Could you get rid of your car?

Pound

I've been thinking of getting rid of my car and using my bicycle for all my journeys. I was wondering if other people feel they could do this?

Benefits:-

1. You use the road for free.
2. No more cringing at the amount of duty you're paying each time you fill up.
3. No insurance costs.
4. Low maintenance costs.
5. Good boost to your finances when you sell the car.
6. Health benefits (slimmer, healthier, feel better)

Cons:

1. You still need to cycle in the pouring rain.
2. Less freedom to travel long distances (e.g. shopping trips, taking people places).
3. Arrive at work feeling sweaty.
4. You might need to carry tools around to repair punctures.

I'm really thinking about ditching the car altogether because the rewards for doing so are tempting, especially in an age where fuel costs are getting out of control. I do think the cons are manageable though, such as dressing for wet weather, planning journeys better and using public transport, showering at work, and learning how to maintain a bicycle. I think the big drawback for me is giving up that freedom to be able to just get in my car and be somewhere 200 miles away in a few hours if I want to.

What do other people think? Could you get rid of your car and swap it for a bike?

mistyarthur

I couldn't, I love my car. That said where i live at uni I get by without it cause I'm so close to everything. Back home though its a different story.

N9eav

Impossible for me. I live out of town and have 4 kids.
Also a bicycle won't tow my trailor

Keith

No, I live 37 miles from work and public transport takes far too long and costs too much.

My inlaws live a 30 minute drive away but to visit them, I'd have to take a train to London, then a tube, then walk, then take a train! All in about 2 hours each way.
Our local bus company has rerouted and now no longer passes the local supermarket!

shirefairy

got rid of my car two years ago - not out of choice but because it was broken beyond repair. Anyway it didn't take long to get used to...especially the extra cash!!! and I def feel fitter....gave up my gym membership as well, another saving! I tend to walk everywhere rather than cycle. Luckily I live in a very central area.

It also makes longer journeys more interesting. I tend to go by train and my toddler loves it. Also he can move around freely and we can play together rather than me concentrating on driving. Adding up all of our train journeys last year and the 4 times we hired a car it was much much cheaper than running a car.

cuddlymarm

Hi

We went down to one car when OHs conked out and we couldn't afford to replace it. I can catch the bus to work (£4 per day and an extra hours travelling every day) I couldn't do without a car completely though (OH works away so I can only shop at the weekend if I need to )
Family lives all over the country, shopping costs more if I buy it nearby (its not more expensive but they only sell the more expensive brands and it all adds up, its not always nice travelling on our local buses with strange people and drunks, its also not nice waiting for buses in the middle of winter . Its not that I want another car of my own but I couldn't manage without one completely.

I know there will be people that say they can manage without one but I can't completely because I work 2 jobs and OH works away during the week so time is precious and we have to fit lots in over the weekend which we couldn't do if we had to depend on cars, trains and taxis.

Cuddles

MenstrieBen

Depends where you are and what you do / how far you have to travel to work. Not having a car for years in Edinburgh wasn't a problem for me! I now have a 6 mile cycle to work which is as quick as driving some days!

Pound wrote: »

Cons:

1. You still need to cycle in the pouring rain.
2. Less freedom to travel long distances (e.g. shopping trips, taking people places).
3. Arrive at work feeling sweaty.
4. You might need to carry tools around to repair punctures.

As for the cons

1. there are ways to stay dry (at the end of the day skin is waterproof ) failing that you can use some of the money you have saved to take a taxi

2. For a lot of people hiring a car for occasional use on long journeys / big shops would work out cheaper than having one sitting doing nothing on the street outside the house. is there a car club wher you live - these can be really cheap for odd trips by car

3. you'll only be sewaty if you cycle fast - short distances at a slowish pace are easy enought to do without a change of clothes or a shower at the other end

4. you could carry tools though tyres now are much less likely to have punctures - i've only had 2 in the last 3 years and they ahve been mountain biking - nothing on my ride to work (there is always the taxi option to get you there and fix the bike later!

home delivery can sort some of the shopping but you will be suprised at how much can easily be carried on a bike if you get panniers or even a trailer.

give it a shot and let us know how you get on

MenstrieBen

Oh and yes I could happily do without my car!

AdrianHi

Sadly no and worse we have to have 2 cars.
We live in a semi-rural location and we both go all over the place for work and have dropping kids off to nursery 5 miles away (nothing closer) to deal with. The flexibility of the car is the only way to do it.
We could drop at least one of the cars down to a cheap 4 seater capable of nursery runs and a commuting 1 person to work.

Overthetop

I Live in Somerset and public transport here is not great, I also travel to different offices around Somerset daily. I'm gonna keep my car til I retire to a city

benjus

I use my bike as my main form of transport in London... commute to work is about 6 miles each way (SE London to Canary Wharf). You get used to it pretty quickly - 6 miles soon feels like nothing. It's certainly faster than using the train & DLR or queuing up for the Blackwall tunnel.

As for the cons:

1. It actually rains a lot less around here than you might expect. I often find that rain doesn't start until mid-morning, and I don't care too much if I get wet on the way home. I do have some waterproofs to use in heavy rain.
2. Yes, this is an issue. I haven't tried hiring a car yet although I sometimes borrow one.
3. I'm lucky enough to have shower facilities at work - quite a lot of employers provide facilities these days. Where I used to work we didn't have showers, but I often used to go swimming at lunchtime and shower then.
4. I do get punctures from time to time - road surfaces in London are appalling and I sometimes hit a pothole by accident or go over broken glass. I carry basic tools, spare inner tubes and a mini pump and can change a tube pretty quickly now. Buying puncture resistant tyres helps - mine last me around 6 months at the moment. Mind you, I ride a flat-bar road bike, so the tyres are pretty skinny. I like it that way, but if you ride a mountain bike or a hybrid with thick tyres you'll probably have less trouble with punctures.

When the weather's nice it's a lovely way to travel... much better than being stuck in traffic or crammed into a train carriage with dozens of other miserable commuters.

Food shopping isn't too bad... I tend to buy little and often, stopping at the supermarket on my way home. With other items I can often make do with public transport... otherwise there's always home delivery or hiring/borrowing a car.