Many of you, having read the previous posts on car trouble (part 1 and part 2!) will likely be asking why we think we need to have two cars. And why we don’t do something a little more healthy, like bike commuting.
And, to be honest, I’ve considered it. We have bikes, and our commute is less than a mile, so the distance wouldn’t be an issue. Neither would the time. There’s just two big reasons holding me back.
- Winter. We live in North Dakota. From mid October to Mid April, we’re lucky if the temperature gets above 40. I don’t think that 35-40 would be so bad, but it really is only in these ranges for a few weeks in those months. The average high in January is 18, but there are days where it stays below 0 as well. And our annual snowfall total is over 3 feet. Put those two together and you take about 6 months of the year out of the biking season. Combine that with the second reason, and you’ll see why it really would only be feasible a few months out of the year.
- Kids. My wife and I split duties here. She drops them off in the morning, and I pick them up. The oldest can ride a bike, but would never make the distance from daycare to home. So, I’d have to get a trailer for my bike that would carry both of them. Adding 100 pounds of trailer and kid to the back of my bike would certainly help with the workout, but would also make it pretty grueling some days.
At the moment, it just isn’t really possible to commute by bike, even in the summer. As the kids get older and start attending school, it might be more of a possibility, but winter would still require the use of a car. One way or the other, unless I start working from home (which isn’t a possibility unless I quit my job and start my own thing), we’ve got to have two cars.
So, biking is out. I could carpool, but none of my coworkers live very close to me, so they’d have to go out of their way to get me. Also, I don’t think they’d like having to pick up my kids.
Would a lifestyle and situation that allowed a bike commute be welcome? Sure. And it’s something that I may still try during the summer months when I don’t have to worry about picking up kids, but until then, cars it is.
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You could check with other people in the area and share a ride to a central point. It will take some work, but ir may be worth it in the long run. Good luck.
I agree with Krantcents. See if there are other parents in the area you can share duties with. Then you may be able to ride your bike a couple days a week. If this doesn’t work, don’t beat yourself up too much. Just try to be green in other parts of your life like using biodegradable cleaning and beauty products and growing some of your own food. Every little green activity counts.
Well, the distance isn’t really an issue. All told, my “commute” is less than a mile one way. The whole situation might change in the fall with the oldest of the two kids going to school. With only one, it might be much more possible to do something else.
Winter is doable. You can get some studded tires and the bike will work great in the snow and ice. But I understand the kid situation rules that out too. I wouldn’t take my kids biking in that temperature.
Those reasons are very understandable BB! I think the only way I would ever give up driving to work is if I had to pay like $500 per year for a parking pass! That might change my outlook! For now, though I’ll take my truck any day!
Can we agree the first problem is living in ND! Zing lol
I doubt the bike lifestyle would fit most lives except extreme minimalists with no children lol
@Evan Ouch! That stung a little bit!
I’m not sure that you couldn’t make it work in a more moderate climate, but yeah, living in ND is certainly a hindrance to that.