Diary of a convert

colfoster · June 2007

Well I've only gone and done it.

20th June - sold car
25th June - First day of cycling to work (9 miles) - perhaps not the best day for the first commute by bike. Travelling home, driver overtook me then quickly turned left - road bikes dont stop in the wet.
26th June - oh well - slightly better - although how windy was it going to work - still - 5 mins quicker than driving:). the ride home wasnt too bad - slipstreamed behind an articualted bus doing 35mph - got home quite quick

.

The Endorser · June 2007

kewl - glad you'r enjoying it. I've been confining my commuting to weekends only, but i've taken the plunge and from Tuesday i'll be weekday commuting too, childminding arrangementspermitting, so i'm looking forward to chronicling my aventures as well.

Eating baby elephants since 1969

DavidTQ · June 2007

sold the car before starting to commute? thats brave! I was commuting by bike for quite a while before becoming brave enough to sell the car.

Totalnewbie · June 2007

Well done. I've sold my car too (though I never did use it to commute) as it was becoming a money pit and I wasn't using it enough to justify the money. My tax and insurance would have been due next month, ahhh so nice to know I can do what I like with that œ500 odd quid now.

So far I've only felt vaguely regretful once (I had to get to the vet urgently and had no means of carrying the pets on the bike, well, no means they would have appreciated!!) but that was easily solved by getting a cab.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/ ... 400572.jpg

ChrisLS · June 2007

...gave my car to my daughter...

Tynancp · June 2007

get some wives and kids, no escaping having a car then

although I am going to sell the scooter

pete236uk · June 2007

I have two cars well me and missus also daaughter shares that one but I am really thinking about reducing to one car as soon as i can although need car at weekends due to reffing and having to travel

peter

Uncle Mort · June 2007

You are very brave selling it before starting, but I suppose you've burned your boats, so there's no going back. I flogged my car about five years ago, after I started serious cycle commuting after a longish break. We were a two car family and it was just sitting there depreciating and not being used. The pain was eased by getting a free public transport season ticket for a year as a 'reward' for removing a vehicle from the road (here, you keep your own individual licence plate as you move from car to car), which meant I was able to slacken off when I felt like it and the weather was crap. Nowadays I just get on with it even if the weather's really awful.

As for the cars, it's always a bit of a risk, but you start to develop a bit of a sixth sense and you get much more risk aware - very quickly - so don't let that put you off. Keep it up [:)]

__________________
In his mid forties and still unusual

DavidTQ · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Tynan

get some wives and kids, no escaping having a car then

although I am going to sell the scooter
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Ive got a wife (just the one admittedly) and 4 kids, We sold the car, we havent looked back,Its actually helped me sleep better not jumping up to check the window every loud noise from outside [:D] we live close enough to town to walk in, we get the shopping delivered via internet and use the local shops for bits and pieces.

My wife was used to walking with the kids to school anyway, town is only about 1.5 miles away by time weve walked around town its maybe 4-5 miles total. I push the double push chair my wife holds kids hands.

If we need to get anywhere out of walking distance we can easily use a cab and still be saving a fortune over running a car. It can be possible to live car free with a family, dont really "need" to walk into town either, I could just bike down to do bits and pieces, but its a nice walk.

Tynancp · June 2007

I like that argument, probably easier in a small town where things are centralised and local

London can be a bit hard work to get around in at the weekend, spec the weekends, every now and then there's a stack of luggage to move

good for you though

jay_clock · June 2007

Amazing, I would have thought London was the EASIEST place in the UK to manage car-free. Shops within short distance pretty much whereever you are, cycling quicker than driving in nearly any case up to about 5-6 miles....need I go on?

my trip round Corsica: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/corsica

DavidTQ · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Jay Clock

Amazing, I would have thought London was the EASIEST place in the UK to manage car-free. Shops within short distance pretty much whereever you are, cycling quicker than driving in nearly any case up to about 5-6 miles....need I go on?

my trip round Corsica: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/corsica
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I dont know london suburbs at all, but my wife grew up in Berlin and said that was easier to go without the car than it is here, But dont know how London and Berlin compare in terms of shops, she was talking about supermarkets within a 5 minute walk from anywhere and underground stations everywhere etc etc etc. But then she lived in areas with huge blocks of flats and stuff.

