a car but I have not actually had to drive in a long time. I actually have grown to love it, IIRC in another thread here . I said I have found that I can get around as fast or faster. I never spend a huge amount of time looking for parking any more and I love that. Plus here in Salem I have to pay for parking going to work in my car, but if I cycle its free and I can park inside my office building because we have a bicycle room. I wish that Oklahoma was as bicycle friendly

baldilocks

21 bicycles. It sounds like you might want to thin the herd. Also, the transmission was $3000. I would hardly consider that a department store bike. I was just wondering if other people spent money on there car and thought of bikes they could have bought with that money. My current go to bike is roughly 20 yrs. old. With two kids in College and two houses things are a little tight, so the new bike is on the back burner. I guess that's why I'm thinking about one.

Machka 

The repairs we've made so far on our van would get us a department store bike.

wahoonc

At 21 bicycles they are on the lower end of the scale I have over 30

Last expensive vehicle repair was on our F-150 pickup, did a complete rear end rebuild ~$1200. We use the truck here on the farm, it is a 2003 with 245,000 miles on it. I did sell my big F350 last year because it wasn't getting enough use. Not good for a diesel to sit around. Last year we owned it it only moved about 1800 miles.

As far as department store bikes... I seldom purchase new and usually pay less than $150 for the ones I do buy. I have a weak spot for utility/3 speed British bikes. The most I have ever spent on a new bike was $500 to purchase then another $200 or so for upgrades. That is a my Redline R-530 which is now outfitted like a Dutch City bike.

I enjoy the simplicity of bikes and tinkering with them. Beats the fools out of having to overhaul the hydraulic system on a tractor.

Aaron

steve-in-kville 

Getting the oil changed in the family battle wagon runs about $55. I spend about that much in fuel per week (she runs the kids to school with it). Can't get it inspected for less than $100 (they always find something!). Now my ABS light is on and I can't imagine that'll be cheap...

So yeah, I basically think what all that could buy in bike parts/upgrades. But that is the family vehicle.

I-Like-To-Bike

$55/week on fuel at current price doesn't sound so "car light" to me.

The kids' school(s) must be a great distance from your home if that is the only use of the family battle wagon.

steve-in-kville 

That's our only vehicle. I ride most everywhere I can. Wifey uses the van, I ride my bike. Fits my definition of car light.

Care to criticize/troll anything else?

I-Like-To-Bike

1. I suggest you just pay for the needed repairs and upkeep, or learn to do it yourself, and stop publicly grumbling that your family has needs that cost money that you would rather pay for more bicycling stuff for yourself.

2. With such a vague definition of car light (it means whatever you want it to mean so that you can apply it to yourself) the car light label could be applied to all car owners who drive less than some other drivers.

IOW, the car light label has no significance at all except to those who get warm fuzzies by applying it to themselves.

steve-in-kville 

Done now? Or is there anything else?

Roody

The ones who are repetitively whining about the definition of carlight/carfree are exactly the same ones who have repeatedly refused to participate in discussions about establishing definitions of the terms for use on this forum.

I admit that this ticks me off a bit. Hypocrisy is not an attractive quality.

I invite those with concerns that the terms are being misused to figure out a way to establish definitions that could end this perpetual quibbling. God knows I've tried, and other members have tried also. I guess it's more fun to cry and moan than to try to come tp a respectful understanding about the basic terms we use every day on this forum.

I-Like-To-Bike

The so-called basic term "car light" should not even be used on this list since it has zero credible meaning, can include anybody and everybody, and is used by a few posters interchangeably and/or as a substitute with the term car free to describe themselves in order to fool themselves, if not anybody else, that they are fulfilling a self imposed moral responsibility to live car free.

mr,grumpy 

Well, that actually what the thread is about so....

Here. I helped edit it for you. You accidentally gave your opinion as fact.

Youre welcome.

Roody

TBH, I never cared for the term "carlight" either. But I don't think people who use it are trying to fool themselves or anybody else. I think of it as a shorthand way of saying "I'm trying to be less reliant on cars, but I'm not all the way there yet." Or, to operationalize it, it could pertain to somebody who doesn't personally own a car and rarely uses one, but somebody in the household does own one.

In my own case, I was carfree for years. Then my family moved in with me and they do own one car. I never drive the car and I rarely ride in it, but the car does fetch home the household groceries and supplies. Therefore, I don't consider myself fully carfree. I hate to have to type all that information every time, but with no accepted definition of "carlight" to fall back on, I have little choice.

Again, a few people on this forum have filibustered several attempts by me and others to stipulate definitions for these frequently used terms. And yet those same people repetitively condemn people who "misuse" a word that they refuse to define. My challenge to these whiners is to either a) establish a definition that we can all use or b) STFU about it.

Machka 

Oh please ... NOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo.

Not definitions again.

You are not going to end this year the same way you began it, are you?


IMO ... be whatever you want to be. Be car light, be so-called car free, whatever you want to call it. Just don't impose your definition on the rest of us.

Lucillle

OP, I got rid of my vehicle, and while there is some savings it is not as much as one would think, my insurance company raised my homeowner's insurance because I was no longer 'bundling' my auto and homeowner's.
It is always nice to daydream about shiny new toys. I think if you have two houses and kids in college you are fortunate, and I am happy for you, but I also understand about your thoughts of saving money on vehicle repairs enough to buy a new bike.

steve-in-kville 

double post

steve-in-kville 

I'm sorry that my status as a car-lite forum member is not *elite* enough. We are a one-vehicle family due to financial circumstances. If someone gifted me $10k to buy a used car and pay for the maintenance, honestly, I'd think about it real hard... but I've made it 8 years this way and it's worked for us. Why change that? But that's not the circumstances I currently live in....

I do apologize that my comment that paying $55 for an oil change in the ol' battle wagon is "grumbling." Sorry, I forgot to read all the forum rules that someone just made up in their head.

You know what? I'll make ILTB happy and I'll never post here on the LCF forum again. In fact I will do him one better and promise never to browse the forum... ever!

I'm done here.

steve-in-kville 

You'll find this concept to be true in most everything in life.

Lucillle

Steve, there are many of us here that read this particular forum. You yourself know that the way most forums are, is that 90% read but don't comment and maybe 10% are more verbal and post often. That is neither good nor bad, it just reflects what people are comfortable with. So it is very likely that many read your posts and appreciate and identify with them. Please do not let the comments of the few silence you.

Ekdog

I do hope you will reconsider. The poster you mention is a well-known troll who would like nothing better than to keep good folks like you away from LCF. The best approach is to just ignore him.

baldilocks

My apologies,

realizing some people are car free or car light because of financial concerns, I thought this forum could handle my original whining and grumbling about car expenses. Maybe I'm not car light. I didn't realize there was a qualification. It is sad that instead of providing encouragement to one another in our journey thru this world, (bicycle, plane, train or otherwise), that we would tear down people we've never even met face to face over such nonsense. We suck... Merry Christmas, and may we not suck so much next year.

steve-in-kville 

Can I quote that to my sig line?

baldilocks

I'm a recovering pessimist. How about just until Christmas.