Thank you for participating in my survey a few weeks ago! A number of you requested additional information about the ebook I’m working on, Simply Carfree: Pedaling Toward Freedom. Read on for a detailed summary and be on the lookout for a free sample chapter in February.
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Who will this book help?
This book will benefit anyone who is interested in trimming back their debt, getting in better shape and living a simpler lifestyle. Simply Carfree is full of tips, tools and strategies that will help you live a good life, without having to depend on an automobile.
Below is the draft outline of the ebook:
Our Story
Rethinking Necessities
Save $8,000 in a Year
Getting Confident on the Road
Bike Buying Tips
Carfree Grocery Shopping
Living in a Bike Friendly City
Biking Toward Better Health
Wardrobe and Grooming
Non-carfree Loved Ones
Going Car Light
Carfree Stories
FAQs
Other Resources
Please take a few minutes and participate in the poll below. In addition, if there is content you want added to the ebook leave a comment or contact me.
The content sounds great and I know several folks who I would recommend it to – but so far the Dallas suburbs have not been to biker friendly. We have bikes that we ride (mainly on the weekends) but because of our 20 mile commute it hasn’t been practical yet to switch to a biking commute.
But I’d definitely keep it in mind if our situation changes. It’s something I’d definitely prefer to do.
@Jonathan – sweet and thank you. Do you think it would helpful to include a chapter on biking in the burbs? Or dealing with city politics?
Ohhh a 20 mile commute is long. ): I can understand why it might be hard to do that everyday. Have you been able to connect with any bike organizations in the Dallas area?
Awesome suggestions Dawn – I’ll include something on that topic too. I love all the reader feedback; it’s been fantastic. My hope is that it will make the book even better.
Sounds like a wonderful book and I really want to get my hands on it. Wait, I think I can’t really get my hands on it, not literally.
Anyway, it’s always good to read how other people is solving their problems with a simple lifestyle, since even while simple it has it’s quirks and odd balls. Also I may finally be able to really learn how to ride a bike. I do know how to, but I have never gone out to the city streets.
Just a couple, but Mexico City is all but bike friendly. There are events every Sunday where some main streets are closed for bike riding, but that is not very helpful if you want to get to work by bike everyday.
The government promised to make the city more bike friendly a couple of years ago, so far they seem to be working on it. Not sure when I could ride a bike and feel safe about it.
hi, the content sounds great. Have to admit that I’m still car lite, but my bike’s getting way more mileage than ever before. I’d love to see something about winter biking – living on the Canadian Prairies, I usually park my bike and just carpool with the rest of the family during the winter months. Love to see how other cyclists handle deep snow and temps in the low negatives. And maybe just for fun, see how other cyclists personalize their gear (helmets, bikes, bags, etc)? Can’t wait for the Feb. sneak peek!
@Carrie – that is a great suggestion and I will add a chapter on cycling in the winter. You should check out “Let’s Go Ride a Bike.” The women who write the blog are amazing, plus they live in chilly Chicago. It’s awesome that you are car-lite!
@Steph – Awesome suggestion and I’ll include a chapter on route planning. I didn’t even consider it.
Tammy, really looking forward to seeing this! The one thing I would add to the wish-list of content is how you go about planning/researching bike-friendly routes to where you’re going.
I’m definitely interested in your e-book! Are you planning on including something about bike storage and/or upkeep? That’s what’s making me most nervous at the moment — my bike has been relegated to the porch for the winter since I’m not the most confident biker yet. I feel like I could do better by the bike, but I’m not sure how.
Hey Christine – That’s another good suggestion. I’ll have to include something on bike maintenance / upkeep. I might try and get Logan to write a blurb on this topic – he’s a bike maintenance guru.
In the meantime, check out Sheldon Brown’s site. The site design isn’t that great, but the content is amazing.
This sounds like a great book, but in my current city it’s just not possible for me to go carfree (no safe way to get to work without a car, and public transportation is horrible). Of course if I move to more carfree city or find a closer job, I might have to snatch this ebook up ASAP!
