I'm going to be a bike commuter again!!

[GLC1968]

I'm so excited. My husband and I made an offer on a new home yesterday that was accepted. It's 5 miles from work with LOTS of options for routes that are very bike-friendly!

It's been so long since I felt that bike commuting was a valuable use of my time and I cannot wait! Currently I am 20 miles from work, so while I could do it, it takes so long (3 hours each day), that I just can't justify it on a regular basis.

[Blueberry]

Congratulations, GLC!!! Are you guys going to move quickly and then sell the old place? That makes life so much easier:)

[oxysback]

Yay! Congrats!

[GLC1968]

That's the plan. We hope to close in early October and then start moving the essentials (including the dogs!) so that we can properly stage the farm to sell. It's just too messy to try and show a farmhouse with three big dogs and a cat tracking in dirt and other stuff all the time. Plus, we've got a LOT of junk that we need to sort through and that'll take time (and a yard sale!)

The hardest part will be going from a room-sized closet (no joke!) to a single bar closet. Ouch!

This house is more than a 1000 sf smaller than the 'starter' home we bought when we got married. It's going to take a lot of downsizing! :eek:

[Blueberry]

This house is more than a 1000 sf smaller than the 'starter' home we bought when we got married. It's going to take a lot of downsizing! :eek:

How many square feet is it? We're in about 1200 right now, down from a high of 1800 in one place and 1750 in another. Clothes are still tight, and we still have a storage unit - but things are progressing nicely (and I've been having a virtual yard sale on ebay).

[GLC1968]

The new one is 1400. Our current one is 1750, but that doesn't include a HUGE basement and tons/tons/tons of storage, so making the switch is going to be tough. I can't believe how much we've manage to accumulate in only 4 years!!

Houses in FL and NC were both bigger and full of wasted space. As long as we have a big garage, we can make anything else work! ;)

[jobob]

Congratulations!!

Will your yard be large enough to put in a small storage shed?

[Tri Girl]

That's fantastic! Congrats on the new home. :) SO exciting that you'll get to commute again- I'm sure you will fall in love with it all over again. Yay for new adventures in life!! :D

[GLC1968]

Congratulations!!

Will your yard be large enough to put in a small storage shed?

Ha, no! Not even a little bit. In fact, here is a photo of our entire 'yard':
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu34/GLC1968/patio.jpg

(I was actually thrilled to have this much so that I can at least grow some herbs and have a spot for our grill)

The house has a 2 car garage with a wall big enough to house the kayaks (yes, we measured before we made an offer!) and another wall to house bikes. We are also going down to one small car (our MINI), so we'll have half that garage space for storage (around the treadmill and the motorcycle, of course).

I'm just trying to think of this whole move as a fun organizational challenge! :p

[GLC1968]

Is it wrong that I can't stop thinking about the logistics of bike commuting again? And I kind of want a new bike for it, too. :o

I need my head examined. We don't even move for like 6 weeks yet!

[Biciclista]

but where do 3 large dogs go?? sounds tight. congrats on the commute though.

[GLC1968]

but where do 3 large dogs go??


On lots of walks with us! And the puppy will be learning to run with me as I re-learn to run, so she'll get plenty of exercise.

(one dog has bad hips, so his days of running around a farm were coming to an end anyway ;)).

[Tri Girl]

Is it wrong that I can't stop thinking about the logistics of bike commuting again? And I kind of want a new bike for it, too. :o

If that's wrong- I don't want to be right. :p

And um... you simply NEED a new commuter bike. I mean, one that's up to the specific challenge of commuting. I simply don't see any way around it. ;)

[tulip]

Congratulations. I enjoyed following your farm blog, but being closer to things has benefits, not the least of which is being able to ride your bike to work and for errands. You can grow lots of food in a community garden plot. Not sure what you'll do about goats, though;)

[GLC1968]

LOL, Trigirl, I knew I liked you! ;)

Tulip - I've already signed up for a plot at my company's community garden for 2013! And we were working on housing our bees there as well but the legal issues are a bit tiring. We may house them at a friend's place instead. I'm also going to sign up for a veggie CSA as well.

The chickens have already gone on to a new home. The ducks will be next. The hardest will be the goats, for sure. I still have no leads on a home for them yet and I guarantee that I'll cry when they go. :(

[Tri Girl]

I guarantee that I'll cry when they go. :(

awwwww.... :(
It will be hard to say goodbye to your farm friends, but I'm glad you've found homes for the ducks and chickens. I'm sure the move is exciting, but bittersweet, too.
I'm looking forward to reading more about your new adventures, tho! :)

[Crankin]

Jealous.
My next job (one more year... I keep saying to self) has to be bike commutable.

