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Toys for Transport?
EvilCabbage asks: "Let's imagine I have a distance to travel to get to my office. Much of this is done on a train line, but there is a distance of around 10klm (aprox 6.2miles) from my home to this train station. A little too far to walk, but not quite far enough to justify use of my car every day. Fortunately, the Segway isn't on my shopping list. I'm wondering what parambulating devices are available to make this journey a little easier, without turning the key in my car. Bicycles are generally too large to carry on the train, and couldn't be left in my office all day. I've seen some scooters that fold to rather small sizes (perfect for lugging to the office and back), but are these things still for kids? What small urban transport devices are fellow Slashdot readers using (assuming we are still going outside)? What can you recommend and what won't cost me an arm and a leg to run?"
Have you looked into a folding bicycle? There are many models out there, most of which are designed with the specific goal of getting down to a size where they will go on a train. A bit pricier than a regular bicycle, but all the same advantages in terms of operating cost.
Google will get you started nicely.
Quantum mechanics: the dreams that stuff is made of.
You want a
Brompton Bicycle (Bromptonbicycle.co.uk).
Ride to station, fold it up, ride to work, stash it under your desk. Sorted.
Especially if you've got some rough terrain to traverse, unicycles seem to be your best bet. Small, lightweight and rugged.
Sure, your first day's commute to the train would take 8 hours, and end with you throwing your unicycle 8 feet up the road, dragging your bruised and bloody carcass up to it, giving it a swift kick, picking it up and throwing it again, but that's what learning how to ride a unicycle is all about.
Disclaimer: There is no way in hell I would ever try this.
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A skateboard :)
Although you could get roller skates of some kind as well.
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What about a Unicycle? Smaller than a bike, and probably pretty cheap.
Are there a bike racks at the train station? If it is secure enought, this seems like a pretty good option, nothing to carry on train, etc. Unless you need the bike on both sides of the train, in which case it wouldn't work...
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I had the same issue. My solution was to buy a 1985 GMC Suburban. It's cheaper, and much better than a dinky little scooter.
One future, two choices. Oppose them or let them destroy us.
Or even better, a Motor Scooter. You can't take them on the train, but you can park them at the station. Moped is good too.
And if you really don't want to pay for gas or parking, a skateboard or unicycle is quality. They both allow you to go hands free for carrying stuff. Who cares if it's for kids or whatever, you'll be the coolest dude in the office.
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For years my dad used to commute to the train station on a cheap bike, locking it there with a cheap lock while he rode the LIRR into New York City. One day sombody stole the lock (true story). So, get a cheap bike and a good lock.
Just aim for the ground and miss.
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A Big Wheel!
San Francisco even has an annual Big Wheel race in , and we all know that San Fran is trendy, e-hip and e-happening.
Or gay and campy.
But either way, it'll help you release your inner child.
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Depending on the terrain, a 10 km distance twice a day is a moderate to longish distance to cover under your own power. It's a nontrivial bike ride and I certainly wouldn't want to do it on a Razor scooter or skateboard.
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How about inline skates ? They don't take up too much space... Of course, you need to have a paved path all the way to the train. Richard.
If you're worried about the security of a bicycle, get a pair of rollerblades (inline skates) and stuff them in a backpack when you get to the train. I find they work just as well as a bike, except when going downhill and trying to stop. If the terrain is not very hilly then they're ideal.
with
1) non-spoke wheels (mag wheels?)
2) replace air in tires with silicon, like dope smuglers do.
3) a coaster brake
4) put many stickers all over (like "hello kitty" and "Barbie" )
5) then lock your $25 bike with a $100 lock
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in regards to unicycling you gotta check out Kris Holms web site. He is the best cross country unicyclist and does stuff on his unicycle I would not even think of on my mountain bike. His videos are truly awesome.. and he makes the best unicycles around too.
Check it out!
http://dangeruni.unicyclist.com/Powerskip A bit spendy, but less than a segway, and hella cool.
