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Who here has made the "jump" to all bike-no car?

I kind of went the other way around, for a long time the MC was all I had. Only a few years ago did I finally buy my first car in SF.
 
Sold my car 3+ years ago and went 100% bike.
That being said, I still rent a car now and then for big shopping trips.

I sold my car to save money and not have it sitting there as I either rode or took CalTrain to work.

I think its great to ride for more than fun and think its going to be more and more common.
 
I've been on the "only-bike" wagon for over a year and a half. Also been riding for that long too.

I work at a school and live right behind it so it only takes me 3 minutes to walk to work. So I don't think I need a cage for awhile.

However I do miss having my own car because my wife drives a VW Beetle and I hate her POS fuggin car!
 
have not owned a car since 2000, if memory serves. living O/S and/or the odd access to someone elses wheels as well as use of public transport is what has helped me stay cageless for that long. that and being a mega tightwad with my savings:teeth

'05 is when i got two wheels and have been riding since.:ride unfortunately, the practicality of a car is far outweighing the limitations of two wheel ownership as sole method of transport.:(

assimilation is eneviatable:shocker:twofinger
 
vaara said:
:confused

So how did you get your moto license*? I always thought you had to have a regular car license before you could get an M1 endorsement.

*edit: assuming you have one. :twofinger
Click to expand...

u dont need a class c 2 get an m1. you just have to pass the sills test. or take the msf and drive around the dmv parking lot.
 
I was without a car for 2 years from 2002-2004 when I was stationed in San Diego. Was the simple life back then before family and living in the barracks on base. Not really able to do that now with the size of the family.
 
I'm in the process of making the jump right now. Haven't bought a car since I moved to the Bay Area in January and I'm right now looking for my first bike, so that'll be my sole mode of transport.

Oddly enough, I'm yet another arrival from the UK. *waves at all the other car-free tea drinkers*
 
when i made the switch to solely two wheels just a few months ago, i kept my car. so, just in case i had made a bad decision, the car was still there, waiting for me. and it wasn't before i went two straight months without once being in my car that i finally sold the thing.

now it's only been four months, so i'm not really the best judge, but really enjoying it so far. cages suck in bay area traffic and parking lots. :teeth
 
Did it some years back when my 4 wheel ride needed work and I didn't bother. Rode through a couple nasty winters. Other than finding myself damp more than I'd like, it was fun. And my wet riding skills were in top form as a result.
 
Technically I have no car, although I have access to my Dad's stored 4-runner if I really need it. Its easy to go car-less in SF. I had no vehicle for about 3 years, then I bought my first bike. I have two bikes now and no car in my name. Its awesome until it rains.
 
I have a car but the only time I use it is when I'm transporting motorcycle parts I can't carry on the bike itself.
 
Last car was a twin-turbo RX-7. When I got my first Speedy, it just sat and I ended up replacing the battery. When I got my second Speedy (my 03) it just sat and I ended up replacing the battery. I ended up selling it in 2004 because I had put less than 100 miles in 2 years. It was a great car deserved someone elses love and appreciation since I wasn't anymore.


Every once in a while I think about getting a beater pickup, like and S-10. But it hasn't happened yet.
 
In my family (wife, baby, and myself), we have the bike and the car. I will drive the car on the weekend (since I haven't figured out if having a car seat in a side car is illegal or not), but I guess I consider myself bike only, since my commute is all on the bike.
 
The OP said he was getting rid of a car. A biker has no use whatsoever for a car. A car is a "social" vehicle. Aackk. Now if the OP said he was getting rid of his truck, we would know it was a troll post, or the meds ran out,........
 
Karbon said:
That is to say you've bought or have a beater pile of a car you hardly ever drive and 1 to 3 bikes of your choosing or no car and a small stable of bikes.

I can imagine there is a minority of crazy people among the crazy.

contemplating this jump, more so because I love riding more than I hate cars.

thnx.
Click to expand...

Me.
 
The longer I go without a car (15+ years now), the more reluctant I am to even get in one. They feel so confining. Like a, a... cage.
 
I was car free from January to November 07. I had started a new job, there was basically no commute, so I could easily bus it, and my transmission had started going out, so instead of fixing it, I gave the car to charity.

Only reason I got my current car is it turns out I'm indispensable to the new job, and needed to get to the disaster drill site regardless of weather. I could have done it, but my battery was weak at the time.
 
Had to sell my truck for financial reasons at the beginning of last year. Still have the wife's car - a well-used, older CR-V 4wd, the perfect grocery-getter. I hate driving her car, 'cause there's no public transport to speak of where we live, and I don't like to leave her and our young daughter stranded - I ride in the rain and cold without a second thought, but when the bottom drops out, it's nice to have the wife's car...

I was bike-only the first few years out of highschool, and was all about being bike only this past year, but being stranded in the snow for two days on the Grapevine trying to get to LA for work, while CHP shut I-5 down a week before Christmas last year had me re-prioritize why I ride vs. take the car...

Cold and rain don't bother me - get good gear, and they won't bother you. The problem is the unnecessary risk you take just to remain car-less - make sure you have alternate arrangements so you're not needlessly subjecting yourself to increased risk when the weather turns extreme.

What are you risking, who stands to suffer, is it worth the risk? :thumbup
 
I did it for a few years. I had an old car that I never drove. I used it for storage and moved it around to avoid street sweeping until I sold it. I used my beginner bike for commuting and usually had a second bike for more fun stuff. Of course, most of that time I was living with my girlfriend (now wife), and had access to her car when needed (but not for the commute). Does that still count?

Edit: I was living in San Jose at the time. I think for folks living in tiny city apartments with no parking (SF), going bike only is actually the more practical solution. I have several friends doing just that. They park the bikes on a sidewalk or in the corner of a shared garage, do most of their commuting by bike or public transit, and get out of the city for weekend rides.
 
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