[GLC1968]

Crankin - it's been 4 years since I've been able to commute!

OK, so knowing this is happening, I've been shopping. :o

I'm pretty sure I'm going to order and build up a Soma Buena Vista bike. I've got some parts already, and the cost of the balance and the frame won't set me back too far. Plus, I can sell my current commuter (a Terry Classic) and my current mixte (old and not comfy) to defray some of the cost.

Now I need to decide when? I'm thinking I can justify doing this now while I don't have any commuting to do and it'll be all done and ready for when we move. That makes perfect sense, right?

[Sky King]

on the topic of storage, The DH built a platform in our garage that hangs from the ceiling(screwed into joists) and it holds rarely used stuff.
Also invest in a closet organizing system for the closet. And I own a ton of little plastic storage boxes that are actually in frames that slide out like drawers - great for the cabinet under the bathroom sink (just be sure to measure the space first.
We went from 3300 to 1800 to 1200, lost a garage bay and a basement in the process and no I don't own any storage units so was major, major declutter time. Oh and half our 2 car garage is filled with bicycles but we don't have kayaks :)

[Tri Girl]

That makes perfect sense, right?

Of course!!! The Buena Vista will be a beautiful commuter!!! :D

[Dogmama]

Regarding dogs (of course I have to comment on that...) I have a 100 pound German Shepherd in a fairly small yard. He can run - but not too far. So, when I see those big brown eyes, "Oh please, oh please can we run today?" it makes me lace up those shoes.

[GLC1968]

Update!

I did cry when the goats went to their new home...a lot. Like we almost had to walk out of the restaurant because I couldn't get it under control! I miss them quite a bit, even now.

BUT, we did finally close on the new place two days ago. We pack the kitchen and start moving stuff tomorrow. Saturday the furniture we bought gets delivered and the internet will be installed. Sunday we have a truck reserved to move the few big things (chest freezer, treadmill, mattress, bikes, etc). Monday we unpack and on Tuesday, if all goes well, I'll commute to work for the first time in AGES. I can't wait!!

We have also decided to wait until January to list our farm. After a one week delay in closing, our super-tight schedule got just too tight to manage. The new plan is to wait until the new year instead of listing it right before the holidays just so that it can sit there getting 'stale'.

I have not purchased the Buena Vista yet (no money now that we have two mortgages!) so I might just wait until the spring to do so. Maybe it'll be my celebration bike for when the farm finally sells. ;)

[emily_in_nc]

Congratulations, GLC! I missed this thread, I guess because I don't typically read commuting posts, but how exciting about your new abode, down-sizing, and going down to a single car. Love that your garage has room for multiple bikes and kayaks. Important stuff! What town/city will you be in?

And what size is your Terry Classic? I might be in the market when you're ready to sell if it happens to be a 17.5" model in good condition. :D

I feel for you on the goats. I am sure I would cry too! :(

Good luck with the farm sale!

[GLC1968]

Thanks, Emily!

The classic is in great condition...but it's a 19'. Would that be too big? I'm not going to sell it until the spring anyway as I'll need it to commute with until then. :)

[divingbiker]

Wow, that's a big life change! I'm going to start bike commuting again with you on Tuesday!

Congratulations on the new place...and eventually the new bike.

[7rider]

What DB said.
Congrats and best of luck in the new digs.

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks, Emily!
The classic is in great condition...but it's a 19'. Would that be too big? I'm not going to sell it until the spring anyway as I'll need it to commute with until then. :)

Thanks, but yes. I have had a Terry before (Isis) and test rode a Classic before purchasing it to make sure of the size I needed -- definitely a 17.5". Just something I'm toying with the idea of in case my old pain from my injury starts recurring once we're back in the US and riding hills again -- riding in a more upright position as well as riding flats only (both of which I do in Belize on my beach cruiser) seems to eliminate any pain.

I appreciate the response, though!

[GLC1968]

Alright - no commute for me today. Somehow, in all the chaos, I managed to leave the only bike shoes that fit over my newly healed foot at the old house. Trying to commute by bike when I don't even know where half my bike stuff is was a bit too stressful. I'm going to wait until I've unpacked a little more in the new place. Soon!