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Why don't you look into a folding bicycle? I see people with them on the train all the time and you can get one for about $200. Maybe less used. They'll fold up small enough to carry if you need to. Here in San Francisco folding bikes are allowed on the trains at all times (if they are folded up) as opposed to regular bikes which aren't allowed during rush hours.
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I've thought about this a lot, since I had the same kind of commute before. I didn't have the money at the time, but I've always been a fan of detachable in-line skates. There's a few manufacturers (and I do mean a few, they're rare). Hypno makes the best (italian designer, a few retailers in US)... they're last-year models and surplus are affordable, comparable to nice regular in-lines. There's another company, but I can't remember the name.
You skate to the train station, take a few seconds to detach the wheels (they mount on a rail), then walk. they're supposed to be comfortable for walking, look like normal shoes. (Well, what italians see as normal). Note, I've never used one so I don't know comfort/skate performance.
Big deciding factor for this is if you're opposed to excercise. I'd like this, but you really have to be ready to skate 6 miles.
Soln 2: Obtain gas-powered weed-whacker engine. Mount on collapsable scooter. Try to survive. I would *definately* try this. I've wanted to for years... cheap, fast, small, powerful, deadly. It's like the best entertainment you've ever almost been killed by.
Those rechargable electric scooters are pretty slick. They should be able to do a 10KM trip if you recharge at the office; they fold down and they only run about $200 (around here, you can buy them at auto-parts stores)
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6.2 miles is a serious distance. It will take between 24 and 36 minutes to bike it depending on how many stop lights you face. So you're going to be spending 4% of your day on that bike, you want a fast, comfy, serious bike, not a toy.
Don't lug it to work, instead lock it at or near the train station. There's always a tree or post available. If security is going to be an issue, buy a used, (thus cheap, expendable), bike, and get out some paint and make it look really, REALLY ugly and undesirable. Then slap on a good lock. Be sure to lock the front tire if you've got quick release wheels.
PS: I find that I start out using the route I'd use in a car. That usually means getting passed by lots of cars, which leads to a qualitatively non-optimal commuter experience (=sucks). After a few days, alternate, calmer routes always suggest themselves. Then the bike ride becomes a joy - a welcome athletic diversion from life, a chance to relax and prepare your mind for whatever you're transitioning to, be it work or home.
Just fold the wheels in or out. Check them out here. Though something tells me they're not built for longevity.
If it were me, I would do, in the following order:
1. A cheap bike
2. A folding bike
3. expensive roller blades designed for distance
4. Jog (1.5 hours of this every day and you'll live to be 100 if you take care of your joints)
5. vespa (or something like it but more dependable)
I would not recommend a foldable scooter or a skateboard. I've done these distances on each of these. After a while, they are mind-numbingly boring, exceptionally hard on your body (not muscle-building exercise, but blister-building), and plus, they will build your muscles in an unattractive, lopsided-quasimodo sort of way. Unless you can ride 'goofy footed' half the way, which most people cannot.
You should be able to find one on ebay for $100.
The theory is, if there's nothing valuable on the bike, nobody will bother stealing it. Use a front brake til you get your skills together.
It might be tricky to learn how at first, but once you get the hang of it, you'll be forever hooked, and won't be happy until you build fifteen pounds of funk.
It would have been no problem: since everyone had to walk uphill all the way in both directions, it would've been possible to get a Razor and coast downhill in the opposite direction.
Wait a minute...
Get a real Hummer!
Get a metropass (that's what they're called here) and take the bus/streetcar. Or if you're afraid of that, find a few people who live near you (I'm guessing you live in a suburban subdivision) who need to get into town in a similar timeframe, and get a carpool to the station going.
Cue The Sun...
Isn't it obvious? Cheap, light and you'll even get some exercise...a skateboard!
