@rand asks:
Q6. Have your methods of transportation (biking more, or biking less) changed since you moved into your current residence? Would you (or could you) have still made the move if you had known? Do you have any thoughts about an ideal place to live given how you bike?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes #BikeNite44_2026 cc @bikenite
@rand @bikenite A6. It's been the main consideration for the last ~3 moves.
I didn't have a car and didn't desire to buy one, so I looked for places to live that were within ~3/4 mile of a train station, and similar or closer to a bus line that could take me to work.
Now our family doesn't have a car and proximity to school is added to that equation. Luckily that's not an issue as the schools were already nearby.
I do think that Walkscore/Bikescore/Transit scores are useful for looking for walkable/bikeable/transit-able places at a glance.
When I was at college/university, public transit, driving, and riding a bike were all viable options. Though driving was the most expensive due to the cost of parking permits (as it should be given the amount of land use required and externalities)
Life would be really different in a couple of previous places I'd lived if commuting by bike or transit were an option. Maybe I'd still live there! But I moved because things I wanted to do were too far away.
Oct 30, 2026, 11:42 PM@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6: Definitely bike more. Part of that is that while we are near an important transit corridor, the train lines opening have been incredibly attractive and bike+train (a train I can take the bike onto so keep using) has really blown away bike interest.
I think the train stations that opened where we used to live were closer enough that we'd be more likely to walk and bus to them. But I can't be sure, that might've also turned into the same as here.
@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6: actually when I was looking at my current place there was another place I looked at that had better views but that was b/c it was higher up elevation wise and off a steep street. I knew I didn't wanna ride my bike home up that every day so I chose the spot in the flats and am very happy with that decision. So my biking was one of the primary factors in my home decision #BikeNite
Oct 30, 2026, 11:47 PM@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6. The ideal place for me to live would be somewhere close to the supports of a dense city with good public transit, but someplace I could live on the ground floor and with a backyard.
I have some of it, but with my income it's impossible to get all of it at the same time.
When I was in Davis, I had the ground floor and a bit of a yard, but the cycle theft was high so I had to chain the hell out of my herd. It took a long time to get unlocked, set up, and ready to ride and put it back when I was done.
Here I don't have ground floor, the cycle theft is lower but not non-existent, and there's not anywhere like the cycling paths/lanes Davis has. But having less thief pressure means I'm getting away without the heavy chains I had in Davis (not that I was able to locate any to buy here). That shortens a little bit how long it takes to lock and unlock. I have a place to park that is inside the building's wall, so that's good. But it's not a good official place so the trike has to be lifted twice to get it in and out of there.
I would still have made the move because the other factors I was dealing with were too important. I'd love to have a more ideal place to have my ride, though. I would ride even more than I do if it were less inconvenient to get it in and out of parking and if there were better cycle lanes/paths here. #BikeNite
@ascentale @rand @bikenite #BikeNite A6. I apparently picked a very non-friendly place to live... every trip anywhere here in town ends with a VERY STEEP LONG HILL. Ah well. I thought I'd have to get an e-bike to start bicycling again, but apparently my legs still work (woohoo!).
Oct 30, 2026, 11:52 PM@ascentale @rand @bikenite #BikeNite A6: My cycling indeed has changed since the last time I moved:
I now live closer to the office and don't have to commute over a mountain saddle anymore: So I'm back to commuting on an non-e-bike and I'm more often in the office.
I also no more live on a steep hillside but in a rather flat valley and close to an official bicycle route, so I now do longer and more often leisure bicycle rides after work or on the weekend as cycling is easier and more fun here.
@ascentale @rand @bikenite
#BikeNite44_2026 A6:
20 years ago we moved from a semi-rural subdivision to a townhouse in the city proper. We now live 0.9 miles from the end of the multiuse trail system, with low traffic residential streets and a bike lane between.
It's pretty good.
But if I had to do it over again, I'd try to be closer to amenities as we are about 3 miles from any retail shops or restaurants, preferably within walking distance.
