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A LONG, LONG TIME AGO, Steve Ransom drove a car. Now, this 30-something professional can’t remember when he last got behind a wheel - the kind you turn with your hands rather than your feet.
Steve rides a bicycle, and with the help of his preferred 'trunk', a BicycleR Evolution trailer, he does all the things a modern guy needs to do without burning gas, getting parking tickets or killing time in traffic. Yes, he shops, goes to work, moves house, helps others move house, does the laundry, overhauls the garden and most importantly, for this Lego and Star Wars collector: "gets booty".
“Getting booty involves hitching up the trailer and pedaling from one side of town to the other, sniffing out Star Wars sell-offs and discards from every department store, junkyard, Goodwill outlet and garage sale within a 10-mile radius of my house. And bringing it all home in my trailer of course."
Being car-free makes Steve a statistical oddball in the car-centric cul-de-sacs of modern America, where the motorized majority often forsake a short stroll to the corner store for an even shorter spin on a cold engine.
"In Katy Alvord’s book Divorce Your Car, I read that the fixed cost of owning a car is $14.96 a day, whether you drive the car or not," says Steve. "That's probably a few Lego kits or at least a pretty nice candlelit dinner for one!"
"I have The Bikerev Shopper, which I use for carrying anything larger than a packed lunch."
This popular trailer consists of a water tight Rubbermaid box mounted on a quick-assemble chassis, and is a common sight on the bike paths of Eugene. It's big enough to hold 24 gallons (91 liters) worth of washing, groceries, you name it. Or even community cleanup day.
Here’s Steve's Life with a Trailer weekly drill:
Put dirty laundry in trailer.
Ride to laundromat, load up washer.
Ride to potential booty outlet.
Buy if something tantalizes.
Proceed to supermarket.
Fill trailer with groceries.
Return to Laundromat, load clothes in dryer.
Return home to empty groceries.
Ride to potential booty outlet.
Ride to Laundromat. Collect washing.
Go home.
Now free of mundane cargo, return to office where Star Destroyer is patiently waiting to be collected.
Ride carefully - and carfreely - home.
“I also save money on gym fees,” says Steve. “Riding a bike and pulling a trailer is a great, everyday workout.”
The Shopper is just one of several models on offer. There's a special trailer for pets, golf clubs, kayaks, and even a large platform-style trailer called The Kit, for carrying extra long and wide loads.
Vince Mackenzie, England, actually moved house with his BicycleR Evolution trailer. "Admittedly the new house was not far from our old one, and despite several trips it was actually faster than loading up a car, waiting in traffic and unloading. The queen sized bed was a little tricky ... but we did it ..."
For bigger loads and even overnight camping, Tim Link purchased the biggest trunk-on-wheels that BicycleR Evolution make to date: The Extra Large Cargo Trailer.
It’s a box that can hold a full supermarket aisle of groceries, yet is light and maneuverable.
"The tomatoes don't get squished and it's just like throwing all the stuff in the trunk of a car - only much more pleasurable to load and unload. And I can ride right up to my pantry with the trailer if I want. There's also an undeniable sense of accomplishment when you arrive home with your food in tow ... it almost feels like a return to hunter-gatherer days!"
To divorce your trunk - even if it's just a temporary separation, contact BicycleR Evolution It's fitter, more eco friendly way to do those little things you've been starting the engine for - hauling home a giant watermelon will seem strangely satisfying ...
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For more information, follow this link http://www.bikefriday.com/carfree