Giving up second car- need some encouragement

powerspowers

My partner and I had a car each when we got together and we still run our own cars. We are lucky enough that we can afford this comfortably. 

 Before the pandemic, I walked to work and sometimes drove for work meetings. Used the car occasionally after work and weekends but usually in the town I live in. 

Now, hardly used at all! Other half gives it a run to work every few weeks to stop it seizing up. 

I’m seriously considering giving the car up but it feels like a big deal especially as I don’t *have* to. 

Work will be fine. They are very much pushing that post pandemic will not be back to normal and will have flexibility to work from home with some office contact. I can’t imagine driving 25 miles for a meeting again and they are moving to electric fleet vehicles rather than taking your own car. I have a lot of autonomy in my role. 

We’re actually moving house so I’ll be further from the office- about four miles flat cycle route. I’d  be happy to cycle this and there is a bus if the weathers torrid. Considering e-bike as one of the offices I do visit is about 4 miles on A road in the other direction but v hilly and I don’t feel confident cycling it in traffic. 

OTher half is kind of reluctant to share his car but gets where I’m coming from. I think we could manage with one car if we communicated and planned! With the occasional time it would be an inconvenience eg have to drop each other off etc. His commit is 150 miles so he definitely needs the car 2-3 days a week. 

Anyone done this and any encouragement please? Or any thing else I should think about? 

 

sand_hun

Get rid of your car (especially if it's a Diesel as they're designed for regular, longer journeys. You'll save on MOT, vehicle excise duty and insurance.

Buy the best road bike you can afford. Go for second hand if necessary. On a decent road bike you won't break into a sweat on a casual 4 mile ride along flat routes.

How to ride in traffic

Riding in traffic is pretty easy once you know how. Practice looking over your shoulder regularly - if drivers think you've seen them, they'll give you more room when they're overtaking.

If you're going at the same speed as motorised traffic, ride in the centre of the lane you're in.

If you're going faster than them, overtake them on the right hand side - undertaking is also allowed but it's riskier - caution required near left turns.

If you're going slower than motorised traffic, hold a nice position about a metre away from the kerb. On approach to / while waiting at junctions / traffic lights position yourself centrally within the lane.

If you're riding on a narrow lane, stay central until it widens enough for drivers to overtake you safely (this is known as 'primary position'). This reduces the chances of a driver trying to squeeze past you in the same lane with just inches to spare.

Road position is everything. It helps to keep you safe, you have to judge it on each road depending on the width and conditions - after a little practice it becomes second nature.

A decent road bike will get you up that hill without too many issues. However if you're making regular trips to the other office then perhaps an e-bike is the way to go.

Ibrahim5

Have more than one bike. Nothing worse than finding you have a flat tyre when you are leaving home. Just grab another bike. You can afford a few with the savings from the car.

Indigo_and_Violet

In terms of persuasion, maybe sit down and write out all the costs of the car. Emissions duty, Insurance, MOT, average servicing cost, average fuel costs. Research suggests that people tend to underestimate the cost of driving, partly because it's seen as a necessity and partly because it comes out in dribs and drabs here and there. If you have any friends who cycle regularly talk to them - generally people who cycle love it and their enthusiasm is infectious. 

sand_hun said:

Buy the best road bike you can afford. Go for second hand if necessary. On a decent road bike you won't break into a sweat on a casual 4 mile ride along flat routes.

I'd tend to disagree with this advice, but it might just be different conceptions of 'road bikes'. For four miles, even hilly, you don't need a full carbon frame or electronic gear shifting. Those things are great for setting PBs but they're not the most comfortable ride and need regular maintenance. You want something you feel confident and comfortable riding that is durable and has features like mudguards and probably a rack so you can carry your lunch with you. From your description, it sounds like you might prefer a hybrid bike rather than a road bike - they're a little slower but have a more upright position. 
I'm taking a punt and guessing you're a woman. If so, Liv do a really good range of women's bikes and, if there's a store near you, they are generally quite knowledgeable and friendly: https://www.liv-cycling.com/. Otherwise, they're expensive (particularly the e-bike version) but Islabikes adult range are really well reviewed and hold their value well: https://www.islabikes.co.uk/. 

sand_hun

Indigo_and_Violet said:

I'd tend to disagree with this advice, but it might just be different conceptions of 'road bikes'. For four miles, even hilly, you don't need a full carbon frame or electronic gear shifting. Those things are great for setting PBs but they're not the most comfortable ride and need regular maintenance. You want something you feel confident and comfortable riding that is durable and has features like mudguards and probably a rack so you can carry your lunch with you. From your description, it sounds like you might prefer a hybrid bike rather than a road bike - they're a little slower but have a more upright position.

I use a high end aluminum road bike for everything, whether it be a half a mile trip to local supermarket or a 20 mile trip around the city.  I get it serviced once a year. The difference in handling compared to a hybrid is phenomenal (IMO). Plus they're typically so much lighter to carry and easier on hills.

I do take your point(s) though - perhaps someone new to cycling would prefer a hybrid. With a hybrid, the saddle may be larger and you'll sit slightly more upright - although even on a road bike you would generally position your hands on the 'hoods', as per the riders in the picture below.

