Originally Posted by
B. Carfree
I'm over a decade younger than you, but I have considered these very factors many times. I've reached that age where my vision is not nearly as good as it was when I was young, but I'm not old enough/impaired enough for cataract removal. (No, I don't formally have cataracts, but the lenses are clearly not as clear as in years past and why are my arms so short now?) My reflexes and mental reactions are slower and my hearing has taken hit as well. I also seem to have dropped some of my balance somewhere, and of course I can't find it. I've definitely made the metamorphosis from young buck to old goat.
Anyway, it looks to me like by the time using a bike as my primary means of transportation is no longer going to work for me, I would be a hazard as a motorist
. Thus, I don't see myself making the same choice that you have. It's a good thing I like to walk and have a train station nearby (I barely hear the trains at night anymore
).
Perhaps one of the reasons I gave up a car was that my vision was deteriorating due to cataracts. I didn't want to admit it, but subconsciously I knew it was difficult to drive at night, and to read road signs. Since then I've had cataract surgery and I see just as well as I did many years ago. I feel safer driving now.
,
I still use my feet and bike for anything within 5 miles or so, if I don't have to haul more than 50 pounds . It is really quicker. I have access to commuter rail and a bus which connects to a light rail line. I still use public transit a lot.
It helps to have a number of different bikes when you are car free. I've also found that the 650b size tire is ,for me, the best size tire for an everyday all around bicycle. A folding bike that I could take on the bus and subway would also be useful.
Another observation is that most car dealerships are located in the least bicycle friendly areas.