How I Get Around Without a Car & How You Can Ditch Yours Too!
There’s lots of reasons why I made the switch from driving to biking – health, financial & environmental concerns to name a few. Keep reading to learn how you can ditch that car too!
In early 2020 I misplaced my drivers license and didn’t want to go to the DMV in a pandemic to replace it. It’s been two years since then and there hasn’t been a moment where I’ve missed it. I had been living mostly car free up to that point, so I figured why not go all in?
I grew up riding my bike around my suburb west of Chicago. In my childhood, I would ride my bike to friends' houses across town or to the 4th of July parade on the back of my dad’s tandem. Even when I got my drivers license at 16, I never had a car of my own; as a teenageer, I biked to school for rehearsals & when I went to college in downtown Chicago I left my bike to collect dust in my parent’s garage, but got by navigating the CTA. So when I lost my drivers license in early 2020, I didn’t really miss it because I had always been able to get around without a car – plus I’m a terrible driver anyway, anyone who has ever gotten into a car with me behind the wheel can attest to that. It’s probably for the best for everyone that I put my driving days behind me.
With all that being said, I know that it can still be daunting for some people to give up their car. It’s easy to become so accustomed to using a car that the idea of not owning one can be impossible to imagine. So below I’ve broken down a couple ways I navigate around some common hang-ups folks have about using a bike for everything. And even if you still want to keep your car around, maybe after reading on you might consider substituting your bike as your transit of choice every once in a while.
When starting my first job after graduating, my options for getting myself to work were either taking a bus or to take my bike. At the time, we were still at the height of the pandemic so for me, taking my bike over the bus was a no-brainer. I was already comfortable riding on city streets having done so to keep myself sane during the early pandemic; at that time, there were hardly any cars out with me so it was really ideal for learning the rules of the road as a cyclist. Of course, this kind of traffic is hard to replicate now that lots of folks are back to driving everywhere.
Also, I had just gotten back from a bike tour so I had a ton of camping gear that could be repurposed for commuting. I could have just as easily used a backpack, but I found it more comfortable to ride without anything on my back. My workplace was also a t-shirt and jeans kinda place which was easy enough for me to bike in since it wasn’t a very long commute.
One of the things that I love about riding to and from work was that at the end of any particularly stressful day, it’s very relaxing to hop on your bike and just keep pedaling. It also helps me to focus my thoughts as I head into work. There’s something about early morning streets with the sunlight just barely poking over the top of the tree-lined streets that is blissful to ride through.
For more details on how to get to work on your bike, check out our guide from a couple months ago! If you want to see if you could get into the car free lifestyle, try commuting into the office a couple of times a week to see if you like it.
One of the best things about summertime in Chicago is getting on my bike to run errands. I have a basket on the back of my bike that I can take into stores with me which I love because it keeps my back from getting sweaty and is so convenient to shop with. As Kurt Vonnegut once said, “we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different.” So who am I to disagree? The art of farting around is getting to cross things off your to-do list while enjoying the parts in between. On my bike, I am forced to slow down a bit & appreciate my surroundings more than if I were zooming by in a 2 ton, metal box.
Even through Chicago winters, my rides certainly aren’t as pleasant, but they do keep me grounded with the climate. By riding in the rough weather, my body acclimates more to the cold & snow than if I were to spend my time bouncing between heated places. So long as I plan ahead and dress accordingly, the cold is a hurdle that can be overcome.