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Gonna try and live without my car for a while. Just cancelled car insurance and declared SORN. No longer driving anywhere to mtb. Both kids now riding themselves so ride to school every day. I work 5 mins away and have a Brompton so can take bike into shops.
Hopefully the dawn of a car free life.
I may be misremembering, but aren't you a taxi driver?
Well done. I hardly drive, but can't quite declare SORN. You have my envy.
I may be misremembering, but aren't you a taxi driver?
It's a black cab and only two days a week. Certainly not my vehicle. Most people can't get their heads round that I have my brompton in the front of the cab. I have to explain that I have to get to work just like they do.
Sorry Lodders, but riding the same local trails all the time would be dull, no matter how good they are. Like being a club golfer.
You need more local trails.
It's good, I like it.
I did this out of necessity initially, car broke down, didn't want to fix it, thought I'd try a month without a car and see how it worked. That was 18 months ago. The car is now sold, I get the train or cycle to work, I do the shopping on my cargo bike and walk lots. There's the odd place that is a pain to get to (Decathlon in Wednesbury is the one that always springs to mind!) but I've found that with some planning most places can be reached by a combination of train and bike (and occasionally bus, though I try to avoid them!).
If you do need a car, you can hire one for about £40 for a weekend, I planned on doing this when I sold mine but never have. Option is there though.
Edit, re. trails, again, it just takes some thought and imagination. Yes, I ride locally a lot but I also get the train to Cannock, to Wyre Forest, to The Peaks, etc. It take a bit more time and planning but the overall benefits outweigh the negatives for me.
[i]Just cancelled car insurance and declared SORN[/i]
I take it it's a low value car as its now uninsured?
Is it actually possible to live near a good enough array of trails not to get a bit bored of the bit near your house? If such a place did exist I doubt it'd be walking distance to shops, restaurants, schools, sports centres, places to work, etc.You need more local trails.
Good for you, though loddrik. I'm sure there are loads of people out that could do the same with a bit more drive (pun not intended)
you need more local trails
I have quite a lot of local trails, managed 102km on them on Saturday, but the idea of not being able to have biking weekends away in the lakes etc would bite hard. Even if I lived in the lakes, Tweed valley I'd still feel that way.
I've sold the mtb so trails aren't really an issue. I'm happy just riding anywhere tbh. I have a cx/hybrid which I'm happy enough on canal towpaths or roads.
Car not worth that much but lives on the drive anyway so doesn't need to be insured. No one is going to steal it.
I'm just happy to be riding, doesn't really matter where. Lost all will to drive to ride somewhere.
"but the idea of not being able to have biking weekends away in the lakes etc would bite hard. "
Hire car for when needed ? although wouldnt take many weekends a year to make it worth owning a cheap car imo......
Is it actually possible to live near a good enough array of trails not to get a bit bored of the bit near your house? If such a place did exist I doubt it'd be walking distance to shops, restaurants, schools, sports centres, etc.
[smug mode]you've just described where I live[/smug mode]
Having said that, we run two cars - one for the wife to commute in, and a big battered old estate for me to drive to 'cross and XC races in.....
Hire car for when needed
Enterprise will rent you something small for £40 for a weekend, join their loyalty programme and you almost always get an upgrade. Do 1 weekend away a month (unlikely I know) and you've spent £500 a year for having a brand new, insured, breakdown covered car. You'll do well to run a car for anything less than that.
If you need to run two cars to live there I'm little sceptical 🙂[smug mode]you've just described where I live[/smug mode]Having said that, we run two cars - one for the wife to commute in, and a big battered old estate for me to drive to 'cross and XC races in.....
devils advocate to my own arguement.......
knowing where the hire car place is in relation to my house = mega pain in the arse to collect and return + fighting with rush hour traffic on friday night and monday morning....
im out.....
co wheels car club have a small van for hire in aberdeen though.....
I can ride to work quicker than I can drive at rush hour, about 10 minutes.
We still have 3 cars between 2 of us and I'm looking at motorbikes again 😀
Having said that I expect we'll probably change to one car (probably mine as the OH can't seem to look after hers for toffee so it's going to die) and a caravan at some point because my car does few miles and what it does do are usually towing or weekends/holidays, and the 3rd car is the Midget so doesn't really count.
knowing where the hire car place is in relation to my house = mega pain in the arse to collect and return
I thought most did drop off and pick up now?
I did it for a year. I still got to different places riding and often did some big epic days just to get somewhere new. You also plan some interesting routes using the train to get back and you're not set on riding in a circle.
You can always hire a car pretty cheaply. In the end though it became just too difficult with having a youngster as well and wasn't much fun during the winter.
I would be careful not to lose your no-claims bonus should you ever decide you need a car again.