#BikeNite
Oct 31, 2026, 12:00 AM@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6 #bikenite
When I chose the residence it was with transportation in mind. Literally a stone's throw from the bus stop and I don't have a good arm; bikable routes to where I need to go, and they opened a Meijer <2 miles from me so I don't have to risk my life getting to the closer grocer. (The kid who got hit in September is still in a coma.)
It's great by US standards and biking is relatively normal here (I went by 2 bakfeits and at least a dozen other folks on bikes on todays commute). It would be even perfecter if I could just find a few more likeminded people to Do Radical STuff. I think they're here...
@ascentale @rand @bikenite #BikeNIte A6. When I lived in San Jose, I biked for recreation but hardly ever for transportation; most errands involved neighboring towns 10+ miles away (not a quick casual ride). Now I live in a town of about 8,000 people, and I can get anywhere in town by bike, so I run a majority of local errands on a bike (sometimes an ebike, if it's hot or I'm not feeling great). I love it.
OTOH, I'm at the top of a hill now, but that's ok, I bike at least partly for exercise.
A6. I've been at my current address 8 years, and because my commute here is longer in general I'm biking more. In principle I'm fine with that, but in practice I would love to be a bit closer to work to buy back some of the free time lost to bike commuting.
When I look for places to live, it's always with distances to work, rowing, and groceries in mind. Walkable would be most ideal, bikeable is second-best.
Oct 31, 2026, 12:13 AM@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6: Last month I bought a car, after not having one for 15 years. I've lived where I live without one for 7 years. The thing that really got me to change was being single. Having a partner who was also doing things car-free was possible. And I made a good effort by myself for the last two years. But it's just too much. I have to go to work, do every grocery run, every trip to the hardware store, socialize... Too much. #BikeNite
Oct 31, 2026, 12:16 AM@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6 cont: Yeah, I'd still make the choice probably. It's pretty bike friendly & transit rich as these things go in the US. And I live in the middle of town. Mile to groceries. But our path network doesn't go everywhere & it has important gaps. Similarly transit. And the world is not set up for single people. I can't even drive this stick shift car very well yet, but I'm already doing things I might not have without it. #BikeNite
@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6: just moved to a hilltop-ish house, about 100m above the flat bits where trains and shops are.
In theory this is brilliant, it's warm and sunny and the steepness means there's lots of spaces for native bush to live. Plus I'm guaranteed a bit of exercise getting up the hill even when I feel lazy.
But right now I'm feeling unfit, it's hard getting up the hill. Not helped by the physical labour of moving.
I'm sure I'll adjust and would do it again. #BikeNite
Oct 31, 2026, 12:32 AMA6: we moved to London suburbia. So far we managed to keep our habits of public transport and bike for most destinations.
My commute to work increased from 5km to 16km but it manageable. Building way more exercise in my daily routines.
Lots of pressure from my partner to buy a car. Zip Car (car pooling) exiting the London market is not helping.
All in all, would still do it
@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6 #bikenite
I'd love the financial position to look at somewhere in Naarm that could pretend to call itself bike friendly, but I enjoyed my 20s (and that may not have been enough of a difference).
@LovesTha @ascentale @rand @bikenite the trick is to be in a share house with 5 other people in your 40s.
@jessta @ascentale @rand @bikenite triple bunks for all the kids....
A neighbour just sold up. The listing was good to explain where you put 11 kids in a 4 bedroom house. One bed room was two cots and two bunks. 6 in one room helps
@ascentale @rand @bikenite yes
Biking. Full stop. I wasn't riding until I moved into the current house as I had nowhere to put the bikes, and little motivation to get out there anyway.
My neighbour cycles so when I moved in I started riding with him until I started commuting again
@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6. We bought our house 20+ years ago because it was in a very walkable neighborhood… and then proceeded to drive everywhere for many years. So the change has been less about moving houses and more about changing how we move (bike, walk, bus). #BikeNite
@ascentale @rand @bikenite 2yrs ago I moved in to a share house in the most bicycle friendly part of Melbourne. I'm 500m from a train station and the bike path that runs along/under the train line (Upfield line) and parallel to a major shopping street (Sydney Rd). I can access every kind of shop and service I need along that path and it connects to the rest of the major cycling network in Melbourne so I can easily ride 40km away without going on a road.
