The new year makes time for reflection and it’s only fitting to look back at my year of car-free living in the Bay Area. I’ll particularly focus on how the Brompton enabled that lifestyle and where it fell short.

Overall, I rode around 1320km (820mi) last year. This is equivalent to more than a round trip between San Francisco and Los Angeles!

Types of rides

The commute

Throughout the year I tried different cycling routes between home and work and also by combining Caltrain with cycling. When using the Brompton, my commutes followed two main patterns:

1. Bus to the office in the morning with the bike folded, ride home in the afternoon. I enjoyed creating and trying different routes through the year, and ended up settling on the route that followed the Bay Trail and was mostly separated from traffic: it allowed me to travel without stopping or stressing at intersections. In this case my door-to-door bike commute was around 10.5km and took 33-34 minutes putting the commute at around 18.5 km/hr.

2. Use the Caltrain but bike between the station and home/office. I ended up almost always travelling via Stevens Creek Trail because of its off-road protection even though it was a bit out of the way. In this case the cycling component of my commute would be 5.5-6km, taking 17-20 minutes, putting my speed around 16.5-21km/hr. There was an additional 6 minutes between home and the station, putting my total on-bicycle time to at least 23 minutes.

Initially, combining my Brompton with Caltrain seemed like a good idea, but I quickly discovered its limitations. The routes to and from stations often involved busy roads or were not direct. My combined cycling and Caltrain commute took 40-50 minutes when accounting for train delays and wait times. What surprised me most was that biking door-to-door, a distance of 10.5km, was consistently faster and more predictable, taking only 33-34 minutes.

As a last mile walking/bus replacement

The Bay, and especially the Peninsula/South Bay, is sprawling, with many low density and industrial areas separating “the good stuff”. This means that walking takes too long, is boring and frankly is unpleasant. Locally, cycling is the only way to skip stop-and-go traffic that clogs the streets, reducing the overall frustration of the journey. It also significantly speeds up travel to and from Caltrain stations. For example, Hillsdale Mall is a 15-minute walk from the Caltrain station, separated by the busy El Camino Real, but a quick bike ride away.

I found that even in San Francisco, buses can be infrequent or take indirect routes. The Brompton eliminated my reliance on bus schedules and transfers. One particular example was during late-night classes in the City. A 6-minute protected bike ride from the 4th and King Station meant I could stay in class longer without rushing to catch a bus to connect with my Caltrain ride home.

Recreational rides and Community

The last category of ride was the recreational. I got to combine the Brompton with busses quite easily. For example day trip to El Granada/Half Moon Bay was enabled by Brompton. Since then I have returned to Half Moon Bay several times with the Brompton thrown into the back of a Zipcar. In the city, I love biking to Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach along the Embarcadero and to well-connected areas like the Mission or Hayes Valley.

I also took part in many group rides this year: celebratory, informative and memorial. During these rides I met many various people from all walks of life, who were working on street safety, neighbourhood improvements, who were riding for the first time and those who were mourning. Many of these interactions showed me different worldviews and made me hyperaware of the dangers of driving on individuals and society.

Benefits of riding

Beyond the obvious fitness benefits, cycling regularly had a remarkable impact on my mood. When I cycle, even for just 20 minutes to work, I arrive focused and motivated.

I recall a long journey home one night on a brutally delayed train from a night class. I had just texted my partner about how I would be home really late and that I was upset and frustrated with Caltrain. Later that night when I got into bed, I had a huge smile on my face. When asked what turned my mood around I said “I got to bike home!”: The simple act of biking home from the station completely shifted my mood.

Complementary to the mood boosting, the Brompton became a unique social catalyst. It sparked conversations with strangers and connected me with a welcoming community of fellow Brompton owners. Cycling became a way for me to meet new people and socialize: group rides and compliments on bicycles, stickers and gear. The funniest encounter I had was 8pm on a lonely night at Lawrence Caltrain station where I ran into a fellow Brompton-owner riding to the nearby Costco!

One Brompton-specific benefit I experienced was that “The Fold” makes bike parking irrelevant. I think the Bay Area does a very good job with bike parking but theft is still something that I am worried about. With the Brompton I’ve always been able to take my bike into a business or restaurant. It also means that I do not need to carry a lock: allowing me pop into places with no bag or gear! The folding mechanism also helps when trains with full bike cars or riding the SFMTA’s Muni light rail which does not allow full-sized bikes.

Why didn’t I ride more?

Now let’s talk a bit about what could have been better, or where I didn’t reach for the Brompton as much as I thought.

The reality of the Bay Area is that distances are vast and roads abundant: even though cycling is faster than walking, it can take a while and is lonely. It can get monotonous cycling around rows and rows of houses without seeing many people. Furthermore, I found myself in a few suspicious road situations without any cycling infrastructure and now default to just using the sidewalk when I am unsure of the area. Sometimes I just opted to wait and take a short bus to avoid being alone on a road with dubious infrastructure. Overall this meant that while some Caltrain stations are located relatively close to downtowns and their shops, further destinations (for example the 99 Ranch or Apna Bazaar) were too uncomfortable to visit frequently.

An unexpected impediment — even in the presence of good infrastructure — was darkness. Rides feel extra lonely in the dark. I resorted to a having variety of lights of my bike to see and be seen. The sense of isolation on dark roads was a deterrent, despite using multiple bright lights for visibility.

In the city, poorly lit or maintained protected lanes, along with occasional people walking or sleeping in them, added an element of risk which I did not want to take on at night.

While I was initially enthusiastic about shopping cart mode, it felt unstable after a few uses. My particular Brompton model might not be ideal for it, and a rear rack with roller wheels might improve this experience, but I often opted to use my full-size bike with a proper rack and basket for larger grocery trips anyways.

Finally, while I enjoyed my 33-minute commute, doing it both ways or on consecutive days was challenging. I lacked the consistent energy and motivation required for such a routine.

Looking forward

This year, I want to take my bike to more places in a multimodal fashion: I want to take trips in car, bus, train and even planes that take me close to good cycling infrastructure and adventure. It would replace having to rent a bike or figure out how to get around. For example, this year I would like to take my bike to Monterey to experience the breathtaking scenery of the coastal bike path and to get around its dense downtown area.

I also want to continue using my Brompton as a way to commute at least a few times a week — I find the health benefits significant and find it a good way to end the workday. However, I'm also considering adding an e-bike to my stable, which could help with consistency of my commute.

And then there's my ambitious dream: a completely car-free adventure to and around Lake Tahoe – a multi-day journey around the stunning lake in mostly protected paths, using the bus when I have to!

In summary, living car-free in the Peninsula is definitely achievable, particularly with a compact and versatile bike like the Brompton. If you have access to a rental car or car sharing service and do not need a car for your daily commute, it is worth giving car-free lifestyle a try!

It's been a rewarding experience: a good change of pace, connecting me with my community and offering a healthier, more gentle way to get around.

Find out what happens next...