We're getting better here in the Twin Cities, infrastructure-wise, and if i didn't have young kids to transport solo i probably would have gotten rid of my car as soon as HourCar started up nearby. Weather can be an issue, but it's mostly a problem for me because of kid transport and lack of good public transport backup for my regular work commute. Having a reasonable distance to work is definitely a big help. You're right though, here too it is hard to find people over around 30 who are interested in cycling to a date.
-- Bill Connell St. Paul, MN On Thu, Mar 11, 2010 at 4:13 PM, JoelMatthews <[email protected]> wrote: >> Keep only one car for longer trips and emergencies. It certainly makes thing >> simpler and healthier. > > Where available, Zip Car and competitors provide an alternative to > havign a back up car. My understanding is they have been unable to do > much more in LA than a couple of cars on the USC and UCLA campuses. > There are many cities with no such service. > > I am worried somewhat that Zip Car which started during the boom > years, may not have staying power. I use Zip Car much less than when > I first went to the bike - maybe once in the last four months. The > last few times I noticed the cars were dingier and older than in the > past. Still not enough to drag me back to car ownership though. Not > as long as I am in Chicago anyway. > > On Mar 11, 4:04 pm, Michael_S <[email protected]> wrote: >> I agree, a very inspiring story. I'm sure it took a lot of courage to >> pack up your family and move to another country as well. I can only >> dream of doing something like that right now. >> My goal is to take early retirement in about one year and relocate to >> a community where I can do just that, work part time close to home and >> use the bike for almost all needs. Keep only one car for longer trips >> and emergencies. It certainly makes thing simpler and healthier. >> It seems no matter how patient and courteous you try to drive ( my >> commute is 25 miles OW in LA)) there are many others who cut you off, >> rush past you to get ahead, and everthing else to create a more >> stressful drive. >> Thanks for keeping me focused on what I should do. >> >> ~Mike~ >> >> On Mar 11, 12:50 pm, JoelMatthews <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> >> > Bravo! The bike only lifestyle really does make a difference >> > physically and mentally. >> >> > I am six and one half years into it here in Chicago. I look at cars >> > now and find myself wondering how I ever could stand using the >> > things. The only continuing issue I have had is finding dates around >> > my age - mid-40s - who don't mind biking it. According to the 20 >> > somethings I have heard from, it is not too big a deal to find someone >> > in that age group willing to ride with you to the movies or a club. >> > There may well be people my age willing to ride with me to the opera >> > or dinner. Not found them yet. So Zip Car or cabs still get my >> > business from time to time. >> >> > As NEBike points out, lifestyle choices and cold hard economic reality >> > in many cases prohibit people here in the U.S. from the bike only >> > existance. Personal experience and accounts from others suggest it is >> > possible in some of the west coast cities (even LA if you are willing >> > to carve out a small area of the sprawl as your sleep, work, shop >> > space), Boston, NYC, and Chicago, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee. >> >> > Our cities are getting more densely populated. Employers increasingly >> > are consolidating in transit friendly locations. The day will come. >> > Just slowly. >> >> > On Mar 11, 2:18 pm, Kip Otteson <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > > Just wanted to post thoughts about being 7 months and car free. I'm >> > > liking my past car use to addiction and it was truly that. I used to >> > > commute for 75 miles on a round trip to work. The drive took between >> > > 26 minutes and hours depending on the weather, accidents, road kill, >> > > etc. The Colorado mountains are beautiful, but if you have a daily >> > > job it's a killer. You need a reliable car that is warm which means >> > > it's most likely expensive and requires payments. In the winter we >> > > had to walk two miles to the road to get to our car towing our son in >> > > a sled with the trash. Headlights at 5 am in blowing snow. All to >> > > get to work in our car. Beautiful at times but not sustainable. >> >> > > Moving to Thailand was driven by our desire to reduce our commute time >> > > with the ability to do it our bikes. We now ride five minutes to work >> > > with the kids. I can take my kids on our Yuba Mundo and my wife rides >> > > her Heron. We wake up at a reasonable hour, have our morning coffee/ >> > > chat, get the kids up and roll. Easy. >> >> > > With our bikes we now can travel with the family anywhere within 15 km >> > > with no problems. We feel better physically. We eat what we want >> > > without guilt. I'm not consistently pissed/stressed like I was >> > > before. No worries about mechanical difficulties because I can fix >> > > most things on the fly. Not constantly looking out for cops because >> > > I'm speeding because I'm late. Just much less stress. >> >> > > Traffic is heavy here and we often arrive just 5 minutes behind our >> > > friends who drove, had to fight traffic, had to find a parking spot, >> > > etc. >> >> > > I used to call myself a cyclist, but in America it was just >> > > posturing. The most I could reasonably fit in was two rides a week >> > > and many of those I drove to because of time restrictions. I had the >> > > clothes and the gear but if I wanted a label I should have called >> > > myself a "driver." >> >> > > I feel like a real cyclist now as I get places on my bike under my own >> > > power. No car with a roof rack. No car. >> >> > > Kip Otteson >> > > Chiang Mai, Thailand- Hide quoted text - >> >> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - >> >> - Show quoted text - > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