You’ve got a great outline for the ebook, covering the important topics to help make a carfree life an easy transition.
Good luck, and I definitely look forward to the sneak peek.
Sounds like a good book. Are you gearing it towards those looking to first make the carfree switch? That is what it sounds like. I would have found this book useful when I first started biking but not now. You might include stuff on transit. I bike some but also use my public bus system a lot too. You can be car free in lots of ways. The bike + bus ability here (Seattle) is very useful for longer trips.
Also if you haven’t read Pedaling Revolution by Jeff Mapes you should. It’s a great book heavily featuring Portland (as well as other places) about how bicyclists are creating change in America. It was interesting and had interesting history about national advocacy organizations I hadn’t known about.
@Chelsea – I am gearing it toward those who are looking to first make the carfree switch. But my hope is those who have been carfree for a while will find the guide useful tool.
I’ve read a portion of Pedaling Revolution (I had to return it to the library). I’m planning on finishing up the rest of the book once I get to Portland.
Thanks for the suggestions and feedback – I appreciate it!
I am wanting to use a bicycle to get around in our small community. I have one major hurdle: fear. When I was 19 (well more than half my lifetime ago) I was involved in a car-bike accident. Though I only broke my arm, it left me with a dread of riding in traffic–the car turned left in front of me and I hit the car. I have ridden for fun since then, but I have never been comfortable in traffic since then. Any suggestions for psyching myself up for riding as my main transportation?
@Carol – I’m sorry to hear about your accident. I completely understand why you are scared to start riding again. When I started riding my bike a lot, I was so scared! I decided the best way to get back into the grove was to slowly get used to riding by cars. So I started riding on bike paths, then upgraded to quiet neighborhood streets and then finally fairly busy urban streets/roads. The main thing is – start riding and try to work past your fear.
Also have you considered connecting with any local bike organizations? They might have some classes you could take. I’ve found that riding with others and connecting with my local bike community has helped ease a lot of my anxiety.
Keep me posted on how things go. Thanks for connecting!
Thank you for participating in my survey a few weeks ago! A number of you requested additional information about the ebook I’m working on, Simply Carfree: Pedaling Toward Freedom. Read on for a detailed summary and be on the lookout for a free sample chapter in February.
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The content sounds great and I know several folks who I would recommend it to – but so far the Dallas suburbs have not been to biker friendly. We have bikes that we ride (mainly on the weekends) but because of our 20 mile commute it hasn’t been practical yet to switch to a biking commute.
But I’d definitely keep it in mind if our situation changes. It’s something I’d definitely prefer to do.
@Jonathan – sweet and thank you. Do you think it would helpful to include a chapter on biking in the burbs? Or dealing with city politics?
Ohhh a 20 mile commute is long. ): I can understand why it might be hard to do that everyday. Have you been able to connect with any bike organizations in the Dallas area?
I live in a very congested area (Northern New Jersey) and information about biking in a “not so bike friendly area” would be interesting.
Awesome suggestions Dawn – I’ll include something on that topic too. I love all the reader feedback; it’s been fantastic. My hope is that it will make the book even better.
Sounds like a wonderful book and I really want to get my hands on it. Wait, I think I can’t really get my hands on it, not literally.
Anyway, it’s always good to read how other people is solving their problems with a simple lifestyle, since even while simple it has it’s quirks and odd balls. Also I may finally be able to really learn how to ride a bike. I do know how to, but I have never gone out to the city streets.
Thanks Alejandro. My goal is to complete the book by the end of Feb. So stay tuned.
Do you have any bike paths in your town?
Just a couple, but Mexico City is all but bike friendly. There are events every Sunday where some main streets are closed for bike riding, but that is not very helpful if you want to get to work by bike everyday.
