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Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SpeedyAZ
Am I the only person who enjoys having a vehicle?
...Nothing like driving on the freeway in my Corvette convertible on a nice spring day !
Or zipping through the Columbia Gorge in one of my many 50 mpg 'Stealth-Rabbits' . Daily route, very 'painful' views, compared to an AZ or CA freeway, but hey, 285 days of rain has to offer some benefit... definately not Convertible (or bicycle) weather 'round here
For a $1 / day insurance and less than $.10 / mile expense (including value of car), I will enjoy having wipers and a heater, until there is a mass exodus from Colorado and I can go back home and enjoy biking 300 days / yr.
I can't ride a bike... Also, I have to drive 20-40 minutes depending on morning traffic just to get to the transit station just to have another 30 minutes on the train to downtown Atlanta.
I firmly believe that cars are huge drain on any family resources so I use mine as little as possible riding a bicycle instead to satisfy my transportation needs in my small town. Were I to live where mass transit was available I wouldn't own a vehicle at all.
"Growing up as a teenager in the suburbs, I believed cars were a source of independence. Yet, over the years, I've come to see cars as a symptom of cultural sickness. In college, I decided to save money by not purchasing a car and found that I also escaped worries of shoveling the snow from around its tires, finding parking, and arguing with mechanics."
I agree. Funny, the "independence" of a car quickly breeds a DEPENDENCE on them which notoriously resembles addiction. There are several cities where car free living is possible; Denver is one of them and getting better as each new light rail station opens.
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I'm not against bicycling but it's quite difficult to commute to work on a bike where I live! I enjoy having cars, they've always been a hobby of mine. Nothing like driving on the freeway in my Corvette convertible on a nice spring day !
No you are not.......I'll keep mine and drive it anytime I want....
I'd like to see these people ride their bikes to work here when it is 90 degrees at 7 in the morning...
I'm not against bicycling but it's quite difficult to commute to work on a bike where I live! I enjoy having cars, they've always been a hobby of mine. Nothing like driving on the freeway in my Corvette convertible on a nice spring day !
What's really weird is that I am sort of backwards on the car/bike hobby thing.
I've also driven cars as a "hobby" in the past. I am particularly fond of the BMW M series, the Porsche 911s and the Subaru WRX. I've even tinkered with old Volvos. All very different, and yet each fun in their own way. Zoom zoom zoom.
So the odd thing (to me) is that many people think of bicycles as toys or as "recreational only". I see bicycles as a great way of getting around town, of day-to-day commuting, and cars as fun things to be enjoyed on the weekends. I feel sorry for the folks who are "stuck" with their daily car commutes. They are not enjoying the "freedom" of the automobile, but rather, are trapped by it.
I no longer have "fun" cars. We kept a boring mini-van as our one-and-only. She's just the most practical (for hauling bicycle, for home-improvement and for moving the college-aged kiddo back and forth....).
Bicycles of course, have their fun side too. Nothing quite like bombing down a technical rocky single-track at 20 mph.....or passing cars on a twisitng descent on your road-racing machine.
I'm not against bicycling but it's quite difficult to commute to work on a bike where I live! I enjoy having cars, they've always been a hobby of mine. Nothing like driving on the freeway in my Corvette convertible on a nice spring day !
No you are not, go when, where you want. I laugh at these people that say they "shop" on their bike. I've never seen anyone peddling home with a gallon of milk, a gallon of OJ, a 24 pack of 20oz bottled water, a mega pack of toilet paper, and a 40 lb bag of dog food.
Buying in quantity is also part of frugal living (this forum <wink><wink>) so buying a 25 lb bag of dried beans or rice on a bike, well I've never seen it. So get your expensive quart of milk, then you can go back tomorrow for another expensive quart of milk.
Meet a guy the other day that lives very near me. Uses public transportation, and it takes him 1:30 to 1:45 to travel to the same place it takes me 8 - 10 minutes to drive (approx 5 miles) and no he like very many people does not have the option of walking, biking due to physical limitations and/or age.
