When it was revealed recently that sales of bicycles overtook car sales in Spain in 2012, the Guardian's Business live blog took the news as a symptom of economic malaise in Europe. But cyclists were more inclined to see the positive side of the story. Many of you took to GuardianWitness to show us your bike – and to tell us why you've given up your car in favour of cycling. Here's a round-up of some of our favourites.
One Guardian reader gave up her car when it failed its MOT and has been discovering new places on her bike instead:
The Wednesday commute
My car failed its MOT in November and I couldn't afford to have it fixed, nor buy a replacement. I'm a single parent, a student with the OU studying for a Classics degree and a part-time cleaner - I thought I needed a car. I couldn't have been more wrong. I cycle to all my jobs - the furthest away is 6 miles, no matter what the weather. I hadn't cycled for over 30 years and never for more than a couple of miles. 10 months on I take the long route home (around 20-25 miles) whenever I can just for the fun of it, I've lost 3 dress sizes and I am discovering places I never knew existed. If I was offered a car as a gift now - I'd say "thank you very much for your kindness, but no thank you" without a second thought.
Spencer Windes gave his SUV to charity when he moved to Amsterdam and doesn't miss owning a car one bit:
Off to an Easter concert in Dutchland on my Gazelle Tour Populaire.
Two years ago I left the US for Amsterdam. I donated my hulking SUV to a local charity the night before my plane was due to leave. As a lifelong gearhead who has owned over 20 different cars I knew it would be tough going at first, both physically and emotionally. One of the first times I stepped out into the local bike lane, while huffing like a marathon runner and pumping my creaky legs as fast as I could, I was easily passed by a young mom in a bakfiets cargo bike with two kids in it, blond hair waving gently in the wind. But while there's times I curse my lack of auto convenience (you try hauling enough beer for your rugby team drinkup in saddle bags) I don't miss owning a car. Driving, yes. Owning a car? Never. No financial drain, no parking headaches, no sitting in crammed streets going nowhere, no feeling drained by the morning commute. I also dropped 20 kilos and soon enough I was overtaking moms in cargo bikes with ease. I still love cars, but now driving is a rare treat done on vacation, and in its way its far more pleasurable. I get to admire the beauty of automobiles without worrying where the dough for that next transmission rebuild will be found. It's turned my entire relationship with the street on its head, and the time spent walking and riding is simply of a higher quality than the time spent behind the wheel.
In Athens, ekonstantop says the cost of buying a Brompton nine months ago has already been outweighed by the money saved on running a car:
Brompton M6R 2013 in front of an old Rolce Royce...
I switched my old folding bike for a Brompton, as I wanted a bike that I can take anywhere with me. Since December 2012 this is almost my only means of urban transportation, no matter the weather, the destination or the time of day. (My other bikes are used rarely...).
I ve covered about 4000 km since then and it has already paid out its purchase cost due to the save on fuel money, parking costs and vehicle service/repairs.
Many people consider Athens not to be bike-friendly city - but bikes are becoming more and more popular here. The lack of bike infrastructures is no longer an excuse. The more bikes are on the street, the sooner there will be interest by the State and by private businesses in catering for them and their riders.
If you want to give up your car for environmental reasons, it's not cheating to switch to an electric bike, insists jpocklington:
Ezee life :)
Almost 2 years ago I bought this ezee torq2, 1 year ago I took my car off the road , cycled, walked and bussed and decided I could organise my life to manage without a car, I sold the car this April.
Electric bikes are not a cheat..cheating is continuing to use a car without considering the options to seriously reduce carbon emissions and to make your life happier & healthier.
This is me in the foyer of a hotel in Hull..my partner and I cycled over 50 miles to get there, right into the city centre, the hotel let us store the bikes in a function room. It was a great weekend made better by bikes!
We'll be featuring more of your cycling stories on the Bike blog in coming weeks, so if you'd like to show us your bicycle, click on the blue contribute button below.