I figure it’s about time that I confess that Rob and I purchased a car last month. The fact that I was slow to tell you and how I’m phrasing that probably tells you a lot about my feelings on the subject. I like biking everywhere and I liked the fact that we had a lifestyle that didn’t require a car. The few times we did, we’d check out a zipcar. Not everyone is that lucky.
But Rob has been working down in the Willamette Valley more frequently and there’s no viable way to commute without a car. No regular bus service. No carpools that fit a winery’s sporadic schedule.
He found a 1985 Mercedes 240D, converted to run on biodiesel or pure vegetable oil. It’s a nice vehicle and fairly low-impact.
But.
The fascinating thing is the shift in thinking the occurred the moment we had it. Situations where I’d have happily hopped on the bike the week prior suddenly required thought. Did I want to mess with rain gear or just take the car.
I’ve finally settled into the thinking that I’ll use the car in situations where I would have checked out a Zipcar. Which mostly means if I need to haul something.
It’s still so tempting though, just sitting there and waiting for me to go places without effort.
With proper care, those old MB diesels will run forever. The bio/WVO conversion: did they put a tank heater in? That’s about all you need to do…
No, there is an inline fuel heater but not a tank hearter. We live in a fairly mild climate.
An intermediate solution, if you’re so inclined, might be a scooter. A 50cc scooter (a) doesn’t require a motorcycle endorsement (though I recommend you take the course anyway; it’ll make you a better operator and enable you to move up if you get hooked 🙂 and (b) gets some incredible gas mileage, like, 100mpg. Parking is a breeze, and if you add a trunk, between that and the underseat storage you can haul a fair amount of groceries… they also have some electric models, though I would wait another year or so to let them improve the tech before springing for one…
Warning. Life on two wheels can be addicting… between being out in the elements, the people you’ll meet, and the sharpness it brings to your everyday awareness…
Oh, I can haul a fair amount of groceries on the bike. The car gets put into play if I’m looking at bulky items that wouldn’t work on a scooter either.
But they are awfully cute.
You must have finally gotten paid from the District to afford such a slick ride. (Ha.) Biofuel vehicles are not something to be ashamed of. Good for you!
(Yay for using the bike when you can!)
Alas, no. Not yet.
Fortunately, Rob got a good deal on the car.