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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To sell our part-gift car for cargo bike ?

41 replies

joanne34 · 09/02/2011 10:02

This week alone our car has cost us over £500 on a service plus now the exhaust is making noises. This was money we were going to spend on carpet !
I put £20 of petrol a week in to do approximately 35 miles !

I take ds2 to nursery first and then ds1 to school. All of this could be done by bike, and I do cycle to work and ds1 to school a couple of times a week, him propped on the back of my bike on the panier.

So basically I would like either a better bike for propping ds1 on the back and to add a bobike mini seat to the front for ds2 or a cargo bike of some sort, either bella bike or trio bike.... but they are approx £1500 each !

I part exchanged my car in 2009 for my mil to get £2k back for a brand new version of her old car of which she gave to us in exchange for my old car ?
It is a lovely saloon hardtop cabriolet, but has un-child-friendly bucket seats in the back and not alot of leg room.
It also is a cruiser, so the 5 miles I do a day cost a fortune because I spend most of it sitting in traffic ! ( when I could be whizzing by on a bike ! )

I feel like I am being ungrateful, but I was rushed into the decision but my old car was very old and a diesel....

So basically am I being unreasonable to sell this car ? It is my car as it is in my name on the Log book, but I feel like I am not allowed to. I know it would probably upset mil.... ???

OP posts:
bubblewrapped · 09/02/2011 10:12

What about in winter when there is snow, and ice, blowing a gale, peeing down with rain? Not going to be much fun on a bike then.

Days out in the summer are pretty restricted if you have no transport.

Going shopping?

Emergency dash to A & E.

There are lots of reasons why having a car makes life much easier.

Original poster
joanne34 · 09/02/2011 10:22

Maybe I should add, we live in greater London and the average traffic speed is 12 MPH.

Days out in summer ? We got to a big park or get the train when going on holiday.

We have a good train service nearby, but lets face it, that stops working if there's a leaf on the line ! :)

Yes indeed a car is the lazy easy version, but I would also say the slower, more polluting, less healthy option.

Maybe I should just use the car on needed days only... but then whats the point of having it ??

OP posts:
bubblewrapped · 09/02/2011 10:25

I live 10 miles from the centre of London, but would honestly be lost without a car.

I dont think you are being unreasonable, but I do think you would miss the car when you dont have it.

Gubbins · 09/02/2011 10:32

I don't think you're being unreasonable. It sounds like your MiL pushed you into exchanging your old car for one far less suitable for you, purely so she could get a saving on her new car. It's as much yours now as your old diesel was. Sell it, buy a cargo bike and join a car club. If there's no local car club then you would still spend a hell of a lot less on taxis and hire cars than you will be saving in vehicle excise duty and services.

Original poster
joanne34 · 09/02/2011 10:32

Us too, were approx 10 miles south-south west.

But am I being unreasonable because it was a part gift ??

OP posts:
Gubbins · 09/02/2011 10:34

Oh and I live 5 miles from central London and only ever use the car for trips out of town. Quite frankly it's a complete waste of money and I really ought to get rid of it. I know several local families who manage perfectly well without one.

Original poster
joanne34 · 09/02/2011 10:39

Gubbins, yes its pointless ! I spend most days just sitting in traffic ! okay some days its fine and it is very easy to just put your foot on the gas and go, but the amount we use it, is ridiculous !

Everyone in london should get rid of their car and cycle ! ( thats my dps theory ) ;)

OP posts:
mummytime · 09/02/2011 10:43

Talk to your MIL about this. Is there a car club in your area?

If they had one which did cars that can seat 5 in my area I might do the same (and offer them the use of my garage).

thehairybabysmum · 09/02/2011 11:01

I dont have access to a car in the week and manage fine, i also live in a city...however i would say to forget the cargo type bikes as they are ridicuously expensive but also heavy and difficult to cycle/manouvre.

I would buy a decent lightweight hybrid type bike and a trailer (you can also spend a lot on one of these but Halfords do a fantastic double one for aprox £100). They are also safer as if you were to fall off your bike (unlikely though i know) then the trailer will always remain upright. Also it is v snug and warm/dry in the trailer for your dc.

A bike is definitely the quickest option for my commute and with a triler is a v flexible option. You can leave the trailer at the school and then carry on your day with just a normal bike rather than the bulky cargo option. I also have a seat on the back of my bike so if it is just me and ds2 we leave the trailer at home and jsut use that.

Downside is that trailer with 2 kids in is pretty heavy to tow, hence a decent bike with good gears needed...upside is your bum and upper thighs will magically shrink with each use!!

You can also get a junior bike seat by bobbike for older junior so they can perch on the back better. Personally i think the front mounted seats look very small and your child would quickly outgrow. Also to cycle with one child on back and one child on front not so stable.

Cars give you a very wide berth with trailer, wider than you get with a child on the back with a seat so i think they are safer from that point of view also.

re getting rid of your car and MIL...can you jsut ask her how she feels?

thehairybabysmum · 09/02/2011 11:02

Yes car club good, we are in one of those.