Most of the area has narrow low speed streets which feel relatively safe to ride on.
I got a box cargo bike to do the shopping and I use it to do the monthly big shop or go to the hardware store. Recently I've been using it to ride around delivering Socialist yardsigns for the upcoming state election.
I've always ridden a lot but this location has changed how much utility I can get from it.
Oct 31, 2026, 1:43 AM
Oct 31, 2026, 1:54 AM@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6: We chose the house I'm in for its workable walking distance to public transport and shopping, with a view to staying here until it's time for a care home. When my wife passed away, I spent a month trying on life without a car, then sold both vehicles when I found it would work. So although not explicitly planned for, bicycle-ability was baked into the mix from the start.
#bikeNite
@ascentale @rand @bikenite
#BikeNite A6. Biking way more. I have very easy and safe access to protected bike trail. The only time I rode more was when I first started on an indoor smart trainer.
@ascentale @rand @bikenite #bikenite #BikeNite44_2026 A6, We moved to rural Montana almost 30 years ago and weren’t thinking about biking specifically, but about all the outdoor opportunities. We are about 10 mi (15km) from town on mostly empty gravel roads which I regard as ideal because I try to avoid vehicles as much as possible. If we ever move we would definitely look for something with walking, biking and mass transit access.
@ascentale @rand @bikenite a6. I moved to my current neighborhood about 25 years ago and my habits haven’t changed hugely. One reason we chose this spot was my cycle commute is only 4 miles which I knew I could sustain. But it needs more amenities and better bus service. I would like fewer NIMBYs.
#bikenite
@dgodon less NIMBY more YIMBY! Tying property values as a personal wealth vehicle was a huge mistake.
Your commute sounds very doable though! It's nice that it's been fixed for so long too.
@fullywoolly there have been a few improvements to my commute routes over the years:
Nickerson road diet slowed drivers down.
Ship canal trail extended under the Ballard bridge
Protected bike lanes installed from Fisherman’s terminal to government way and to both discovery park and the interbay trail.
@dgodon those are some pretty major improvements. I actually don't know if I've ever cycled under the Ballard bridge.
When I first moved here I was a car and driving enthusiast. I got annoyed that all the roads were at least 5mph slower than elsewhere. Now I wish it was more.
Same with Seattle street parking. Like why do I have to wait for this person to drive one way then I can go. Now I want more closed streets, no guaranteed parking ... Garage for a car instead of living space?? + Driveway.
@fullywoolly before the ship canal trail was extended under the bridge you had to divert over to Nickerson and either take the overpass to get to fisherman’s terminal or the underpass to get on 15th to get to Dravus. I did these for years and it was ok, but being able to stay on the trail made it much more relaxing. My whole commute is low traffic side streets or trail. Statistically, it’s probably significantly improved my odds of staying safe as well.
@dgodon I did UW, 520, to Redmond last week. I thought it'd be ok but forgot how much road there actually was. It was mostly ok minus almost being hit by someone turning right. Maps routed me on the Sammamish Rivier trail to Burke on the way home. It's 4 more miles out of the way but that's how I'll be doing it moving forward.
It just feels so much more relaxing and refreshing to not be next to cars... The danger, the noise, the exhaust all of it is so taxing.
Glad you have a safer option now!
@fullywoolly that’s quite the change in outlook! How did the change happen?
@dgodon more biking with the Burke/SRT making it possible to be connected to the city not by car. Dating someone in the city where I saw the benefits of slower streets, walkability really upped it. Before that I always lived on the East side because of work. Probably the biggest change recently though is after reading Life After Cars. Some of the ideas had already been percolating like Seattle not requiring parking. I was already against the space roads and parking took.
