Alt transportation needed for short trips

[Chalupa102]

I'm tired of putting wear and tear on my car and wasting gas for shorts trips and am looking for alternative transportation options. 2 times a week and 1 time during the weekends, i make a 2 mile trip one-way. The way there is downhill and the way back is uphill. From my house to my destination, it's 310 ft descent. About 1/3 is flat and the rest is hills, some steeper than others. About 1.5 miles are on smaller roads and the last 1/2 mile is on a 40 MPH road.

The biggest issue i have is the weather is getting colder and the trips during the week are in the dark at about 6:30-8pm. The weekend trips are during the day light hrs. Snow will also be falling soon, but if the weather is really bad, i won't be making the trips even in my car.

I do have a bicycle, but i don't really know if i want to ride in the dark, mainly because of cars.

What are my best options especially with winter approaching? I am on a minor budget of about $2,000-$3,000.

[RobertSmalls]

Start by adding an illumination system to your bike, and see if you're comfortable with it. I built a 12V system for mine. It's a 7AH sealed lead-acid battery from a UPS, a toggle switch, a red trailer LED lamp, and a 3W LED headlight. It's kind of overkill, actually.

Bicycle snow tires exist, but I will not ride if there's snow on the ground or in the forecast.

The cheapest thing to do would be to just use the Corolla. Three short, cold-start trips a week aren't going to cost you that much. Use 0W20 and a block heater if you want to minimize the impact of cold starts.

If you want to build an NEV, just say so. It'll be another vehicle to insure and maintain, but it would be pretty cool, and EV conversions have been done on budgets smaller than yours.

[bikin' Ed]

How about a trike? I'd recommend a tadpole design--two wheels in the front. For the kind of money you mention, there are many available. Add electric hub motors to the front and you won't have any hill problems. Of course lights are the most important, and probably required to be legal.

[Figjam74]

Yeah, for that kind of budget I'd totally consider the trike with some electrics. A used car is still going to cost you gas and insurance at the very least.

[order99]

If you're on a budget and you have a source for junked bikes, may I recommend the DIY approach?

Atomic Zombie Recumbents, Trikes, Choppers, Scooters and Electric Bikes Homebuilt DIY Project Plans

I'm especially fond of the Loderunner Delta and the Tri-cruiser Tadpole designs-and DIY would give you plenty left over for a decent fairing and/or Hybrid approach via electric assist.

That Silent Speedster Scooter looks pretty neat too-but without the pedals you might need to register/license it depending on your state.

[Chalupa102]

Thanks a lot for all the input guys. I'm definitely looking at all the options that u guys suggested to find out which will be the best one.

Right now, i'll be using my bicycle. I pulled it out for the first time in a long time, and did the trip just to see how long it would take. It was definitely a difficult ride back home climbing all the hills, but i'm sure it should get easier with time. I got an excellent head light for it the other day and just bought an led vest that should be arriving in about a week.

[Christ]

The spincycle listed on that site is publicly available on "As seen on TV" ads. I saw it the other day. I wonder if there's lawsuit material there?

Chalupa102 - If you're worried about biking up that hill, why not include a regen braking system on your bike? It'd be fairly cheap to introduce, and would give you a battery assist for going up the hill, so that it's less stressful on you. Afterall, I'd imagine you're not freewheeling down the hill in the morning for the whole trip, so the regen going down the hill could charge the battery for going up the hill later!

[WisJim]

Walk? I walk into town every morning with my wife, when she goes to work, and then I reward myself with a cup of coffee at a local shop, talk to some friends, and then walk home. Takes about an hour and a half for me, including coffee time. My total difference in elevation is only 100 feet or so, but it's up and down both ways, and in the morning this time of year it is just getting light when I get back home. We carry an LED flashlight, and will probably get a flashing LED to strap on a leg or arm, when we find one that is cheap that we like. When it gets to slippery from ice and snow to stand up on the roadside, we drive the Metro.

Just checked the topo maps and the difference in elevation is 160+ feet, not 100'-

[thatguitarguy]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

Start by adding an illumination system to your bike, and see if you're comfortable with it. I built a 12V system for mine. It's a 7AH sealed lead-acid battery from a UPS, a toggle switch, a red trailer LED lamp, and a 3W LED headlight. It's kind of overkill, actually.

Anything that keeps you from getting run over is not overkill. Those little 9 led flashlights are showing up just about everywhere for about $2 each. I use rechargeable AAA batteries, and some strips of bicycle inner tube to strap a few onto my handlebars to point at slightly different angles. It makes a huge difference, and it's cheap and effective.

[Chalupa102]

I was biking quite a bit to avoid driving the short distances. I got a nice bright LED headlight for the bike and an LED reflective vest to wear. The bike already had rear LED lights mounted in the seat. I also put a reflective band around the bike frame from the handle bars back to the seat. I have felt completely safe riding at night and well seen.

Unfortunately it recently snowed and i haven't riden the bike since, but i did start walking today. I used the LED vest and an LED flashlight. It was chilly (25° F) with some wind, so i bundled up nicely and was warm on the walk there and back.