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I learned my technique in Berkeley and San Francisco. Maybe we could compare relative bike crime based on bike carcasses. If you walk down a typical block where you live, how many crippled, stripped for parts, but still locked bikes do you see? In Berkeley, the number is 3ish. In 2 years of living there, I had my seat stolen twice, and my gf lost her handlebars and a back wheel. This was from our back yard, on a semi-seedy street.
The bike repaint technique I mentioned in parent^2 really does work, because crooks are interested in resale value. My boss painted vines on one of his bikes, and painted another to look like a snake. My neighbor just repainted his a sickening pink color. Neither of them have had problems with theft, because theives see these bikes as "quirky", and not resalable.
Another word of advice - don't buy a brand new bike. Buy a decent, $50-200 dollar used bike. That way you're more willing to repaint it, and if you lose it, its less of a blow. I know idiots who buy $1000 mountain bikes with front and back shocks, very shiny, then lock them on the street and are suprised when they're ripped. Its an urban jungle out there. Darwinism plucks the big juicy fruits fast.
We also experimented with buying ultra-low value bikes. Like $20 dollars barely-runs style bikes, and locking them with just a $5 padlock and length of chain. It lasted 1.5 months in downtown San Francisco (overnights), then lost a seat, or wheel, or something. In the meantime it was not very fun or safe to ride. I don't recommend it.
just press the button and fold it up into your suitcase.
What, you don't have one of those?
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Buy the second cheapest bike in the shop. Ride it to the station. Chain it to the fence. Go to work.
Once in awhile you'll return to find your bike stolen or vandalised. With your increased fitness from regular cycling the walk home will not be a challenge. In the morning buy the second cheapest bike in the shop.....
Another option might be to move.
Now wash your hands.
salvation army. thrift stores. it is not uncommon to find half decent '80's vintage roadbikes for $10-20. some are huffys. (they get their name from the effect on the rider - huffy and puffy) some are schwinn (nothing like cast iron to make a durable bike. better exercise on a 80 pound bike, too!) or others. i just picked up a '82 univega for $10 us. under 30 lbs, 12 speed. not flashy. a decent bike in its day. if it gets stolen, i'll buy something else for $20 or less.
plus, you'll learn how to lube a chain, adjust brakes, and other simple maintenance thingies.
befriend a bike messenger if you have them where you are. they'll tell you lots of stuff. it's a cool culture.
caution - bike riding can be very addictive! but it's better than lots of other addictions. it helps keep me away from cigarettes (14 months now)
just my 2k millicents.
Where's Robin Hood? We could kinda really use him now.
I sometimes ride a skateboard to work - a distance of 5 km, and flat all the way. It is more work than cycling, and similar to walking, but much faster. My 5 km trip takes about 22 minutes, and the roads I skate on are not particularly smooth.
If you are a coordinated/athletic person you should be able to learn "pumping", which is a skating technique that allows you to propel yourself without pushing with one foot. If the road is smooth it's even possible to propel yourself up slight hills, although this is seriously hard work.
Ideally you will want a longboard rather than the sort of skateboard you see every day. But don't go too long! A long longboard is good for going fast, but is harder to pump at slower speeds. The best "commuting" board would be something similar to a GS board - around 25 " wheelbase, and with large (~70 mm) and soft (~78a) wheels. Check out NCDSA for more info.
Skating is a seriously fun method of transport, although not nearly as practical as a bicycle.
Why would a crook care what color the bike is, if he's stripping it for parts? Especially ones that the paint is going to wear off of rather quickly because of wear.
I sometimes use my Segway in conjunction with the Metro Rail. It works well in my case. But you've made it clear you dislike the Segway (either because of cost or because you think it's stupid), so that's clearly out.
...speaking of which, you might also consider getting a used moped. That's what I used to have before my Segway.
I'm guessing you live in a suburban sprawl environment. Otherwise, I would expect that there would be a nearby feeder bus service to the train station that you could take.
I'm also assuming that there's adequate transportation from the work-side train station to the office, and that you just want to take your "solution vehicle" with you for sake of convenience. (Otherwise, driving the 6.2 miles to the train station wouldn't help you at the other end of the line, because you currently would then need a solution from the train station to work.)
