Just been thinking about my car, having just had a huge repair bill, road tax renewed and insurance next month…

Has anyone given up their car, either short term or permanent ?

No, don’t be so ridiculous!

I had no car for a couple of years, just a motorbike…. Dunno if that counts though.
🙂

We’ve gone from 2 to 1. Not quite the same but I do admit to a small smug glow 🙂

when I was younger and lived at home my car fell to bits and I couldn’t afford another one so spent a year without a car.

I would get the train into work and cycle back, I did this as far away as Chester which was about 30 miles away. Of course, this was when trains had guards vans, loads of room for bikes, something called ‘legroom’ and a guard who was invariably on the ale no matter what time you met him and would offer you a sip of whatever he had.

I got by OK for the most part but it wasn’t easy. It’d be near impossible now due to the often mobile nature of my work, crap public transport and family requirements.

i’ve mostly given my car up! cycle or bus to work, and now local rides only. looking to go by train soon for rides further afield. or blag lifts. or drive only if i really need… my peugeot probably has seized brakes by now though 🙁

I want to but the only reason I have a car is rides away from home, which often I drive to on my jack to meet mates wot dont live near me. Bit daft really, just paid £100odd tax for it to sit on my drive.

I gave up full time car ownership for a few years. I just used to hire them when I needed them. A lot cheaper than having one sat in the drive swallowing money

Dont think I ever could. Not only do I love driving (just for fun and relaxation) but I have family stretched all over the country, mostly in out-of-town locations where public transport is poor, and my sports require me to use a car to get to them. Renting would work out financially unviable, its far cheaper to run a small box of a cheapo car and run it into the ground.

Not quite the same, but i have been meaning to learn to drive for ages, now 29, but just keep putting it off purely because i dont really fancy running a car.

The only reason i would get one is for moving the bike around anyways so seems a bit of a waste. But then saying that i live in the flatlands so desperation for hills may win out!

I’ve never owned a car, along with a few other people I know. We’re all a similar age (late 20s-early 30s), live near to the centre of a city and don’t have families. I do blag lifts quite a lot, and sometimes hire one. I suspect that if you have kids or live somewhere rural it becomes a lot less practical to go without one.

I’m not using a car this week, wife and son are on a school trip so I’m riding/walking to work/shops/etc. I’m very happy not to be relaint on a car for at least one week in the year.

Jamie – Member
Not quite the same, but i have been meaning to learn to drive for ages, now 29, but just keep putting it off purely because i dont really fancy running a car.

The only reason i would get one is for moving the bike around anyways so seems a bit of a waste. But then saying that i live in the flatlands so desperation for hills may win out!

Better pull your finger out before the new european standard test comes in. As far as mtbing goes having a car is essential to me, for that reason alone I’d never give it up.

I never learnt to drive, I’ve always biked, walked, train’ed and bus’ed. This bike makes life a lot easier.

🙂

I got rid of mine about 6 weeks ago. Went for about 18 months car free previous to that motor. There are days I wish I had one and days I am glad I don’t.

GNARGNAR

Better pull your finger out before the new european standard test comes in. As far as mtbing goes having a car is essential to me, for that reason alone I’d never give it up.

The what now?

I’ve never learnt.

Was made easier I guess by the fact that my parents never learnt either, so I’ve always been used to getting myself around by bike.

I guess I save a load of money compared to running a car, but the thing that is really nice is that it keeps me pretty fit without having to think about it. Plus I hate sitting around in cars, whereas I love riding bikes. Sitting in trains is okay as you can get stuff done, but driving, what a hassle.

Joe

I sold my ickle car 3 years ago. But mr.b.h. has one if needed.
So in our house whoever has the car leaves the other one to either, walk, cycle ( my fav. way of getting around), or public transport (my least fav. way to get around).

No.- I’m lucky enough to get a copmpany car, and fuel card, so I ain’t ever gonna give that perk up..

We’ve only the one, and for a large percentage of the week it’s unused as I walk to work, and partner rides in. Most miles that are put on it are (shamefully) MTB miles at the weekend 😳

We’ve 2. Mine rarely gets used except for to ferry kids to nursery when the weather is crap. I use the roadbike & trailer to get them there if weather is ok.
Wife commutes to B’ham. Her office is way out of Brum so trains/buses are a non-starter. She does car share though, picking up 4 people on the way to work in return for a space at her office.

I did SORN it for a few months last summer, when we were skint. And I’ll probably do the same this summer. I love it when I dont have access to a car. Much prefer the bike. Did without one for two years once, while paying off big debts from an Ex. I’d love to live somewhere where non-car ownership was viable.

Jamie – Member

The what now?

I’ve heard a few times now that the uk driving test will be upgraded to something closer to the german test as part of some sort of EU standardisation. The German one is by all accounts, a fair bit more involved.

