thryn

Well, yeah. I actually do want to get a bike trailer, specifically for the pet food/litter/large grocery runs. The stores I get those from are a lovely few mile ride from my house. Even with a trailer, though, I don't think I could have managed the antique desk.

I do tend to try to cram all the "easier with a car" errands into one day, for sure. Yesterday was a possibly extreme example. By the time I finally headed home, I also had another friend's bike (with its flat tire) on my bike rack, plus said friend folded into the passenger seat.

Now all that stuff is unloaded and I'm back at work on the road bike, with just a backpack full of crap. And after I get back from a journey out of state this weekend, I'll likely go a couple weeks before I touch my car again.

gerv 

That would induce to me to start taking more naps

Seriously... I find long car trips very tiring. I took a super long one about two years and the thought of another one... doesn't appeal.

Roody

Sounds like you're doing well on the car light methods. If you have the car, you'll use it.

If the car had been in the shop, carfree methods would include renting a pickup from Home Depot, using Craigslist to find somebody with a truck, car rental, borrowing a car or truck, taking a taxi. And of course the bike trailer that you mentioned.

I'm not saying any of these carfree methods are "better than" a car. I'm just saying they're perfectly workable for those who don't want to maintain a car or truck full time when they only need it once in a while.

lostforawhile

living this close to Florida, we get the sudden violent thunderstorms with lots of lightning, sorry lightning and a metal bike just don't mix, also we sometimes get steady high winds, you can only ride so far in a 20 MPH headwind

Roody

The "safety experts" recommend that we not go outdoors whenever there's lightning in the vicinity--not even to get out to the driveway or parking lot. I think that's excessive, but I don't usually ride in a full blown thunderstorm. I usually check the Doppler radar and wait until it's more yellow and green instead of red and orange. If I get stuck out in a sudden squall, I usually wait out the worst part under a bridge, which is pretty awesome.

lostforawhile

I've come close to being hit 11 times, once it blew me off my feet, I dont play with thunderstorms anymore

thryn

I'm in Florida. I wait five minutes.

consumes

laziness and the internet ... being unemployed does help either

Zedoo

1. Weather. Wet bikes need more maintenance.
2. Health.
3. Detroit. My bikes look too good to ride there. I need another bike that looks like my truck.

Roody

Not much you can do about weather and health, but it shouldn't be too hard to find an ugly bike in Detroit.

I don't know about Detroit in particular, but here in inner city Lansing, the bike that's most likely to be stolen is an unlocked or poorly locked mountain bike or hybrid. Most bikes are stolen not to be resold, but to be ridden for a while and then abandoned.

plustax

Getting hit by a truck.

Artkansas 

Or ride on the other side of the street.

alhedges

My work has a well defined busy season (6-8 months) and a slow season. I tend not to commute to work during the busy season because: (1) if I'm spending 10 hours (sometimes more) at work, I don't want to spend another 2 hours commuting; and (2) I have to wear suits during that time and it's too much trouble to deal with them at work. The busy season is in the winter, but I'll still do some non-work related errands down to about 20 degrees, if there ground is clear. During slow season, I'll bike to work unless it's pouring rain when I'm ready to leave, and I'll do almost all of my errands by bike, using the car about once every two weeks unless I'm driving out of town.

However, when I got strep throat last summer, I was really happy that I could just get in the car and drive to the doctor, drive to the pharmacy, and drive to the grocery.

BarracksSi

Living too close to work to make riding worthwhile. Walking turns out to be nicer, especially because I don't have to deal with traffic at all.

Roody

I quit riding to work for the same reason. It's only three blocks away, barely a six minute walk.

ralph12

I used to think this was a great idea, and actually, as far as getting biking in the winter goes, it probably is. I just got my Raleigh mountain bike back from the shop because I ruined it by riding it through a harsh winter (and I too am an apartment dweller)--the repair costs ended up totaling over half of what the bike cost new! NEVER doing this again!

But tossing out 50-odd bicycles over a lifetime..I couldn't deal with the environmental guilt.

Artkansas 

I don't have anywhere I need to go really. I can do the post office and the library once a week. The grocery store 2x a week. I've ridden around my neighborhood on every street. So it's not much of a draw. It takes a while to get elsewhere to begin a refreshing ride.

Maybe it's time to move.

wahoonc

Strip them down and recycle them. People are always giving me BSO's. I strip off what usable parts they have and recycle the rest. The only thing ending up in the landfill are the plastic bits that aren't accepted for recycling. I average about $15 a bike for scrap value.

Aaron

tim24k

Double heart bypass, that did it for me.

gerv 

The guy I ride with on Sundays has had bypass surgery. That was 2006. He's celebrating his 60th birthday on Saturday and logs 4500 miles a year on his bike.

Roody

Really? I didn't even start riding until after I had a heart attack. The doctors, nurses and therapists insisted on vigorous exercise starting quite soon after the MI. Of course, everybody is different. Do what your health team says.

tim24k

I hope this will be my case as-well. My Surgeon tells me no bike for three months. (He is afraid for me if I fall off the bike.) The hart no worries! I fixed up a old Sun EZ-3 Recumbent Tricycle with some fat Big Apple tires last week before I went in. I have photos of me seating on it and for a short ride to show him this afternoon. So I hope he'll okay it. I know he used to commute by bike to work so I have that is in my favor.

Roody

The trike sounds like a good compromise. I hope the doc passes on it.

I once broke a wrist in a bike fall. As he was applying the cast after surgery, I asked the doctor if I could ride my bike. He was a funny guy: "riding a bike is good for you. I have no problem with it. I do have a problem with you falling off the bike. So if you ride, don't fall. And if you do fall, fall on the opposite side so you don't mess up my beautiful work."

doomtroll

the rear axle of my bike snapping ... one week from payday, and no back up bike.. I drove feet instead

wahoonc

We used to call that Shank's Mare... Or 2 foot drive.

Aaron