@dgodon in general since living in Seattle including the east side, I realized how much damage we were doing by developing. I've been here since 2011 and even I can see how much we've deforested since. It really pushed me to wanting to have more density. I also read the book Abundance by Ezra Klein almost a year ago. I hadn't realized how NIMBY came to be and it made a lot more sense with that perspective. Also watching the city go from reasonable, to expensive, to unaffordable in 15 yrs
@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6. I used to think I wanted to live somewhere remote but actually that would have meant driving everywhere. Living on the edge of a small town means we don’t need to own a car and can do most local trips by bike or on foot. At the moment, life is busy so these errands are pretty much my only riding. I’ve come to really value the time on the bike that they give me. I’m already looking forward to collecting the Christmas tree! #biketooter #bikenite
Oct 31, 2026, 6:31 AM@ascentale @bikenite A6. We lucked into our house. We needed to move, 1.5 hour commutes (5am before the traffic) were not good. Biking here came much later, but silicon valley is “modern”, flat, wide roads and streets, easier to retrofit safer bike infrastructure. I can ride relatively short distances on painted bike lanes to get to quiet paths or streets. There is no need to get on the expressways (45 or 50 mph). There is just one street I regularly ride on that unnerves me, narrow painted lane crappy pavement, recessed manhole covers that span the whole lane.
I thought about moving near my mom up the coast, but there is only one road. 55 mph, narrow shoulders, lots of traffic. I do see bikes, but it scares me. I love the mountains and the ocean, but they both make bike transportation difficult if not deadly.
I do appreciate the neighborhoods I ride through much more than when I drove through them. #BikeNite
@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6: oh yes, the walkability score was one of the first things i looked at when I moved here. People who grew up here don’t talk about how great it is to able to walk everywhere, but most transplants do.
We’ve organized ourselves into a fairly large bike coalition, but our City Council is not supportive, so everything we’re pushing for is a huge uphill battle, in contrast to their outsized support for car culture.
@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6. Moving houses definitely had an huge impact on our mobility for us. When thinking of moving anywhere it is essential for us to check public transportation and bike infrastructure. If that doesn't fit, sorry, that place will never become our home!
Example: Some years ago we moved to a the city, where a tram station is less than 5 minutes walk away. The tram goes every 10 minutes until late in the night. The next day our kids went to school easily (our earlier home was connected by a bus going once an hour, lastest return at 7:30 pm!). Since then I only use my bicycle to go to work or do shopping.
The next week our second car was sold, later the first car too. We don't own any car now for more than 5 years.
I don't miss our car, but I don't want to miss this freedom!
#bikenite
@ascentale
Yes, the move and just working from home has removed my cycling commute. This reduced overall time on the bike.
On the positive side: leisure cycling is much more relaxed here in the countryside, as there is more space and fewer cars.
I would do the move again, but I would look for a place with more accessible shops and restaurants on foot or bike.
@rand @bikenite
Yes location definitely matters. After COVID I moved much closer to work as I could no longer sustain a 30km E/W commute.
Not having country roads with first 5 mins of a weekend ride is very bad news.
And a fourth floor flat without a lift is a challenge.
But I can be in central London without breaking sweat and in Paris/Brussels for lunchtime.
@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6. The village is closer so I can walk rather than ride for small errands. The bike-commute is 15 min longer. Definitely still would have moved (mostly to do with sea level rise worry).
Ideal place to live... Bourg d'Oisans maybe? Or 🇳🇱 or 🇩🇰. #BikeNite
Oct 31, 2026, 11:34 AMA6. I’ve mooned a lot about living at the top of a long hill, which sometimes tips the balance to taking the bus instead. Long term, I know I need an e-assist, and it will have to fold or I will not be able to get it into the apartment. Where else to live? Anywhere a bit flatter. Utrecht would be nice.
@etp @ascentale @rand @bikenite FWIW, I love my Brompton Electric G Line. The 16” electric Brompton are nice, too.
Oct 31, 2026, 1:15 PM@uxMark @ascentale @rand @bikenite
Your enthusiasm is part of what is driving me. I’m still dithering between 16” and 20” and I haven’t even gone for a test ride yet. The thing is, my current Brompton is a very old (>30 years) 5-speed and while I don’t want to get rid of it, I must, and I’m not sure I will be able to.