IsledeBlanc · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by colfoster

road bikes dont stop in the wet.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

they do, but not so well in very wet conditions when the brake blocks are soaked. it's worth giving the brakes a squeeze every minute or so to stop the blocks getting saturated.

DavidTQ · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by IsledeBlanc

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by colfoster

road bikes dont stop in the wet.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

they do, but not so well in very wet conditions when the brake blocks are soaked. it's worth giving the brakes a squeeze every minute or so to stop the blocks getting saturated.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

mine with 105 brakes stops better than my v-brake equipped hybrid did in the wet.

colfoster · June 2007

I like the idea of squeezing the brakes every so often - will try that - top tip - cheers.

MattBlackBigBoysBMX · June 2007

Could never ditch the car. Apart from enjoying driving it I like nothing more than to sling the bikes in the back and drive somewhere worth cycling.

Wheelies ARE cool.

Tourist Tony · June 2007

Why not ride somewhere worth cycling?

If I had a stalker, I would hug it and kiss it and call it George...or Dick

Keith Oates · June 2007

Not having a car and riding the bike instead is fine until you try to find somewhere safe to park it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ride Daily, Keep Healthy

colfoster · July 2007

Well, 4 weeks after selling my car to use my road bike full time for commuting as opposed to recreational riding, it happened this morning - some car pulled out without looking and then i learnt how to fly - or should I say - I learnt how much it hurts to hit a car side on.

knocked out, concussion and a cracked nose and cracked helmet.

I was thinking a few weeks ago about giving up the helmet for the commute cos of how warm I was getting - this has made me definately wear my helmet - once I get a new one.

Thankfully hopefully no lasting injuries.

Anyone suffered the same fate? Any advice?

Part of me is resisting the need to claim but then again my handlebars need replacing, my brake levers/shifters need replacing and my helmet is all cracked so why should I fork out for this when it wasnt my fault/

arranandy · July 2007

Nae luck Col, did you get the driver's details and did he/she admit they were at fault. is so it is definately worth claiming. If you're a member of the CTC or British Cycling you can get legal aid. If not buy a copy of Cycling Weekly as at the back there's always ads for solicitors specialising in accident claims for cyclists

colfoster · July 2007

arranandy wrote:

Nae luck Col, did you get the driver's details and did he/she admit they were at fault. is so it is definately worth claiming. If you're a member of the CTC or British Cycling you can get legal aid. If not buy a copy of Cycling Weekly as at the back there's always ads for solicitors specialising in accident claims for cyclists

Yeah, got the details and the police came to the hospital for statement and said it was his fault.

Eat My Dust · July 2007

I'd be careful slipstreaming buses as well. I've found that you get people trying to do right hand turns on busy roads, trying to time their turn to miss the back of vehicles by cm's, they don't expect cyclists to be in that space. I've had a few very scary close calls!!

Hairy Jock · July 2007

I sold the car 13 years ago and have never looked back. The myth that you need a car when living in a town is completely untrue and propagated by the ignorant, who have never tried it. The freedom of not have a car has to be experienced for most to believe it.

Drivers overtaking then quickly turned left are something which you get every so often, this can be reduced be cycling in the primary position (see Cyclecraft for details), never cycle in the gutter that is just asking for trouble.

baudman · July 2007

I started commuting on the bike, and then realised the only time I'd used my care in the last 9 motnhs were the two times I'd driven it to give it a run. I'd owned a car (sometimes two) for 18 yrs... so it was a bit of a big step for me. I've never looked back!

Diary of a convert

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