I just don't have the "time" or the "patience" to not drive, a 15 - 20 minute round trip to the store vs. 3+ hours on mass transit, plus the limitation of how much I can physically carry, and of course ice cream would definitely not be on my list.
And all alternatives to driving really suck when it is raining, 20 degrees outside, or 90 degrees outside, plus I live in the mountains, and that means steep hills.
I laugh at these people that say they "shop" on their bike. I've never seen anyone peddling home with a gallon of milk, a gallon of OJ, a 24 pack of 20oz bottled water, a mega pack of toilet paper, and a 40 lb bag of dog food.
You live in ASHEville NC and you've never seen a BOB trailer:
I absolutely LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE living without a car. Chicago makes this very, very manageable. My favorite part is that I am actually able to save money instead of dumping it all into maintaining my car.
Not in SoCal my friend. I really don't feel like riding my bike where I would get dropped off as well, not exactly the nicest area. Plus, I'm in business attire so I can't go to work smelling like ass. I'm pretty sure my lunch for the day would go bad or just get beat the hell up. Most of the streets in SoCal are not bike friendly. Getting to the train stop from my house wouldn't take too long...maybe ten minutes but ride from the stop to work would take at least 30 minutes. I'm a pretty fit dude but there are alot of traffic lights. All in all, my commute would double and I already take about an hour to get to work. Do that 5 times a week? No way in hell. What about on the weekend? None of my friends live 10 miles from me. Its SoCal, everyone lives far from everyone.
When I worked in LA, I rode 15 miles to work every day plus another 10 mile trip over the Sepulvda Pass into West Hollywood to meet my spouse after work. Combining the bus service, subway, and bicycle, on average my trip time was faster than driving since I rode at rush hour when the 101 doesn't move. A bicycle gives you an easy-ride range of 5 miles, and that puts most of the city in easy reach using the subways and bike.
I rode through bad areas, good areas, and inbetween. Rain was annoying, but there's always the bus or car if you own one. I rode in 110 degree heat in midsummer for an hour with no problem. I'd carry my work clothes in a backpack along with a towel and deodorant. It's not the ideal solution (showers at work would've been better) but it was worth it to turn a 45-minute car trip into an intense 1 hour exercise session twice a day and it kept me in great shape.
Quote:
I'd like to see these people ride their bikes to work here when it is 90 degrees at 7 in the morning...
Honestly, discomfort is not an issue if you think of it as a workout. Yes you sweat, but humans have been sweating for millions of years and surviving, it's not like owning a suit and tie make you allergic to a little "hard work".
Quote:
No you are not, go when, where you want. I laugh at these people that say they "shop" on their bike. I've never seen anyone peddling home with a gallon of milk, a gallon of OJ, a 24 pack of 20oz bottled water, a mega pack of toilet paper, and a 40 lb bag of dog food.
If you're frugal, what are you doing buying 20oz bottles of water??? With saddlebags, I've ridden 6 miles or so with 2 gallons of milk, a quart of OJ, and several pounds of fresh veggies. I've never needed to carry a 40lb bag of anything, but I could easily bungee it to my cargo rack. The bike's dynamic do change drastically with a heavy back load, but so long as you are conscious of it, it's no problem. I often carry a 115lb passenger without issues. Buying a well-built rack is key as cheap ones will buckle if you hit a big bump.
Ice cream and frozen stuff is a problem, but you shouldn't eat too much of that, anyway. I imagine if you live near mass transit, you can probably find ice cream closer than a 20-minute bike ride away, maybe just not as cheap. But add the cost of operating your vehicle (probably better than $0.50/mile all told) and you'll see the little savings you get from buying at a bulk discount grocer evaporate out your tailpipe.
Not saying anyone who doesn't want to should ride a bicycle, but it is possible for most people who live in suburban or urban areas. I agree that those in the countryside probably can't ride bicycles anywhere worthwhile.
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. Daily route, very 'painful' views, compared to an AZ or CA freeway, but hey, 285 days of rain has to offer some benefit... definately not Convertible (or bicycle) weather 'round here 
