u/StillHeat2815

I know a lot of people struggle with the idea of going car free especially in a place like LA. I did too. but after living with a cargo bike for a few months i slowly got used to it and honestly started to prefer parts of this lifestyle. So i thought id share what made it work for us in case it helps anyone else thinking about going car light...

About 3 months ago we got a cargo bike (taran l1s). The original reason was that we were tired of parking and traffic so plan was to use it for school (pickup drop off) because thats like when we both are in hurry.

I mean school is only about 2 miles away but driving there takes around 15-20 minutes once you include traffic and finding a spot. On the bike it takes like 10 minutes door to door.

But now alott of our short trips (to park.. or to kfc, to our parent's place) alot of our short trips have gradually stopped being car trips.

We still use the car for longer distances and for those really bulky loads and for thing/routes that make more sense by car. So i wouldnt say we are like FULLY car free...but most of our everyday trips dont really need one anymore.

The first thing is simply that the bike can carry enough stuff to make that possible. We were originally planning to get a regular ebike (but that wont be helpful in our case)

But this one can carry kids, school bags, groceries, other random things (you pick up during the day)... alot of situations that used to make me automatically think we need the car for this turned out to be totally manageable on the bike. We have panniers front and rear plus smaller storage for everyday stuff. Ive even carried lumber home on it before which is definitely not something i expected when i originally bought it for school runs lol.

Tho we dont ride in heavy rain that often but when the weather turns i can throw on a rain jacket and the kids stay pretty comfortable under the rear cover.

The second thing is electric assist.

Even with kids or cargo on the bike or when i have to deal with a hill it still feels manageable. I especially like using hill assist when starting off with a heavier load. It gives you that extra help getting moving and once youre up to speed the regular assist takes over.

That matters more than i expected because i dont really have to think am i too tired for this trip or is the bike too loaded today nearly as much as i would on a normal bike.

The third thing is probably my favorite part and that is kids like riding bike more.

Now theyre almost always asking if we can take the bike. They sit in the back looking around, pointing things out, talking to me, telling me to look at whatever they just noticed.

In the car theyre mostly just sitting in the back while im focused on driving. On the bike the trip feels wayyy more interactive.

There are also a few smaller things i didnt care much about before buying the bike but that turned out to matter alot for everyday family use.

The rear guardrail opens (wear kids sit) so the kids can climb on by themselves. I close it, make sure the bags are secure and were ready to go.

And the e-dropper post has been really useful for me. Im not very tall and when the bike is loaded stopping while only being able to tiptoe doesnt feel great. But I lower the seat before stopping get my feet down more comfortably then raise it again once im riding.

None of these things sound huge on their own.

But together they remove alot of the little annoyances that would otherwise make me hesitate and think maybe ill just take the car.

And i think thats actually a big part of successfully switching from car to bike. Its not just about whether the bike can technically do the trip. Its about whether daily use has enough friction that you start avoiding it.

If the bike makes loading kids, carrying things, stopping, starting, parking and everyday errands feel easy you use it more...and once you use it more becoming car lite starts happening almost by accident.

Anyone else in LA or any other car heavy city making this work? What made it click for you?

for the first couple trips i did i packed food, water, first aid, extra layers, all the responsible stuff. never once thought about power.

first night my phone died because it was constantly searching for signal which just drains the battery. second night my headlamp was flickering because i used it way more than i expected. by day 2 i had like 8% left and was treating my phone like a medical supply.

now i plan power the same way i plan food. i bring a small power bank, spare batteries for my headlamp, and i keep my phone on airplane mode whenever im not actively using it.

picked up one because it was cheap and light enough to throw in my pack. been fine so far across a few trips.

honestly surprised nobody mentions this more when giving camping advice.

So I needed to get some tech accessories before school started for my laptop and phone, but a lot of them are just way too overpriced to get and the quality isnt even good. Like most chargers I saw were around 40-50 dollars  that didnt make sense to me because that's way too much for a power bank tbh. So I did some research and spent this summer putting together a kit thats cheap, compact and covers everything i actually need on campus that included: 

usb c cable 3-pack off amazon ($8) 
mini power bank with built in cable ($25) - Can easily charge my phone twice
cheap usb c hub for my macbook ($15)
wireless earbuds not airpods, ($20)

Now everything fits in a small zipper pouch and lives in my backpack permanently. The total was like 70 bucks which is less than my bio textbook cost lol.

What purchase made you think twice that you wont go for something overpriced but get something cheaper instead?

My graduation gift to myself is a backpacking trip around Europe this summer and I’m trying to pack smart since I’ll be moving between cities a lot.

I’m trying to keep things lightweight but still bring the essentials. Current list:

Backpack + day bag
Comfortable walking shoes
Clothes for a week (planning to do laundry)
Toiletries
a travel sized first aid kit
Universal adapter
Earbuds
Camera/phone accessories
Small first aid kit
Water bottle

One thing I’m still unsure about is my tech setup. I’ll be using my phone a lot for maps, tickets, translations, photos and bookings so I’m thinking about bringing a power bank. I currently have two power banks, a 10,000mah and a 25,000mah. The 10,000 mAh is really pocket friendly but I’m wondering if it will be enough for long travel days when I’m out exploring all day? For anyone who has backpacked around Europe or done a similar trip like this, what capacity do you usually bring? What else should I add to my list?