The smaller electric scooters would certainly work. The better ones are quite capable of carrying a full-sized adult, while remaining relatively small and unobtrusive.
You might also consider getting a cheap used bicycle to leave at the work-side train station that you can leave parked over the weekend and leave parked outside of your office during the day. Something that you wouldn't mind getting stolen over a long weekend... Of course, you need to be concerned about security of the bike at the home-side station... (Oh, if only secured bike stations were more common! Or if America was less crime-ridden... This is not an issue in Japan where I grew up.)
I personally think skating 12+ miles every day would be undesirable. Plus you have the hassle of having to switching between shoes and skates at the train stations. But, then again, maybe you like being outside of the metal cocoon...
It would help if you better defined what you're looking for in the mode of transportation... But I'm afraid there's not much else to choose from...
A daihon is the one if you need a derallieur type system, and if you want to use the bike as a regular bike some of the time. A brompton is the best solution for an exclusive commuter folding bike, but less good for other tasks.
I drive a Smart for anything over 3 km (2 miles) walking distance away.
realkiwi
A 10 lb bike needs a 30 lb lock
A 20 lb bike needs a 20 lb lock
A 30 lb bike needs a 10 lb lock
A 40 lb bike needs no lock at all.
They're dodgy when the ground is wet, so not a great thing to rely on for commuting. Unless you live somewhere very dry, of course.
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That is astounding! Big thanks for posting the link - I am awestruck!
Having both ridden unicycles and mountainbiked, I would never have considered combining the two.
A little planning goes a long way...
Someone already mentioned a Scooter ... over a year ago we ditched our car and my wife and I got a Scooter (a Piaggio Skipper ST125).
Road Tax is about 18 pounds-sterling, it's got a four stroke petrol engine that does c. 80mpg. The back-box and underseat storage provides a good deal of space for shopping. Top speed about 65mph. Parks almost anywhere. You need to do a CBT to ride a 125 (with L plates) but can ride a 50cc with only a full car license.
All in all I reckon it's quite a nice way to get to work. I still enjoy a nice long car journey, occasionally, courteousy of our local hire firm. The scooter can get a little cold/wet in winter but I (usually!!) prefer that to being closeted away in a car.
pbhj
Lets put it in car terms, so maybe it will be more obvious to you:
A car theif has to chose between two targets: A Porsche and an art car. Which gets chosen? Always the Porsche.
Bike theives ARE NOT RATIONAL. They want money, but don't really know how to go about it. If a bike looks new, they think it has resale value. I don't think there's much money in bike parts, as the cost of labor to reassemble is >> cost of parts. Except on the very highest-end bikes, which if you've followed my advice you (1) don't have, and (2) doesn't look to a petty thief like you have, even if you had it.
Think 4 foot skateboard with big soft wheels, built for bombing hills and cruising around town.
:)
For some fine examples of these beautiful beasts, check this out!
They look slick, are easily stored, and make those scooters look like the toys they are
(Disclaimer: I own a skateboard shop, and have recently fallen in love with longboarding myself)
Build boards not bombs
You might want to go to the Vespa website (http://www.vespa.com) and take a look. I've had wonderful experiences with this vehicle. It's not a bike, car or motorcycle and that's a good thing, not trying to quote Martha.
Sincerely, Czephyr
Ok, apologies.
I had imagined that the small wheels would lead to bumpy travel, but I didn't realize they had suspension.
A Reise and Muller Birdy. Better than a Brompton, which suffer from over soft suspension and a a floating back wheel. They have all aluminum frames and the lightest comes in at around 10kg. The gearing is excellent, much better than the 'sturmey archers' on the Bromptons. They are of course far more expensive but they are the best folders I've ridden. You could also try the US made Bikefriday who even do this incredibly expensive folding recumbant. I've not ridden them so I can't vouch for them.