MalMonroe

I'd get rid. Will save you money and also, be friendlier to the environment. You'd still have a car - even though your partner is reluctant to share (why? what a meanie.) I live in a very hilly city so don't fancy cycling but haven't been using my car much in the pandemic either. I know I'd be fitter if I got rid but we only have one car and I can't.

silverwhistle

If there's still a car in the household it makes the decision a lot easier! I'd add that although a high end road bike would be nice a bike that can take a rack and panniers would be far more useful. I've got an electric bike and a second hand tourer/hybrid? one too, both with racks (my very old racer got left behind in an international house move). My bikes are used for transport, sometimes with full panniers from the supermarket around 3 miles away or carrying stuff to and from the allotment. Depending on where and when and weather,  I sometimes use them to get to football training, so understand that weather and tiredness might make you want to take the car like I do when I expect to be shattered! Like tomorrow when my ladies team recommences training after a looong break..!

Johnmcl7

I never liked cycling when I was younger but restarted about ten years ago when I wanted to stop using the car for commuting and any short trips since it wasn't good for it (turbo diesel with DPF).  Initially I only wanted the bike for short trips and nothing more but it's developed into a hobby as well and it's been one of the best decisions I've made.  I've met lots of great people along the way and I've found it particularly useful in dealing with the covid situation.

I think what was key to a good start with cycling was to ensure I chose the right bike which I had help from with my local bike shop.  There's many different types of bikes out there and only you know which one will suit you best so if possible it's ideal if you can try some out.  I'm a huge fan of e-bikes and I think they're a great choice for starting out not just for the speed they offer but that you can get that speed on a comfortable bike that doesn't make the compromises faster bikes do.  My Mum bought an e-bike a few years ago which is a nice step through hybrid with reasonably wide tyres, a comfortable upright position, slight front and rear suspension and integrated lights.  Being able to choose the power means you can have plenty of assist if you need it but if you're feeling fitter or want more of a challenge you can dial the power down a bit.

Johnmcl7

sand_hun said:

Indigo_and_Violet said:

I'd tend to disagree with this advice, but it might just be different conceptions of 'road bikes'. For four miles, even hilly, you don't need a full carbon frame or electronic gear shifting. Those things are great for setting PBs but they're not the most comfortable ride and need regular maintenance. You want something you feel confident and comfortable riding that is durable and has features like mudguards and probably a rack so you can carry your lunch with you. From your description, it sounds like you might prefer a hybrid bike rather than a road bike - they're a little slower but have a more upright position.

I use a high end aluminum road bike for everything, whether it be a half a mile trip to local supermarket or a 20 mile trip around the city.  I get it serviced once a year. The difference in handling compared to a hybrid is phenomenal (IMO). Plus they're typically so much lighter to carry and easier on hills.

I do take your point(s) though - perhaps someone new to cycling would prefer a hybrid. With a hybrid, the saddle may be larger and you'll sit slightly more upright - although even on a road bike you would generally position your hands on the 'hoods', as per the riders in the picture below.

I agree on both points, I wouldn't recommend a road bike for beginners but it's simply not true that they're fragile and need regular maintenance in fact electronic shifting needs less maintenance than a regular bike because there's no wear in the cables so after the first set up it shifts perfectly every time.  I have an aluminium road bike for my day to day and winter bike which has mudguards and a rack fitted plus I have a fancy carbon endurance bike due to it being more comfortable, both bikes have covered thousands of miles each through all conditions and needed nothing more than occasional basic maintenance and replacing wear and tear items like tyres, brake pads etc.

Indigo_and_Violet

As expected, sounds like we've got a semantic disagreement which is edging into bike nerd-ery that isn't super helpful for OP. I ride a steel tourer for day-to-day which sounds like it would meet sand_huns definition of a road bike, but my 'road bike' is the carbon club-run machine that lives in the hallway and gets washed down after most rides.  
OP - Johnmcl17 offers good advice. Go to a bike shop, test ride a few different styles, see what works for you. The staff should be able to talk you through the trade-offs from different types of bike. If you have somewhere secure to store it then e-bikes are brilliant. Happy riding!

Johnmcl7

Indigo_and_Violet said:

As expected, sounds like we've got a semantic disagreement which is edging into bike nerd-ery that isn't super helpful for OP. I ride a steel tourer for day-to-day which sounds like it would meet sand_huns definition of a road bike, but my 'road bike' is the carbon club-run machine that lives in the hallway and gets washed down after most rides.  

It's not semantics, you're claiming road bikes are fragile and need regular maintenance to keep them going which just isn't true.  My road bikes are proper road bikes (the Trek factory team currently race a variant of one of them) and they live in the garage and get minimal maintenance because they don't need it.  The mountain bikes are a different story but they spend their lives getting abused on trails but even then it's not much more than a wipe down and re-oiling plus the Di2 is great, rather than needing more maintenance I've never needed to adjust the setup even once after it was installed.

A road bike may not be suitable for the OP but I wouldn't want other people reading the thread to be put off road bikes because they've been given the false impression they're fragile and need more maintenance than other bikes.