trekkie820

I really like the idea of car free, and I really want to go car free one day, but I have a real passion for mountain biking, and that involves hours of driving sometimes to get to the trails. I want to see what you all think about this dilema.

becnal

Move.

ricardo kuhn

Thor29

Well, I got accused of being a mooch the last time I said this, but I'm gonna say it again: how many of your mountain biking buddies own cars? If you typically ride with other people, I'm guessing that every one of them owns a car. All you have to do is offer to split the gas. Also, it is a good idea to have your own bike tray that can fit on both Thule or Yakima racks in case you've got a friend who doesn't have a spare tray on the roof rack.

I live in San Francisco and don't own a car. I have a mountain bike that I never, ever ride on pavement. (I've got a fixed gear bike and cyclocross/tourng bike for that use). Every one of my mountain biking friends has a car and they don't mind giving myself and my bike a ride to the trailhead. I could talk myself blue in the face, and there is no way I could convince any of my friends to give up their cars and so there is no danger that all of us will become car free and have no way to the trails. As much as I love mountain biking, I wish I did have such power to endanger my trail riding habit, but I don't. People here love their cars no matter how hideous traffic gets or how much gas costs or blood is spilled.

nathank

i pretty much agree with Thor that you can catch a lift from friends - mountain biking tends to be a group thing anyway...

when i was in Portland i had a few car-free friends that i quite frequently took with me to the trails. i had a vehicle set up for 5 people + 5 bikes so i was always happy to get gas-money and "reduce" my per-person environmental impact. i think as long as you pay your share your pals should be GLAD to take you along --- it's best if you don't pay JUST gas money, but maybe 1.5 to 2 times the gas cost to cover repairs, insurance and all that you as a car-free person also "mooch" (and your car friends will WANT to take you along and be much more willing to put up with a little inconvenience waiting for you or driving an extra mile to drop you off somewhere). Thor's suggestion to have you own Yakima/Thule bike tray is also good but only valid if a significant number of your buddies have one system (tends to vary greatly by region - i.e. west coast is mostly Yakima and elsewhere Thule or others)

that said, i understand quite well the dilemma and basically the above option (car-free but catching rides with friends with cars) mostly helps in the financial area but not so much in the environmental --- i.e. oil/gas is still being used to get you and your mountain bike to the trails. (although you do save on parking and the environmental aspect of parking space).

as i've posted elsewhere, i've "accepted" that mountain-biking is often not 100% green b/c of driving to the trailhead (as i've posted elsewhere, if you want to race it is virtually impossible w/o transport via motor vehicle - even in Germany!), but i try to minimize this impact as much as reasonably possible: in my case i bike for everything in the city (i.e. to work, for shopping, etc.) but have an "out-of-town" car that i use occaisonally for mountain bike/outdoor trips --
1) wagon with space for 5 people + 4-5 bikes
2) relatively fuel-efficient
3) i try to car-pool with friends if at all possible so we use as few vehicles as possible
4) if possible i bike to the trailhead (when less than say 20 miles away)
5) i often take the train (good options here in Germany)

i would recommend being car-lite if you are not already as a first step. Park the car and don't use it for any trip that could be made by bike (basically any trip not requiring transport of many large things under say 20 miles) and carpool with friends for mountain biking. then if that works out ok, sell the car.

becnal

Uh, Nathank, dude, you been in Deutschland too long. A wagon ain't a car. =)

nathank

actually wagon is short for "station wagon" --- that's what i called my Subaru Legacy back in Portland. (e.g. "my Subara wagon") -- actually it was funny a while back when i told my father back in Texas that i had bought a Subaru wagon and he asked what that was. i explained and he asked, "you mean you bought a station wagon?" (his next question was if he was soon to be a grandpa!) b/c in Texas a station wagon is more "wussy" and "sold my pickup b/c now i got a family" than a minivan (Texas is the land of TRUCKS) -- (think of Chevy Chase's "woody" station wagon in the movie Vacation)

but you are not far from being correct as i sometimes use words like "handi" (cell phone) when i'm back in the US. oh, and if i had made such a slip-up in this case, i would have said "kombi" (German for hatchback or station wagon)

becnal

=)

Binda

I would love to get a subaru...I've heard they're great for all the snow we get up here, and you can pack so much sh*t into them. The roof rack would be wonderful for skiing trips and biking. Handy little cars.

- b

bokes

If you like road biking too, you could do that when riding solo and hit the trails with you catch a ride with friends. And you're HOURS away? another vote for moving.

weed eater

couplethree ideas--

1. find trails (or "trails", ie drainage ditches, parks, abandoned land) closer to home and ride to them.

2. ride trails less often, and when you do ride, spend a day riding to the trails, camp, ride trails for a day or two, camp, ride home. (or replace "camp" with "stay in hotel" if you like)

3. borrow/rent/carshare (if possible) a car to get to trails (or bum a ride as many have suggested)