The government promised to make the city more bike friendly a couple of years ago, so far they seem to be working on it. Not sure when I could ride a bike and feel safe about it.
hi, the content sounds great. Have to admit that I’m still car lite, but my bike’s getting way more mileage than ever before. I’d love to see something about winter biking – living on the Canadian Prairies, I usually park my bike and just carpool with the rest of the family during the winter months. Love to see how other cyclists handle deep snow and temps in the low negatives. And maybe just for fun, see how other cyclists personalize their gear (helmets, bikes, bags, etc)? Can’t wait for the Feb. sneak peek!
@Carrie – that is a great suggestion and I will add a chapter on cycling in the winter.
You should check out “Let’s Go Ride a Bike.” The women who write the blog are amazing, plus they live in chilly Chicago. It’s awesome that you are car-lite!
@Steph – Awesome suggestion and I’ll include a chapter on route planning. I didn’t even consider it.
Tammy, really looking forward to seeing this! The one thing I would add to the wish-list of content is how you go about planning/researching bike-friendly routes to where you’re going.
I’m definitely interested in your e-book! Are you planning on including something about bike storage and/or upkeep? That’s what’s making me most nervous at the moment — my bike has been relegated to the porch for the winter since I’m not the most confident biker yet. I feel like I could do better by the bike, but I’m not sure how.
Hey Christine – That’s another good suggestion. I’ll have to include something on bike maintenance / upkeep. I might try and get Logan to write a blurb on this topic – he’s a bike maintenance guru.
In the meantime, check out Sheldon Brown’s site. The site design isn’t that great, but the content is amazing.
This sounds like a great book, but in my current city it’s just not possible for me to go carfree (no safe way to get to work without a car, and public transportation is horrible). Of course if I move to more carfree city or find a closer job, I might have to snatch this ebook up ASAP!
You’ve got a great outline for the ebook, covering the important topics to help make a carfree life an easy transition.
Good luck, and I definitely look forward to the sneak peek.
@Simply DIYgal – I’m sorry to hear your city isn’t very bike friendly. Boo! Are there any local bike groups you could connect with?
Sounds like a good book. Are you gearing it towards those looking to first make the carfree switch? That is what it sounds like. I would have found this book useful when I first started biking but not now. You might include stuff on transit. I bike some but also use my public bus system a lot too. You can be car free in lots of ways. The bike + bus ability here (Seattle) is very useful for longer trips.
Also if you haven’t read Pedaling Revolution by Jeff Mapes you should. It’s a great book heavily featuring Portland (as well as other places) about how bicyclists are creating change in America. It was interesting and had interesting history about national advocacy organizations I hadn’t known about.
@Chelsea – I am gearing it toward those who are looking to first make the carfree switch. But my hope is those who have been carfree for a while will find the guide useful tool.
I’ve read a portion of Pedaling Revolution (I had to return it to the library). I’m planning on finishing up the rest of the book once I get to Portland.
Thanks for the suggestions and feedback – I appreciate it!
I think it sounds like a worthy project, Tammy. Good luck!
I am wanting to use a bicycle to get around in our small community. I have one major hurdle: fear. When I was 19 (well more than half my lifetime ago) I was involved in a car-bike accident. Though I only broke my arm, it left me with a dread of riding in traffic–the car turned left in front of me and I hit the car. I have ridden for fun since then, but I have never been comfortable in traffic since then. Any suggestions for psyching myself up for riding as my main transportation?
@Carol – I’m sorry to hear about your accident. I completely understand why you are scared to start riding again. When I started riding my bike a lot, I was so scared! I decided the best way to get back into the grove was to slowly get used to riding by cars. So I started riding on bike paths, then upgraded to quiet neighborhood streets and then finally fairly busy urban streets/roads. The main thing is – start riding and try to work past your fear.
Also have you considered connecting with any local bike organizations? They might have some classes you could take. I’ve found that riding with others and connecting with my local bike community has helped ease a lot of my anxiety.
Keep me posted on how things go. Thanks for connecting!