@etp @ascentale @rand @bikenite 😀🚴♀️❤️
@etp @uxMark @ascentale @rand @bikenite just since September I have put around 500 miles on my #BikeFriday All-Day folder commuting in #Portland and I love it, though it may be easier to get a Brompton in Europe.
Oct 31, 2026, 11:38 AM@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6 I used to be about 40km from work now it is 74km. I still ride as often as I can but only one way at a time (train back). The route is less busy. I think being closer to work might not be better - I like the buffer.
Oct 31, 2026, 11:40 AM@ascentale @rand @bikenite best thing about the move from a commuting point of view is the outside tap for washing my bike!
Oct 31, 2026, 12:38 PMA6. A major factor in choosing our current house was the ability to use a bicycle for leisure and light utility. I hadn't ridden a bicycle regularly since 1990, but I very much wanted to. A Lectric eBike was one of my first purchases after moving in April.
I adore it. Major quality of life upgrade. I drive as little as I can these days but think up excuses to go for a bike ride.
Yes, rather dramatically. We've gone from being a two-car family of four to a one-car family of six. My bicycle is now my primary vehicle, though being in suburbia with kids, I still drive the family minivan a lot.
I don't know that I could have chosen a different location. Due to family constraints, we were locked into this suburb. Going forward though, I don't see me living here long after the kids finish school.
Oct 31, 2026, 1:49 PM@ascentale @rand @bikenite Biking more because my new location is more accessible to relevant bike path and I am much closer to all amenities.
A6. Commuting used to take 30-40 mins for ~10 miles, now it's ~80 mins for ~22 miles, and I need to carry laptops.
But apart from that, where I live now is much better: the gravel trail paradise of Kielder Forest is just a short drive away, or easy access to the remote roads of Northumberland and the hills of the Cheviots or Pennines.
Not so good if you don't like hills, of course.
@ascentale @rand @bikenite
#BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes
Oct 31, 2026, 3:40 PM@ascentale @rand @bikenite Yes, picked location specifically for bike-ability, but losing the bus transit backup means I need to be much more weather conscious and skip bike commutes when dangerous.
Nov 1, 2026, 2:02 PMA6) We are considering moving in a couple years, and are looking for a place on a high-frequency bus route, with a decent grocery store within a few blocks (hardware store would be a plus).
But that's more bus/walk -related.
The Minneapolis/St Paul metro is sort-of barbell-shaped, with some of our destinations in each city. For biking, a location in-between near "mid-town" would make more things bikeable
Nov 1, 2026, 2:52 PMThe Mpls/StPaul metroplex is… very challenging. When I last lived there it was >175 km/110 mi in the N-S axis, 2/3 that E-W.
Midtown appeared to be a decent compromise, then, with rail about to be available again.
I contrast it with Vancouver, with all its 'skyscrapers' and towers - almost none of which are dedicated to corporations. They are mostly housing, dense islands of convenience floating in a pond of low-density inconvenience nearly paralyzed by parked cars.
Nov 1, 2026, 5:50 PMA6.
Changed a lot as there's not as many places to go in tourist towns in a rural area compared to mid-size cities and big cities. Still bicycle everywhere, not as often because I don't bicycle to work since retirement. I don't bicycle more because of too much snow or ice or it's too cold and I'm often helping drive my spouse with the travels they have to take for their job.
Nov 1, 2026, 5:58 PMA6: I bike less.
Previously I was a 10 or 15 minute walk from the subway station but now it's at the end of the block so it's taken a much larger share of my transit.
Also managed to get car use down to about a couple of times per month for the last little bit between the train station and where family members in the suburbs live.
Nov 1, 2026, 7:53 PM@ascentale @rand @bikenite A6. There was zero cycling infra when I moved. Had to choose the place that was affordable & wouldn’t require a ton of renovation. Which led me to doing a bunch of active transportation advocacy & community organizing. Now, there is definitely more paint, but there is still a hill & several dicey intersections when going home. We’ve tried looking in the flats or possibly downtown coop living project, but nothing has clicked yet. (1/2)