SexyDomesticatedDab · 09/02/2011 11:06

Get a bike if you like - if you need a car try WHIPCAR - you can effectively hire out a neighbours car when not being used. If you don't need a car on a regular basis.

zipzap · 09/02/2011 11:07

Hope that you'll not have lost out on what you could have sold your original car for now against what you will be able to sell your mil's ex-car for... hope your mil shared some of her savings if not!

is there any way that you could sell your current car and get enough to buy a cheap little second hand run around car that is cheap to run in the city and get the bike bits too?

Original poster
joanne34 · 09/02/2011 11:11

We already have a double trailer and a co pilot limo, I used the trailer with ds1 when he started school for a couple of years.

Now ds1 is 7 and ds2 is 11 months.

Trailer is not suitable at the moment, plus I dont like the trailer on main roads, as

  1. its behind me
  2. its too low down ( if I do a right turn, cars waiting for me dont see the trailer till late )

This is why I was thinking about a cargo, plus for the weekend shopping run.

OP posts:
BarryShitpeas · 09/02/2011 11:12

I'm not sure a cargo bike is worth it tbh.

A bobike can just clip on to the front of your existing bike, and is much cheaper.

I am currently cycling 3 1/2 year old twins on with one front and one back like this.

I live in roughly the same area as you (10 miles sw London) and I would not like a trailer as it would restrict where I could cycle- for example down the river. Also, you cannot chat with a child in the trailer like you can when they are in front/behind you.

thehairybabysmum · 09/02/2011 11:17

If he is 7 though surely it will be very heavy to use. They are just so expensive for such a limited function. Could your ds not cycle alongside on the pavement if he is 7?

What about a trailing bike or trailgator for your older ds. Just have a massive flag on it with some of those little flashing lights also attached to the pole.

Original poster
joanne34 · 09/02/2011 11:18

Barry... hmmm another idea is for me and dp to get a charge steamer each... it has a wooded seat panier on the back plus good open handlebars for the bobike mini to fit.

We have mainly bikes with drop handle bars, and I dont fancy them with a baby in front of me ! :)

Still cant see the point of having the car !

Yes I will try and speak to mil, although how do you start that sort of conversation ???

OP posts:
Original poster
joanne34 · 09/02/2011 11:21

zipzap, yes, we could get around £6-7k :)

I would rather clear debts with the excess money ( that sounds awful ! ) :(

OP posts:
thehairybabysmum · 09/02/2011 11:24

this is the junior seat here, it folds down flat when not in use so then acts like a panier.

How old is your ds2?

I think if you are going to go car free then you need something that can carry the children and other shopping/bags swim stuff etc hence why a trailer is so flexible. I see what you say about turning right but that can be solved by increasing it's visibility.

I personally dont see how a cargo bike loaded up with shopping bags a 7 year old and another child, plus heavy itself plus not the easiest thing to cycle anyway would be stable enough.

Original poster
joanne34 · 09/02/2011 11:25

hairy- yes we have a gator too !
The only bike equipment were missing is a cargo !!! :D

yes he(ds1) has various bikes of different sizes, but is not very good on them ( needs more practice ! ) Im worried whether he could handle the hill on the way back home after school and club, plus im in a rush to get to the nursery by 5.30pm......

yes I admit he really should be able to cycle that, but not on the road ! which then again makes us slower to getting to the nursery.....

OP posts:
MmeLindt · 09/02/2011 11:29

A neighbour in Germany had a cargobike - she had three under 3yo when we met so it was the only way she was able to get around.

It was great, because she could do a supermarket shop without worrying that she could not fit everything onto the bike.

The only issue in London that I could see is how easy it would be to maneuver in traffic.

COCKadoodledooo · 09/02/2011 11:31

Could you get a tagalong for ds1?

Original poster
joanne34 · 09/02/2011 11:35

We have a tagalong, I havent used it but dp said he is very wobbly on it. I'd rather have him on my panier.

OP posts:
BarryShitpeas · 09/02/2011 11:40

If he's 7 (didn't read that before, thought he was younger) he really should be able to cycle with you.

I wouldn't think you'd want a 7 year old in a cargo bike- it would be as slow as him cycling behind you.

I would sell the car, and get a sticky out to the side flag for ds1.

MmeLindt · 09/02/2011 11:46

Your DS is 7yo? Just turned 7 or almost 8?

How is the cycle? Are you on roads or cycle paths?

I would be working with him to get him more confident.

Takver · 09/02/2011 11:58

Doesn't answer the AIBU question - although I know my MiL wouldn't mind and would just want us to have the 'right' transport solution, that doesn't answer whether yours will feel the same way Grin

But, one other bike question - do you have a cargo trailer? I absolutely rely on mine for transporting shopping and the like & they are pretty cheap. Even if I had a cargo bike I would want one as well :)

And I definitely wouldn't want a car if I was in London & on a tight budget!