Mrs North and I own one car between us. It’s a two seater. Last purchase payment on it is next month.

I hardly ever drive it, but do now and again, mainly at weekends when we do stuff/go places together. My personal transport is done by bike. I try to do as much as I can by bike, and a rack and panniers certainly help. I intend to turn one of my bikes into an Xtracycle for more arduous work – I also need something to transport my track bike to the Velodrome when a car isn’t available….*

Mrs North does use it daily, however, but that’s because she’s basically unwilling to travel to and from work by bus or bike. Life’s too short to argue, so I let her run it (it’s regesitered in her name), fill it with petrol etc.

Frankly, since we live in a city, there is really no need for a car for much of our life – we could both easily cycle/take public transport/walk for the majority of what we need to do. I think not owning a car and hiring one as and when is a really good idea, and is something that could suit many more people than would actually consider doing it.

*The subject of a separate thread, I suspect.

if it wasn’t for needing to get places to bike / climb i’d get rid. makes it an expensive hobby put like that, especially as I’ve ridden no more than 5 times since September. Hiring might be the way forward.

Don’t own a car any longer and don’t miss it; we rent a car for the few times a year we actually need one. However, we do live in London so have reasonable public transport to get us most places including to the local trails and I can cycle to work. I fully admit this might be quite different if we lived in other parts of the UK!

Wife and I will be emmigrating to Australia in September where we will not be living in a city and will need at least one, if not two cars to get around. On a personal level I am already resenting this so will be trying to live without the second vehicle (probably a ute for me!) for as long as possible. I have a Surly Big Dummy or an Xtracycle on the shopping list…

I also need something to transport my track bike to the Velodrome when a car isn’t available.

You need the Xtracycle and a Tray Bien

My GF and I went from two to one. Was an obvious decision, neither of us drive to work (I cycle, she walks/cycles). It gets used once or twice a week. When we had two I was driving it for the sake of it every month to keep it running properly.

Not noticed a difference yet. The money saved can be used to fund taxis if we ever need to get somewhere different at the same time. Between us the savings are significant (‘000s)

My car’s been off the roads now for about 6 months, been using my bike for work and all local journeys.
I will be putting it back on the road near to the Summer though, only so i can take my bike places, i would use public transport for this, but to be honest i don’t think £90 to travel 200 miles is very competitive, trains are just a big joke in the UK imho 😉
I have noticed the difference in my pocket but i always seem to find things to spend it on!

When I was riding to work every day I was spending the fuel money on extra food, made sod all difference to my pocket. But was still cheaper (and faster) than the train!

We go without a car, using the City Car Club or else hiring when we need one. If there’s a car club near you, it would definitely be worth checking. Works well in Edinburgh. Link.

We went from two cars and one motorbike to just one car last year. Saved us a small fortune and now we actually think about the driving we do.

You need the Xtracycle and a Tray Bien

Thanks, Jon. As if I wasn’t sold on an Xtracycle, you’ve just solved that problem for me. 😀

Now, just to unseize that BB in the Kona….

Another non car user here. If you consider owning a car costs a minimum of a couple of thousand a year then that buys a lot of hire cars and taxis. I keep meaning to join the car club.

It needs imagination and can be limiting – but can also be liberating. I have no need for a car.

Trains are usually cheaper and quicker than the same car journey – total cost of car use is at least 40p a mile.

Gave up my car september 2006 and I hardly ever miss it and when I do need a car you can rent.

For example last september me and 3 mates wanted to go to wales for long weekend and hammer Penmachno and Snowdon. Cant fit 4 blokes 4 bikes and and camping kit in a car so we rented a Transit bus for weekend. Cost us £60 for rent and £20 for diesel.

Gave up car/motorbike ownership in 1986. Never regretted it, though still maintain an interest in both!

When I was riding to work every day I was spending the fuel money on extra food, made sod all difference to my pocket

Same here but I must buy more expensive food than coffeeking, as it was actually more expensive for me.

Now that I am back in France, the baker down the Uni is becoming my best friend. I don’t use my car on week days, I barely use it on week end, I need to get the service done, plus some minor repairs from the MOT though.

kona_uk – I would give up my car depending on where I lived and worked. If I moved back to London I would give up my car in an instant. More hindrance than use there. I’d simply hire a car for bi-monthly trips out of London.

Another non car user here. If you consider owning a car costs a minimum of a couple of thousand a year then that buys a lot of hire cars and taxis.

Well you are using car then…

I’ve gone from 1 car to 3 recently. That way I’ve always got a spare when one breaks down. TBH, I could do away with them all. I commute by train / helicopter, and live close enough to everything I need to either walk / ride there.

total cost of car use is at least 40p a mile

hmm, not in my car… 21.5p/mile that’s at 5000 miles/yr (what i did less year) if i did more, it would cost me less!