Car not needed.

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silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Intrepid wrote...
"My health seems to be better, -either that or I'm learning how to adapt to the changing situation, - but the main thing is that I'm getting out and about on my faithful old Hercules bicycle again which always cheers me up. I have a good doctor who agrees with my holistic lifestyle approach to maintaining wellness instead of just chucking pills at my condition and she's always pleased when I tell her I'm back on my bike again."

That is wonderful to read, Anne. I believe there are different kinds of healing and different avenues of approach. As a lightning survivor I have seen many survivors and many victims and often the only difference is in which position the individual has embraced. It is very much a personal choice how we respond to a life changing illness or injury. Being intrepid as you are you have chosen to be a survivor, finding ways to cope with your condition and feeling gratitude for what you have yet. I think of it in terms of learning how to become graceful (not a term most men would use) in the sense of acceptance and a willingness to move on as well as you can. Enough; this is something I've given a lot of thought to and could go on for longer than anyone would want to hear. I'm glad for you in your healing journey.

And I am glad to hear that the cyclecar is being stared at and dreamed about. That, too, is wonderful! No matter how long it takes, the project is a worthy one. Someday decades from now a girl, young or old, will read your narrative, pore over the photographs and find inspiration in your mechanical adventure... and she will have the thought that she, too, could build such a machine and then ride it about. She, too, could be Intrepid!

Carry on, my friend, easy as you go.
SB
 
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2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
I wish I could go without a car but unfortunately Denver isn't the best place to live if you want short commutes. It, like many cities is spread out and I live in a community far removed from the city center. I do ride my bikes to the library, 6 miles, the grocery, 1/2 mile and I like to cruise my neighborhood, 3.2 miles. But there are places I need to go and things I need to haul that simply do not lend themselves to a motorized bicycle.

I do weekly trips to my mother-in-law's house, 39.7 miles, all highway, and the things I seem to need require a pick-up truck to carry. I couldn't find any way to carry a lawn mower on my bikes.

Nevertheless, when I take a bike instead of my truck, I have a lot more fun and use a fraction of the gasoline. And meet some of the neatest people on the way. :)

Tom
 

Intrepid Wheelwoman

New Member
Oct 29, 2011
2,830
61
0
Hauraki District, New Zealand
True enough about bikes being fun and a great way to meet people. I was out and about on my Hercules trike this afternoon and quite a few folk stopped to chat and children called out to me and waved as I rode along. The Hercules has been dozing in the garage for a while as it needed various jobs doing to it and this was its first time out for the best part of a year. Folk had been wondering if I still owned my trike and today they got to see that it was indeed still in my possession (delights of living in a small town).

Trucks and vans and things, - generally what I used to do if I needed to go further with a load of stuff I'd go down to the local hire place and hire a light truck or van for a day. Since I'm a sleepy girl behind the wheel these days my days of playing trucker girl are well and truly over (sniff), but now that Mum is in 24hr care I no longer need to be able to haul stuff about from place to place. Life is change and all that :)

Sidecar outfits are great for carrying lawnmowers by the way as I used to do this all the time when I had my own home based small engine business. Sidecar outfits are fun too, - only these days my doctor says, 'No Anne,' when it comes to sidecar outfits :(
 

AssembleThis

New Member
May 11, 2014
163
0
0
NC United States
Hi Intrepid Wheelwoman!

Great plan you and your daughter have. I have also been walking a similar path. I haven't filled the tank in my mini van for a couple of months. And in all honesty I don't miss driving it. As time passes when you separate yourself from something there comes a moment when you realize, wow I don't need or miss it. If it wasn't for the need to transport large and heavy items I would sell my auto today. And the thought isn't totally out of my mind. If I can build a bike trailer that can haul and transport large items I might go through with it and get rid of the van. An electric bike I would love to have but for now it's out of my reach. Cost is too high and I'm in the middle of home repairs, and I'm designing and fabricating a rocket mass heater for the home. Chopping wood for all winter is not easy for an old geezer like me lolol. So dropping the amount I need to heat my home by 75% will help immensely.

.xx.

Dave
AssembleThis